How Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) Snuck Into My Life (And Why I Had to Break Up With It)

I’ll be real with you — I didn’t even know what very low density lipoprotein was until my doctor threw it at me like a grenade during a routine checkup. One minute we’re chatting about how I’ve finally managed to stop putting sugar in my coffee, and the next he’s squinting at my blood test results like they’re a secret code.

“Your VLDL’s higher than I'd like to see,” he said, tapping the paper with his pen like I was supposed to know what that meant.

“VLDL? Sounds like some Wi-Fi setting I don’t understand,” I half-joked. But inside? I was spiraling.

Let me rewind.

That One Blood Test That Woke Me Up

So last winter, I was on this semi-health kick. Not a full-blown kale-every-day lifestyle, but I was trying. Walks after dinner. Less takeout. Even replaced my usual bag of sour cream chips with the baked version (okay fine, half the time).

But I was still feeling… off. Sluggish. Puffy in the face. Craving garbage constantly. Like, I’d eat “clean” all day and still want a peanut butter milkshake at 10pm. Something wasn’t clicking.

My doc had me do some routine labs and — boom — he tells me my very low density lipoprotein (aka VLDL) was high. Higher than he was comfortable with. And apparently, that’s the kind of lipoprotein that dumps fat straight into your bloodstream. Like a sneaky little fat-delivery truck cruising through your arteries.

Cool.

“But I Don’t Even Eat That Bad!” (Narrator: She did.)

Look, I wasn’t pounding burgers every day. But I had this halo effect going on. You know — the ol’ “I had a salad for lunch so I can totally have three slices of garlic bread for dinner” thing. And don’t get me started on weekends. Friday night charcuterie boards? Oh yeah. Bacon on everything? Of course. Brunch with bottomless mimosas? You already know.

The thing is, VLDL doesn’t care how well you think you're eating. It’s all about triglycerides. And apparently, I had a lot floating around in me. Guess who delivers triglycerides to your body like a shady dealer? Yup. Very low density lipoprotein.

Breaking Down What I Learned (So You Don’t Google for 3 Hours Like I Did)

Okay, so in human terms: VLDL is made in your liver, and it carries triglycerides (fats) to your tissues. Sounds helpful, right? Well… kinda. It’s a bit of a double agent. Too much VLDL = too much fat clogging your blood vessels. Think of it like trying to flush bacon grease down a straw. Not ideal.

And here’s the kicker — VLDL isn’t something that shows up on food labels. It’s not like sugar or carbs or “sodium per serving.” It’s this invisible factor that creeps up when your lifestyle starts to quietly go off the rails.

For me? That looked like:

• Mindless snacking on “healthy” bars loaded with sugar alcohols

• Treating wine like a food group

• Sitting for 10+ hours a day and calling it “grind mode”

So… What Actually Helped Lower It?

Spoiler: I didn’t go full keto. Or juice cleanse. Or suddenly become a crossfit goddess.

Here’s what actually worked for me:

1. Fiber became my ride-or-die.
I started sneaking chia seeds into my yogurt, adding lentils to everything, and eating apples like they were going out of style. Soluble fiber helps pull bad fats out of your system like a magnet. And my digestion? Chef’s kiss.

2. I swapped sugar for protein (most days).
Protein helped kill my cravings. Instead of reaching for cereal in the morning, I started making egg muffins with spinach and turkey. Yes, I meal-prepped. Who even am I?

3. I stopped fearing fat — but got picky about it.
Irony alert: eating good fat helps lower bad fat in your blood. I leaned hard into avocado, nuts, olive oil — the monounsaturated crew. Fried stuff and buttery croissants? Still love them. Just not every damn day.

4. Movement — but not in a toxic “gym rat” way.
I started walking every single day. Not for steps. Not for social media. Just… to get my heart moving. And let me tell you, those 30-minute strolls with my podcast? Sanity-savers.

Things I Tried That Didn’t Work (or Made Things Worse)

Let’s have some real talk:

– Fat burners & supplements.
I wasted $45 on something promising to “melt triglycerides.” All I got was the jitters and a weird rash. Hard pass.

– Cutting all carbs.
Yeah, that backfired hard. My energy tanked, I got moody, and guess what — I still craved junk. Your brain needs carbs, just not the processed garbage kind.

– Stressing over every food label.
Not sustainable. I became that person Googling “triglyceride content in hummus” at Trader Joe’s. Eventually, I learned to zoom out. Big picture > microscopic obsession.

But… What If You’re Genetically Screwed?

Here’s the part people don’t talk about enough: you can be doing everything right and still have high VLDL.

My aunt? Vegan marathon runner. Her numbers were wild. Turns out, genetics play a huge role here. That said, knowing your genetic risk isn’t a death sentence. It just means you’ve got to work with your body instead of against it.

I got tested for some lipid metabolism stuff after my second blood test, and yeah — I’ve got a “variant.” Basically means my body likes to hoard fat in the bloodstream like it’s prepping for winter.

So I don’t aim for perfect. I aim for better than last month.

FAQs My Friends Actually Asked Me

“Can I just take fish oil and be done?”
I mean… you can. But it’s like wearing cologne instead of showering. Fish oil helps — I take it now — but lifestyle > pills.

“Is this just another cholesterol scare?”
Not quite. VLDL is a specific type of cholesterol carrier, and it's one of the main ones pushing fat into arteries. So yeah, it's a red flag, not just hype.

“Does alcohol affect VLDL?”
Ugh, yes. Especially sweet cocktails. Trust me — cutting back on wine was rough but totally worth it. My numbers dropped by a lot just from doing “dry weekdays.”

Final Thoughts (a.k.a. My Pep Talk)

Look — I’m not a doctor. I’m not even consistently healthy. I still eat pizza when I’m sad and forget to drink enough water on Sundays. But figuring out this whole very low density lipoprotein thing changed the way I think about food, movement, and how sneaky “healthy” habits can be.

Bottom line? VLDL isn’t the villain. It’s just a warning light on your dashboard. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight — just start by listening to your body and making one better choice today than you did yesterday.

And if you're anything like me?

Start with fiber. That sh*t is magic.

If this resonated even a little, you might also want to read this post about how I accidentally lowered my triglycerides without giving up pasta. Just saying.

Stay messy. Stay real. Stay curious.