Kidney And Protein Update

I had my appointment with the nephrologist this afternoon, to follow-up on the elevated creatinine levels.  The doctor did a urine screening which indicated there was no blood or protein in my urine - a good sign.  He recognized that my creatinine levels were elevated and stated that it was probably due to protein in my diet.  Other reasons could be kidney damage from a childhood illness (but I had lower levels in 2007 and 2008, so this was ruled out) or kidney disease (very unlikely given the absence of blood or protein in my urine).

One thing the doctor wants me to do is reduce my protein intake, because the protein may be putting a strain on my kidneys.  A "Kidney Diet" is restricted to 60 grams of protein per day.  In comparison, I've been consuming almost double that with 110 grams or more in a given day.

This is the breakdown of the protein for the foods I eat:
2 eggs - 14g
4 egg whites - 28g
chicken (2oz) - 12g
chicken (4oz) - 24g
almonds (20g) - 4.25
peanut butter (1TBS) - 3.5
protein shake - 25g

The doctor stated that I didn't need to be as strict as a "Kidney Diet" would demand, but that he did want it brought down.  I'm going to check in with my trainer to see what dietary changes I can make so that my overall protein is brought down to about 80 grams a day.  The doctor indicated that I didn't need to make any changes regarding the vitamins and supplements that I take.

In about two months, I go back to the doctor for a follow-up.  Before that appointment, I'm going to have an ultrasound of my kidneys to see if there's anything physical or structural.  I'm also doing a 24-hour urine collection and further blood work the week before the appointment.  That will put the creatinine levels into a larger context, looking at it in relation to the volume of urine I produce.  (I did have to giggle a little when I asked for a second specimen jug - given my fluid intake, I think I could easily fill one of them in 24 hours!)

I left the appointment feeling a bit better about my kidneys.  The doctor repeatedly stated that he didn't think there was anything to worry about.  There were no indicators of kidney disease, though he wanted to do the further tests just to rule things out.  He let me know that my being more muscular and having a higher protein diet are most likely the reason for elevated creatinine levels, rather than it being due to underlying disease/dysfunction.  If that's the case, I'll just have a higher baseline for creatinine levels than the typical female.

Maybe I can just pitch myself as being "above average" in many ways!

Food Log

• Meal 1
• 2 eggs and 4 egg whites with salsa  (42g)
• Meal 2
• Green beans
• 2oz chicken (12g)
• Meal 3
• 4oz chicken (24g)
• Spinach
• Meal 4
• Generous tablespoon of peanut butter (4g)

Exercise

• Time:  65 minutes, 30 seconds (had to get to the 5 miles!)
• Level:  Level 1 for 1 minute; Level 3 for 60 minutes; Level 1 for 4.5 minutes
• Calories: 650+

Weigh-in: 142.6