Hi, i had my gallbladder removed about 15 years ago - was told it was not important or necessary. Now i am struggling to lose weight after being diagnosed with fatty liver and high cholesterol despite being gluten & dairy free and a non-meat eater and physically fit. I am looking for an easy to find, affordable ( as i think i will need to take forever) supplement to take to get my liver functioning that will allow me to control my weight too. Does anyone have any tips / similar experience please? I am in uk.
Thankyou!
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Bryj
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Having no gallbladder would not affect your ability to lose weight. However being gluten free might mean you are eating much more calories than you realised. A BBC program a year or so ago showed that gluten free foods often had higher fat and sugar content that foods which contained gluten, as well as being a third more expensive. Advise from a qualified nutritionist said gluten has been eaten for 2000+ years and is tolerated by all but 1% of people who have a proven diagnosis of Celiac's disease. The BLT have commented in the past that supplements are not recommended if you have a liver problem taking supplements just gives the liver more work. Also if it is not medically prescribed you could be taking any old rubbish as they are not regulated.
I was very obese for a number of years, and have since halved my weight, I didn't do any exercise but just ate less. Portion size is often the cause of increased weight, that and empty calories, foods and drinks which have no nutritional value but are high in calories. Its very surprising how much we eat in calories even when we think we're not overeating. I had a job where I would go to meetings and eat 2 or 3 biscuits and then have a baguette roll, egg or cheese with a packet of crisps ( for example), just this normal sounding eating could be 8-900 calories and thats not including the evening.
Maybe try weight watchers or slimming world, but faddy diets and supplements is not the way. Reducing calories is, try serving yourself a meal, then put half of it back, eat slowly and mindfully. Be aware of why you are eating, that can help to reduce snacking which we all do often without thinking about it.
The BLT has plenty of stuff on healthy eating. With focus on reducing process foods and eating lots of veg, fruit low sugar and salt.
It is possible and the sense of achievement and improvement in self esteem are really worth the efforts. Those feelings are much better than a big slice of cake!!
I was in the same boat. I did it but only by sticking to 1000 calories a day. I'm largely inactive as I have osteoarthritis in both knees. The thing that transformed it for me was wearing a Fitbit and making sure your calories in are less than your calories out. I was shocked to see how many calories there are in stuff you don't give a thought to. My treat for my sweet tooth was an options hot chocolate at night and those 10 calorie jellies as a desert. Just keep your diet balanced across the food groups. I was totally overwhelmed by the idea but just incremental changes will show benefits. Good luck J
Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
The British Liver Trust does not recommend the use of homeopathic or herbal remedies for those with any liver problems as these have to be processed by the liver and can actually damage the liver and lead to severe illness.
More research needs to be done on the use and safety of such remedies and therapies.
If you have concerns about any prescribed medication or are considering using complementary or alternative remedies &/or therapies always discuss this with your doctor.
In addition, There are some special considerations that people with liver disease may need to make in their diet to stay nutritionally well and to help to manage their condition. Some of these are specific to certain liver diseases, others relate to how advanced the liver disease is.
It would therefore be advisable to obtain specialist dietary advice from your liver specialist in the first instance.
Your Gp could also refer you to a hospital registrated dietician for more specific advice and guidance.
Here is the link to The british Liver Trust's publication 'Diet and liver disease';
Been a bit quiet lately, recovering from a bout of shingles - really took it out of me !
Anyway, regards the gallbladder. People live quite happily without having one, the only difference is, you wont get stones forming there and bile goes in a steady flow instead of in bursts in response to a fatty meal, where is helps to break down the fats.
Also, in a transplant, the new liver comes without the gallbladder. I haven't noticed any difference since my transplant. Interestingly, my removed gallbladder was found to have pre-cancerous cell changes. A follow up scan last month was all clear for any spread to other organs. So my life was saved twice with a single operation.
I had my gallbladder removed in 2009. It was in such a bad way it caused me to have pancreatitis too. At one point I was on steroids and insulin and gained a good two stone. After Christmas last year I decided that I needed to get off insulin and the only way I could do it was to lose weight. I followed Michael Mosley's low carb diet and was off insulin in about 2 months. I think the low carb diet or slimming world ate probably the best diets to follow. Good luck
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