strange question about weight loss

[lulu7cs]

Hi, I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in november and told to lose weight-so I did. I have lost 35 lbs since then-Yea!! But I've been reading that losing too fast is bad for the liver. I NEVER thought I would ask this question and I'm not complaining, but am I losing too fast. I've been trying to slow the loss down but, I can't seem to get it to taper off, even by increasing my intake. I sometimes I have to make myself eat cause I'm not hungry-crazy I know. Should I be worried?

[nash2 Partner]

Hi Lulu

Congratulations, most people have real trouble losing weight, but to your question about how fast. That is a significant amount of weight but it also depends on how heavy you were to start with. The big concern is sudden weight loss without explanation. The concern is that when you change your lifestyle dramatically the liver has to respond to a new level of a lot of different chemicals so its workload changes and if it is already sick it could have difficulty. That can lead to changes in how the bowel operates to digest food and the process can cause more stress. Sort of like ringing a bell. It can take a while for the various chemical pathways to find their sweet spot. In some people, it can cause more damage but I don't know that there are any studies on that. Be sure you are eating a balanced diet, people often eat too little protein which can cause a lot of problems. That said, 6 pounds a month isn't huge for most obese patients so you are probably fine but it would be wise to check with your doctor.

Wayne