Losing weight with fatty I disease - Living with Fatty...

Living with Fatty Liver and NASH

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Losing weight with fatty I disease

rteweshawk profile image
15 Replies

I'm new here and would love some advice. I was recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease and I need to lose about 130 pounds. I was on a low-carb (20 a day) diet and had lost 50 pounds, but gained it all back after learning I was sick. Initially, my gastro nurse walking into my room (I thought I was just there to get some blood results) didn't say hello just said you have cirrhosis of the liver and I was an alcoholic. I was just stunned. I told her I didn't drink and blah, blah, blah. After liver biopsy and ultrasound, determined fatty liver. I know I can lose weight following this way of eating, but is it bad for my liver. I asked doc what to do and he just said watch carbs Help. Sorry this is long

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rteweshawk
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nash2 profile image
nash2Partner

Docs aren't much help with diet. Most get no real education on nutrition. I'll give a link which can get you started. I am a cirrhosis patient and this is the strategy I personally use. I lost a 2nd grader using it and my disease improved from cirrhosis to as stage 3 fibrosis. Our goal is to be as kind to the liver as possible.

fattyliverfoundation.org/na...

Wayne

rteweshawk profile image
rteweshawk in reply to nash2

Thank you so much!

TLC777 profile image
TLC777 in reply to nash2

BCAA What brand is a safe supplement?

nash2 profile image
nash2Partner in reply to TLC777

Not an expert but I use "ON". The main thing is it should be just amino acids which is basically predigested protein

TLC777 profile image
TLC777 in reply to nash2

Thank you !

Going to Mayo in FL end of April , feels like forever .

nash2 profile image
nash2Partner in reply to TLC777

Mayo is well regarded, you should get good care there

TLC777 profile image
TLC777 in reply to nash2

Optimum Nutrition?

Jeweltones profile image
Jeweltones in reply to TLC777

Take a look at Thorne Research. Their products are all tested by NSF.

TLC777 profile image
TLC777 in reply to Jeweltones

Vitamins ?

nettl1 profile image
nettl1

Some nurses and doctors aren’t specialist in this area. You should be teferred to a specialist once you’re out of the hospital. I didn’t weight quite as much as you, but it’s a complete lifestyle change to save and regenerate your liver. Green leafy vegetables , no salt, no alcohol. I don’t buy breads so I’m not tempted. I still eat some pasta but not as much. Fresh vegetables and fruits are the best. And start walking. Doctor told me to start at what I’m comfortable with and double it each day. Now I can run without pain or getting winded. Lots of luck to you. Others on this site know more than I do medically. I’ve had Cirrhosis since October 2016 and just starting to feel a little better.

utep99 profile image
utep99

Needing to lose a lot of weight myself about 85lbs I weigh in at 275lbs. I have been researching the subject and the best way to lose weight about 2 poundsa a week is bicycle. Walking is good but according to studies a bicycle is heads and tails above walking and is easier on the knees if they are a issue for you.

gillianTS profile image
gillianTS

I guess it depends if you are able to cycle in the first place and also if you feel safe doing so. Walking is fantastic it is a great way to make a huge start to getting fit and then move on to more vigorous activities such as cycling if you can. Building up walking and increasing the time you walk and the speed you walk is key, a sedentary walk will not gain a lot but might be where some people have to start off, whether you count steps or time a favourite walk trying to make improvements is really key.

Losing weight by changing out completely refined carbohydrates it is a huge key to improving your liver but by adding exercise this also helps to reduce the fat in the liver, so many people have fatty liver and they have no idea, others have fatty liver and get no medication or given little advice and they simply don't know what to do to help themselves and that's why this group is very good at helping people look at alternatives, whether about medication, supplement, diet and exercise if at all possible and trying to improve people's awareness of just how important it is to seriously consider what we put into our bodies has a massive correlation to how this affects the liver.

It's not just about losing weight and getting fitter it is a complete lifestyle change, once you have managed to get started and reducing the weight and starting the exercise you have to keep to this new regime for the rest of your life, slipping back into old habits will set your liver back to where it was.

Empty your cupboards of refined carbohydrates so removing the temptation, write out your new meal choices, write a new shopping list, experiment with new foods that fit in with your new diet, this does not mean you need to starve yourself just look at replacing those not so good things on your plate with liver happy food, more vegetables, salads, quinoa instead of rice, include good small amounts of protein and eat fresh fruit, seeds, nuts etc in moderation. We make more than required at meal time and freeze the meals that help out when you have not the time to prepare, its like a supply of ready meals without all the calories and carbohydrates. We even look at restaurant menus before making a reservation to make sure they can provide the kind of food we eat. Yes we have the odd blip in eating refined carbohydrates but not often and for me personally my stomach knows when I have eaten a slice of toast or had some pizza and for my husband he knows this is just not great for his liver.

Good luck with your quest.

ALBUQUERQUE18 profile image
ALBUQUERQUE18

You can heal yourself; "BELIEVE" that "All is not lost..." :) Go to YouTube & find the top liver transplant hospitals in the world (I found Mount Sinai/New York city & Columbia Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell/New York city very helpful on YouTube) who are doing the latest research & clinical trials; these Hepatologists have worldwide conferences & give the latest info/findings & lectures on YouTube & it's all FREE! I found a Canadian/American Kidney doctor, Dr. Jason Fung who shows how Intermittent Fasting seems to help liver patients (depending on the Stage of Disease). Dr. Fung's books are excellent & they're getting so many off diabetes meds & helping livers to heal. I chose to start "Mild" Intermittent Fasting: (16/8 + 18/6 Plans); "Healthy Keto"/Low carb; aerobic exercise that is specific to liver diseases, check out HELIO.COM (Hepatology) website; there's a research report re aerobic exercise (according to your body's ability & with a cardiologist's approval/clearance) at 45%-65% Maximum Heart Rate Reserve for 30-45 minutes per day/5 days a week, showed improvement of fibrosis at a cellular level! As soon as the exercise was stopped, the cellular improvements in the liver stopped.... Good luck! Have hope!

NYLassie profile image
NYLassie

I have lost 50 pounds and kept it off. Still have more to lose. I have a list of foods good for my liver. If it is not on that list, I don't eat it. Refined carbohydrates and animal fats are the things I avoid. As I am chronically low on sodium, I do not avoid salt, but I don't go overboard with it. As fatty liver is caused by excessive carbs in the diet, a reduced carb diet is usually recommended. Healthy fats include olive oil avocado oil, and sesame oil. When my internist first told me she suspected liver disease, I had a 5 week wait for an appointment with my hepatologist. My doctor told me to eat nothing but steamed vegetables, reduced sodium vegetable broth, and berries. Since I had no other advice from her that is what I ate for the first 2 weeks while I researched healthy foid choices. After my research, I added tofu soy milk, walnuts, and salmon to my diet. I drink a lot of filtered water, 3 to 5 cups each of organic green, black and white tea a day, and 2 cups of coffee to which I add soy milk. I don't eat bread pasta, or potatoes and go easy on grapes, bananas, and citrus. I have between 45 and 100 grams of carbs per day. An article I read regarding diet and exercise for NASH that I found on the nih.gov site suggested 550 to 1000 calories per day and 550 minutes of exercise per week. I stick to those guidelines. The problem with a very low carb diet is that it can be difficult to maintain in the long term, and tends to be higher in fat than is healthy for the liver.

Herman7275 profile image
Herman7275

Carry on back on low carb diet!! Show them you can do it !! Lkw carb diet and exercise best to fight fatty liver. Cut out sugar, all alcohol. Cut out bread, potato,pasta,Rice. Eat eggs, chicken , fish, some lien pork occasionally. Some hard cheese.

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