Newly diagnosed with Fatty Liver, need help

Bixa2805 · ‎03-17-2010

I was just diagnosed with a slight fatty liver and my Dr. told me to lose weight by cutting back on calories, carbs and going low fat. Does anyone know of a good diet plan or program that specifically reduces a fatty liver? I need specific food and meal plans. Thanks!

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

From what I understand if this is not an alcoholic induced fatty liver, a person can lose weight and try to eat have a food program lower in saturated and hydrogenated fats. From what I've read about this getting ones triglyceride levels lower is also beneficial.

The doctor that did my wife's Gastric Bypass Surgery will not do it on anyone that has a fatty liver, regardless of it's cause. He said most patients can change this simply by losing weight and getting the HDL cholesterol numbers higher and getting their LDL cholesterol numbers lower. The triglyceride levels usually come down in relation to a better HDL/LDL blood lipid ratio.

If you haven't had a fasting Lipid Blood Test done lately it might be a good idea to know these numbers now. Then after trying losing weight maybe by what I mentioned above, check it 3-6 months later and see how those same numbers are doing.

Of course you should first consult with your doctor before doing any of the above.

Disclaimer:

I am simply making suggestions not giving you a diagnosis. I am not and do not make any pretense at being a doctor or anyone with a license to practice medicine.

hckynut(john)

Remee · ‎11-12-2013

John is correct, even though his specialty is hockey, lol ! He is wise in many things, and if he could earn an M.D. by knowledge and personal experience he would have by now !

His information is spot on, and his suggestions are accurate. Good job, John !

I had a fatty liver as well brought on by undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, and when discovered, I had to get all of that under control. Talk to your doctor for sure, but your best help can come from time spent with a Nutritionist. They can help you specifically get on the best diet plan to loose weight and lower your blood levels in the areas needed, and eat to reduce the fatty liver. It isn't as hard as you might think,just making dietary changes in some foods that work together better than others, and cutting out those that work against you.

I couldn't have done anything well without my Nutritionist, all the way through, and she taught me how to read labels better, and to buy fresh food better and generally to cook and eat properly for life. It worked and wasn't difficult like I thought it would be either.

Your doctor should be able to suggest one, or your local hospital or check with your insurance company to see who or if they will cover your appointments.

You can do it, and it's good to start now before you develop any problems.

I wish you the best !

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

Hi! Good for you for getting that diagnosed early (my sister did too. A surprise--she's so healthy.) I have a friend who DID NOT take care of this and he has a new liver, and it happened at the last minute, too, practically as he was a week away from saying bye-bye. Awful. He had it and it progresses into cirrhosis and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

It is now the most common form of liver disease, surpassing alcoholic cirrhosis.

A great book on reversing this (the one my sister used) is Fatty Liver, You can Reverse It A even better book is Healing Fatty Liver Disease and it has recipes, etc.

AngelPuppy1 · ‎03-13-2010

Just curious -- how does one know that one has a fatty liver? Is there a particular blood test they do? Certain symptoms? Thanks for any replies.

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin

addiegal · ‎06-09-2014

Good luck and I am sure you can make the changes needed. I have seen a family member pass due to liver disease and although his was not caused by fatty liver the end results are the same. Liver failure is an ugly disease. A nutritionist is a good suggestion and search online for ideas on diet and recipes...you can do this! How are your blood sugars?

gidgetgh · ‎03-09-2010

A friend of mine was diagnosed with Fatty Liver and her doctor told her to go on the South Beach Diet, which she did. I know you said your doctor advised you to lose some weight. You could ask your doctor about the South Beach Diet.

Why is it, when I have a 50/50 guess at something, I'm always 100% wrong?

ID2 · ‎06-25-2012

Google is your friend.

"Pure Michigan"

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

On 7/6/2014 AngelPuppy1 said:
Just curious -- how does one know that one has a fatty liver? Is there a particular blood test they do? Certain symptoms? Thanks for any replies.

When you get a normal physical, they should do a blood panel which is a set of tests including liver enzymes. If the liver enzymes are elevated and out of whack, that shows up as an indicator you have a problem. Then they do a liver panel, which is a deeper blood test for liver problems. If you take statins or certain other drugs, if you have a family history (this runs in families) or have some other conditions, you are at risk of this, so the doctor, seeing your history and an elevated liver enzyme test in your regular physical would investigate this further.

It's also thought to be one of the leading causes of liver cancer.

Women also have lower liver enzymes to process alcohol (we have smaller livers.) So you generally must drink less than an average guy, even of the same age and size. Strictly speaking, one drink per session is about the most women can process without toxic metabolites spilling off into the bloodstream (!) which used to give the gals who worked in our labs big laughs as they drank a lot of beer and wine (living in Europe.) But in actuality, being overweight and even moderate alcohol consumption can lead to this problem.

AspenGrove · ‎08-27-2013

As others have suggested, I too suggest that you see a licensed nutritionist who can help create an eating and physical activity plan that meets your specific needs.