Liver shrinkage diet worries

[DaisyMaesy]

It worries me that the liver shrinkage diet is being used too far ahead of surgery as a weight loss tool. I thought that the milk diet was to shrink the liver prior to surgery. It is not a long term diet it does not cover enough nutritional intake. Why are hospitals advising people to use this to lose weight?
Or is it that people are misreading pre op diet for dieting pre op? Two completely different things in my book.

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

Apart from L&D I do not know of other providers who put people on a milk diet as part of their pre op assessment process. There is a lot of confusion out there. The best thing to do is always check with your team for dietary advice prior to the liver shrinking diet.

tranquil x

 

[sugga]

Hi Daisy, I didnt do the milk diet as part of my pre op diet. I did the milk diet for 10 days prior to my wls..i thought everyone did this.
I think some people call there milk diet pre op diet and thats where the confusion is, i think.
Some people have to stay on the milk diet a lot longer than others too, some are on it for 3/4 weeks which is a long time, isnt it. xxx

 

[angie790]

It worries me that the liver shrinkage diet is being used too far ahead of surgery as a weight loss tool. I thought that the milk diet was to shrink the liver prior to surgery. It is not a long term diet it does not cover enough nutritional intake. Why are hospitals advising people to use this to lose weight?
Or is it that people are misreading pre op diet for dieting pre op? Two completely different things in my book.

I think you may be right, there is confusion out there, where people do mistake a diet pre-op with a liver-shrinking diet before their op, however, I would also say it depends on the liver-shrinking diet itself. Many providers ask people to go on a low fat/low carb diet as their liver-shrinking diet, and possibly the reason why they ask them to go on the diet for so long, is that basically, if you are taking in any carbs, it will take the liver that much longer to use up its glycogen stores, as it will always use carbs preferentially as a fuel source...so a low carb diet is just that, low, not zero, and almost all foods types have some degree of carbs in them anyway. Also, I think to a certain degree, it is useful for preparation of limiting food intake post-op, which can come as a major shock to some if they are not carefully prepared.

 

[Bev]

Apart from L&D I do not know of other providers who put people on a milk diet as part of their pre op assessment process. There is a lot of confusion out there. The best thing to do is always check with your team for dietary advice prior to the liver shrinking diet.

tranquil x

It's an interesting debate since we seem to be hearing more of this... I often wonder if some peeps are just have a few days on the slimfast plan?

Seems it can mean differing things but could be worth a thread.

Love and hugs Everyone xxx

 

[msunique]

The l&d ask you to do the milk diet which is 4 pints of milk and sf jelly per day and they tell you to lose 5% of your weight and give you between 4 and 9 weeks to do so, they say thus is to show you and your body can tolerate a liquid diet for after the op but also a commitment to the surgery, if you don't achieve the weight loss in this time you will not receive surgery.

 

[msunique]

Sorry forgot to add you then have to go back on the milk diet 2 weeks pre op to shrink the liver.

When you lose the initial 5% you get put on the refeed diet which is 2 pints of milk and 1 meal and a snack or 2 but you must not regain the weight!

 

[Bev]

It's sounding like it's differing advice with different regions, this happens such a lot in wls.... love and hugs xxx

 

[tutusueshropshire]

we have a choice of 5 diets but when i phoned the sectary she told me to do the milk diet right up until the surgery date, going to ring them tommrow and speak to someone else who may no as i agree its a long time for me to be on it 8 weeks.... only so much i can stomach, dont feel as if ive lost anything, havent got any scales and my gp scales dont go up to my size so got to wait to the pre op day to see how much ive lost xxx

 

[kurvykaren]

I'm interested to know what the 5 diet options are Sue!

I have to do the slimfast diet for a month once I know my new surgery date but that's because they discovered an unrelated problem with my liver when they attempted my first bypass in February.

I think it's usually 2-3 weeks, I've never heard of anyone having to do it for 8 weeks!

x x

 

[Jane]

8 weeks seems an awfully long time to be just on the milk diet. I'm sure I read in another members diary (sorry can't recall name at the mo), that they stuck with the milk diet for several extra weeks and it caused them problems with malnutrition. So definitely check with your provider.

 

[angelajoy1961]

That was annie t's diary - lisa x pointed it out to me as I was doing the milk instead of the re-feed and it made scary reading !!

 

[tesmaralda]

My provider along with a few others refer to the liver shrinkage diet as a pre op diet as it is normally started 2 weeks before the op and is continued until you have your op.So it has sort of stuck as a pre op diet in as much as its done just before your op to shrink your liver.
If I see people asking for details of it because the want to lose weight I always advise them against it as it should only be done on medical advice.

 

[yorkiegal]

I've been told to do the liver shrinking diet for two weeks prior to the surgery. Other than that I haven't ever been asked to lose any weight. My surgeon just said he didn't want me to gain a lot. I've gained ten pounds in the last 4 weeks whilst I've had this stinking cold. I think partly because I just haven't been active, but also because I've been comforting myself a lot with chocolate. So it's back on the slimfast for the week now, as I have my pre-op on thursday.

 

[Jane]

That was annie t's diary - lisa x pointed it out to me as I was doing the milk instead of the re-feed and it made scary reading !!

Thanks Angela, I knew I had read it. It certainly agrees with what is said here i.e that milk diet is generally only followed just pre-op for liver shrinking or with the one group to help you get to your 5% weight loss, and that it should not be followed long term at all.

 

[DaisyMaesy]

I personally don't think it should be used at all to encourage weight loss. It is designed to shrink and purify the liver it should only be used for that. L&D would be much better advising use of slimfast or similar. At least that has the nutrirional requirements. But then I am no medic but I do have common sense and if I were told to follow this for any other than pre op liver shrinkage then I would query it and ask how I am supposed to get all the required nutrients that I need.

 

[Peterborough Guy]

I'm currently on the milk diet, I'm into my third week and I'm on 5 pints of milk a day and one oxo cube. Ive not been given any dates for my surgery yet, but have been told, that I will get a extra two weeks to achieve my 5% if I don't make it in 2 weeks.

I have also been told to take multi vitamin tablets.

Oh and I am under L&D.

 

[msunique]

You should be able to have 2 oxo cubes I had one for lunch and one for dinner then the sugar free jelly too, it makes a difference to have the extra one well I thought so cos it was my meal lol.

Good luck with your weight loss x