Hi all,
I am awaiting to see my GP next week. I have slightly raised Liver function levels and have been told to see to my diet and lifestyle. I have read however that vlcd can provoke gallstones? Does anyone have any experiences of this?

Hi MissHerde and welcome to the site. First question is do you have gallstones. Do you mean your triglycerides were raised. In answer to both, I have always had high triglycerides to the point when my doctor used to ask if I was an alcoholic which I am not. Since going on this diet my triglycerides and cholesterol (another fat product) have been reduced considerably. This diet is not high in fat but allows us to eat the good fats in exchange for the bad ones. So olive oil instead of vegetable oils (except rapeseed which is good), and naturally occurring fats like avocado or nuts. I have read that fast weight loss can upset the function of the gall bladder but it is also true that obesity or being overweight can also cause gall stones. I guess it is up to you, if you are worried take a different course of action like the 5:2 or Med diet where the weight loss is not quite to fast. The speed of loss on the Fast800 also depends on how much you have to lose, how well you stick to it and for how long. Some stalwarts have lost over 100lbs on this diet or some lose quickly at the beginning then it slows down to a more ‘normal’ loss. The ball is in your court as they say.

MissHerde, the VLCD diets you refer to are the shakes type of replacement meals. I used these many years ago and developed Gallstones which led to having my Gall Bladder removed. This way of life is full of healthy food and is unlikely to cause any kind of Gall Bladder problem. When I developed my stones I was told I was strange as I didn’t fit the “profile” of a Gall Bladder sufferer. I was 30 and only 10 stone in weight. What we didn’t know then (31 years ago) is that the protein shakes can cause a build up of salts etc in the Gall Bladder. This is not shouted from the rooftops and I think it should be!

If you already have a problem with your Gall Bladder, you may find this way of life helps anyway. I have had repercussions from the removal of my Gall Bladder and they have stopped since eating this way.

I hope this has helped you and you are successful on this way of life.

Nonna Mary

Be very careful if you suffer from gallstones and you start fasting it could make your situation worse. I had the same issue and I had to stop fasting as the pain was bad. This article might help you, all the best
https://gallstonesdiet.net/can-intermittent-fasting-cause-gallstones/

If you search Gallstones at the top of the page you will find several useful threads. I have existing gallstones and what I have learned is that fasting longer than 12-15 hours can mean your gall gets stodgy and may be more able to form into stones. But if you have some fat regularly it will likely keep your gallbladder functioning and not allow the gall to get stodgy. We are all different of course, but this is the best advice i have found.

Hello,

I’m considering re-starting the program, but I have a gallstone and am concerned about the effect of fasting.

If I just do the 8-8 eating window, so 12 hour fasting, would I be okay?