Fat liver and ? Diabetes???

johngti

So, been having stomach pains etc over the last few months and finally managed to get an ultrasound done (makes sense, I’m 51 and overweight and haven’t been riding as much as I used to so fitness had plummeted).

The results are in. I have gallstones (which were probably causing the pains) and stage 1 fatty liver disease. I’m having a blood test next week to see if there’s the beginnings of type 2 diabetes too. So the wife has been looking into diet etc but the one bit she’s not found much out about is the whole exercise/recovery thing Now I’m guessing that I’m not the only person here with this type of thing so what do we think is the best way forward in terms of eating on a long ride and recovery? Foods and drinks with added sugar etc need to be avoided so that’s most of the cycling products out. Home made flapjacks might work on the bike but even having a glass of milk after a ride is frowned upon apparently. Oh and while I can carry on drinking coffee, I’ve been told to completely cut out alcohol.

I believe that increasing the amount of exercise I do linked with a better diet can reverse the changes. Exercise is already on the up (massively so over the last couple of months) and day to day diet changes are being planned. Be interested to see what anyone else has done.

By the way, I’m aware the gallstones are there for good now and won’t be fixed by diet changes but if they get to be a problem then a surgical solution is needed!

Thanks all.

ugo.santalucia

The alcohol bit is the single most important thing to do. Then of course you need to lose weight at pace, although that might make your gallstones worse, if you lose it too fast

johngti

Well I’m 86kg now so let see if I can make it to low 80s by the time school starts again in September. Definitely overweight rather than obese so there’s some hope!

ugo.santalucia

You might also want to try drastically reduce your red/processed meat and dairy intake, which must be pretty high, if you have developed gallstones and you have a fat liver.

I think you would be mistaken to believe the problem was in the sugar, although it's always best to avoid it, for calories sake and since you have the onset of type 2 diabetes.

johngti

Yeah. The wife is fond of beef and lamb so we’ve tended to have that too much. She’s now shopping for more chicken/turkey/fish for me along with less processed flour stuff and plain white rice in favour of whole meal stuff and wild/brown rice along with quinoa etc. And loads of green veggies and fruit. But not too many bananas apparently.

ugo.santalucia

Sounds like you are on the right track... don't forget dairy, especially cheese, the devil's work...

masjer

Drinking green tea or taking green tea extract can reduce fatty liver disease. If you take an extract don't over do it (it can raise liver enzymes) and look for a supplement with a high EGCG level.

The Effect of Green Tea Extract Supplementation on Liver Enzymes in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease:
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763469/

johngti

Green tea is definitely on the list. It’s very much early stages so there’s an opportunity to fix it

masjer

Drink with no milk as it stops the absorption of the effective compounds. Also don't drink on an empty stomach as it can make you feel queasy.
Extract is much stronger and equivalent to drinking many cups.

Good health.

PMark

I speak as someone who has type 1 diabetes (which is a bit different to type 2).
But doing burst of high intensity riding (a min or 2 at different times in the day) can help with people in your situation to keep sugars more balanced. (so maybe look at a turbo trainer or exercise bike if you can't always go out)
Depending on how hard you cycle when doing the longer rides, having sweet snacks may not be completely out of the question as the glycogen in your body does need to be replenished. Although you would only have them while cycling and not after. However, as you are also aiming to loose weight, having something like a banana will probably be better for you when riding for the moment.

johngti

Thanks for that info. I’ve stocked up so now there’s a banana ready for the morning and a box of green teabags ready to go. I’m having bloods taken on Monday to see if type 2 diabetes is a possibility; it’s certainly an explanation for tiredness and a couple of other symptoms

johngti

So, no type 2 diabetes, which is very good and down to 83kg which is even better. The plan for low-80s by the start of the new term seems on track, see if I can drop another kg by then. Loads of walking but less cycling for exercise, don’t want to over stress the system given the massively restrictive diet I’ve been on.

ugo.santalucia

70 kg would be even better

crossed

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/1780724098/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IetqFbHT5YQ96

Read this.
It tells you everything you need to know about fatty liver and diabetes.

johngti

ugo.santalucia said:

70 kg would be even better

I don’t think I’ve been 70kg since I was 14 years old! We’ll see though

ugo.santalucia

Make it 75 then... nothing tastes as good as skinny feels... *

* Kate Moss

mr.b-campag

don't forget dairy, especially cheese, the devil's work...

Not sure if this is tongue in cheek or not? Some dairy (esp. from cows) might not be well tolerated by some people (e.g. those of Asian descent), but e.g. 'proper' sheeps yoghurt (the stuff that has a skin on top and a very strong taste) is probably good for most people, along with properly matured cheese (not the industrial sludge that you buy in most uk supermarkets).

To the OP you might find the book 'The diet myth' by Tim Spector helpful in your journey towards good health.

johngti

ugo.santalucia said:

Make it 75 then... nothing tastes as good as skinny feels... *

* Kate Moss

That feels doable. Those north Kent hills should feel a bit easier by the end of it all

johngti

mr.b-campag said:

don't forget dairy, especially cheese, the devil's work...

Not sure if this is tongue in cheek or not? Some dairy (esp. from cows) might not be well tolerated by some people (e.g. those of Asian descent), but e.g. 'proper' sheeps yoghurt (the stuff that has a skin on top and a very strong taste) is probably good for most people, along with properly matured cheese (not the industrial sludge that you buy in most uk supermarkets).

To the OP you might find the book 'The diet myth' by Tim Spector helpful in your journey towards good health.

Thanks - I’ll look into that. Current diet is hardly any dairy (bit of milk in coffee, some to make porridge - which I do with half milk and half water now - and hardly any cheese, maybe an ounce over the last three weeks); whole meal pasta and bread and whole grain and wild rice but in small portions; no potatoes; no sweets or biscuits; no alcohol; no crisps; snacks are fresh fruit, dates and walnuts; breakfast is porridge or muesli and I have a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup with the porridge. Drinks are water/squash, coffee and mostly green tea with lemon although I sometimes have ordinary tea with a dash of milk. And loads of vegetables. Lean chicken breast and fish for protein. And that’s basically it.

Have to admit that tonight I’m have a rasher of low fat bacon with pasta and pesto so that’s a little bit naughty. And I’ll be building a summerhouse all day on Wednesday so I may treat myself with a king prawn dansak in the evening (but with only a little bit of the sauce).

I’m probably between 500 and 1000 calories down on what I need per day so obviously that can’t carry on indefinitely but another month or so won’t do any harm. Gallstones were playing up last night though!!

ugo.santalucia

Today I had chips with curry sauce and Coca Cola and then home baked vegan pizza, and homemade crumble with foraged plums with custard... so there you go... :-)

But then again, I am 66 kg and I've ridden 56 hilly miles ... :-)

johngti

Chips and curry sauce...hmmm. Not quite dreaming of pizza yet.

Soon be my turn. See where I am in a month.

ugo.santalucia

johngti said:

Chips and curry sauce...hmmm.

Yeah, proper chippy ones in Bloxham, consumed on the pavement

johngti

ugo.santalucia said:

johngti said:

Chips and curry sauce...hmmm.

Yeah, proper chippy ones in Bloxham, consumed on the pavement

Very nice. I approve of the choice of curry sauce. Anyone who disagrees is wrong.

johngti

12 1/2 stone now so all going well. In kg that's a smidge over 79kg. Pretty much maintaining my discipline - members of my department have a habit of bringing biscuits, cake and chocolate into the office and leaving it right in front of my desk and I haven't touched a bit of it. 75kg seems eminently reachable now, definitely by Christmas if not before. I guess I'll be happy at 70-75 in the end but lets see what happens. Rate of weight loss has slowed to what is considered healthy now, so 1.5-2 pounds per week.

Not that anyone's interested, of course, but it may be nice to look back at this thread at some future point.

masjer

Well done! Keep up the good work.

Cargobike

As someone who has shifted a hell of a lot more than you over the last year all I can say is well done and keep at it. Stay disciplined and reap the rewards over the long term.
We all lose weight for different reasons. Me, I was a proper fat b'stard, but even after the first 5kg came off I felt immensely better. I can't imagine I'll be in Kate Moss territory, but being slim is far, far better than being fat.
Keep us posted.

johngti

Thanks 😊

The plan now is to start getting some training in to make a bit more of the weight loss while out on the bike. Next year will be my best yet. I hope.

ugo.santalucia

johngti said:

Thanks 😊

The plan now is to start getting some training in to make a bit more of the weight loss while out on the bike. Next year will be my best yet. I hope.

Getting into hill climbs? :-)

johngti

ugo.santalucia said:

johngti said:

Thanks 😊

The plan now is to start getting some training in to make a bit more of the weight loss while out on the bike. Next year will be my best yet. I hope.

Getting into hill climbs? :-)

Honestly, getting up any hill is a victory for me! It’s been an ambition to get up yorks hill but that is blooming nasty so could remain an ambition.

But hill climbs as a thing - can’t see the attraction myself!! 😳

ugo.santalucia

Competition keeps me sane, get rid of aggression, anger, frustration of sort... long distance cycling did the same, but it's easier to do 3 minutes full on than it is spending 12 hours in the saddle.
It's also something to look forward to and to train for... the idea of training for no particular reason doesn't fill me with excitement

johngti

No I can understand that. For me, at least for now, it’ll be to get quick enough to not keep everyone waiting for 5 minutes at the top of any half decent climb.