Gallbladder issues

dianebrown665

Hi, I'm due to have my gallbladder removed soon, anyone got any very low fat foods that I can try and hopefully move forward on this struggle.

yirara

What's your definition of very low fat? I had my gallbladder removed and had no issues whatsoever with eating as I used to. Note however, I'm in Europe and the average European diet is probably lower in fats than for example the average US diet. Why not get the thing out, get better, and then see what works and what doesn't?

jennyell85

I've had my gallbladder out. I find it more helpful to eat enough fiber generally. Or take a supplement such as Metamucil. That helps to absorb and bind up the bile that your liver produces steadily, rather than being held and excreted by the gallbladder as needed when you eat fats. It also helps to avoid some of the bowel issues (diarrhea) that can sometimes happen due to the bile.

Before you have the surgery, I'd say to eat smaller meals more often, and avoid high-fat meals like fried food which can stimulate the gallbladder contractions and cause more pain. Gentler foods like oatmeal, rice, bananas, and lean proteins like chicken or turkey worked best for me but you can experiment with what works best for you. I found higher volume meals would trigger discomfort.

Also it's important to still eat enough fats afterward to help absorb fat soluble vitamins and have adequate hormone/cell function.

Retroguy2000

I know someone who had theirs out. It has made very little difference to their diet. A couple of foods and restaurants aren't good for them, easily avoided, such as certain sauces just sub with something else instead, but 98% of their food is the same as before.

AnnPT77

I had mine out part way through weight loss.

My doctors gave me a handout about what they meant by a low fat diet. (That was over 10 years ago, so I don't have it any more. If I did, I'd share the details with you.) If you didn't receive anything like that, ask your doctor if they can provide something similar. If they can't, ask if they can refer you to a registered dietitian.

At the time, I compared the fat intake levels the doctors gave me in the handout to my fat intake in my MFP goals and recent food diaries. I found I was already meeting their definition of low fat while in a calorie deficit, so I didn't need to change anything. Of course, I have no idea whether the same would be true for you in the way you eat now.

Another option you could consider would be to do a web search for something like "low fat diet after gallbladder surgery", then look at links from respected major medical centers, gastrointestinal specialist medical clinics or major governmental health sites.

Here is an example from Mayo Clinic:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholecystectomy/expert-answers/gallbladder-removal-diet/faq-20057813

There are many others from good sources, but they will likely be similar.

People differ in their response to diet after that surgery. I continued with my calorie-deficit diet for another few months, and had no digestive system issues post-surgically. When I reached maintenance calories, my typical fat intake increased somewhat on higher calories, and occasionally I've eaten very high-fat meals like deep-fried foods or very cheesy pizza without any negative results.

That will not be everyone's experience. My doctors suggested I gradually re-introduce foods/nutrients that I was asked to limit after surgery to see how my body responded. I think that was good advice.

Best wishes!

b7zr2xxz4v

it’s unlikely you’ll need to eat very low fat, so long as you aren’t eating deep fried most people tend to manage fine.. and if you don’t that’s what creon is designed for!