how to have a fat free, low calorie diet?

Um. Fat is part of good nutrition. Why are you trying to eliminate it?

You'll have a very hard time cutting out ALL fat and I'm a little surprised your doctor is telling you to do that. Fats are necessary for proper body and brain function. Has your doctor also talked to you about having your gallbladder removed? If he thinks your condition is so bad that you need to avoid fats entirely because of your gallbladder it has to be in pretty poor shape and removal might be better than an extreme low fat diet.

I had my gallbladder out two and a half years ago and I can now eat a normal diet, including 50-60 grams of fats each day, without trouble.

If you're seriously looking for a non fat diet you're talking about eating nothing but vegetables, grains and non-fat dairy products. No meat. You're going to have a difficult time getting enough protein on a diet like that. I'd suggest a protein powder as a supplement but even those have some amount of fat in them.

I was up for having my gallbladder removed about 5 years ago now. When they found it and knew we were going to have to have surgery, they did tell me to avoid high fat foods and trigger foods like dairy and chocolate, but they didn't say to avoid all fat. Dietary fat triggers your gallbladder to release its stored bile and that can cause pain with gallstones. But you should really be looking at getting it removed if your stones are so bad you need to get this drastic. Really, it was the most awesome thing. I went 2 years suffering attacks almost everyday and then the day after surgery, no more attacks and I could eat normally again.

Maybe just try staying away from fried foods, maybe not heavily oily sauces, etc... Definately not all fats, because fat is a necessary nutrient!

As for the gallstones, it depends on the severity whether you need surgery or not. If you're really concerned you might want an Xray/MRI/? whatever they do for checking the size. My mom had huge gallstones and needed emergency surgery for it.

My doctor didn't really talk much about surgery, she said if it wasn't causing too much issue then not to bother, but I've asked her to refer me to a surgeon to weigh up the pro's and con's.

I asked her about fat, about how many grams I should limit myself too, I asked if I should reduce from the RDA of 70g down to 50g as I'd seen that on the internet. First she didn't know what the RDA was and then she said all fats, I asked about nuts and seeds as I'd heard they would be good, but then she said all fats, but that I should know my triggers.

Thing is, I think I may have had gallstones for years, I had what I think was my first attack a number of years ago and I've eaten badly for years with only a handful of serious attacks in that time, so I do wonder a I being a bit too paranoid?

Time for a second opinion, I'd say. Not serious enough for surgery, but serious enough for you to restrict your fat intake to nothing? :huh:

Don't cut fat. Fat is as essential as protein and carbs because it aids the absorption of nutrients and vitamins.

Read this and you are likely to know more than your doctor about dietary fats: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

My doctor didn't really talk much about surgery, she said if it wasn't causing too much issue then not to bother, but I've asked her to refer me to a surgeon to weigh up the pro's and con's.

I asked her about fat, about how many grams I should limit myself too, I asked if I should reduce from the RDA of 70g down to 50g as I'd seen that on the internet. First she didn't know what the RDA was and then she said all fats, I asked about nuts and seeds as I'd heard they would be good, but then she said all fats, but that I should know my triggers.

Thing is, I think I may have had gallstones for years, I had what I think was my first attack a number of years ago and I've eaten badly for years with only a handful of serious attacks in that time, so I do wonder a I being a bit too paranoid?

I would be very wary about a doctor who didn't even know what RDA was.... that said, I had an issue with gallstones and cut way back on fats for about a month. I have lactose intolerance as well, so couldn't eat yogurt without an attack, so I added Align to my daily morning routine and after about a month, I slowly started adding things back in and I'm back up to a healthy amount again...I still take Align, though!. My father had a pancreatic attack and was told to stay far away from fats for at least a year in order to heal - he could have no more than 5grams of fats per day. But that was really really hard to do and we were never happier when he was able to start adding fats back in again.

These are very extreme cases, however. Get a second opinion.

Um. Fat is part of good nutrition. Why are you trying to eliminate it?

^^ This

As long as you focus on good fats that come from nuts, avocados, fish, olive oil, etc you do not need to eliminate fat. Eliminating fat is a 1980's philosophy that has long since been dis-proven. Ironically when they were telling us to cut fat they had no evidence to back up the claim. Just goes to show that the idiots in charge have no clue either.

Hi Spittingpink,

I must first, re-emphasize the comments of others here. It is not only ill advised, but dangerous to remove ALL fat from your diet. To be honest, I am not sure that would be at all possible anyway. If it were, it would be extremely difficult and would almost certainly not give you the nutritional requirements you body demands.

I have a swollen Liver and NASH. (Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis) Last year I was told to drastically reduce my diet of fat and sugar (I am also diabetic) or I would be dead in 6 months. I was referred to a dietician who has now only taken more than 25% off my body weight in 5 months, but taught me how to eat properly and what I should and should not be eating. It has been a REAL uphill struggle and we have experimented a little along the way. One thing that was constantly re-itterated though was not to cut out all the fat, just control the level of bad fats, that could push up your cholesterol for example). My diet was restricted to 7grammes of Saturated fat and 24 of other fats, (About 0.246918 oz and 0.846575 oz respectively). A year on, the levels are now a little higher (30kg lighters) but they are still tight. The trick is to eat more fish type food (Tuna is very low in fat and the fats it does contain are considered good) and cut out the takeaways. They use something called Triglyceride, which are a major problem for the body and also adversely affect your cholesterol. Nuts also contain the good fats, but some of them also contain high levels of fat and also saturated fats, so eat these very cautiously. Chick pea is a good source of lots of different things, but also high in fats, so watch the amount of these two. To to avoid getting your fats from Eggs, although everything in moderation should be ok. Work out a plan, that works for you and stick to it. You are welcome to view my diary for a few ideas. It may not be exactly what you want and, for god sake do not try the hot dog (That will haunt me forever LOL) and make sure you include EVERYTHING. I got quite a few surprises when I first started. Still do (E.g hot dog) now and then.

Best of luck and drop me a line if I can help further.

Wheelie aka Mike.

I'm pretty sure OP's doctor meant all EXTRA fats. At least I hope so! Why the heck would you want to cut all fat? It would be extremely dangerous to even try! OP, please read this article.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/429462-are-there-any-side-effects-to-a-no-fat-diet/

And please be kind to yourself!

im sure there may be more to it...

Ive got another appointment with another doctor. Not sure if I feel a bit like a paranoid nutbag though!

Just discuss your concerns with your doctor. Don't let him/her rush you. Doctors are people, very busy people usually. Sometimes you have to push a little to get them to slow down and discuss your options. But you (or your insurance provider, or govt) are paying them to care for you. Get your money's worth. Once they are aware that you have concerns and want to know more most doctors will explain their reasoning and work on a solution that makes you comfortable.

Because they are people, there are naturally going to be doctors who are complete a**wipes. But most are not. Most are highly trained professionals who are not idiots. Let them do their job, but make sure they know your goals as well as theirs.