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What Happens if I Cheat on My Liver-Shrinking Diet?

By Nation Health MD Aug 6, 2024

Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by our experts

Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by our experts

Medically reviewed by 8 min read

Citations 7 citations

what happens if i cheat on my liver shrinking diet

What happens if I cheat on my liver-shrinking diet? The diets that minimize the size of the liver are mainly used before bariatric surgery, although they have other objectives as well. 

The patients in these cases usually have oversized livers due to excessive deposits of fats. A relatively new liver-reduction scheme is a carefully tailored diet. This diet consists of low-calorie and high-protein liquids. Patients typically take up this regime sometime before the surgery is carried out. This might take days or even weeks, depending on the specific circumstances. 

In order for surgical procedures to be as effective and safe as possible, surgeons must be able to access all relevant organs with relative ease. This diet plays a major role in realizing that goal. 

This article will cover the following topics: the primary guidelines of this diet, how it works, what happens if one isn’t loyal to it, and tips for how to stay faithful.

Key Article Findings

  • Importance of the Liver-Shrinking Diet: The liver-shrinking diet, consisting of low-calorie and high-protein liquids, is essential for reducing liver size and fat deposits, ensuring safer and more effective bariatric surgery.
  • Consequences of Cheating: Cheating on the liver-shrinking diet can lead to significant health risks, including surgical complications due to an enlarged liver, increased bleeding risk, prolonged recovery time, and reduced surgical success.
  • Maintaining Discipline: To adhere to the liver-shrinking diet, patients should follow a strict meal plan, keep approved items available, engage in activities to distract from cravings, and seek support from family, friends, or online groups.

What Is a Liver-Shrinking Diet and How Does It Work?

Low-calorie foods with sparing inclusion of protein and fat comprise, alongside liquid protein shakes and clear soup, the items in a liver-shrinking diet. Decreasing one’s daily consumption of carbohydrates helps to fight against an excess buildup of fat within the liver. This helps to promote weight loss and the development of a smaller liver size prior to bariatric surgery.

What Happens If I Cheat on My Liver-Shrinking Diet?

Many patients facing this challenge find themselves googling, “What happens if I cheat on my liver-shrinking diet?” Liver-shrinking diet cheating means putting oneself at severe health risks. The primary risk is creating complications in surgery. Without the diet, fats will continue to accumulate in the liver, causing it to continue increasing in size. This organ enlargement complicates and prolongs the operative process, increasing the chances of complications like bleeding to occur.

Further, not following the liver-shrinking regimen exposes the patient to many other possible consequences beyond the surgery itself. Cheating on the diet would likely prolong recovery time and increase the likelihood of postoperative complications. It could even affect the success of the operation, too.

What Are the Immediate Effects of Not Strictly Following the Liver-Shrinking Diet?

a team of surgeons performing an operation under bright surgical lights in an operating room.

The simplest answer to “What happens if I cheat on my liver-shrinking diet?” is that fat can quickly accumulate in the liver and make the organ become enlarged. This makes bariatric surgery technically demanding because the stomach is difficult to approach with the large liver in the way. Every surgical maneuver becomes more hazardous due to the chances of bleeding and liver injury.

Even outside the context of surgery, not following the diet can exacerbate existing conditions, such as chronic inflammation of the liver. Therefore, long-term complications are much more likely.

How Can Cheating on the Liver-Shrinking Diet Impact the Success of Bariatric Surgery?

Liver-shrinking diet cheating is obviously not advised. Any consumption of food items that are not on the allowed diet plan before the bariatric surgery has the potential to cause harm. It not only challenges the necessary steps to complete the surgery, but it may also result in a problematic early recovery and reduce chances for an operation’s success. 

The insufficient decrease in liver size may lead to longer hospitalization times and even the formation of complications at the site of the affected organ, including infection, leakage, and improper recovery of tissues. These are the disadvantages of a liver that only got minimally reduced. If the patient completely diverts from the diet, they may experience even more extreme complications. 

How Can You Successfully Maintain Discipline on a Liver-Shrinking Diet?

a person in a kitchen sealing glass meal prep containers filled with salmon, rice, and broccoli.

Following a strict meal plan is key to maintaining the liver-shrinking diet since you need to determine what you should eat in advance and how it can help you to meet your goals. Ensure that you have an abundance of approved items like protein shakes, clear soup, and herbal teas available. Staying full on a variety of approved items is essential to avoid monotony and to reduce cravings. As anyone who has been on a diet before, the struggle is mostly psychological. With this in mind, plan activities to keep your mind off food and thoughts of “What happens if I cheat on my liver-shrinking diet?”.

Taking part in fun hobbies or light exercises can divert your thoughts away from the cravings. It’s also a great idea to find social support wherever you can. Lean on family and friends. There are also internet support groups patients can partake in. When in doubt, always consult a medical professional, such as a general physician or dietician.

How Can Liver Renew Complement the Liver-Shrinking Diet During Pre-Op?

Liver Renew is a powerful supplement for the liver made of natural substances, including milk thistle and turmeric. When mobilized, these ingredients have the capacity to support the functioning of the liver. One of the star components of milk thistle is silymarin, for it assists in the antioxidant process within the liver.

Product Image

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Product Image

Liver Renew

Liver Renew is a powerful liver supplement made from natural ingredients like milk thistle and turmeric. Featuring silymarin and curcumin, it supports liver function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for those on a liver-shrinking diet preparing for bariatric surgery.

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Liver Renew

Liver Renew is a powerful liver supplement made from natural ingredients like milk thistle and turmeric. Featuring silymarin and curcumin, it supports liver function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for those on a liver-shrinking diet preparing for bariatric surgery.

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Try it Now

Liver Renew

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Liver Renew is a powerful liver supplement made from natural ingredients like milk thistle and turmeric. Featuring silymarin and curcumin, it supports liver function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for those on a liver-shrinking diet preparing for bariatric surgery.

Try it Now

The other ingredient used in the making of Liver Renew is turmeric. Similar to the function of milk thistle, this constituent also makes a significant contribution to the efficiency of this supplement. Being composed of curcumin, turmeric works both as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. Liver Renew is a supplement that’s well-suited for supporting the suggested liver-shrinking diet and enhancing the preparation for bariatric surgery. 

Conclusion

So, what happens if i cheat on liver shrinking diet? The liver-shrinking diet is crucial for patients preparing for bariatric surgery, consisting of low-calorie, high-protein liquids.

The diet aims to reduce liver size by decreasing fat deposits, making surgery safer and more effective.

Cheating on the diet can lead to:

  • Surgical complications due to an enlarged liver
  • Increased risk of bleeding during surgery
  • Prolonged recovery time
  • Reduced chances of surgical success

Immediate effects of cheating include rapid fat accumulation in the liver and potential exacerbation of existing conditions.

To maintain discipline:

  • Follow a strict meal plan
  • Keep approved items readily available
  • Engage in activities to distract from food cravings
  • Seek support from family, friends, or online groups
What Are the Safest Ways to Manage Cravings During the Liver-Shrinking Diet?

There are several tricks to manage cravings during this diet. First, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and herbal teas. When planning your meals, make sure you have them at the same times every day. You can even include some protein-rich snacks between meals! Finally, try to stay active as much as you can. That should keep your mind off your cravings, and you could even lose some weight.

How Can Cheating on the Liver-Shrinking Diet Affect My Eligibility for Bariatric Surgery?

With an enlarged liver, bariatric surgery is logistically challenging. You may struggle with finding a surgeon who is willing to do the operation. Surgeons often don’t like taking on high-risk operations, like bariatric surgery with a large liver.

What Are Some Success Stories of Patients Who Strictly Followed Their Liver-Shrinking Diet and Used Liver Health Supplements?

Sherri C was diagnosed with a fatty liver after a lifetime of eating fatty foods. However, with the help of a new healthy diet and Liver Health supplements, she was able to experience significant weight loss over several months.

2.

Crider, C. (2024, May 3). What is a liver shrinking diet, and who needs to be on one? Healthline.

https://www.healthline.com/health/nutrition/liver-shrinking-diet
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Romeijn, M. M. et al.(2020). Effectiveness of a Low-Calorie Diet for Liver Volume Reduction Prior to Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review. Obesity Surgery.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-020-05070-6
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Mayo Clinic Staff. (2023, April 12). Very low caloric diet before bariatric surgery reduces perioperative complications. Mayo Clinic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/endocrinology/news/very-low-caloric-diet-before-bariatric-surgery-reduces-perioperative-complications/mac-20517111
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Watson, S. (2024, January 26). 10 foods to include in a healthy liver diet. Healthline.

https://www.healthline.com/health/fatty-liver-diet
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Latief, U., & Ahmad, R. (2018). Herbal remedies for liver fibrosis: A review on the mode of action of fifty herbs. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/silymarin
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Farzaei, M. (2018). Curcumin in liver Diseases: A systematic review of the cellular mechanisms of oxidative stress and clinical perspective. Nutrients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073929/
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