Energy and weight loss suggestions for heppers...got any?

[Tabetha]

Hi everyone.  I have been to this board a lot of times and dont feel so alone because its here.  :)  Thanks to all yall.  I am wonsering if any one has any suggestions on how to gain more energy.  perhaps in way of diet...I have tried the high protein and feel so exhausted I literally have to go to bed for like 2 days and just sleep.  Have finally figured out that Its not for me probably.  I am a bit over weight and have no energy.  I am hoping to find some good eating habits for hepatitis people and some energy gaining diet tips.  I just figure if there is less of me...It wont take so much energy to just be.  Also.  What about liver cleanse.  I am just tired of being tired.  God bless you all and thanks.

[layla]

Eating healthy is always good but light exercise is also very helpful. It's hard to get started but I always feel better after. Even walks can be very helpful for your energy levels. Sorry to hear your feeling so tired. LL

[AmIDoneYet]

I agree this board is a great way to share what's happening to us through this disease.  Here's my 2 cents on the connection between diet and health for me.  From what I understand, the liver is heavily involved in protein regulation.  Protein breaks down into ammonia and high ammonia levels may contribute to brain fog.  Ten or fifteen years ago, I did a low fat diet for a while.  My energy level was very high.  I was also exercising a lot and had little responsibilities.  Six years ago, I tried a high fat/protein diet.  I felt pretty sluggish and looking back, I made some bad decisions so I probably wasn't thinking clearly, I also started getting pains in my liver/gall bladder.  I'm trying to go back to the low fat approach but it's a lot harder now because of life circumstances.  I think the low fat approach was definitely a "healthier life style" for me.

[hph5477]

I get some light exercise now in the form of walking 3-4 times weekly; used to be an avid bike rider but don't have that much energy now, plus the weather where I am is not very conducive for outside activities right now.  I also eat (and have for the past lots of years) to the Weight Watchers plan which is simply eating all your food groups in the food pyramid.  Although you need protein, too much protein in hard on the liver; complex carbs are good.  Try to stay away from the simple carbs and sweets.  And, above all, drink the water.  If you are not drinking enough water, that will also contribute to your tiredness as well as to headaches.

I also starting taking 800 IU's of Vitamin E a couple weeks or so ago along with the multivitamin I was already taking (on advice from my GI PA).  Don't know if this has done it but for the last couple weeks I have felt more energetic and better than I did the first few weeks of tx.  I no longer seem to need to eat every couple hours to keep my strength up; I'm back on my regular schedule of 3 good meals a day along with a couple snacks (fruit, 1/2 bagel, etc)throughout the day.

Hope this helps some.  Just stay away from quick weight loss programs.......eat healthy using the guidelines of the food pyramid and drink the water.

Good luck to you.

[layla]

Help me here please. I don't assocaite high fat with protein. I eat all the protein I want but keep my fats quit low. I love meat including red but there are many low fat options, poultry fish and lowfat red meats such at loins which are good for you. I'm not following you here. I've seen this written before. Is this a particular diet? Just curious.  LL

[LVLADY]

I agree with the exercise.  Even when you feel like it's too hard to get up and do you still need to push yourself some, it does help.
When I was on tx last yr I took my regular vitamins and added Q10, parselenium E and didn't feel to tired most of the time.  Although since I've been off tx (4 months now) I realized how much more tired I really was.
Now with my new Dr , he gave me a list of stuff he wants me to take when I start tx again in Jan.  Folic Acid 4mg per day, amino fuel (liquid form), and Sam-E.  He said all of these would help reduce the side effects.  Has anyone tried them???  I let you know in Jan if they help.
Eating healthy is just the best thing to do anytime, but I craved sweets, especially chocolate when I was on tx and now I can't quit eating junk.  Lots of fruits and veg are good.
Best of luck to you,
Linda

[slarso]

I agree with layla and the rest, exercise is very good. Just going for a walk even helps. sometimes it is tough to drag your bod out but I am sure you will be glad you did. If you live where it is cold, go to a mall! plenty to see and lots of people watching to do. Good luck!

[chicagogirl]

To answer your question, the popular Atkins diet is high fat, high protein.

[DownThisRoad]

Its the Atkins diet, Layla.  You can look it up on the website - go to any search engine and type in Atkins diet.

Some agree that the high protien (mostly meat and no carbohydrates) will help you to reduce weight.  My husband has been on this Atkins diet going on 5 weeks now (he got off and had some carbs for Thanksgiving day.  He has actually shed some pounds very quickly being on this 'meat only' diet going on his 6th week.

My GI told me that he didn't want me playing around with any type of diet during my treatment.  Eat what I can, and eat plenty of it he told me.

[GreatBird]

Meant to write yesterday, but couldn't get to a computer where I could log in.

When I found out I had HepC I took a long hard look at my diet and read up on the liver. The liver detoxifies the body and is the seat of the metabolism. I realized that anything that goes in that isn't food is more of a challenge for the liver, and it just wasn't designed for the onslaught of chemicals and drek that the modern person ingests. Combine that with the constant attack of this virus and you get a very tired overwhelmed liver.

So...I dropped everything from my diet that wasn't food. Like...pesticides, artificial ingredients (sweeteners, colors, etc.), antibiotics and growth hormones (in some meats), etc. I limited OTC drugs (which I'd always done anyway), stopped drinking beer and everything alcoholic, limited my sugar, and ended up with a very healthy diet.

Raw organic vegetables are very very good for you and I eat a lot more of them than I used to (although probably not enough).

I do not limit fats. But I do not ingest bad fats. Bad fats are hydrogenated oils--oils to which hydrogen has been added to make them last longer--this is not a natural structure for those fats. This is done to preserve the shelf-life of the foods that they are put it. It is certainly NOT done for our health. I use cold-pressed olive oil or canola oil. I found a product called Nature's Balance, which is a buttery spread that contains only cold pressed good oils and natural (beta carotene) color and flavor.

No fried foods. Frying ruins oil and makes it much harder to metabolize.

I limit sugar but have not eliminated it. I use organic sugar. Its best to only eat one piece of fruit a day and not too much juice. My acupuncturist said that the Chinese believe chocolate is bad for the liver so I gave up chocolate.

I gave up dairy. This was more because as I get older I'm finding myself lactose-challenged, but there are those that believe its bad for us.

At any rate, after making these dietary changes I lost 25 pounds and am now the correct weight for my height. I didn't eat any less or even very different. Perhaps fewer desserts, but still healthy balanced meals.  

Generally, most foods that have been processed and packaged have things in them that need to be eliminated by the liver (preservatives, hydrogenated oils, etc.), so sticking to the raw ingredients (hopefully organic) is best.

BTW, people who have cirrhosis should limit protein.

Good luck.

[ringading]

OH WOW.....I'M NOT GOING TO SURVIVE I SWEAR.....i just finished reading all this stuff about the healthy foods and stuff you guys all eat...and EXERCISE...i'm just soooo totally out of your league you guys..oh, my jaw was dropped a little more with every entry i read.......my diet consists of...tostitos, toast,..thats the t's....then cheese, pasta....chips, chips, chips, the odd chocolate bar....ummm..oh, really nurishing one the other day....kraft dinner....BUT THE GOOD ONE...WHITE dye instead of red..or orange...and just to be health conciuos i threw in 2 fresh cloves of garlic, ummm, (just to breath on the vampire nurse the following day if she thought she was getting another crack at my arms).....AND cut up some pickles to mix in too, just so i'd have a veggie in there..I AM NOT KIDDING..as well as copious amounts of "lattes"...yah yah, followed by h2o, once in awhile...when i REMEMBER..now as for  exercise...well...i DO get some.....going out to start the truck....getting up and down off the couch to open and close the door for the dogs....of course the big jolt comes walking all the way to the bathroom 8 times a day.....and of course, lets mention the great fore arm work out with my 2 finger typing and remote control work out......so.....whos betting i'll survive this.....i'm a bloody walking frikken miracle i tell yah....and they SAY you NEED a balanced diet...pooh!!!

[AmIDoneYet]

You are right about high fat and high protein not necessarily being associated.  From what I understand, high protein is difficult on the liver and kidneys.  So the question is what is high protein.  The low fat diet I was referring to was 70% - 80% of the calories from carbohydrates, 10% - 15% from protein and 10% - 15% from fat.  I seemed to have more energy when I followed this.  The High Fat/High Protein diets I was referring to are the "Zone Diet" and the "Atkins Diet".  I tend to gain weight when I eat protein and I'm sure it's muscle but I want to keep a "liver" friendly diet.

[Tabetha]

First I want to say thanks to all of you who have given your advice.  I will take it.  The protein is out for me.  Im to to sluggish lately any way.  I will just go healthy and if I loose I loose.  God will be with us huh guys.  And ringading. I love your sense of humer, I laughed so much reading your entry.  I know it isnt funny really at times but you sound like me.  I get my exercize the same ways.  hehehe. I dont want to be like this but I have just been so tired I have to really try to go outside and feed dogs lately.  I know what you mean.  My diet has been awfull too most my life. Total junk.  Its time though for a change if I want to see old age.  So Heres to giving it a very real try.  Again....Thanks to you all.

[layla]

Ahhh I see, the popular atkins diet. I think of it as the no carb diet so that is why I wasn't associating it with high fats. I do know quit a few people who have lost weight on it but they have all yo yoed on their weight.  Of coarse you could go on the interferon/riba diet. lol  LL

[jonihs]

When I was first dx. and found out I had cirrhosis, I was sent to a nutritionist. I was told that I needed to eat at least 8 grams of protien a day. 2 four oz. servings of meat and 1 egg and 1/2 c of milk. If our livers don't get enough protien, they are forced to get thier own, and either way, it adds extra work for the liver. That's 1 of the things we need to avoid.    Joni

[Sambone Martian Ambassador To the moon]

I am the enemy!!! I am a profesional fry cook!!! anyone want any fried shrimp? How about some good old Galveston Texas fried crab balls? Maybe one of my stuffed crabs? I make the best fish and chips in the whole world. Is your mouth watering yet?

[Ambush]

All of the above please ~ reading your post was the first time food sounded good to me in a year!  Do you deliver???
ambush :)

[Sambone Martian Ambassador To the moon]

I live at terramar beach and I cook at the Joe's crab shack on seawall blvd. Oh by the way, I was born and raised in oak cliff.

[Sambone Martian Ambassador To the moon]

yea when I finished tx last June appetite was the first thing to come back. I gained 15 pounds in about 3 weeks. No I don't
deliver. lol. dan,t worry you will be hungry again...

[Sambone Martian Ambassador To the moon]

I left dallas in 1986. I had to do 57 weeks of the peg intron. I had some very persistent side effects however they were of the agravating type I.E. fatigue,bad bone pain, bad muscle cramps ,fever, riba rage, and depression. My blood stayed within the good range and I had no thyroid problems.
Maybe when you come down my wife amd I can meet yall for dinner,we can go to any of the landry's restaraunts and use my 50% discount. Here is my e-mail send me one and I will answer.***@****.
oh yea, I can bring up to four people with me on my discount just in case you have a tribe you you want to bring with you. I am looking forward to meeting you. Also on the first thursday of each month we have a Texas Liver Coalition support group meeting at Methodist Church on fifty third street at six thirty P.M.