I want to be real about how I felt with my Fatty Liver or MASLD diagnoses. After researching on Google Scholar, it appeared my best option was to lose 7-10% of my body weight. I love to eat! I mourned the loss of foods that might not make the cut. In the past I've tried to lose weight, and regardless of what I tried, I struggled to even lose one pound! This diagnosis and realization were discouraging. All I could think about was what I would miss. That was misplaced. I realize now that I can eat better, lose weight and still enjoy the foods I love.
At first, my stomach was stretched and so eating less didn’t fill me up. Because I didn’t have all my eating substitutions and strategies in place, I was hungry and frustrated. I was used to eating until I was stuffed and uncomfortable. I didn’t realize how bad eating too much was for my body. Food is wonderful but in moderation. There are health risks to overeating like Acid Reflux, Fatty Liver, and Type II Diabetes.
Two weeks into this new way of eating, I totally wanted to quit. But this time it wasn’t about looks. It was about avoiding a liver transplant. I know someone who recently had a liver transplant. She felt tired and unwell for several long and difficult years. This new way of eating wasn’t that hard. I was determined to make this my new normal.
I’m glad I chose to lose only one pound a week. I needed time to change my thinking, my habits, how I addressed the holidays, eating out, and stress eating. Food is a huge part of life. Changes take time. With patience and self-compassion, I worked through these changes.
One big deterrent to losing weight was worrying that I would look older and more wrinkled. That my breasts would decrease and descend. Actually, that happened. But there are better creams for the wrinkles, better bras that make me look good in my clothes. The trade-off is how much younger I feel! I’m not sluggish or sleepy. I have tons more energy! I experience no more discomfort from acid reflux! My grocery budget is less because I eat less. And even though looking slimmer was not my motivation, dropping a few pants' sizes has been rewarding.
NEXT: What to Eat to Heal MASLD or Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver NAFLD