The FastDay Forum

i had been following the 5:2 for 3 weeks , lost 4 lb and felt better than i had for 20 years , however , on monday i had to call the doctor out as i had the most terrible stomach pains , just like labour contractions , conclusion was suspected gallstones now awaiting scan .
when i told him about my new healthy eating plan he called it " just another fad diet " and to just follow a calorie controlled diet but i am much happier on the 5:2......so my question is to any drs out there following this plan , is it safe for me to continue with fasting as at the moment i am afraid to eat much of anything.

Helen,
I doubt that anyone but a doctor could advise you. I know that gallstones can be extremely painful but until you have the scan and confirmation of your state of health I myself would not fast but just eat and drink what would be most comfortable for you. I am sure you won't really feel like overeating anyway, and once your gallstones have been removed you should be able to climb back on board 5.2

Hi Helen!
Me again (dhana)..sorry, I just realised you asked for drs which I interpreted as shorthand for dieters.
I am not a doctor Hope you feel better soon.

I'm not a dr either, but I just had my gallbladder taken out in December. After 10 years of what I thought were back muscle issues (which was referral pain, not once had any dr. suggested gallbladder) I had an attack that wouldn't go away and ended up with emergency gallbladder removal. The things I've learned since is that the main thing recommended is a low fat diet. The bile the gallbladder releases is what helps digest the fat, too much fat in your diet = gallbladder overload. I'd never put 2 & 2 together before, but my last meal before the big attack was chinese buffet with my family. I'm not sure why 5:2 would make things worse, but I'd say on your feed days just try to be more conscious of what you do eat as far as fat content. Also, gallstones many times are made up of cholesterol, and we know with this diet that cholesterol levels lower/improve. I've always had high cholesterol (familial) so hind site it's not surprising my gallbladder was plugged with stones. Not sure if there are any dr's on the forum that can give you a medical answer, but that's my layman's 2 cents from my experience. Good luck!!

thanks for your replies guys

Hi I am due to see my doctor soon for BP check I am not sure if I am going to tell him that I am doing the 5.2 diet ,I don't want him to discourage me ,is it wrong not to tell your doctor ?

"is it wrong not to tell your doctor ?"

Nah, but just tell him you're on a calorie restriction diet and aiming to loose weight gently at 1-2 lbs a week (which is what the NHS recommends). 5:2 is just the way that you're choosing to manage the NHS recommended weekly restriction.

Hi Helen,

the advice about avoiding fatty foods in order to reduce the risk of another gallstone attack (if that is what it was, which you don't know yet) are correct. A gall stone attack comes from gall stones on their out of the gall bladder together with the bile after meals. If they get stuck and block the bile duct, you gan gat colicky pain attacks. The gall bladder is more active in relation to fatty foods.

It is true that some gall stones are made of cholesterol. However, that does not mean that lowering your cholesterol through weight loss (regard less of which method you use) will dissolve cholesterol gall stones. So I'm not sure the fasting will help.

Gall stones are associated with the four F (fat, fertile, female, forty). However, they are also associated with rapid weight loss.

On a general note: doctors on the forum are not necessarily in a good position to give you advice, because a good history taking and physical examination is necessary to give tailored advice. Also, you don't know yet if you have gall stones. You should talk to the doctors that have seen you. Like LastChance said, you could tell them you follow a calorie-restricted diet - I don't think the fasting as opposed to traditional dieting makes a lot of difference. But generally, I would advise to be honest with your doctor. She/he doesn't have to approve of your choice, but it makes it easier to assess risk factors.

All the best!

What is evident on this thread is that some of you are placing too much reliance and faith on medics whose specialisation does not include dietetics. Try to understand that a doctorate degree does not imply that the person has the monopoly of knowledge so cease treating them as being divine or accepting their word as gospel.

Allopathic medicine has dominated globally for the past century but the impetus behind this expansion is solely profit and GPs have become the pill-pushers to the pharmaceutical giants. Allopathic medicine is not the only branch of medicine. It is to one's advantage to take an interest in natural medicines and also in the management of one's health. The average person's knowledge of nutrition is comparable to that of GPs so cease being deluded.

The late Dr Roy Walford whose research was in the van of calorie restriction and who wrote the book 'The 120 Year' diet (and other books on diet) and who practiced what he observed failed to reach his 80th birthday and suffered ill-health for a few years prior to his demise. He too undertook fasting as a way towards good health and longevity so while we are all rejoicing about the results of this current research try to understand that it has a history which does not support its long-term benefits.

[carorees]

Rapid weight loss can trigger gallstone formation so slow weight loss is important. There is a thread on gallstones somewhere already...I'll try to find it.

[carorees]

Here it is: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1273