Why the Liver Reduction Diet Matters

The liver sits on top of your stomach, and in many people preparing for weight-loss surgery, it’s enlarged due to fatty liver disease. A large liver can make keyhole surgery more difficult or even unsafe.

The goal of the LRD is to:

• Deplete glycogen stores (stored carbohydrate) in the liver.
• Encourage the body to use fat for energy, which helps shrink the liver.
• Reduce surgical risk, making the procedure quicker and safer.

In other words, this isn’t a crash diet – it’s a medical requirement that directly impacts how safe and effective your operation will be.

Our Experience: Two Mindsets, One Diet

When we started the LRD, we approached it very differently.

• James: Once he decided to go ahead with the surgery, he didn’t question it. He treated the liver diet as a mission – something to be done, no complaints, no second thoughts.
• Kirsten: Felt anxious. She worried about whether she could stick to it, whether she’d feel weak or ill, and whether she was “doing it right”. She spoke regularly to our patient coordinators and to others on the Weight Loss Riga Facebook group for reassurance and guidance.

The combination of both mindsets worked well. James focused on progress; Kirsten focused on understanding. Together, we stayed accountable – and that made all the difference.

Conflicting Information Online

One of the hardest parts was sorting through conflicting advice online. Different clinics recommend different approaches, and even within support groups, people follow varying versions of the diet.

We quickly learned that the key was to stick to one reliable plan. Once your surgeon or dietitian provides a structure – commit to it fully. Mixing and matching advice from multiple sources only adds confusion.

Generally, there are three main types of liver reduction diets:

1. Milk-Only Diet

This is the strictest option – it’s simple, but not easy.

Typical outline:

• 4 pints of semi-skimmed milk per day
• 1 multivitamin and mineral supplement (e.g., Centrum Advance)
• 2 pints (1 litre) of other fluids

Allowed drinks:

• Water
• Flavoured water (sugar-free, always check labels)
• Tea or coffee using milk from your daily allowance (sweetener permitted, no sugar)
• No fizzy or sugary drinks

This diet provides around 800-1,000 calories a day, depending on your milk allowance. It’s highly restrictive, and not everyone tolerates it well.

2. Food-Based Plan

This version provides about 100g of carbohydrates per day, is low in fat, and moderate in protein, totalling around 800–1,000 kcal daily.

It’s closer to a structured meal plan – using lean protein, low-fat dairy, and measured carbs – but portion control is crucial. Even small miscalculations can make the diet less effective.

3. Meal Replacement Shake Plan (Our Choice)

We chose this option. It offered the consistency we needed, plus easier calorie control.

However, choosing the right shake wasn’t straightforward. The internet is full of “slim” shakes, but most are high in sugar – which defeats the purpose. After a lot of label reading and spreadsheet comparisons, we narrowed it down to three main options.

Our Comparison of Meal Replacement Powders (Powder Only)
Nutrition	Protein Works (60g)	Myprotein (51g)	USN (55g)
Calories (kcal)	213	200	197
Protein (g)	25	17	25
Carbs (g)	24	17	14
of which sugars (g)	2.2	14	3
Fat (g)	1.8	6.7	3.6

We initially tried mixing them with water, but the taste wasn’t ideal. Skimmed milk provided better consistency and flavour without adding too many calories.

Nutritional Breakdown (With Skimmed Milk, 400ml)
Nutrition	Protein Works (60g)	Myprotein (51g)	USN (55g)
Calories (kcal)	353	340	337
Protein (g)	39.4	31.4	39.4
Carbs (g)	44	37	34
of which sugars (g)	22.2	34	23
Fat (g)	2.2	7.1	4

Total Daily Intake (3 shakes per day)
Nutrition	Protein Works (60g)	Myprotein (51g)	USN (55g)
Calories (kcal)	1059	1020	1011
Protein (g)	118.2	94.2	118.2
Carbs (g)	132	111	102
of which sugars (g)	66.6	102	69
Fat (g)	6.6	21.3	12

Our Choice: Protein Works

We chose Protein Works because of its lower fat and sugar content. We ordered the 48-meal pack for each of us, which covered the two-week period perfectly.

Our routine:

Three shakes a day – 1.5 scoops mixed with 400ml of skimmed milk at 2pm, 7pm, and 11pm.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked.

The Reality: What It Actually Feels Like

The first few days were rough.

• Caffeine withdrawal hit James hardest – years of daily energy drinks (Red Bull, Monster, Coke) came to a sudden halt.
• We both experienced light-headedness, brain fog, and weakness, especially in the first week.
• Hunger faded after a few days, but the tiredness lingered until around day ten.

Kirsten often felt faint and emotional in the evenings, while James found himself irritable from caffeine withdrawal. Working from home helped enormously – commuting in that state wouldn’t have been safe.

Common Side Effects

• Light-headedness
• Dizziness
• Bad breath (due to ketosis)
• Weakness in the knees and arms
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Hunger (temporary)

These symptoms vary between people and usually pass once your body adjusts.

Staying Motivated

The liver reduction diet is temporary, but it can feel endless in the moment.
What helped us most was mindset:

“This isn’t another diet – it’s the last one we’ll ever need.”

Remind yourself that every day you stick to it brings you closer to surgery and a new start. Cheating on the diet doesn’t just slow progress – it can risk your surgery being delayed or cancelled if the liver isn’t adequately reduced.

A few tips that helped us:

• Track your shakes and water intake.
• Use the same shaker cup daily to stay consistent.
• Avoid the kitchen during others’ meal times if possible.
• Remind yourself: “Short-term pain, lifelong gain.”

What We Learned

The liver reduction diet isn’t about perfection – it’s about commitment and trust in the process.
James’s headstrong determination kept us on track; Kirsten’s attention to detail ensured we were doing it safely and correctly.

It was uncomfortable, yes. But it worked.
By the time we reached Latvia, we knew we’d done everything possible to prepare our bodies – and our minds – for surgery.

Please Note: This article reflects our personal experience and research. It should not replace professional medical advice. Always follow your surgeon or dietitian’s specific guidance when preparing for surgery.