Has anyone gained weight after gallbladder removal

[residential1]

Hi I aam new here and wondered if anyone has experienced this, I gain weight so easily and cannot lose ever since my gallbladder was removed....I am not a big eater and never was nor do I eat a lot of fatty food but I have tracked my food intake since March 09 on WW, had my gallbladder out one year ago and have gained 10 pounds and cannot lose it...any help would be so appreciated.

[MedicCruce]

It's diet.. basic science. I promise. I actually lost weight.  The human body has a basilar metabolic rate. Typically it's around 2,000 calories a day and now that can vary from person to person sex and age things of that nature also play a role.the basic math in the basic science that contributes to weight loss even after gallbladder surgery is calories in calories out. If your base metabolic rate is roughly 2,000 calories and you are a meeting that or exceeding that then you're eating too much if you feel like you're not losing weight bring your calories down by 200.. it's after that you're still not losing weight bring them down another one to two hundred. overall at some point you will hit a threshold where you will lose weight and fat. Also examine the amount of sugar you're putting in your diet it's hidden in all sorts of places. Sugar stores directly as fat. ......... It's your diet! 

[MedicCruce]

Type into Google a daily caloric intake calculator. It will take into affect your weight your height your sex your age and your goals and it'll tell you how many calories a day you should be getting. Shoot for that number or less and you will absolutely lose weight.

[mountainbike_sr]

I would suggest a few things for those of you who have gained wait post cholecystectomy. First- Get your thyroid checked! I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and although we aren't sure which came first- the thyroid or the gallbladder since I was deathly ill for so many years- my surgeon told me about 80% of gallbladder disease has a thyroid relation. Second- get your blood sugar checked. Mine was all over the place depending on the day. Some days I was considered pre-diabetic and then the next time a new doctor ran my blood work he would tell me the opposite. Lastly, make sure they checked your liver and pancreas. My surgeon warned me that not having a gallbladder can put extra stress on the liver and if fat isn't being digested properly then the liver will store it and create fatty liver disease which leads to weight gain in the belly area.

After never having a weight problem in my life, I gained about 30 pounds over the course of a few months back in 2014 and diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis in 2017. Some of it was welcomed because I was considered underweight, but I was that girl that could eat a pint of ice cream a day and an entire pizza, not work out, and was 115 pounds soaking wet at 5'6." I had my gallbladder removed almost 2 weeks ago and was terrified of gaining weight. So far I'm down about 6 pounds. I'm taking Dr. Mercola Gallbladder enzymes with my breakfast, a probiotic, Renew life liver support, and most nights before bed a glass of Chlorophyll from World Organic. If I'm having an extra fatty meal like pizza then I'll take another enzyme supplement. Overall, I've been eating vegan for over a year (so even prior to surgery), and my surgeon said that it was one of the best diets for me to be on because of the low fat nature of it. Not saying anyone else should become vegan, but I've had other friends tell me that at least cutting out dairy made a huge difference to their digestive system and helped them lose weight also. 

I really hope this information helps someone. I know what its like to be completely frustrated and just have people tell you "exercise more, eat less." 

Side note: If you don't agree with anything I've said above, please be kind. I've heard a lot of contradictory information over the years from various doctors, but this information did come from my most recent team of specialists who were able to "fix" me after so many doctors had no idea what was wrong. 

[Jayjay7727]

I had my surgery in March 2018. I was then 160lbs. Before even going through with the surgery I was told that I would gain weight. I thought to myself it's just a matter of eating healthy and exercising. Well, it's been over a year now and I've been eating healthy and exercising. I slowly went up to 180lbs. My next option is trying Keto in hopes of losing some weight. Its difficult and frustrating but if you stress about it, you'll gain more. Lol. 

[MedicCruce]

I highly doubt your dieting correctly. Examine your caloric intake and adjust it down as needed. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[Dominique]

---

@Jayjay7727 wrote:

I've been eating healthy and exercising. I slowly went up to 180lbs. My next option is trying Keto in hopes of losing some weight. 

---

Eating healthy and exercising are good in themselves, but it tells nothing about calories. You gained 20 lbs in 15 months (60 weeks), i.e. 0.33 lbs per week, which implies a 167 calories surplus per day. That’s very slow indeed, but it also means you can reverse the process by making rather small adjustments, whether it’s eating slightly less, moving slightly more, or a combination of both. You can adopt a ketogenic diet if you want, but even so, it’s still about calories (there’s nothing magical about keto in and of itself). Since you’re already eating healthy, it’s probably a good idea to continue in the same way, but making the small quantitative adjustments that are needed.

[Silia]

I had the gallbladder removed a month ago and have had a craving for sweet stuff since. Not normally sweet eater. Noting the kilos have crept up since the op.

[Curvygirlgetfit]

I eat healthy and exercise daily but also have fibromyalgia, but when the
gallbladder was removed it seems like my body don't, Burn fat like it used
to and started to gain fat on my upper belly after gallbladder was removed.

[Silia]

Thanks for your reply. Only been a month since the op however 3kgs has gone on and I'm now developing a sweet taste which I didn't really have before.  Ramped up the exercises and have removed offending items.

[Dominique]

---

@MedicCruce wrote:

The human body has a basilar metabolic rate. Typically it's around 2,000 calories a day and now that can vary from person to person sex and age things of that nature also play a role. 

---

Actually, you need to be quite large in order for your BMR ("B" stands for "basal") to be 2000 calories. For instance, a 30-yo male, 6’5 / 200 lbs would have a calculated BMR of "only" 1985 calories. I used this online calculator, which itself uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation (just like Fitbit).

Other than that, I agree with you it’s basic science: with or without a gallblader, changes in weight are still determined by energy balance. It’s just that more activity/effort may be needed to burn the same amount of calories.

[Dominique]

---

@Silia wrote:

Only been a month since the op however 3kgs has gone on and I'm now developing a sweet taste which I didn't really have before.  Ramped up the exercises and have removed offending items.

---

As @MedicCruce wrote, it’s still basic science: 3 kg in a month implies an average daily surplus of 825 calories. If you want to maintain your weight at the current level, you must eat 825 calories less while keeping your activity the same, or increase your activity by 825 calories while eating the same, or any combination of both. This is what you appear to be doing. Note that formal exercising (e.g. working out at the gym) is only a part of your overall activity: you can increase calories burned by simply being more active, without necessarily "exercising".

[Honeybee00]

Nah sorry but it's not "so simple" some people struggle with eating disorders where it makes it impossible to "just stop eating as much"... please use some common sense an think about what u say before u put it out there. It may be easy for you but other people struggle with different things we all have a personal life we don' talk about so if you could kindly keep your smart comments to yourself "if it's so0 simple".

[Silia]

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

[Jayjay7727]

Thank you. I'm going to start watching how many calories I take in. I started bumping up my exercise routine from 3 to 5 days and I'm taking Probiotics to help my digestive system a bit. Hoping all these small changes make me lose all this weight. =/  

[Silia]

Thankyou

I started using MFP again plus ramped up the exercises.  Will try the Probiotics as well.

[bee2016]

I had my gall bladder removed in November of 2015, due to needing to have an open cholecystectomy as opposed to a laparoscopic, my recover time was a bit longer. And then there is the Holiday craziness. I began working out at my pre-surgery level again in February 2016 doing a challenge program where we tracked our weight, body fat, and more weekly. I had typically been about 150-155lbs pre-surgery. I wasn't too surprised to have gained some weight (weighing in at 160lbs) when I started the program since it was shortly after the holiday months and I had not been exercising at the same level. Throughout the challenge, I was very disappointed that I continued to gain weight despite tracking what I was eating and exercising. I feel like I have been up and down with calorie counting, workout programs, probiotics and supplements ever since. I now weigh about 170lbs, and feel like I still haven't found the right "fix". I would recommend The Gall Bladder Survival Guide by Jeremy Bernal for anyone that has struggled after their cholecystectomy. I'm not saying that his solutions will work for you, but I think he does do a good (and comical) job of describing why your body is processing food differently. 

[Siliaob]

Thanks for that. I will certainly look at Jeremy Bernals info.

[SunsetRunner]

I'm very nervous about this. I worked hard 6 years ago to lose 90lbs. Then, two years ago I started premature menopause and I've put on over 40lbs in TWO YEARS. I didn't know until a month ago that I was going thru it though so I was clueless about the metabolism changes going on in my body. Then June 20 I had urgent gallbladder surgery. I was already feeling disgusting before I had to have it bc of the 40lbs and I'm pretty sure I've put on even more at a rapid rate over the past 17 days. I'm told it's still another 2-3 weeks before I can go back to exercising regularly and I'm ready to start now before this gets too far away from me. Some of the medications I'm on also cause weight gain. I feel like every thing is stacked against me and out of control. Why do some sites talk about LOSING after gallbladder surgery? Is it bc people cut down on their fat? Historically eating fat has never made me fat, eating starchy foods did. And does. 

[Jayjay7727]

I lost like 5 pounds at the most right after surgery and that's because you don't get to eat normally for the first few days, but right after that I slowly gained even though I watch what I eat and exercise. I recently went to the doctor to check my thyroid again. Its frustrating. If any of you guys take certain supplements to help your gut please share them. 

[bee2016]

From what I have read (and experienced) it effects everyone differently. I've also read many sites that talk about those that lose weight, due to malabsorption of fats and nutrients after surgery. I've had 2 friends that have also had their gall bladders removed and haven't struggled with weight gain. It is disappointing that there doesn't seem to be much support or guidance for those of us that do struggle post surgery.