Issues losing weight after gallbladder removal.

[KittyChimera]

I started dieting in October, because I decided that I wanted to be healthy before I turned 30, and my 29th birthday was coming up in November. I got a gym membership and started eating better, and then out of nowhere at the end of October, I had to have emergency gallbladder surgery.

Since I had the surgery, I think that I've gained like 40 pounds, even though I am eating healthier and eating less. I started paying particular attention to what I was eating, and counted calories very specifically and gained 5 pounds over a week. The next week, as an experiment, I ate whatever I wanted and only gained 1.5 pounds. 

Has anyone else had this problem? When I had the surgery, they didn't say anything about how it would affect my body or anything, or how I should be eating if I wanted to get healthy and lose weight. In the follow up with the surgeon, I didn't really get a chance to ask him because he came into my hospital room at like 5am to check the incisions and talk to me and because he woke me up I was really groggy so I didn't really think to ask any questions. 

According to the calculations from Fitbit, I need to eat about 1700 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week, but people are telling me that that's way too high and I need to cut back to 1200. Does anyone have any thoughts? 

[AGreen2019]

I'm with you before gallbladder surgery I never weighed over 120 in my life even after having two children I would gain with them then like a month later boom 120 loved it , Now my gallbladder is gone and I have watched what I eat always and I am at 161 like how I dont even eat a lot , I dont eat breakfast if I do it's two boiled eggs not enough to gain this much weight i am overweight now by 20 30 pounds and i want it gone , I cry about it all the time thank God i have like the best support from my husband lol he tells me I'm beautiful the way I  am but to me I want to scream 

[AGreen2019]

Me too I am with you,  120 always never any gained weight till the gallbladder came out and I eat healthy always cut pop out of my life plane water and no weight loss I'm at 161 and cry myself to sleep 

[Anilynn]

I'm in the same boat. I'm 38, I always hovered around 130 my max was 150. I
had my gallbladder out 3 years ago and gained 20lbs my first year. I now
hover around 168-170. I'm 5'3" Nothing seems to work!

[Debsym]

I camt believe the doctors wont recognise this as a problem with gall bladder removal. Therea so many of us with the issue. I have completely given up and am devastated ans am constantly depressed ans self conscious. Had mine removed last november was 185pounds by january I was 210 I'm now 230 I walk 10k steps a day swim twice a week my diet is not perfect but I'm vegetarian ans never eat more than 1800 cals a day. I dont drink.  Sigh.  I've been saving for a house for years but am considering getting a tummy tuck abroad. Docs wont help. Thwy just say go on a diet. Jee thanks. Havent tries that! Tries vitamins enzymes keto low calorie. I hate the way I look. 

[UkuleleMama]

I followed the Insanity workout videos every single day this past month. High intensity. I sweated up a storm and would be gasping for breath while doing them. My husband kept yelling "are you okay" if he didn't hear me panting for more than a minute, just to make sure I was still alive and hadn't passed out or something. I mean, I did those darn exercises all out and pushed myself to keep up as best I could, never stopping to rest or take any breaks during them. I am here today to say I did NOT lose a single ounce. Not one. I am exactly where I started. Go figure. I was so sore from doing them, and since I didn't lose any weight at all, I switched yesterday to Chalean Extreme. I've done her weightlifting program in the past and never lost any weight from it, but I did get decent looking arm muscles. I was hoping maybe I could at least tone up even if I didn't lose weight. We'll see. But it is frustrating. My stomach is atrocious. And I eat just fine, so it's not that.

[BaronessAmy]

i am SO glad i stumbled across this. I have felt like I’m going crazy. I’ve never struggled with my weight. I had my gallbladder removed in 2016. Since then, i haven’t lost ANY weight. I have actively tried to no avail. I’m not crazy worried about being a tad overweight... but the fact that it won’t change no matter what i do... that’s not normal. I have fasted, dieted, exercised like crazy, had bloodwork done, been to doctors, nutritionists, homeopathic doctors, fitness instructors, chiropractors, etc. i have been so frustrated over this. And to see so many people having this issue, though it doesn’t fix it, at least i don’t feel crazy anymore 😂 i haven’t made it through all of the comments (the condescending ones don’t even bother me. You can’t be upset with someone for having an opinion on something they’ve never experienced). I hope someone found something that works! If not 🤷‍:female_sign: I’ll just stay cuddle-ready

[UkuleleMama]

I'm not super crazy worried about having gained the extra 10 lbs. since surgery either. But keeping it at just 10 lbs. has become a battle. Even that's not horrible. What bothers me more than anything is my body looks fat. I don't get that part. I can grab a big tire of fat around my middle. And my thighs are starting to look a little cellulite-y. All dimples. I mean, I'm hovering between 128 and 129, so that doesn't sound exactly overweight. But pre-surgery I was 118 and my mother kept yelling at me to gain 5 lbs. I felt great, though. My arms and legs were toned, my stomach was flat. I felt like I could bounce around and run up and down the stairs without effort. I don't feel like the extra 10 lbs. should have changed that much -- sure maybe some of my clothes are more snug, but I bet most people besides my mother wouldn't notice the weight gain. I wouldn't have thought my body should look blubbery, though. That's the part that really bothers me. Even though I'm working out and eating decent and basically staying 10 lbs. heavier than I was before, I still seem to be converting everything to fat. That part just makes me mad. 

[UkuleleMama]

Oh, and for all those people who are putting other parts of their lives on hold because of all of this -- get married, buy the house, enjoy life. Even though I'm horribly annoyed at how my body is changing I'm still having fun and trying new things. At 63 I'm trying to learn to sing. Ha! I can't sing in tune if you paid me. I sound like a pterodactyl in pain. But I play music with my family and we've been performing for almost 23 years. My husband decided it was time I learned to sing and he's making me sing in public, saying trial by fire. I can see him cringe when I open my mouth, but he won't let me stop. I'm wearing a strong girdle and hopefully look decent so I don't have to worry about two things. He has me dancing while he plays banjo also. I'm throwing gemstones in my pocket to keep from totally freaking out. But, hey, what the heck. 

[nhow]

OMG!!  I've been searching for answers for many years.  Had GB removed 15+ years ago and have gained 20 pounds since....mainly a Buddha belly that I can't get rid of....tried lots of diets, excercise but nada.  I do .the 5-2 diet as maintenance.  Most of my body is reasonably toned (am now 77 yrs old) but the belly won't budge and I hate, hate, hate it.  Haven't worn a bathing suit for a long time.  Also considered lipo but didn't really want to go there and not convinced even that would help.  To add to this I also got IBS-D after GB removed as well as GERD.  Not fun at all.  At least I see I'm not alone.  Thanks to everyone here for sharing.

[LolaOnPlants]

Hi everyone! I am getting desperate and looking for some kind of answers, advice..A family member has some serious health problems that have been going on for a while and new ones just keep popping up! This person has been a vegan now for about 6 years and she eats healthy vegan food, whole plant foods, not junk food. She does not drink any alcohol and has given up smoking time ago. First, she had to have her gallbladder removed, she also has heart problems (fibrillation) and has to take medication for it. Now it seems she has a narrowed leg artery and will have to have bypass surgery on her leg! Can anyone tell me how this happened? She eats so healthy! And she keeps gaining weight no matter what she does! And of course the more you gain, the worse all of the heart and artery problems can get, it's a cycle she can't get out of!

[UkuleleMama]

Well, I'm not a doctor so I can't even begin to guess why your relative has all those health issues. But as a lot of us on this forum have pretty much concluded, often doctors themselves have no idea why things happen. When I complained about being vegan and still getting gallstones my gastroenterologist said diet had nothing to do with it -- I was either going to make gallstones or I wasn't, it was genetic. When I started gaining weight, the answer was pretty much I could use to gain weight so that I had some extra to lose if I ever got a bad illness. Seriously? Another doctor said sometimes our bodies just do weird things. About the best advice I can give is to continue eating healthy, get plenty of sleep, and exercise exercise exercise. The minute you start to slack off your health just spirals further down until it becomes impossible to reverse. It's easy to say eating healthy does nothing, exercising isn't making you lose weight, and get lazy about it all. But I truly think that brings you to a worse spot. Keep fighting back. If nothing else, the healthy eating and exercise should help your body deal with any medical procedures and hopefully help you maintain a more positive outlook. And now I'm off to lift weights and I'm a pound heavier than the last time I posted : )

[Anilynn]

I feel her pain and appreciate your empathy. I'm not vegan but I have
completely changed my diet with a few cheat days here and there, I walk 2-3
miles everyday and even met with a nutritionist once a week and a physician
once every 5 weeks to be held accountable for a the past 11 months. I also
have constant swelling in my left leg (no DVT but I have some varicose
veins)and sinus arrhythmia. I managed to lose...3 whole pounds and that's a
stretch on a bad day... I have gained 20 since my gallbladder was removed
October of 2016. My bloodwork is perfect as of September 2019 by the way
and I also take vegan digestive enzymes, ox bile, taurine, B12, beet root
tablets, and a multi vitamin. I'm going to make an appointment with an
integrative practitioner in a few weeks to see if they can help. I'll post
after my visit.

[t56]

The gallbladder removal causes the weight gain. I have a hiatal hernia because of the swelling in my abdomen pushing my stomach up since the surgery 18 yrs ago. The diet the heart dr put my husband on has helped a lot, but you cannot get off of it. It is - vegetables (non starch and not broccoli because it bloats), chicken, fish, and strawberries, blueberries and blackberries only. The other’s cause carbs. Salads are fine, but in moderation, because of bloating. No starches or as little as possible. No salt, it swells. No fried foods or pre-packed prepared food because the have salt. No cokes, etc. I had gone from 115 to 159 in the blink of an eye when my gallbladder was taken out. This diet helped me go down to 134. I stay 132-135 right now. If I go off the diet I rapidly climb. I wish a dr would admit this is happening and give us something to take to make our bodies work as though they still had a gallbladder.

[princesscorbs24]

Ive had lots of problems with weight gain and all since my gallbladder was removed.

Ive read so much now so i will go on a high protien high fibre diet and see what happens

I'm very active but i can only lose 7lb and gain the week after i get really down about it

I didnt get any advice or anything from my consultant when i left the hospital and its spiralled since 😞 

[t56]

Mine is exactly like yours.  Polyps, no issues, totally flat stomach.....then.  Now no carbs or fats and run.

[1savvy1]

This is a general reply (based on all the posts I've read from you thus far). 
I had the Polyps too (which is super rare, compared to only having gallstones*) from what I've read.
*After my gallbladder removal, they told me my gallbladder was filled with stones too *(and sludge...) I'm not sure why they didn't bother to tell me about the stones too, even after they saw my gallbladder in the ultrasound...) 
Anyway, my main curiosity is: Did they give you a reason for the polyps? (I was never given a reason, so I'm curious if you were given a reason.) 
And, as for you and me? There's no way we had a choice or chance in the removal. 😞 (From what I was told, the polyps could potentially become cancerous.) Growths are a lot more serious than just the stones. 
You have my total sympathy, because I went through the same as you. I'm not underestimating the gravity of simply having stones, however, you and I would not have been able to try to take stone-eliminating supplements. For us, our own tissues were invading/contaminating that space, and therefore, there were no other options for us, rather than removal, or we'd risk far greater risks (cancer). 

[1savvy1]

Adrian24: Is fasting an option for people who have bile continuously dripping into their intestines, with nothing there to buffer the possible damage of free-flowing bile?

[t56]

We need a medical fix. We are already starving.


God Bless,
Terry Nixon

[t56]

They didn’t say why I had Polyps.


God Bless,
Terry Nixon

[1savvy1]

AGreen2019: Read the Starch Solution by Dr. McDougall (I might've spelled his  name wrong.) I gained 50 lbs in a year after having my gallbladder out. I'm going to try this diet (also, I watched Dr. Greger, who advocates a similar diet.) It's the opposite of Keto, and evidently, people are losing tons of weight with this way of eating. So I'm going to do it! 🙂 (I'm going to post a longer, more detailed post about myself, and my diet intention, but I just wanted to quickly reply to you here.) 🙂