weight gain

Why do we gain weight, even if your eating healthy and exercising. Does it have something to do with the swelling of your uterus and other medical problems? Does anyone know?

Jaimie,

If you have a uterus that is growing or fibroids that are increasing in size, it may very well be masking your healthy eating and making it seem as if you are really gaining weight. Hormonal imbalances can also cause fluid retention and make it seem that you are gaining weight. Please don't panic, some times our body can play tricks on us.

Hugs....Joan

I had a TAH on 5/20/03. I went for a check-up at the doc's office on 6/19/03 and I actually had lost 10 pounds since my pre-op visit. I had expected weight gain post-op, due to swelling, but was pleasantly surprised. Although I had some minor swelling post-op, I'm sure I had more swelling (from enlarged uterus, cysts on the ovaries, etc) before the surgery!! I no longer have the "low" tummy bulge that I was so used to having for ages. I didn't realize that the surgery would make sure a difference! I thought I was destined to have the bulge forever! My pants fit much better today than they did before my surgery. Yea!

Lovetoboat,

You don't know how happy I am to hear that your pants fit much better now!! I am petrified that I will gain weight after surgery. Last year, I lost 35 lbs, but still have the dreaded bulge in my lower belly. I chalked it up to having 3 kids.

I am hoping that my enlarged uterus will account for at least some of that bulge!

BTW, I haven't scheduled surgery, but will most likely have a TAH, hoping to keep the ovaries, but I have cysts and a "solid growth" on them, so we shall see. The reason for my TAH is severe dysplasia in my glandular cells that didn't respond to a LEEP or cone biopsy, but I have several other problems included a fibroid in my enlarged uterus and the cysts and growths on my ovaries.

Like already mentioned, a lot of it is just due to what is going on inside of you. I have always had a flat stomach without doing any sort of situps or anything, now I do pilates for my tummy 3 days a week and I still look like I am pregnant. Hormonal imbalances, especially estrogen dominance, cause fluid retention and our bodies can retain up to 15 lbs of water. Also, if you have endo or adeno, they cause inflammation according to my doc causing the swelly belly even pre-op. And last, if you have polycystic ovaries you probably have really high testosterone which means you are insulin resistant. You should eat really, really low carb and stay away from sugar, white flour and even fruit. However, even doing that, the weight I gained is not coming off. I was eating low carb before all this and now have cut back even more, but I am still a size bigger in my lower body than I used to be. I keep praying that at least part of it is water retention. I am also a workout freak (6 days a week, weight training, cardio, and pilates) and not being able to work out for 6 weeks is scaring me.

anyway, most of the ladies seem to lose weight after, so maybe we'll be lucky, too.


Kristina

Thank you all sooooo much!
I love this site, It has been a tremendous help and support. I went to my pre op today and going to the castle on Mon. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.


HUGS,
Jamie

I am glad to hear that others are working out in prep to the op. I have looked and asked and have yet to find anyone to give me a guide to what to do that would help the best for before and after. One physical therapist told me that he had no knowledge of pre-op or post-op exercises....just to be as strong as I can without injury before and do 'what the doc and your body tells you' after....??? I would really like to know anything that would help. I was sick for a while and gained 10# and am now about to take it all off before surgery but am really bummed about not being able to do much for 6 weeks....I hate to have to start over again. Any help?

love and stuff

I don't normally talk about this, but I am a certified personal trainer. The best advice I can give you is to work out as much as you can before the surgery, without going overboard. When you work out, whether you have surgery or not, it is best to do a combination of weight training (30 min at least 3X a week) and cardio.

Your heart is a muscle just like your biceps for example and that’s what the cardio is for. The weight training is to build muscle which will increase your metabolism and help the fat burning.

Personally, I also do Pilates, mostly for my lower body because with weight training I bulk up to quick in my legs. However, I just started lifting heavy with less reps for my upper body. Normally I do light weight with high reps, but I figure in 6 weeks muscles WILL atrophy. So, the more muscles you have pre-op, the longer it will take for them to atrophy post op.

For abs, the best thing I have found is Pilates. The truth is that we all have perfect abs and all we have to do is adjust our diet to expose them (and get rid of fibroids ). Pilates however will strengthen your abs and lengthen and lean out your entire body. You will become more balanced and feel stronger and leaner.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I will try to help as best as I can.


Kristina

Prov31

What is a pilate?

Donna

Donna,
Have you seen that infomercial about 'Windsor-Pilates'....it is the 'weight training for the stars' and it has Daisy Fuentes as it's host. Mari Windsor took a workout routine started years ago by Joseph Pilates and updated it. He originally started it for dancers and it concentrates on the ....I am having a brain fart...power ..something...power house!, it is the source of your energy and strength in your ab area. You can look at it online at windsorpilates.com and decide for yourself.