Weight gain after surgery???

I've read a bit about weight gain after surgery. Is this normal? Do I have to worry about being fatter after surgery on top of everything else???? I already have to battle my weight! Is this a common complaint, or are people just getting lazy and blaming it on surgery? Help!
Monica

I will be 4 weeks post op this Thursday,, (left one ovary) and I have been loosing
weight. Like most women I would like to be thinner. Went on weight watchers a
couple months ago and dropped 7 lbs so I was feeling better. Obviously I'm not exercising, maybe eating smaller meals, loosing muscle mass? who knows. I would recommend eating healthy and exercising now in preparation; it will make you feel
better about yourself. I have read that it's easier to recover if you are not too much over weight. If you will need hormones after surgery they can do some creative things to you. After your surgery your stomach will be swollen for awhile, which does not
mean weight gain. It will go down as the weeks pass.

Good luck, waiting is the hardest part; especially the last week. This site is great and
will address many of your issues and concerns.

I actually lost some weight in the hospital and have kept it off so far. I am using the patch, Vivelle Dot .5mg, which is a low dose of estradiol. So I am not having a problem with weight gain so far.
I am trying to eat better and walk more frequently. I know it is important for my overall health and I am turning 51 tomorrow. Yikes! So the mid-life pounds will just creep up, to join the pre-mid-life pounds already there.
But the surgery and HRT does not mean you are destined to weight gain woes.
We have a great fitness and weight loss forum and support group. Here is the link:
https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/for...hp?forumid=112
So try not to worry about that aspect. Just take good care of yourself now and after your surgery. If you would like some extra support with fitness it is here for you.

The surgery itself does NOT cause weight gain. I was overweight before my surgery and at 3 months post-op started a diet and exercise program and have lost 24 lbs. to date (I'm 7 month post-op now). Obviously, after surgery you will be much less active for a few weeks than you are used to, and if you don't compensate the inactivity by eating less, then you will gain weight. That may be why some women think the surgery made them gain weight.

Hi, Monica!

My co-worker just had her hyst 2 weeks ago and she has since lost 8 lbs. She is slight in build and quite fit (although not maniacal about it). She had, in the past year, put on about that amount, and before her diagnosis of fibroids, couldn't understand why.

I would imagine that, like everything else, individual experiences vary. Neither my mother nor my sister gained any weight when they had their hysts, although both were quite concerned about it beforehand.

I do think that the most important thing is to eat (and do) things that are good for you. If being sedentary for awhile (I am usually very active) causes me to put on a few lbs., well, I'll just have to deal with that when I'm feeling better. And from everything I've read here, once I've really taken care of myself during recovery, I'm likely to have even more energy.

Cecee

P.S. Depending on the circumstances, brownies can be considered good for you !!

P.P.S. Happy Birthday tomorrow, Seeshelley!

I agree with Cecee! Being sedintary for 6 weeks caused me to gain weight (not the surgery), but I eat when I'm bored and depressed and with this surgery both those things were present. I am not going to worry about it b/c I know that after a few more weeks I will feel better than before the surgery and be better able to start an excercise program and stick with it (I always start them and at two weeks before the period I would stop b/c of pain, etc) I've told everyone I see that this is healthy wieght gain and only temporary (I am only talking about 6 or 8 pounds). My dr said weight gain is typical for ANY major surgery if you eat more and excercise less.

I'm now almost 9 months post-op, and feeling wonderful. I didn't gain any weight, lose just a few, but still have the swollen belly......of course, if I did some exercise, I'm sure it would come off. I sit at a computer all day and do the normal activities when I get home with a 9 and 5 year old. You would like that I would be as small as they are.
I beleive that this surgery was the best thing I've ever done for myself.
The most important thing to do is rest and then start to think about exercise, if you choose to do so. I watched what I ate for the first couple of weeks. But, after that, look out, I love food and I have eaten anything that I have wanted. I felt so rotten prior to my surgery that I don't care if I do put a few pounds on.
Best of luck, and you will be fine. Don't forget to lots. I drank cranberry juice for weeks after the surgery.
I need to get to work, Bye!

The weight issue is a big one

Are you keeping your ovaries? I kept mine. I did not gain any weight from my hysterctomy. I did gain weight from my thyroid surgery ( hype now) I really think the HRT thing can make it more difficult for some women. Just try to relax. The weight gain or loss is not important right now. You need to save your energy for your upcoming surgery and recovery.


Take care

My experience with HRT is that it actually helped me to lose weight. For the first time in my adult life my hormones are constant every day instead of getting wacky every month. Because of the newfound consistency with HRT, I've had no trouble sticking to my diet and exercise program.