Post Op Hysterectomy and weight loss

I am 43 years old. Had the DaVinci procedure, complete hysterectomy on December 1, 2009. I lost my mom, 2 aunts, an uncle and a best friend w/in 9 months of each other. I let myself go physically during all of that. I went into the procedure 50 pounds heavier than I have ever been. Everyone I have ever talked to about weight loss and menopause are adamant that I will not be able to lose the weight. I used to exercise all the time and like that. I bought an eliptical and I am adamant about sticking w/it. Dieting is not my strong point. I do have hot flashes at night and wondered if I needed some blood work done to see exactly what type of hormonal deficiencies I may have and whether or not has control over the weight loss. Any suggestions? Does or don'ts? Thanks for any help.

I am 56 and had an LAVH on December 1, 2009. I weighed 165lbs. going into surgery. Ten days post op I was 158. I am now 151! I didn't have much of an appetite at first, but decided as it came back that this would be as good a time as any to change my eating habits. I didn't cut out anything from my diet...I just cut down on the quantity ( ate as much as I did on little appetite). The good news is, I was able to lose weight. I, too, had been told to expect to gain 20lbs. and not be able to lose. I exercise daily, and try to remember nothing tastes as good as thin feels! I had my ovaries removed, and am on Vivelle dot. 01. Since I am only three months post op, I don't know if this is going to last. For now, it feels wonderful to be rid of all that pain and mess...and be thinner too! Good luck!

Thank you! You are soooo right, it's hard to complain about weight or hotflashes when you feel sooo much better after the surgery.