LAVH: Upcoming hysterectomy 8/2: weight loss or gain?

I am scheduled for a LAVH leaving my ovaries (hopefully) on 8/2 and I'm just curious as to peoples experiences with weight gain or loss during recovery? During my last two hernia surgeries I had quite the appetite during recovery and ate more than I normally do and since I was down for a couple weeks or more I assumed I would have weight gain but I actually lost a little. Some have told me this is due to your body needing more calories while healing? Have any of you experienced anything similar with this surgery? or maybe the opposite and found you did gain? My fibroid is causing my uterus to be approx. 12 week size so I don't anticipate much change from that and with this dreaded swelly belly I keep reading about sounds like that bloated belly issue will just get worse at least for awhile

Hi Mvinotime -

Weight gain with this surgery is not a given. I had my surgery over 6 years ago, and have not gained weight. I eat a healthy diet and I exercise regularly.

Right after my surgery, I had no appetite and that is pretty typical. I ate because it was time to eat. It also had to be pretty bland, non-spicy and non-gassy.

I, too, had a large fibroid (2.5 lbs) but mine required a TAH. That was almost 2 years ago. At first I lost 15 lbs, probably attributed to surgery cleanse, liquid diet for a couple of days, and abnormal appetite through the first week or so of recovery. When I did gain the weight back it was about 7 pounds more than my pre-fibroid/surgery weight. I've slowly been losing/getting back to my normal weight with about 3-4 left to lose. If you continue to watch what you eat and exercise (not until after you're released and your Dr says it's ok please), you should be fine.

I'm only about 4 1/2 weeks out from my surgery but I really haven't noticed a difference. Swelly belly was probably my biggest concern going in and I found that I was back in my pre-surgery clothes within about 4 days. I may get a tiny bit of swelling here and there but my old clothes fit fine. My weight and appetite have remained stable (though I do have food aversions now, which I think is strange). I think it differs for everyone.

Wishing you all the best for your surgery and recovery.

You may experience some temporary weight gain, from all the fluids they pump into you, which can also contribute to belly bloat; things that can help with this include plain coconut water, bananas, leafy greens, citrus fruits and beets. Also, your ovaries may temporarily shut down because of reduced blood flow, and this can affect your metabolism. To help with weight maintenance during this period, eat small, frequent meals, and be sure you're getting enough protein and fibre, which will help to stabilize your blood sugar, and prevent cravings. Another top tip for successful weight management is to keep a food diary, and don't forget to include all those BLTs - bites, licks and tastes. Also be sure to take regular walks, which will help with weight maintenance, and to kick-start a sluggish GI tract, another common cause of post-op belly bloat. Common bloat triggers to avoid include red meat, dairy products other than yogurt or kefir, legumes, onions and garlic, cruciferous vegetables, pears, prunes, and artificial sweeteners. As for Swelly Belly , it's like what happens when you sprain your ankle, and inflammatory chemicals and extra tissue formation are directed to the site of the injury, in this case your belly. Pineapple is anti-inflammatory, and can help with that, as well as ginger and its cousin turmeric. Best wishes for a successful surgery and a smooth recovery!

My advice re: weight gain/loss and diet during recovery is: don't sweat it. Follow your body's lead.

I was underweight going into surgery due to stress (5'10", weighed in at 116 lbs). I came home from the hospital weighing 17 lbs more than I had going in! However I could tell from the shape of my body that this was all water weight. It pee'd itself out over the next few days.

My appetite was wonky for the first couple of weeks after surgery. This is typical of me when I'm under any kind of physical or psychological stress, so I've learned how to deal with it. I eat frequent healthy snacks (regular-sized meals are too intimidating) and I eat what my body is willing to eat. I don't worry about nutrition or calories at this point. I just try to get something into my system on a regular basis to keep my blood sugar from bottoming out. Trying to force myself to eat something only results in an aversion to the forced food that can take months or even years to disperse, so I don't do that.

As it happened, what my body wanted to eat for the first week after surgery was fresh fruit, yogurt, peanut butter on whole grain toast and canned lentil soup, so that's what it got. The second week it began to branch out to eggs and vegetables, and the third week it was back to normal.

So how did my recovery go? Really well! I had minimal pain and no complications. My incision healed well. I went from being able to walk around the block at four days to walking six miles a day on hilly trails at four weeks. Over the next few months, my weight rose to its usual range (125-130 lbs), where it's remained for the past four years except for a downwards blip when I was having chemo and radiation.

It bears repeating: listen to your body, listen to your body, listen to your body.

I'm almost 6 months post surgery, I didn't have issues with swelly belly and (possible) weight gain until after I had to go back to work.

I initially lost weight (I had one 10 cm cyst and one 10 cm fibroid) but with having to return to normal life and working, I have more issues with swelling up now than right after surgery. I am not sure I've gained weight as all the swelling seems to be in the belly area but I do know a few things don't fit as well on certain days. I felt great weight wise until about month 4. I'm back at the gym now and eating my regular healthy balanced diet so I can only contribute it to having surgery.