Just had surgery and cannot eat enough calories

slarbina
slarbina Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
I just had surgery last week to remove my gallbladder laproscopically. I cannot add a lot of fats to my diet just yet and I am trying to eat the full 1200 calories this sight is suggesting, but I just cannot do it! I have 300 more calories left for the day and I am so full right now I feel like I am going to burst!!! Am I throwing off my metabolism and putting myself in starvation mode?

Replies

  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Open your diary and people may be able to help you figure out where you can add calories.

    However, a few days will not screw up your metabolism or put you into "starvation" mode. Don't let people scare you.
  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
    Stop worrying about calories and losing weight until you have recovered from the surgery
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    eat dried fruits for a calorie dense meal. You know what I find really good... dates, blueberries and raisins.
  • slarbina
    slarbina Posts: 9
    I'm not worried about losing weight right now, more worried about getting all the nutrients I need. I find the diary helps with all of that on my phone.....For breakfast I am eating oatmeal with apples, blueberries and brown sugar. For lunch I am eating either salad or soup and for dinner I am eating meat, quinoa and veggies. I cannot have a lot of fat yet as my intestine is not going to handle it well without the gallbladder to help. I have to gradually add fat slowly, right now I am averaging 12-17 grams a day. I try to eat but I get so full so easily, literally 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal and I am stuffed! Last night my kids had pizza and I had 1/2 c quinoa salad, 1/2 c kale salad and 1/2 a chicken breast....I was too full it hurt. I was just worried about throwing my body into a bad place that would be hard to get out of. I have heard from a lot of people that after their gallbladders were removed they gained a lot of weight without any real reason to......
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth. Heal well. You need to focus on protein and vit C to heal. Do that and then worry about your weight loss.
  • barkin43
    barkin43 Posts: 508 Member
    Stop worrying about calories and losing weight until you have recovered from the surgery

    I agree with this one and do be careful what you eat for the first few weeks. Your body will adjust and you should be able to eat pretty much what you want after that. At least that was my experience, not saying it's the same for everyone.(Disclaimer!)
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Eat little and often ideally every three to four hours, this tells your body there is no famine and actually boosts your metabolism every time you eat. Be sure you are eating protein at each meal and snack, this is a critical component in the repair of every cell in the body. If you can eat a little fat have a small portion of oily fish for the essential fatty acids.
  • slarbina
    slarbina Posts: 9
    I just bought some multi vitamins high in vitamin D and flax seeds that I am grinding and putting on my food. I figure if I take the vitamins when I eat the flax seeds I'll have a better chance of absorbing the nutrients. I am going back to work tomorrow...feel fantastic! I just don't eat as much so I want to make sure what I do eat is helping me heal and not hurting me......I am making an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow...read too many scary stories of people not getting enough nutrients after gallbladder removal and winding up with other problems!
  • slarbina
    slarbina Posts: 9
    Oh and THANK YOU everyone!
  • meskibrp
    meskibrp Posts: 23 Member
    Through liquids, depending on macro requirements though.
  • trchristy
    trchristy Posts: 155 Member
    Starvation mode is a myth. Heal well. You need to focus on protein and vit C to heal. Do that and then worry about your weight loss.

    took the words right out of my mouth Protein will help you heal.... When I had surgery thats what the doctor told me..
  • Lookingforfitat40
    Lookingforfitat40 Posts: 61
    WHAT DID YOUR DOCTOR SAY?

    Why ask completely anonymous strangers for advice directly after surgery???
  • Rizabees
    Rizabees Posts: 80
    When I got out of the hospital from my gallbladder surgery the first thing i ate was a Chipotle burrito.

    Just try to stay away from overly fatty foods, and that's only cause it's an inconvenient to have the runs right after you eat.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    No you are not. It takes more than a week to go into starvation mode. For right now focus on several small meals through the day. If the problem last another week call your doctor.
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    Do the best you can. Listen to your body. Don't force yourself to eat more than you are comfortable with. Better to eat small amounts of different foods so you get a mix of nutrients. Even though you feel well you are still healing on the inside. There may be quite of a bit of swelling/inflammation inside due to the surgery. Even laproscopic surgey messes around with your organs and disrupts things....that is probably why you feel so full after a small meal. Keep your meals small and more frequent. For example. Eat half your breakfast at 8 and the other half at 10. Divide lunch and dinner the same way. Dont' worry about a calorie deficit right now. You need a few weeks to heal completely then you can focus on getting your food plan on track.
  • barbaramitchell101
    barbaramitchell101 Posts: 360 Member
    Do the best you can. Listen to your body. Don't force yourself to eat more than you are comfortable with. Better to eat small amounts of different foods so you get a mix of nutrients. Even though you feel well you are still healing on the inside. There may be quite of a bit of swelling/inflammation inside due to the surgery. Even laproscopic surgey messes around with your organs and disrupts things....that is probably why you feel so full after a small meal. Keep your meals small and more frequent. For example. Eat half your breakfast at 8 and the other half at 10. Divide lunch and dinner the same way. Dont' worry about a calorie deficit right now. You need a few weeks to heal completely then you can focus on getting your food plan on track.

    GREAT ANSWER!!!
  • phyllisbobbitt
    phyllisbobbitt Posts: 347 Member
    :bigsmile: when I had my gallbladder surgery it took about a week or so before I felt I could really eat a full calorie diet. you should be ok until then.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    WHAT DID YOUR DOCTOR SAY?

    Why ask completely anonymous strangers for advice directly after surgery???

    THIS

    Surely the doctor(s) told you what you should and should not be eating?? If not, you really should call the hospital and find out! This should be part of your discharge instructions. I can't imagine any hospital or doctor putting themselves at risk for a lawsuit for not giving clear instructions how and what their patients can eat after gallbladder surgery.
  • slarbina
    slarbina Posts: 9
    Unfortunately because everyone reacts differently after their gallbladder is removed, there isn't a standard diet recommendation after gallbladder removal. I was I could go back to my normal diet........however I have read that some people have problems after dairy, eggs, oatmeal, or red meat, the result varies from individual to individual. My friend can't do caffeine anymore yet my mom can....my original question was about starvation mode and metabolism, mostly because some people after having their gallbladder removed find themselves gaining weight uncontrollably. I am going to schedule an appt with a nutritionist rather than with the surgeon...while my surgeon was great at removing my gallbladder, her dietary advice was that if I ate a McDonald's meal I might have the runs......

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