Weight gain after gallbladder removed...

I have been having the HARDEST time losing weight after my gallbladder was removed. I've read about it and just want to know if anyone else has gone through this and have lost weight or am I doomed?? I go to the gym 4 times a wee, take cardio and toning classes. I eat good food, no fast food. I just dont know that to do!
«134

Replies

  • CallMeWifey
    CallMeWifey Posts: 21 Member
    I had my gallbladder removed about two years ago. I haven't had a problem losing weight...when I'm actually exercising and eating right.
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
    The small intestine is where food is further digested and nutrients are absorbed. It is an alkaline organ to which the gall bladder and pancreas injects enzymes to further this process along. It is possible that for you, without the addition of bile that this part of the process that your digestion is compromised. It may not sound intuitive, but improper digestion can have links with weight gain or weight loss, among other things. I would recommend reading about digestive enzymes and alkalinity (pH), then consult with a professional.
  • happydaze71
    happydaze71 Posts: 339 Member
    I had my gallbladder out and I haven't found its affected me. I think it really comes down to the diet and exercise factor. You aren't supposed to eat a fatty dirt as the gall bladder helps process the fats, so that's worth thinking about how much fat you eat, particularly bad fats
  • jbirdiee
    jbirdiee Posts: 5 Member
    I just recently had my gallbladder removed and my surgeon actually told me there was a chance after surgery I would have a harder time losing weight. I think if you are eating healthy and exercising like you said you were, you will find that your body will finally adjust to not having that extra helper in digestion. It may take some time, if you find that it has been a really long time since surgery you may want to ask your doctor for advice. I have been able to continue to lose weight but have found it to be hard when it comes to food, things that have never bothered me to eat, do now. It can be very frustrating but keep your chin up. Good luck
  • grandmastime
    grandmastime Posts: 57 Member
    I had my gall bladder remove 7 years ago and since then have gained over 20 lbs. I cannot tolerate grease or fat anymore. Our gallbladder is the organ that regulates bile that helps break down fat into usable material for our body's. After getting sick of the weight gain and trouble digesting fat i did some research and found that if you take a digestive emzyme it helps with the fat break down. Since starting on the digestive emzyme fiber supplement and probiotic I feel better have less digestive problems and have lost 15 lbs.
  • Great job! I too had my gallbladder removed 7 years ago and I've put on 30 pounds. I have been using digestive enzymes for about 4 years, but it wasn't until I added Ox bile, that I started to feel more normal again. What type of diet are you following? I just started following the Eat to Live plan, but I'm still having some meat and fish protein a few times a week. I am switching from eggs to egg whites again, which is what I did the last time that I was able to lose weight. For me, eating a lot of veggies and keeping my protein low fat has been the easiest. You've motivated me! Thanks and good luck!!
  • sweetNsassy2584
    sweetNsassy2584 Posts: 515 Member
    I had mine removed in December of 2012. I lost 73 pounds before then and haven't lost anymore since. However, I have went down 3% in body fat and I'm gaining muscle. I was worried about gaining weight when I had mine removed but I haven't had any problems. I believe that if you eating a deficit and working out then you have nothing to worry about.
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    I had lost a lot of weight before my gallbladder surgery then gained it all back. And then sat on my butt for two years. I had NO motivation for two freakin years after that surgery...but hey I was having liver failure from the stones, so I had no choice...but something in me changed after that surgery and I had to fight to get back the motivation to exercise and eat right.

    One day I just woke up and said no more adding to my lard butt...go to the gym. I have lost 40 lbs since then, but the first month was awful hard. I l barely lost 3 lbs the first month...then I learned about Intermittent Fasting, and balancing macro-nutrients, and calorie/carb cycling and now I am losing at a steady rate. Get your blood work checked and make sure everything is normal. Especially D3 levels, thyroid and iron. Mine were a mess.

    For me though it was mainly about motivation. I just did not have it there for a long time. Also the surgery affected my fat absorption. I felt like if I just looked at fat I gained weight. Now I try to eat moderate amounts of healthy fat because it really does help you stay sated and lose weight, but I eat very little cooked fat,I have reduced my sugar and carb intake, and I work out daily.

    Good luck, don't give up, you can do it.
  • I tried doing the Paleo diet and some have said, that after they've had their gallbladder out, they had no problems with digesting the healthy fats and the Paleo diet helped cleared up their issues, but I have problems digesting all fats. Right now, the only fat I'm allowing is from fish, olive or coconut oil, and lean poultry. The high protein diet just didn't work for me, even though my brother, who still has his gallbladder, has had great luck with it. I just know, that without a gallbladder, I can't go through ketosis. I just have to stick to a low fat diet with lots of veggies and fruit. I feel ten times better, when I avoid lots of fats.

    How did IF help you? I often have to force myself to eat breakfast and when I do, I feel hungry sooner, so I've often thought about doing two meals a day. Thanks for your input. :-) You've given me more motivation!
  • WolowitzTimestwo
    WolowitzTimestwo Posts: 45 Member
    A real simple answer for me was., I couldn't eat a lot of food before I had my gallbladder out. Anything and everything gave me intense pain. So after surgery., eating with no pain caused me to make up hor quite a few of the meals I missed!! Lol
    Seriously. I just started eating more healthy non processed foods and managed to stabilize my weight.
  • mrsbuzz
    mrsbuzz Posts: 576 Member
    bump
  • gear77
    gear77 Posts: 1
    i was reading your post, and I had my gall bladder surgery 10 years ago and within the last 2 years i have started gaining wiehgt very quickly, i gained 20 pounds. and no matter what kind of diet and excercise I do , I just cannot lose weight. CAn you please tell me which brand of digestive fiber enzyme you take and name of probiotics. I will like to try take it too to help me . thankyou
  • AndorZensko
    AndorZensko Posts: 47 Member
    interesting, I had mine out so many years ago and I was wondering about digestive troubles because I seemed to have so many of them after that. I will have to research this more now.
  • Cassmera
    Cassmera Posts: 3
    I had my gallbladder removed 7 years ago and ballooned up 40 pounds, but they had missed it until my body had started shutting down and I was unable to walk and eat solid foods. Once it was removed I didn't want to eat anything and lived on a 500 - 600 calorie diet, just nibbled. Starved myself fat as they say. Then started eating healthy and exercising and still nothing. Couldn't loose the weight for anything. I'm on meds now that cause weight gain and am still struggling and working my butt off to loose even 2 pounds in a month. It has taken me almost 6 months to lose 20 pounds. Now I am over 40 and it just sticks worse then super glue. I am trying a vegetarian / high protein diet and so far am having best results with it.

    Keep up the good work with diet and exercise and you will see some changes, don't jump on the scale every week, I weight myself about once every 2-3 weeks. Look at how your clothes are fitting instead of a number on a dial, how much energy you have and how good you feel.
  • beeplus3
    beeplus3 Posts: 1
    I was always a size 7-9 even after I had my 3 kids after I had my last child I went back to a 9 easily, when she was 9 months old I found out I needed my gallbladder removed. Within 3 months I had gained 20+ pounds and have gained a total of 46 pounds. I have tried everything but reading some of these post has given me hope to try the Ox bile that is my next step. I pray this will work.
  • I had gall bladder surgery in November of last year. I was down to 172. Now I'm 190. I only gain or maintain. I'm hoping the extra protein through protein shakes and eating right and exercising will help it come back off. I'm been looking at something called skinny fiber. Has anyone heard of it. I saw where someone mentioned ox bile, fiber supplements, probiotics. Guessing may try it and find out.
  • ebo77
    ebo77 Posts: 1
    Ox bile has worked for me. I had my gallbladder out in 2009 and have been completely unable to lose weight since, no matter what I am doing with diet and exercise. If you google it, you will find that lots of people report this--I actually found an article that explained why it might happen. As for me, I know why I GAIN weight (I love to eat) but several times since 2009, I have tried to lose weight--using Weight Watchers for months at a time, increasing exercise, straight up calorie counting, but nothing worked. I just could *not* lose. I quit taking medications I was on to see if any of them were causing it (they weren't) and then realized it started about the time I got my gallbladder out. So last week I ordered ox bile off of amazon (500 mg) and started taking it, along with my diet of 1600 calories, brisk walking daily and strength training 4 days a week. Mind you, I have been following that regimen for over a month with NO movement of the scale, or change in size visible in my clothes. I have been taking it a week and have already lost the 2 pounds that I should have been losing a week with my diet/exercise plan.

    My only side effect of the ox bile has been gas, and even that was really only bad the first 2 days. I take it only with meals--if I have a snack (always cashews), I don't take it. It might not work for everyone, but I am certainly happy with the results. After working my *kitten* off for 5 weeks and seeing NO progress, seeing that 2 lb change actually made me cry a little.
  • atibrat
    atibrat Posts: 70 Member
    I had my gallbladder out 2 years ago this month and I have gained 25 pounds most of it within the first few month of having it out. Also I eat very little fat but have a horrible time with bloating, gas and distended upper stomach. My stomach was always larger below than above but now my stomach is always bloated, hard and uncomfortable after I eat. I have tried digestive enzymes with no help. Also always constipated. I have a hard time with vegetables and many healthy foods.

    I have not tried the Ox Bile yet but that is my next step. I have researched this on the internet and it is a big problem for some people and many others have no problem at all. If they do have problems it is mostly with fat. I have problems with fiber foods like raw veggies, prune juice, cherries, and grains most of all. I also do better eating very small portions at one time.

    I ordered a digestive enzyme with a little ox bile but going for the strong plain ox bile and will update after I try it.

    I have thought about going back on a liquid diet for awhile like I was the month before they took it out to see if that helped.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Having my gallbladder removed never affected my weight loss.
  • Mp2x
    Mp2x Posts: 1
    I had mine removed last December of 2012. Prior to that I weight 140 lbs. I recently had my heaviest weight ever at 170!!! All the bloating, gas and discomfort after eating we're still there. The surgery did not help a bit! I was so frustrated, started eating way lot better. Going to gym more regularly.....basically I was doing the most healthiest regimen ever in my life! I did not lose a single pound!!! Others would say I just don't eat healthy enough or did not exercise hard enough.....bull$...!!! People who are in the same boat like I am knows exactly how we feel or what we are going through. I have tried countless supplements... From digestive enzime, bile salt, etc!!! It was still a hit and miss and most importantly not a single pound was lost!!! I am currently doing "Intermittent Fasting". I started it a week ago and to date lost 1pound! For me that's a milestone already!!! I am going to keep doing these as this is the only thing that showed result without really going through crazy crazy diets!!! The Internet gave me all these information about "if". When I eat, I don't get the bloating or the gain or even pain after I eat! This is working for me, maybe it will for others too! I do these diet in conjunction of my healthy eating habits already. I don't use the previous supplements I took. Now I'm taking coconut oil (which for some odd reason is making me full and not hungry), BCAA (helps give energy when I work out....I did not change my routine before but now I'm getting better results) and citracel fiber drink (less likely to give gas). I hope these will help other people just like me. I know the pain and struggle. The life after gallbladder removal is a continues quest for all of us to regain our life back!!!
  • MFPRat
    MFPRat Posts: 201 Member
    I found that I gained weight after my gall bladder was removed. Since I could finally eat without pain, I ate whatever I wanted.
  • dawn_h_d
    dawn_h_d Posts: 184 Member
    Never had issues with losing/gaining weight. I just have to make sure of what foods I eat and how close to a bathroom I am. And no, it isn't just the greasy foods - lettuce and ruffiage do the same thing to me.
  • prettyinpinkagain
    prettyinpinkagain Posts: 11 Member
    Hi, I was struggling with this issue myself. In 2011, I lost about 40 lbs total, from 170 to a little less than 130 lb at one point. A good diet and balanced fitness kept me there for the next year. However, in 2013 I had a gall bladder attack after eating pesto tortellini (I have to think this fatty dinner was not a co-incidence). I had to lay off running for a month after surgery, struggled back to run a 10 k but slowly started to gain weight. I was not eating ALOT, but I definitely went back to eating INCORRECTLY. I gained 10 lbs in 6 months and started to wonder what was going on.

    I don't think all of this is associated with digestive enzymes. I also think I really haven't built up enough muscle mass to keep my metabolism at optimum level. A few weeks ago, I decided that I really needed to understand what was going on with my body and went to Natasha Turner in Toronto and am following The Hormone Diet, starting with a cleanse. This is not easy but I'm understanding protein and the importance of hormonal health, inflammation, sleep and stress. I lost 4 lbs since being on the cleanse and re-introduction of foods for a month. I'm also really working on building muscle and revving up my metabolism. I've had lots of problems with diarrhea too since the surgery (esp when running) and trying to find a sustained solution to that (anyone else?).

    Thanks to all of you here I am learning a bit more about enzyme and I'll research this more. I'll keep all of you informed. I really like these forums.
  • Good Morning. I am 55 year women and I had my gall bladder out last week I am concerned about the wt gain issue Should I start on something now as soon as I am able to eat more foods. I am planning on going back to the gym when cleared to swim
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    Strong bump



    OP asked the damn question in February
  • I had my Gall Bladder removed in May 2013 prior to this I had lost 60lb. I have since gained 22lb. I am currently following a calorie controlled diet, sticking to between 1200 & 1700 calories a day dependent on the amount of exercise I do. I have also for the past 2 weeks been doing JM 30 day Shred every morning before work, walking 3 miles in my lunch hour and then a 50 minute kettle bell work out in the evening. I have lost no weight what so ever and am now concerned that this trend will continue. Where am I going wrong? Is it down to my gall bladder being removed!
  • Caerful
    Caerful Posts: 12
    Hi Helen

    I found your post when I googled 'problems dieting after gallbladder removal'. I'm so glad you asked this question.

    August 2011 - I lost about 17lb when I cut out all fat whilst awaiting my gallbladder removal which was carried out in December 2011. Before surgery I was taking Ibuprofen, (with paracetamol), to control the pain and this led to stomach problems and acid reflux for quite a few months after the surgery. Prior to starting a weightloss diet my stomach and bowels had settled down pretty much and I can eat most things without problems, unless I eat after 7.30 p.m. I do have a little IBS so have to get to know what sets that off.

    Since starting what is essentially a low fat, low carb high fibre diet and daily exercise I have only managed to lose 1lb a week. Whilst this may seem satisfactory my body isn't comfortable at all. If I burn too lean, that is really only eat the calories I am allowed, I tend to get very wobbly in the legs (hypoglycaemia?) and feel like the acid reflux may be starting again. I get bloating and wind. If you want to friend me on mfp you can see my food diary. I make sure I eat fish, including oily fish.

    I think the problem is that if I am burning my own body fat my digestion doesn't like it. If I cut out too much fat I have problems too. I've just discovered a chocolate mousse made with avocado pears, which might help me to ingest some healthy fats.

    I do so much exercise now compared to the sedentary office work I used to do. I do Zumba Gold 6 days out of 7 so know I am changing shape, toning therefore swapping fat weight for muscle weight, but my measurements say I'm getting in waist and hips. I'll be teaching Zumba Gold soon so doing between 1 to 3 60 minute sessions 6 out of 7 days.

    My conclusion is, like others here, that slow and steady weightloss is going to be the way but I am going to talk to my GP about it.

    I hope this is of some use and I'd like to continue to hear how people who've had their gallbladders removed are getting on.

    Best wishes, Caerful
  • forevertoday
    forevertoday Posts: 101 Member
    I had my gallbladder removed this year and have not noticed any weight gain. :)
  • I have had mine removed also. I think you need to give your body time to adjust. After my surgery it took me a couple months to get back on track. With a good diet and exercise u should be able to lose.
  • silverlining84
    silverlining84 Posts: 330 Member
    I had mine removed and I actually lost weight. I'm more conscious of what I eat and started exercising more.