5 days post tonsillectomy and have GAINED weight

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linap412
linap412 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I am 30 years old and just had a tonsillectomy due to recurring strep. I knew the surgery would be hard due to my age, but I thought the bright side to this was losing weight. Everything I read said you could expect a 10-15 lb weight loss! Well, I did not keep track of my calories the first few days because I was in so much pain, but I lived on semi sweet tea, sugar free popsicles and pudding.

The day of my surgery I weighed 164, 3 days later I weighed myself in the morning (as usual) and weighed 175! Today I am 170. I know it can't be possible to gain this much weight in fat but how can I be retaining so much fluid from a soft, mostly liquid diet. Anyone have any experience with this surgery or ideas of why I am holding on to so much weight? It is very discouraging :(

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  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
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    You just had surgery. If I were you, I'd avoid the scale for another week or two, let yourself heal, stay hydrated, and eat when you can. You didn't gain fat unless you were eating thousands and thousands of calories of popsicles every day (which, given recent surgery on your throat - I would expect to be highly impossible!).
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    Whatever you do, DO NOT GOOGLE!

    There is a ton of information about weight gain post tonsillectomy (I accidently stumbled upon it when researching for my son's surgery).


    It is most likely just water retention and because you are probably sedentary. Just let your body heal and stop stressing.
  • 7deadly
    7deadly Posts: 23 Member
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    Weight gain after an anaesthetic is pretty normal.
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
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    Worry about recovering from your surgery first, then worry about losing any weight gained.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Day to day changes in weight are meaningless. Even had you have lost 10 lbs instead of gained it, within a few weeks, you'd be back to your presurgery weight. Drastic changes in day to day weight is always water related whether it be increases or decreases. Just don't even bother weighing yourself for a week or two.
  • linap412
    linap412 Posts: 5
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    Good advice everyone! Thanks!
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
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    Hello, I am 30 years old and just had a tonsillectomy due to recurring strep. I knew the surgery would be hard due to my age, but I thought the bright side to this was losing weight. Everything I read said you could expect a 10-15 lb weight loss! Well, I did not keep track of my calories the first few days because I was in so much pain, but I lived on semi sweet tea, sugar free popsicles and pudding.

    The day of my surgery I weighed 164, 3 days later I weighed myself in the morning (as usual) and weighed 175! Today I am 170. I know it can't be possible to gain this much weight in fat but how can I be retaining so much fluid from a soft, mostly liquid diet. Anyone have any experience with this surgery or ideas of why I am holding on to so much weight? It is very discouraging :(

    How was you supposed to lose 10-15 Ibs?
  • linap412
    linap412 Posts: 5
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    You're generally not able to eat anything except liquids for 10-14 days, which would cause a rapid weight loss in most people.
  • linap412
    linap412 Posts: 5
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    I'm beginning to think my extra "weight" is probably just fluids from the IV and water retention from salt in the soups I have attempted to eat. Was really just curious if anyone else has had a similar situation.

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