Losing weight without gallbladder

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Ajirvin
Ajirvin Posts: 131 Member
in Motivation and Support
i had my gallbladder out in April. I keep reading that it's very difficult to lose weight because your body can't break down fat anymore. Has anyone here lost weight without one? If so, what did you eat? My diet consists mostly of only chicken/fish, beans, nuts, oatmeal, plAnts, and water. Is there something I should change?
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  • Frequently_Fabulous
    Frequently_Fabulous Posts: 132 Member
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    Bile, which helps break down fat, is stored in the gallbladder after it is made in the liver. So by removing the gallbladder, you are losing the "storage" portion of bile, but your liver still makes it and uses it to break down foods. You can get some indigestion (greasy stools, abdominal pain, and bloating) if you eat too much fat in a meal and your liver can't keep up. I think people find it hard to lose weight after GB surgery because they avoid high fatty foods, but replace them with high carb foods that are easier to digest and and don't require the gallbladder to break down. And as we all know, extra carbs turns to extra fat, leading to weight gain. Hope that helped! Good luck to ya!
  • alexbellamom
    alexbellamom Posts: 3 Member
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    I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago and find that I can't eat fatty foods anymore without getting diarrhea. I have lost weight since removing it with no additional difficulties.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I haven't really noticed much of a difference. I've lost plenty of weight without my gall bladder.

    As was said above, your body still makes bile, it just doesn't store it in large quantities. You can still digest fat.

    The only significant difference I've seen is that sometimes I have a little trouble digesting very large meals, for example Thanksgiving dinner.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out in late 2010. I started using MFP a few months later. It hasn't hindered my progress at all. In fact, I don't even miss mine as long as I don't eat a lot of greasy foods in one sitting.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    down_w_the_man wrote: »
    Bile, which helps break down fat, is stored in the gallbladder after it is made in the liver. So by removing the gallbladder, you are losing the "storage" portion of bile, but your liver still makes it and uses it to break down foods. You can get some indigestion (greasy stools, abdominal pain, and bloating) if you eat too much fat in a meal and your liver can't keep up. I think people find it hard to lose weight after GB surgery because they avoid high fatty foods, but replace them with high carb foods that are easier to digest and and don't require the gallbladder to break down. And as we all know, extra carbs turns to extra fat, leading to weight gain. Hope that helped! Good luck to ya!

    The first part of this post, yes. The bolded part, no.

    Carbs don't turn to fat. Excess calories are converted to fat regardless of whether they come from protein, fat or carbs.
  • looneymom
    looneymom Posts: 39 Member
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    I do not have a gallbladder and I have lost 28 lbs so far. You eat healthy and drink alot of water you can do it exercise is key also.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,195 Member
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    I started losing weight in April (pre-MFP use), lost around 12-15 pounds, then had my gall bladder surgery (laparoscopic) on June 18. Between then and July 25, I lost around another 10 pounds. On July 25, while still in activity restriction post-surgery, I joined MFP. On MFP, I've lost about another 10.

    I can't see that the gall bladder made the slightest difference (other than the restriction of vigorous activity post-surgery - but I did everything I could do that I was permitted, to stay active).

    (I'm trying to lose at a slower rate now, BTW, as I'm closer to goal.)
  • Ajirvin
    Ajirvin Posts: 131 Member
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    Wow this is great! Thank you all for sharing!
  • angiecakes82
    angiecakes82 Posts: 28 Member
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    I've been finding it harder bc I'm hungrier now bc I digest faster.
  • angiecakes82
    angiecakes82 Posts: 28 Member
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    Also I had a hernia repair patch done at the same time as gallbladder surgery, so it hurts for any activity that engages the ab muscles.
  • txcraftr
    txcraftr Posts: 133 Member
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    I have lost 100 pounds since having my gallbladder out. I have been advised to take digestive enzymes to help digestion but never have.
  • Ajirvin
    Ajirvin Posts: 131 Member
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    Wow that's amazing!
  • KellzNew92
    KellzNew92 Posts: 214 Member
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    Glad i read this, im just waiting for my date for my op!
  • quintjm
    quintjm Posts: 13 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out and a hernia repair at the end of July 2015 and I have lost about 10 pounds since my surgery. I have 40 more pounds to reach my goal weight.
  • chrysalis2015
    chrysalis2015 Posts: 212 Member
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    I had my GB out about 7 weeks ago. They also took out an ovary and a sheet ("massive cobweb" as the dr put it) of scar tissue/adhesions from behind my ribs, through the entire abdomen, wrapped around the bladder...no wonder i was so uncomfortable for years!

    Anyways, it's about the diet like folks said. My loss has not been great, but I've been lifting fairly heavy for me and I've been losing inches (along with a bit of weight). Just be conscious of what you eat, and if nothing else, your body will flag you if it's too fatty...which is a good thing :) GL
  • Ajirvin
    Ajirvin Posts: 131 Member
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    Oh man that must have been horrible! Oh yes lol my body flags me alright haha. Thank you for your info!
  • LaceyBirds
    LaceyBirds Posts: 451 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out almost six years ago. I have lost 46 pounds in the last year or so, 25 of them since joining MFP in mid-April. I have radically changed what I eat, reducing my fat consumption by a lot, and it is not bothering me as much as it was, though I also have bad IBS, so my guts are always a bit of a mess. I can't eat a lot of veggies because of the IBS, so eat a lot of chicken, whole wheat bread, greek yogurt with Fiber One and some fruits like bananas.

    For those who suffer from diarrhea since your surgery, or just info for those who recently had theirs out, here is a link to information about Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, which I happily (not) suffer from since having my gallbladder removed: ibs.about.com/od/relatedconditions/a/IBS-After-Gallbladder-Removal.htm You may find it helpful.
  • NewCat2013
    NewCat2013 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hi:
    I had my gallbladder removed laproscopically about 2 weeks ago after suffering with attacks off/on for over 10 years.

    I feel so much better! The month before surgery, no matter what I ate, I got nauseous. I had 8 stones, 6 about 2cm in diameter.

    Your body still produces bile as SueinAZ wrote; her description is what my surgeon said.

    I find that eating less overall at one time helps. Except for 1 time when I ate a small donut, I've been "regular".

    I have been able to eat and cook with butter, I just use less on my toast and in the pan. I can eat nuts as well, again I go with moderation to give my system time to get used to being gallbladder-less.

    My surgeon recommended low fat for the first month, then I could try easing some items.

    Honestly, I had already cut back on bad fats about a year ago. My vice are the occasional onion rings and a donut.

    I hope you continue to do well! Take care.
  • NewCat2013
    NewCat2013 Posts: 11 Member
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    Sorry, posted too soon!

    I was going to add I actually have been on a year long plateau, and gained about 10 lbs back from the 30 I lost when my gallbladder was wreaking havoc with my stomach.

    I've lost 6 pounds since my surgery and my energy level is better. I have to wait a month to get back to exercising but I'm hopeful this will the start of my breakthrough.
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out several years ago and I have no problem losing weight.

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