Gallbladder removel

Options
Good Morning, I am new to this site and looking for suggestions on foods to eat or not to eat. I just had my gall bladder removed a week ago today. Just looking for ideas at the moment I am on a low fat diet for my body to get use to the change. I have also lost 10 lbs since the surgery, would like to continue loosing by eating enough of the rights foods.

Replies

  • sllingenfelter
    sllingenfelter Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I had mine out a couple of years ago. I eat the same food I ate before but some fried food with high fat content make my stomach upset. And be careful about your fat intake. Your body can't burn fat like it used to so it will store it on your stomach because your gall bladder was used to burn and store fat so your body now will not know what to do with too much fat so it will store it on your stomach.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
    Options
    I avoid prime rib, wilted lettuce, hot dogs and regular ice cream
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,866 Member
    Options
    Different people have different experiences, but I haven't (after the recuperation period) really noticed any significant difference in what I can eat.

    I had my gallbladder out last June (2015) in the midst of weight loss. In retrospect, I wish I'd gone up a bit in calories for 2-4 weeks after (to maintenance or a slight deficit), for faster recovery. (I got fatigued for a time.)

    I admit, I'm more inclined, before & after weight loss, to home-cook from scratch and eat lots of fruit, veggies, grains, healthy dairy foods, etc., rather than heavily-processed things or vast amounts of fatty deep-fried foods. (It's not a religious crusade; it's just what I find tasty & satisfying. I'm also ovo-lacto vegetarian - have been for 41 years - so I do eat cheese, nuts and such.)

    I'd say just stick with your doctor-recommended diet for a while, then gradually begin to re-introduce small amounts of foods you love, and see how it goes. I was a bit worried, too, but it hasn't turned out to be a problem for me.
  • megzchica23
    megzchica23 Posts: 419 Member
    Options
    Every one has different experiences. I have a hard time now. I have to have a pretty strict diet to keep my tummy balanced. I ended up developing IBS after losing my gallbladder as well. So that is a lot of my problem. As long as you make home made foods you can probably be okay with almost anything. Just be careful with fast food or restaurants, especially at first just allow yourself time before leaving and getting back in the car. Just in case your tummy gets upset. Usually after time most people go back to their regular diets. Only a few of us can't.
  • kimmie373
    kimmie373 Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Different people have different experiences, but I haven't (after the recuperation period) really noticed any significant difference in what I can eat.

    I had my gallbladder out last June (2015) in the midst of weight loss. In retrospect, I wish I'd gone up a bit in calories for 2-4 weeks after (to maintenance or a slight deficit), for faster recovery. (I got fatigued for a time.)

    I admit, I'm more inclined, before & after weight loss, to home-cook from scratch and eat lots of fruit, veggies, grains, healthy dairy foods, etc., rather than heavily-processed things or vast amounts of fatty deep-fried foods. (It's not a religious crusade; it's just what I find tasty & satisfying. I'm also ovo-lacto vegetarian - have been for 41 years - so I do eat cheese, nuts and such.)

    I'd say just stick with your doctor-recommended diet for a while, then gradually begin to re-introduce small amounts of foods you love, and see how it goes. I was a bit worried, too, but it hasn't turned out to be a problem for me.

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    I've had mine out for over 6 years now and I really don't notice any difference and haven't changed my diet as a result. You could certainly stick with the low fat diet for awhile and then slowly start introducing more fats and see how it goes.

    As far as your body storing fat "on your stomach" as a result of having your gallbladder out: no, it doesn't work like that. Your gall bladder used to store excess bile which your liver produces all of the time. Then, if you needed extra bile to process a high fat meal, the gall bladder would excrete what you needed at the time. Without a place to store the bile, your liver is now excreting bile into your digestive system all of the time. This doesn't cause problems but a high fat meal can cause some problems since your body can't digest it all without the extra bile dump your gall bladder would have provided. The undigested fat makes its way through your system and may result in diarrhea, bloating, gas, etc. Note that the fat doesn't get digested so it wouldn't get stored anywhere, it passes out of your body without getting processed.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Options
    I found that greasy fast food and foods with a lot of butter or oil can cause me major problems. However, this has generally calmed down with time (my gallbladder was removed in 2005) and sometimes I have an episode with no apparent trigger. Just listen to your body and adjust as needed.

    Also be careful about being in a deficit during recovery. Your body has gone through a lot of stress and may need a couple weeks of eating at maintenance to get proper nutrition for healing.