Weight wont budge after gallbladder removal

Debsmys
Debsmys Posts: 15 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm so upset and defeated. I lost 4 stone from 16.5 to 12.5 stone lowest I've ever been! over 18 months with hard work in 2017. I started getting bloated and pains and found out I had gall stones I had gained 2 stone over a few months without changing diet too much. Had gall bladder removed November 2018. Have now gained a further 3 stone!! I'm fatter than ive ever been!! I'm so ashamed. Doctors insist not gall bladder related ans that I'm being untruthful with good diary ans exercise. My diet is not perfect but I sont go wild!! To be 17 stone at 5 foot 7 you would assume I eat takeaway 4 daya a week crisps cakes etc. But no I am on 1600 a day ok at weekends I'll maybe cheat a bit a pizza or a meal out. I have an hour personal trainer Mondays jog 4k with work mates Tuesday. Wednesday 1 hour clubbercise class Sunday an hour swimming. I mean I wish I could do more but a 3 hour commute ans all that exercise I would hope to lose SOMETHING. I cry every time a friend says oh lost 4 pounds this week at weight watchers and then around a stone ans a half since January. I'm appalled I cant lose a thing everyone assumes I'm lying about eating!! I have read lots of forums saying people with gallbladder removed have this issue but no solutions. I'm gross upset embarrassed ans feel like calling of my October wedding as I'm so big!! Docs and dietician and blood and hormone tests all fine. They actually said well we cant magic ot off just eat less and so more exercise. Maybe I need to do a lot more exercise to loose but jeez how could I maintain doing more than I am! So devaated please tell me someone has a solution/ link to this being a common problem!

Replies

  • FatToFitChaser
    FatToFitChaser Posts: 192 Member
    Don't ever be defeated. Re-evaluate your diet, excercises plan and any hormone imbalance. Most important never ever ever give up. You can do it 💪
  • bannock_and_biceps
    bannock_and_biceps Posts: 82 Member
    i had an emergency appendectomy in 2014 and it completely changed the shape of my abdomen. big time. even though i've lost 20 lbs since - it is STILL there. it's not as bad, but getting an organ removed is a major MAJOR trauma to the body. give yourself a little time. for sure track your food - be honest because you'd not be tricking anyone but yourself.
  • bametels
    bametels Posts: 950 Member
    I had my gallbladder removed four years ago, like you, after I had lost a substantial amount of weight. I did not gain weight afterwards and even lost another 10 pounds that I had been fighting with for a while. Like others have suggested, accurately measuring and logging was key to my success, and not assuming MFP database entries are correct was important because many are not. I also upped my exercise a bit. Persistence was key and forgiving myself and getting back on track when I faltered was important. I wish you success as you continue to deal with this challenge.
  • longkathleenann9291
    longkathleenann9291 Posts: 110 Member
    Yes to what everyone has said about weighing your food and stop with the cheat meals. I had my gall bladder removed 19 years ago, didn’t gain weight because of it, I gained weight because I ate to much. In the past year I have lost close to 60 lbs, not having a gall bladder hasn’t been an issue for me.
  • Debsmys
    Debsmys Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks for everyone input. I am just so frustrated. Last year I was dieting and exercising and was losing steadily 1 ro 2 pounds per week. My diets not perfect but to gain 3 pounds in 9 months doing all this exercise and waist inches is killing me!! I dread to imagine how much I would gain if I was doing no exercise!! I am distraught. I log the odd chips and gin at the weekend. It will not budge even weeks I am perfect no change. Even my personal trainer has been saying she cannot understand as my fitness level is good. I jog 3.5k in 20 minutes so not dramatically slow. To loose nothing in 9 months is soul destroying! Docs ans dietician keep saying I must be eating more than I think but I am not . I'm so upset as people must think I'm lying and piggng out all the time. I'm devastated my wedding is in 6 months ans I'm hugest I've ever been. If I was not doing any exercise at all I would be humongous!!! Its embarrassing people assuming I'm not trying i really am. I've cut cereal bread pasta crisps only drink diluting juice. Cant live like this forever. If I had more time I will try up my workouts a week to 6 but I cant maintain that forever and why do others lose weight so easily. I have tonnes to lose you would think it would be drop off!!
  • AmberVazq
    AmberVazq Posts: 15 Member
    For me it was left side only bedrest for 1 1/2yrs plus multiple surgeries due to a very dangerous pregnancy.He’s a boy 2yrs old now I have to be 2yrs 3months along to be fully healed so got 1 1/2 more months. I ballooned people bringing me food because I wasn’t supposed to stand at the stove. I even had store bought premade salads I drank a lot of Lipton green teas lots! I also was drinking regular teas off y on that came with the fast food.Hypertension didn’t help either.So started eating only salads but kept going up up y away! Didn’t realize my problems was teas (sugars), condiments (salad dressings to ketchup are more pounds than I realized),not following the calories on the bag fully (We see 220 not 10 chips is 220 so we pour ourselves a bowl or 60chips not realizing we just ate all our daily calories in a tiny bowl! Of course I dipped it in dressing nooooo 300 more calories damn cravings!).After the pregnancy breastfeeding the weight dropped off over 50lbs wheeeeee then 2nd surgery with tubal tying bedrest still but now my hormones are different plus going through menopause again (baby was Postmenopause). Up up y away I went passing my pregnancy weight! Noooooooo most I have weighed in my whole life! So now reading stuff okay 10 tiny chicken bites in air fryer for 7minutes is 59 calories each! 590calories yikes I won’t be full. So I get 4 only put it with healthy alternatives. Got the old frying pan out put some corn,peas,carrots etc put it on the plate with a tomato slices with a tsp of honey (43 calories make it last). If I’m craving chips allow myself 3 only then walk around a lot. Slow going but lost 17lbs so far since the tubal tie it’s slow going I used to drop weight so easily I was that Woman who went in 20yrs ago pregnant over 200lbs walked out holding a newborn weighting a mere 67lbs Doctors stunned have to buy smaller clothes y eat a diet to gain weight. Now I smell a donut I gain 10lbs. Look at a donut that’s 3lbs. Think about a donut 2lbs. I’m saying no to large amounts of condiments especially after finding out 3packets if ketchup is 30calories add that then you think I want salt,pepper, honey. Bam the calories going up up y away add that to portion size I was hit hard. Now salad plate sized going by fully reading back of calories to see how big the serving size is.Go out for kids pizza party O grab a salad no dressing or only a tsp but no carbs with it,water,1 slice of pizza skip the cake y pizza crust,1 tiny ice cream. It’s hard because I want to grab a large tea,4-5slices if pizza, cake with ice cream,plus whatever else they have graze along little doggie. I’m mooing as I graze kid in tow picture it y laugh. I’m having to mind prep myself the day before the party your only allowed 1slice!!! 1 slice 1slice . Lol it’s not easy but worth it in the end going to have to do this diet forever
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    @Debsmys you still didn't say if you're weighing your food in grams with a food scale. (You can use measuring cups for liquids.) I'm not accusing you of lying about your intake or "pigging out." When you don't have much to lose, the small differences between eyeballing, using a measuring cup, and using a scale can eliminate your calorie deficit.

    Make it easier on yourself and start weighing your food, so you know what you're really eating. You don't have to exercise more, eliminate anything from your diet, or suffer all the time. Knowledge is power!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I agree it is frustrating to lose so much more slowly than everyone else - I'm one of the slowest (possibly the very slowest, but maybe not). 3 lbs. is not something to worry about as that can be as simple as day-to-day hydration changes. For me, that can be as much as 10 lbs. of water gain and loss at various times. So 3 lbs. of change makes me think you are maintaining, not gaining. This means that you only need to measure more accurately and stop having cheat meals in order to start losing. I really think this is good news for you.

    Something else I want to mention - running speed isn't going to make a huge difference overall. While 3.5K in 20 min. is fast for you and slow for others, the more important factor for calorie burn is the 3.5K part and not the 20 min. part. I'm not saying you need to increase exercise since you will get more results with diet; but if you are interested in the calorie burn with exercise, then you should focus on increasing distance rather than speed. Even if you have a slower average pace, you are going to burn more calories with 7K (just doubling the distance for a hypothetical, not recommending a specific distance) than with 3.5K.
  • Debsmys
    Debsmys Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks yeah I've not been one for weighing food. I will try that thanks. Thw only thing I can think is I do eat a lot of cheese being vegetarian
    Trying to cut back. So frustrating as someone mentioned others lose so fast. For instance my partner's aunt was same weight as me I January Jonied weight watchers and does minimal exercise 1 class a week and walking 10000 steps a day ans is down 1.5 stone now in may. I doing 4 days exercise plus personal trainer ans 10000 steps and gained 2 pounds since January. I am huge I'm so ashamed people assume I'm not trying or not being strict on diet. I have cut bread pasta chips takeaways everything. Well maybe one day a week I'll have pasta or chips ans cheese as a treat. So unfair. I guess I just need to exercise more as my body needs this 4 days a week just to maintain drives me nuts. Personal trainer says my fitness level is great and they dont understand losing nothing in 5 months. I mean bear minimum 1 pound every 2 weeks I should be 10 pounds.down by now. Its getting me down. Ashamed embarrassed and annoyed. Never had issues losing before gall bladder dieted did exercise 4 days and was losing 1 to 2 pounds a week and now zero!! Every week I go on scales I'M like right down was strict did my 4 days exercise must be down a pound nope. So then I wait 4 weeks and think Surley now and nope. NOTHING. you would think being so overweight it would drop off!! 17 stone I'm gross ans now my period has even stopped for 3 months docs say it's due to weight gain!! was about to try for family but I'm too huge!! Ah well l keep you updated. I've cut my calories from 1700 recommended by mfp to 1300. Will start weighing food cutting cheese and will have to cut out treat meal. Wedding is in October and I'm gutted to be biggest I've been! Will update of new lower cals works!
  • erekstrusinski1989
    erekstrusinski1989 Posts: 42 Member
    Cut out all trans fats no matter the situation. They cause visceral fat gain like crazy.
  • Kathryn247
    Kathryn247 Posts: 570 Member
    @Debsmys you don't have to cut out cheese or anything else (even trans fats). Just weigh it and include it in your log for the day. Cheese is very calorie-dense, so eyeballing it instead of weighing it can easily reduce or eliminate your deficit.
    Also, comparison is the thief of joy, so try not to compare your weight loss to other people's. Slow and steady is best (healthiest and most sustainable) way to lose weight, even if it does take more patience. <3
  • Debsmys
    Debsmys Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks I will keep trying. Ordered some kitchen scales. Such a struggle going on scale every week thinking come on surely something down but no. And I'm gaining fat around my middle ans have constant cramps where gallbladder used to be weird. I'm panicking about loss of period for 3 months now getting blood tests on Friday. Really worries was going to try start a family soon!! Nit sure if period loss is due ro weight gain or theres a link!! Will update soon. Joined a new gym and will need to be stricter with diet. Thanks all. Due giving up all the effort for nothing!!! Sigh. Never had an issue losing weight before gallbladder op
  • Debsmys
    Debsmys Posts: 15 Member
    I'm actually embarrassed to go outside these days people must think I'm stuffing my face and not even trying to lose weight. And everyone is convinced calorie deficit guarantees weight loss . Sigh I'm considering taking a loan out for cheap surgery abroad it's that bad. So unhappy at how I look. Ivw never done this amount of exercise in my life!
  • billybillyjoejoe0205
    billybillyjoejoe0205 Posts: 2 Member
    I know what you mean I had mine removed to in 2016 an I have so much issues it is just so hard to accomplish weight loss
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    First of all you are far more conscious of your weight than others are. Don't let your worry about what others think make you stay inside. That will just set you up for depression and more eating. Fat or thin you have every right to get out and enjoy life.

    I had my gall bladder removed years ago and I didn't find my weight went up as a result but I might have eaten more once the fear of an attack was gone.

    To lose weight you have to weigh absolutely everything you are eating to get a true count of the calories. You mentioned drinking juice that was diluted. Could you give up the juice and maybe switch to water or low cal drops in water? When we bought a juicer a few years ago I was shocked that it took 6 to 8 oranges to make one glass of juice! I just mentioned it because the calories in juice are really high. Many people don't realize this.

    Another thing that might be hurting your efforts is the "cheat" day/meal. Lots of folks have no idea that they are wiping out their progress with that. If you must do it then make sure you log absolutely everything including alcohol. This will give you a true picture of what is going on. Most successful losers on MFP say that they just work treats in to their daily calories when they want them which keeps them from going over their limit.

    As for bariatric surgery... I can tell you that I tried a lapband and it was a fiasco. I lost about 18 pounds before the surgery but after nothing... I know some people are really helped by the surgery but it's not a magic fix. It's nothing more than a tool. What it does is makes it harder for you to overeat but eventually you can stretch the sleeve (this is the most popular surgery right now) out again. For me with the lapband my pouch got stretched and then I couldn't eat anything fibrous anymore which pretty much eliminated healthy things. I was a person who ate the wrong things more so than huge quantities. I obviously ate more than I should have as well but I couldn't give up the sugar and other bad carbs (cookies, cakes etc.). I finally had to have it surgically removed. With the new surgeries there is no going back.

    You have lost weight in the past so you know what to do but I can tell you in my past when I lost then gained what usually happened is I started making little changes that sabotaged me. Maybe try to take an observers view and see if you can figure out what has changed. Good luck.

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