I had lost quite a bit of weight prior to my 1st surgery 2/28/08 and have kept it off. I am hoping to have my take down in a few weeks and was wondering if people tend to gain or lose weight after take down. It seems like I might lose more as I would want to eat less in order to decrease frequency-what has been others experiences? I can't fit into any of my clothes right now but hesitate in buying a new wardrobe as I have no idea what weight I will end up as. Thanks for any replies!

Elizabeth

Decreasing your food intake to control frequency is a bad idea - you will end up increasing your gas production and therefore defeat your purpose. You are better off continuing to eat a balanced diet, though many people find eating 5-6 times a day is helpful.

Many people find they feel so good after takedown that they can eat things they avoided for years and so actually gain weight. My body didn't respond well to the j-pouch and I couldn't gain weight while I had it - never went over 100lbs no matter what I ate.

I put on weight after the takedown. Once you do not have the ostomey, you will put some on.

Generally, the less I eat, the better I feel. If I'm eating frequently then it increases my bathroom frequency. During the week when I work I really watch what I eat. I don't find that it increases my gas really at all. I eat about 1/2 to 1/3 of the portions I used to. I mostly eat protein and certain fruits/vegetables so that I am getting nutrients even though I'm not eating as much.
However, on weekends and when I'm not working I generally eat more - making up for lost time perhaps
You'll find what works best for you, your body, and your schedule. And if you get a new wardrobe that's always nice too!

With my temporary ostomy, I gained about 20 pounds with the freedom to eat (I could have used maybe ten of those pounds but 20 put me into the next clothing size!). I was looking forward to losing weight with the reversal, but I didn't lose a pound until I had a bout of pouchitis. I battled it too long and lost ten pounds before I figured out that getting exhausted crossing a room (along with the other problems) wasn't good and it was time to call the doc.

I've maintained since then ok, but I'm still 10-15 pounds above my pre-surgery weight. It will depend on how your pouch reacts.... if it's sickly and doesn't tolerate well, you'll have trouble gaining. If you do well with it, you will be able to eat a lot more and may be able to gain. Best of luck to you.

I gained about 10-15 pounds as well once I had my ostomy and then takedown. The weight only increased around my abdomen, something I was (and still am) confused about. My natural path mentioned that it may be my body's way of protecting the organs that used to be surrounded by my colon, but we do not know for certain. It's strange because I expected to loose weight now that I no longer have a colon to absorb all of my food.

All the best with your takedown!!