So, I am 20 years old (almost 21) and I have been a j-poucher for almost 3 years, now. I've been struggling ever since my surgeries to gain weight and just wanted to know what some other j-pouchers may have used or found effective in helping them to gain weight. I am 5'3" and currently weigh 89lbs. My healthy weight before the surgeries was 105lbs and immediately following the surgeries went down to 100lbs. However, I started losing weight quickly after that due to not being able to absorb quite as much as a normal person. I have tried drinking boosts, protein shakes, bigger meals, working out, etc. Nothing has seemed to work so far. Any suggestions?
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Aleczz, are there any issues with your GI tract other than a short bit of your small intestine being repurposed into a J pouch? Are you skipping any meals or avoiding certain foods?
Scott F posted:Aleczz, are there any issues with your GI tract other than a short bit of your small intestine being repurposed into a J pouch? Are you skipping any meals or avoiding certain foods?
No, I do not have any issues with my GI tract. The total collectomy caused most, if not all, of my UC symptom to go away. Now the only issues that I have are side effects of the j-pouch (i.e. dehydration, drowsiness, etc.). As far as skipping meals go, I never skip a meal. I am usually the one pushing others to not skip meals because I feel like maintaining at least 3 meals a day is very important. The only food I avoid are fibrous foods that may cause blockages or natural laxatives (such as excess chocolate, coffee, etc.)
If you haven't actually had any problems from fibrous foods you might want to reintroduce them, slowly and in moderation, as part of a more normal diet. If you're actually getting dehydrated that's both preventable and terrible for your health. Neither of these suggestions relates closely to your original question, though.
Nutrition is absorbed along the small intestine, and almost all of that should still be working fine. If your transit time is too fast your food might be getting by without complete digestion (and nutrient extraction). The gentlest way I know to affect this is with insoluble fiber, such as Metamucil. Unfortunately this may also make you feel more full without adding many calories, even if you use the sugar-sweetened version. A bit of Imodium or Lomotil, used lightly, might be helpful to slowing transit time and getting some more out of every bite.
Have you honestly assessed your calorie intake? It's easy to overestimate it if you don't feel much like eating.
Good luck!