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8 replies

Always Appear Bloated & Weight gain?

D DeathStalkerMember
Been a while since I posted, which tells you that overall, things have been great since my surgery in 2010. If you're on the fence with the surgery, just know that if done right, it's a life-saver (literally).

My question though deals with post J Pouch surgery. I've always been in pretty good shape and I've been one of those lucky people who had a fast metabolism and never seemed to really put on lbs. Prior to going into surgery and after part 1 of the surgery, I was really thin (I normally weighed between 160 - 180 (if lifting) and I was down to 134). But since the surgery, I've put on quite a bit of weight on my midsection. No matter how much I work out - and I've been doing bicylces, crunches, etc. I can't seem to lose the love handles and belly fat. I also notice that my abdomen ALWAYS looks bloated no matter what I do. And the area where my old large intestine was looks sunken in, making me appear almost pregnant at times Frowner I'm wondering if the incision that severed my abdominal muscles prevents me from ever having a flat stomach again.

Has anyone else run into this issue. Do we J-Pouchers put on weight differently once the intestine is removed? Has anyone else noticed the shape of their abdomen change post surgery? Maybe it's because I'm almost 40 and my metabolism changed but I've never dealt with this before. Any once else dealing with this?
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mgmt10mgmt10Member
I'm pretty fit right now (125 pounds and a size 6 and i work out daily) but my belly always looks bloated and prego like. It's one thing I have no control over and it drives me nuts. It was flat before surgery. I call it my alien belly because it looks like something is going to pop right out of it. There was a thread about this once before and we were trying to figure out what the heck it was all about. Oh well, small price to pay to be healthy again. Roll Eyes
P phoenix08Member
I had my surgeries in 2008 and I too was always thin. I am slightly under 5 ft. 10 in. and average weight was 125 lbs. to 135 lbs. before surgery when healthy. When I was really sick several months after the birth of my second child, my weight was 114 lbs. fully dressed (refused to weigh myself without full clothes and shoes as I was petrified what my weight really was). My weight is now 163. I can gain weight pretty easily but I enjoy eating now that I actually can eat food other than rice and baked chicken breast. My belly is absolutely disgusting. It is scarred, rippled and very rounded. I should wear lycra every day of my lifeSmilerSmiler Here's a pathetic in-law story with regards to my weight- When my weight was 114 fully dressed, my sister-in-law told me with great malice and I believe some weird jealousy of the low weight(??? weird, huh) and this is a quote "It must be nice to be so thin". She repeated this to me many times (and worse, meant it) while I was sick knowing full well that I was very ill. Fast forward to this past week, I am eating out with my mother-in-law who currently weighs more than I do(even after her over 100 pound weight loss several years ago). She watched and criticized (sp?)every thing I ate to the point she felt a need to comment about how much margerine I put on my bread. This disease and its aftermath is just crazy!!!
skn69skn69Member
Yes and no...
I had my k pouch (same pouch different exit strategy...stoma on the lower abdomen)...done when I was 18 and other than the Goodness awful scars and some lumps and bumps I had a pretty flat tummy unti the last round of surgery (2000-2009)...then all hell broke loose...my tummy looked like a map with hills and valleys (the scars) and mountainous regions all over the palce...I got love handles, preggy belly, alien and the whole lot of it...2yrs ago I got sick of fighting a loosing battle and had one of my surgeons do a bit of nip and tuck while fixing up some other stuff...it still looks disgusting by anyone's standards but by mine it looks better...and flatter too...the lumps are still there but less so and less noticeable in clothing (naked is a whole other story...I burned all of the bikinis)...I am also way into menopause so my metabolism sucks and I accumulate fat everywhere now...the joys of womanhood...am still waiting for someone to invent a laser to fix all this non-surgically!
Sharon
n/an/aMember
Hi Deathstalker - I've always been thin, pre- and post-surgery, but have had problems with a bloated looking stomach, not to mention the surgical hills and valleys.

However, I recently cut back on carbs which I've always been so addicted to - and it's amazing how the bloating has gone down. Something to consider?
SpookySpookyMember
Your abdomens do change after surgery, despite what the surgeon might tell you going in. My stomach also slightly concave, with a hollow in the area where the colon was, though this is much more noticeable when I'm lying down. It also dents in a bit at the stoma site, though this is more noticeable form a "top down" view (i.e. looking down at my own stomach) rather than when I'm standing. That being said, you don't mention if you're taking probiotics; you might want to start if you are not taking them already. If you feel bloated, it could be from excess gas or bacterial overgrowth and probiotics can help normalize gut bacteria and cut down on those symptoms. Maybe check your fluid uptake, too. Although pouchers usually need extra salt and can be deficient in sodium, it certainly doesn't mean we can't have too much sodium intake, either. You may need to drink more water to make sure you're flushing everything out, as you might be retaining salt. The recommendation for cutting down on carbs is also good; especially white, starchy foods, as all of these can cause some of the symptoms you describe.
Last edited by Spooky
D DeathStalkerMember
Yeah, I definitely don't drink enough water and my carb intake is super high. So hard to resist. Before the surgery, I never had this issue with putting on weight but now, it's another story Frowner I don't take probiotics anymore but I do eat a Chobani every day for breakfast and I find that helps keep things regular. I've been one of the lucky ones who normally only needs to use the restroom 3 times per day (one before work, once around 4:30, and then not again until right before going to bed), so no complaints on that end. Just never thought the belly would look so pregnant. Not really becoming when you're a guy. And to whomever said it's noticeable when you're laying down, that's very true. Coincidentally, last night I showed my wife how my abdomen is still deformed even when laying down.

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