Gaining weight after stoma surgery is a common concern within the ostomy community, and it can be quite distressing to feel like you’ve lost control of yet another aspect of your life.

If you’re looking to take that control back, it’s important to identify the cause. I reached out to the community to find out their thoughts on why weight gain happens after stoma surgery, and here’s what they said.

Dietary limitations

If your stoma has made it more difficult to maintain a balanced, healthy diet, this can impact your weight over time.

No dietary limitations

Before surgery, your disease may have restricted what you could eat. Post-surgery and recovery, many find they can eat anything again—and they do!

Changing dietary needs

When your disease was active, it might have been hard to gain or maintain weight, leading to a high-calorie diet. Continuing this diet post-surgery can result in weight gain.

Emotional eating

Stress, sadness, boredom, or even happiness can lead to unhealthy food choices.

Lack of exercise

Recovery from surgery involves a lot of rest, meaning even regular exercisers have to slow down. Getting back to pre-surgery fitness levels can be tough, especially after a long recovery. Concerns about hernias can also deter physical activity, making it harder to get motivated when you finally feel ready.

Personal experience

I’ve gained weight with my current stoma, something I hadn’t managed with my previous ones. Initially, I loved it! I began to look more like a woman than a child, and that made me happy, but it didn’t stop. Eventually, I was 16lbs heavier and three clothing sizes bigger. When I started having ostomy leaks because of the weight gain, I realised I needed to act.

My diet is now much healthier than it’s been in a long time. Inflammatory bowel disease and strictures caused by scarring meant I had lived on a low-fibre diet and had to avoid insoluble fibre altogether. The fatigue from active disease also meant I didn’t have the energy to prepare healthy meals.

Now, my diet is full of vegetables and fish, and I have the energy to prepare balanced meals daily. I’ve been slowly increasing my physical activity, and I identified the culprits of my weight gain: too many carbs and too much sugar!

None of these causes for weight gain are unsolvable, but just like weight loss for healthy people, it will take commitment, lifestyle changes, and probably some trial and error.

A healthy lifestyle is the best plan for losing weight and maintaining weight loss. It’s not just about what you eat but also about being active and ensuring your mental health is the best it can be.

Start with your mental health

Checking in on your mental health is a good place to start. The happier you are, the more likely you are to make conscious decisions about living your best life. Plus, you’ll be more motivated! If you’re unhappy, stressed, angry, anxious, or lonely, it’s easy to get trapped in negative thought patterns.

I find writing helpful since I don’t particularly like sharing my feelings with others. However, if you’d like to talk through your thoughts and emotions with a professional, speak with your GP, who can refer you to helpful local services.

In this digital age, we have many options that don’t involve baring our souls to others. Many websites and apps help with mindfulness, meditation, or CBT – you can find a list of online resources here. Local and online support groups connect you with people who have overcome similar hurdles, and sometimes, someone simply saying “I feel that way too” can break the feeling of being alone.

Healthy eating habits

Getting into a routine of eating little and often, and eating healthy, should be possible despite dietary restrictions. It may involve trial and error, like trying multiple cooking methods for different vegetables, or splitting an average-sized smoothie into smaller portions consumed throughout the day, but it’s worth it, and your body will thank you! Speaking to a dietitian is advisable, especially if you have to avoid many foods.

Exercise

Exercise might be challenging, but it’s not impossible. I struggle with widespread joint and muscle pain due to fibromyalgia, but low-impact activities like yoga, swimming, and walking are manageable. It’s about finding YOUR new healthy lifestyle.

Remember:

• Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.
• Don’t berate yourself for “failing.” Feeling like a failure can lead to emotional eating and the mindset of “I’ll start again tomorrow.”
• Changing your lifestyle won’t happen overnight, but we can all get there, one step at a time!