How can I combat post-gallbladder-removal belly fat and weight gain during menopause?

Believe me Beth, I fully understand. Every thing I've written here is absolutely true! In fact, I'll offer to provide you with my cell number (can you PM me?) and you can call me from a private number. I'm sure Ed won't mind me giving you our office number and you can talk with him directly too. Let me answer all your questions. He is now 71. He had laproscopic surgery about 5-7 years ago. They did not open his abdomen for that surgery, but did do so for subsequent surgery. As for what he thinks? He is FLABBERGASTED! Another recent variable in addition to eating more caleries/day is that he hurt his back somehow (muscle spasm) and has been taking a muscle relaxer & oxycontin and an oral steroid. He is also wondering if any of that medication is also having an effect?
There is a long gallbladder thread on dietpower.com that has been closed. On that thread Ed = MrEd, and I am same name j.allen.
Honestly, I shouldn't be suggesting that we have found any sort of solution at this point...we are only going on a 12 day down trend. I guess I'm all excited about that because I haven't seen anything like this in the past 7 years he's been struggling with this. Ed is more cautious & wants to "wait & see". He told me this morning that if he's still trending down by the end of this week he will acknowledge that eating more food is helping him.
I don't believe for an instant that Ed is losing fat. I also didn't believe he was gaining fat when he would go up 3-5-7 lbs in one day either. His body is basically hard muscle and his stomach (while it may LOOK like fat) is typicall distended & hard to the touch. It's water weight or something??

I should also clarify something. I'm not really suggesting that pizza & hot dogs & ice cream & red wine is the best diet. I'm just reporting what happened to Ed after he consumed those items. I've read that for men, a good rule of thumb is to consume nutrients in this approximate ratio: protien 1/3, carbs 1/3, and fats 1/3. A few things might be happening with Ed. First, and most important (in my unlearned opinion) is the AMOUNT of CALORIES being consumed. The second consideration is that he is now consuming more carbs & fats than before. His wife is like a jailhouse guard when it comes to food she will 'approve' of for him. She has spent years pouncing on any calorie or potential fat source he might have considered eating, admonishing him for his bad choices. I fully understand she means well and is trying desperately to help him. The third consideration is the medication he is on for his back problem. Perhaps this has helped reduce his stress levels concerning his everpresent problem with food choices, gaining weight & bloating.
Honestly Beth, I don't understand what is going on, but I assure you I will never post anything that is not true. If Ed goes up, I'll report it!

I'm having one helluva time believing this. Pizza? Hot dogs? Ice cream at bedtime? 3 pounds of weight loss overnight on a 3,000 calorie per day fatty diet? It doesn't make sense. What does Ed think? What is Ed's age? Is Ed able to post something himself? Did Ed have laparoscopic surgery, or did they open his abdomen? I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this amazing information. You wouldn't be pulling our collective legs here, would you? Basically, I've just been eating whatever I want in moderation. The bloating has decreased. I know that I need more exercise but it's difficult to go for long walks in 9 degree weather.
Kind regards, Beth

Amazing. Another 3 lbs reduction on the scale overnight!!

Update: Ed dropped 3 lbs overnight last night after consuming just over 3000 calories, including eggs, bacon & toast for breakfast, grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and 3 hot dogs for dinner & enough other snacks & protein drinks to get him to that 3000/day calorie point. Since I first posted here 12 days ago, he has had only one day of weight gain which followed a day when he had a salad for lunch and skinned chicken in tomato sauce w/ one half a baked potato without butter or sour cream. Yes you are reading correctly, on a day which followed a 1000 calorie day, the scale went up 2 lbs. Another point (very important point in my opinion). He has NOT been working out at all during these past 12 days. Had he done so it would have increased his daily calorie requirement and he might have had more weight gain days that weight loss days.
Ed still believes it is too soon to claim victory over this problem and I wouldn't dissagree, however, I am very optimistic that we are really onto something. Perhaps if the scale continues the downward trend for another week he'll finally be convinced?
If I were giving advice for any of you with this weight-gain & bloat associated with the removal of your gall bladder it would be this: Do not starve yourself. Do not exercise for a while, especially doing any sort of sit ups, crunches or anything that stresses any part of your body that is bloating or connected to any part of your body that is bloating. Avoid salads for a while. Avoid tasty spiced soups for a while. Consider liquid protein drinks to supplement your meals for a while. Try to avoid going long periods without eating. Eat something like ice cream or yogurt or cottage cheese before you go to sleep. Keep a loaf of bread at your disposal (for some reason the white bread that is not supposed to be good for you works best for Ed)....white bread really seems to help for some reason?? If you wake up in the middle of the night, have a little something easy & convenient to eat. Keep a log of what you are eating. Count the calories and increase them until you start losing weight. Remember your problem is NOT A MATTER OF BURNING MORE CALORIES THAN YOU ARE CONSUMING. I'm suggesting you increase your calories per day because i think it's a safe bet all you ladies have been dieting for as long as you care to remember. Forget the bile salts & other supplements your are taking for a while.
Why is this seemingly working for Ed????? Why do only some people bloat & gain weight after their gall bladder is removed? I don't know, but I suspect it's because you folks have a liver that produces more bile, or unusual bile chemical composition, or for some reason your small intestines just don't like having that bile constantly dripping in (no longer being stored by your missing gallbladder)....heck maybe that little check valve between your stomach & small intestine isn't working efficiently & the bile is leaking into your stomachs? I don't know, but I do know starving yourselves, eating "good & healthy foods", most all diets, exercising, seeing doctors & specialist DO NOT WORK.

One more point that I haven't made before, but puzzles me a great deal. Weight gain and loss is not always positively associate with bloating for Ed. What I mean is that he can be bloated following a weight loss, and not be bloated following a weight gain. Similarly, there is more often a positive association (thank goodness), meaning less bloating does occur with weight loss. We're just working on the weight for right now, hoping the bloating will resolve in time.

I am not a particularly religious man but I do want to say God Bless all of you, my heart goes out to you. I realize there are very few people who will be able to really appreciate what you are going through. Hell, there's probably a lot of people around you who may very well believe it's your own fault....for not dieting properly, or getting enough exercise, or whatever. I know it is NOT your fault.

I battled with gall-stones for 5 years trying to get rid of them naturally. I finally thought that I could not put up with the pain any longer, and so opted to have my gall-bladder removed. It has been 9 months and I have gained 15kg. I walk regularly, work long hours and do not eat much. But, not a day is going by that I do not regret having my gall-bladder removed, I preferred the pain.

I know it sounds incredible. It may turn out to be another dead end road so you might want to hold off on making any changes in your own current regimen. In Ed's case I'm pretty convinced he's been basically starving himself (or more precisely, has been consuming less calories than he needs for years). I think he has gone way overboard in his quest to get his weight back to where it has been for the first 65 years of his life, and much more pressing getting that insidious & nearly constant bloating under control. I swear I think he's almost become afraid of eating food. If he didn't know he would die he'd probably stop eating altogether (I'm probably exaggerating to make this point, but I'm not far off let me tell you).
When most people, myself included, reduce calorie intake we lose weight. Why doesn't Ed? Why don't so many of you & so many other's not lose weight when you eat ONLY healthy foods? It took years for us to learn that many others have this same strange problem. I remember a lady on dietpower forums who wrote in about her young daughter who is/was a gymnast, always having been in top physical condition who has been bloating since her gall bladder removal and she was at her wits end trying to help her daughter. Truly heartbreaking stuff! Naturally, all of you are going to start restricting your diet and many of you will start exercising more than you ever have before. What about the exercise?
I can tell you in Ed's case if ever he does ANY sort of exercise for his abdomen (or anything closely connected to his abdomen) he BLOATS like crazy and it lasts for days on end. Does that make any sense? I have actually WATCHED his stomach bloat following situps or crunches. I'm not sure I would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. This isn't just an isolated case or two, it happens every single time!
You asked me about his protein shake...I'm not necessarily recommending it but he's using "Syntha 6" because I use it myself & he just happened to try it one day & like it. I'm a body builder & drink protein shakes daily. I think one reason he reacted so well to Syntha 6 is because, in addition to providing a supposedly high quality lean muslce protein, it provides fats & carbohydrates that I'm pretty sure he wasn't getting in his diet-at least in any appreciable quantity. I often use Syntha 6 as a meal replacement (i use 2% milk & powder in a blender). I'm sure any good quality protein drink (that also provides fats & carbs) would be just fine!
As for his weight today, it stayed the same as the day before and he's a little bloated (we shared a large pizza & 2 bottles of wine last night...celebrating a work acheivment). He was very surprised his weight did not do up today but was expecting a bloat since he consumed an entire bottle of wine.
I've made many comments/observations at the closed thread on dietpower and I don't want to hijack this thread or monopolize any ongoing conversations. After taking a break for a couple years I recently decided to search the web for any recent related conversations & found this website & thread. I'll promise to provide any updates on Ed's progress (or lack of). He has already committed to eating more, specifically more fats & carbs (i'm pretty sure he's been getting enough protein), and eating something before going to bed each night. If he continues to improve, then that is certainly something very significant and something that may very well help some of you.

Wow. Just wow. Thank you so much for this interesting info. The more Ed eats, the more he loses. Incredible. Please keep posting. What encouraging news! What does he put in his protein shakes? Does he concoct them himself, or is it a commercial brand? Please let me know. I'm going to try Ed's Diet. Cheers to you and Ed! ~ Beth

Thank you for the replies & suggestions Pat, Taraw & Beth. Anyone going through this has my sincere heartfelt sympathy. I KNOW what you are going through. Strangely enough, I have some positive observations to share regarding my friend (Ed) and the past 5 days since I first posted here. His wife has been out of town and I've been helping him with some interior painting in their house. Very quick background: his wife firmly believes that he simply must keep cutting calories. She will count every single calorie he consumes and is quick to admonish him for eating anything she percieves as unhealthy. She rejects out of hand that he needs a relatively higher minimum level of calories each day (being a tall & robust man). Period. Simply burn more calories than you consume, right? WRONG! And I know you ladies know that yourselves. I'd wager anything all of you are eating mostly healthy foods and consume very little junk food, if any. And I'll also bet many of you spend time doing exercises of some sort...burning more calories than you are consuming!
Here's the recent (last 5 day change). Since we've been working around his house the past 5 days in the evenings, he's been eating dinner much later than usual. He's also been eating larger portions than his wife would allow. And (gasp) he had cookies & ice cream before going to bed! Repeat that for last five days with the following results: Friday morning: down 2 lbs, Saturday morning: down 1 lb, Sunday morning, down 1 lb, Monday morning down 1 lb. (oops, only 4 days so far). These are the types of foods he has consumed: Protein shakes in the morning, pineapples mid morning, large sandwiches from local sandwich shop for lunch, meat lovers pizza one evening, meat loaf with cottage cheese another evening, ribs with macaronic-cheese & beans & cole slaw another evening. Ice cream, cookies & little snacks. His wife prepared the meatloaf before she left & all else was ordered take out.
Just a few minutes ago I asked him when was the last time he lost weight for 3 days in a row, he couldn't remember.
Now I don't know if we're on to anything here. Eating lots of food before going to bed??? Sounds crazy!
If (and only if) this trend for Ed continues, then my advice would be to follow the advices of others here who strongly recommded keeping journals (i'm a big believer in that as part of helping you heal yourself, especially when you're not able to get this resolved through the 'experts'), and strongly consider adding some fats back into your diet. I would also suggest never allowing yourself to go hungry. Not ever! I watched Ed eat nothing but salads & skinned chicked for YEARS and it did nothing to relieve any weight gain & bloating. Perhaps I'm speaking way too soon here, it's only been 4 days now....but I'm sure you ladies understand how easy it is to grab onto anything that seems like it might work. Ed told me he is going to continue the new eating habits (eating more & eating before going to bed), and if his weight does go back up I will post here immediately so you will know I did jump the gun on this one. I hope he is onto something?!?

Edited to add: forgot to mention he also consumed 2 glasses of red wine each of those evenings. I also just now showed him this website & he thinks it's way to soon to report his good results. He's probably right, but I think he's afraid I'm going to jinx his 4 day run with decreasing numbers on the scale (and less bloating). I'm keeping my fingers crossed anyway.

Hello there, I started the original thread some 2 years ago. Although I am menopausal, my primary issue was and remains weight gain following the removal of my gallbladder. I'd like very much to be included on the new thread, if Mr. Allen decides to go that route. Please keep me informed. While I am aware that weight gain can accompany menopause, my weight gain followed my cholecystectomy. I was in no way overweight or bloated prior to the surgery, and I am appalled that the medical community does not mention this as a possible side effect/outcome of the procedure. It is, in most cases, elective surgery. My procedure was by no means an emergency. I feel I was railroaded into having an operation when diet and lifestyle changes and a holistic approach could have been the answers to my dilemma. It's too late now, and I sorely regret having had the surgery. I did report some success with the use of Jarrow's bile salts, but the bloating still remains and my girth seems to expand after every meal. I'm certainly uncomfortable as I write this, and I've barely eaten a thing all day. What I did eat was a healthy home-cooked low-fat meal, and I would like my figure back. I am very upset about the state of my physique and would be delighted to swap tales with anyone.

Good luck and kind regards from a fellow sufferer,

Beth Browning
Sonoma, California

Hello Ladies,
Hope it's okay for me to post here (I'm a man). I have been interested in unexplained weight gain after gall bladder surgery for many years now. My best friend (and business partner), who has always been very fit and trim for the first 65 years of his life, had his gall bladder removed about 5 years or so ago. Since that point his stomach bloats terribly and causes him significant discomfort. This has been the case ever since his gall bladder was removed-year after year after year.

He has spent much money with every specialist in any part of the world (including Russia), that would agree to see him. He spent time as inpatient at Duke University Medical Center's world famous weight loss clinic, and after being evaluated and monitored he was discharged and told (sympathetically) that they did not have any means to help him. Simply stated, they could not even guess why he was bloating or gaining weight.

He has seen dieticians, and has tried medically supervised liquid diets, etc., etc., etc.,. He burns more calories than he consumes and works with different personal trainers in the gym. I work out in the same gym & see the effort this man puts into trying to lose weight. He's tried bile salts galore and so many other things that have been suggested by sympathetic and very well meaning people. Nothing has worked. He has seen doctor after doctor, none of whom have been able to help.

We had a discussion going at DietPower forum but it was shut down and we were essentially told we were no longer welcome. We tried our own website in order to attempt to work out our own solution(s) through an indepth exchange of information and that was not satisfactory.

Is there anyone out there who can offer hope of any real solution to this odd problem? Thank you so much for taking time to read this, any support or words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!