Tips for Boosting Appetite After Ileostomy

Hey fellow Ostomates. I have had my ileostomy for about 6 months now, and I am maintaining and learning to live with this new body pretty well. What I am struggling with is appetite. I just am not hungry most of the time, and it is starting to show with weight loss. Pre-surgery, I was about 245. Post-surgery, I was about 230 (lost 15 pounds of "guts" in the surgery), but now I am 222 lbs and can fluctuate anywhere from 216 lbs up to 225 lbs weekly. I don't feel bad; I just don't have much of an appetite most of the time. Any suggestions for stimulating appetite?

Hi, I'm sure you'll get good responses to this. I know I can't eat quantities like I used to, so to put on weight, every bite counts. Try small smoothies with yogurt and peanut butter. I also find that I'm hungrier after physical activity and fresh air.

I had the same problem. I was 230, went home 185 on TPN. After 6 months, I got off TPN, and the weight loss was crazy, down to 125, and I can't gain. I do have other problems that keep me from wanting to eat. At those times, I drink my calories: soup, protein shakes, yogurt, anything with extra protein. I've had a dietician try to help with the problem, but it's all the same: eat what your body can handle. I hope this helps a little because obviously, the dietician didn't help me very much. Good luck 🫂

Hi, it may or may not help, but cannabis will definitely help. I too lost over 16 kg, which, to be honest, I didn't really have to lose. Edibles and vape will help, and you're lucky it's legal. ❤️

Eat small meals more often rather than trying to eat three big meals. This will be helpful not only in getting nutrition but will also be easier to manage with no appetite. Until you get your appetite back. It also makes it easier on a new ostomy.

My Ostomy Journey: Jearlean | Hollister

Good suggestions. I will try the yogurt and PB. I enjoy both.

Another good suggestion. The only thing I have found that somewhat works is CBD gummies, but I can't take them during the day since they make me tired, and eating a bunch in the evening gets me up at least once in the night to do the deed, which isn't great either. If I didn't have to work, I would just eat gummies. They work great, just kind of counter to being productive for what I have to take to stimulate my appetite.

Yep, that is what I have found. Problem is, without some stimulus, the appetite just isn't there. I will have to work on smaller snacks and such throughout the day. Also, trying not to eat all carbs since that presents its own issues, but I do like carbs. Add to the equation that I'm lazy on workdays and just want the easy button, and it makes for an ideal scenario to lose weight. Why couldn't I have gotten cancer and had an ostomy put in when I really could have used the weight loss. ;-)

Yes, those do work, but it makes Doug a little less productive at his job.  ;-)

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. LOL

Sometimes we have to eat whether the appetite is there or not. That's why I suggested small meals. It will seem less of a hassle to force yourself to eat. Snacks can be things that aren't all carbs. You can snack on a fruit cup. Mangos are nice and soft and digestion-friendly. You can peel an apple and cut it into slices and eat it with creamy peanut butter. You can buy zero-carb tortillas and make a roll-up out of deli meat and cheese. You can keep a few in the fridge and just take out one for a snack.

So I had my ileostomy back in 2010, so protocol may have changed. My surgeon put me on a liquid called Magenese…. It was by prescription. It worked to stimulate my appetite, but it took me out of menopause, so I stopped and started using cannabis instead…. I may have misspelled the RX name.

Aye Laddie! You have enough weight to keep you going. I fell from 186 to 107, pre-op. Took 4.5 months to reach 130 and go home. Now up to 153 and perfect. I can fluctuate 8 lbs in a day if I have the flu. Remember, you lost your storage bin (colon). Eat foods recommended by your team. Mayo told me post-op, peanut butter! My dietician is great, put me on Ensure. She made me a giant tiramisu! Once I reached my weight, we switched to Ensure powder, no fat/carbs.

Where do you get Ensure powder with no fat and no carbs? I'd like to find that!

Edibles? I'm at the point they want to put me on TPN! The only thing is, my daughter gave me a laced chocolate candy bar, I ate the whole thing and slept for 14 hours! Boy, was it GOOD!

Agree, I don't overdo it, but I do at times force extra bites. At least it helps me maintain my weight, but I would love a few more pounds.

Ensure's site says Target, Walgreens, and Kroger. There are links to these stores. Amazon has it, too, but I've only seen offers of 6 cans, and the prices varied widely.

I use Orgain vanilla and creamy chocolate protein powders, which I used to order online on the Orgain site but now buy at Costco. I wait for their sales, when it's usually $8 off a large container.

Orgain creamy chocolate has 4.5g total fat (6%), 15g total carbs (5%), and 21g protein (32%) per serving. 150 calories.

Orgain vanilla bean has 3.5g total fat (4%), 15g total carbs (5%), and 21g protein (32%) per serving. 150 calories.

The Ensure original nutrition powder, vanilla, on Amazon says it has 8g total fat (10%), 33g total carbs (12%), and 8g protein. 240 calories.

Ensure is 1/2 cup powder (57g)
Orgain is 2 scoops powder (46g)

I need to focus on getting adequate protein and am having problems with weight gain almost 11 months post-op, so I need to stay with Orgain. I do add greens (like Power Greens or a spinach & arugula mix), banana, sometimes blueberries, and raspberries, so my Orgain shake has more than 150 calories.