Weight Gain from Thick Stool and High-Calorie Foods?

I would like to address the topic of weight gain. Does anyone notice when their stool is thick
due to eating the appropriate foods (sugars, starches, etc.) do you gain weight or inches?
Since it is hard to eat salads or certain vegetables, I have an ileo so my body likes the sugar or
high-calorie foods. If my stool is runny, I usually get chills and feel terrible. If I don't have these types of food, I feel terrible mentally and physically. What do you suggest, butterfly61?

I would suggest talking to your doctor or an ostomy nurse. I know when you have loose stools or diarrhea, you can become dehydrated. So be careful and talk to your doctor.
Maybe try to cut out some of the foods slowly, you might be going through withdrawals. That's why you have the chills and feel sick. Listen to your body and call your doctor.

Hi Butterfly .... I have an ileostomy too and have definitely gained weight since I've had it.    Funnily enough, my output is at its thickest when I have eaten a bowlful of sliced banana, pear or apple and a homemade granola-type cereal with nuts, seeds, raisins, oat and rye flakes, and dried fruits (which I know is a bit dodgy on the blockage front but it seems to be the only fiber I can manage at the moment - any fiber eaten after about 12pm pops my damned pouch off overnight, which then takes me an hour or so to sort out! My other problem is that I am a diabetic - so on the one hand, I should be eating a diet rich in fruit and veg and low in sugars and carbohydrates, and on the other hand, I should be eating a low-fiber ileo diet ..... so I eat what I can ......!

Hey, yes I certainly have gained weight, but I do feel that sugar craze. We put on weight because, well, I am kinda healthy. Not exercising anyway. I eat everything. I love salads all summer, fruit. Oh, and I have been in the hospital twice with blockages. They think those ones are from adhesions, the little blockages at home last couple of hours. If you want to thicken the water in your pouch, anyway, use ileo gel sachets. Really good. I don't really eat nuts, but need a lot of salt. And I always get dehydrated. Don't drink enough water all the time. I forget when I'm busy. Then I do feel sick. So there you go. Love my salads. I so think about it and think, "Oh well, if it gets stuck, it's worth it." Not all the time. It's summer in Australia. What's a girl supposed to do? .xxxx Cheers, Mare - Mooza. P.S. I am trying to get fitter, but I have a car, so walking helps lose weight. And haven't had much appetite. Chow.

Hi,
I am struggling with my diet too. I had an emergency ileostomy in June due to a blockage in my colon. It turned out to be cancer, but fingers crossed, it was a successful operation and I show no signs of cancer now. However, all the anti-cancer diets are low in sugar and refined foods and high in fruits and vegetables. For a while, I cut out foods that I thought might cause blockages, but now I am reintroducing things and just noticing what happens. I had advice to keep a record and try foods three times before giving them up. That makes sense because a blockage can be caused by a twist in the intestine and may have nothing to do with the foods that you ate that day. I think you can find a diet that is good for you and healthy, which won't make you gain weight. Just work out what is good for you, and it may very well be different for everybody.

Count me in too on the weight gain front!

Had my ileo Dec 15/09 (Happy Anniversary to me!). And have been gaining weight slowly but surely. Too much for my frame and activity level (which is reduced because I just don't have my old energy).

It's at the point now where my appliance isn't sitting as well because the tummy has changed shape.

I can't eat any veggie except for cooked carrots, avocado and maybe cooked canned peas. No fruit except for canned pear, peach and mandarin and ripe bananas.

So what do I eat... rice, pasta, breads, pastries, french fries, junk food chips and cheesies. I have always LOVED all that stuff, but it is doing me in.

Also, 2 things have changed since my ileo. One - my sweet tooth has really blossomed! Used to like sweets, but could easily pass them up. Now, I crave them. And I am hungry all the time. I do drink plenty of fluids and eat snacks throughout the day, but I could eat all the time.

Reading your post -- it's made me determined to watch carefully what is going into my mouth (especially at this time of year). I simply can't gain much more weight and I know there are times when I overeat or should have a banana instead of chips.

I totally agree with the weight gain. Since my ileostomy surgery in 2004, I have gained about 60 lbs and now weigh 220 as of this morning. Way too much for my short stature (I'm 5'1"). I even invested in a Wii in September but with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I barely even use it anymore. I'm hoping to change that come January. I am vowing to use it every day and stay clear of the sweets. I have noticed too that since my surgery I have been craving sweets and salty foods. This drives me mad because when I indulge, I end up gaining weight but have also noticed since the weight gain in the last few months, I have had more problems with my pouch and/or flange leaking. But despite all this, I am coping. I have read that eating bananas, yogurt, some fruits, etc., will make your output thicker. I myself prefer peanut butter as a thickener or yogurt. As far as fruits go, I try to buy the canned fruit packed in water which has no sugar added. Sometimes it is hard to find in the small fruit cup sizes though.

Hi Josiesmom -- my sweet tooth has grown too!

What is going on with us? Maybe someone with some medical knowledge could chime in now and tell us what is causing this change?

The loss of the large colon causes what to happen in the body that is holding on to calories ... or causing appetite increases or ???

At first, I thought "I'm feeling better (kinda true, but not totally) so I'm feeling like eating more". That isn't it -- or could be only a small part.

So I'm wondering, what is going on now in the fascinating digestive systems of us ileostomates/colonostomates? Whatever it is, could it stop for awhile ... my pants are tight and I feel lardy - LOL.

Whoa, Tyler has gained weight too! Honestly though, on him, it works. I'm not just referring to appearances here, but the way he feels in general. He is far from being chubby or overweight, and is actually getting nothing but compliments from people saying how much healthier and stronger he looks. I think in his case, his surgery improved his appetite and made it so that he could enjoy a wider variety of foods and drinks than he could when he had his nasty and diseased colon.

You tell Tucker that if he wants a couple of extra pounds... you know someone who would love to wrap them up and place them under his Christmas tree!

Merry Christmas, Tiggy and Tucker! Continued good health to both of you in 2011!

Awe, thanks Beatrice!

And the same to you as well.

Hey The large colon reabsorbs water and nutrients into the body (something we all knew once you see the difference in poo!) This is why your body craves salt- mine does too and I'm pretty sure my daily intake of salt is higher than recommended, but your body isn't absorbing as much of the salts in your food as it was when you had a colon.
As for the weight gain I also gained a good 2 stone after getting my ileostomy (however I had lost 2 stone prior to this and I was put on a high calorie diet, I then lost another 2 stone this year after getting a j-pouch and I still have an ileostomy and I've put back on about a stone) A stone is 14lbs by the way. I have managed this by eating what I fancy when I fancy it, I haven't experience any problems with eating salad (apart from it comes out looking exactly the same as it went in!!) I avoid nuts and seeds and things like granary bread or rolls with seeds on them for blockage reasons and some foods give me really bad colic like green beans or if I wolf my dinner down really quickly or sit hunched over my plate and gulp down fizzy drinks!
If your trying to gain more weight I've got loads of hints and tips cause I'm supposed to be putting on as much weight as I can at the moment cause I'm only 7 and a half stone (101.5lbs) which is just a little bit underweight for my age and height and everything. If your trying to loose weight I also know a load of tricks like drinking a full glass of water before every meal and eating quot;good carbs quot; rather than quotbad carbs. quot; Our bodies need a lot of food with the ileostomy and its usually carbs that we crave so good carbs would be things like brown bread instead of white, wholemeal pasta etc. High protein foods are also good as they also help the body recover quicker so meat like chicken and fish (although fish gives my output one of the worst smells!!) but be careful with meat because red meat (steak, bacon etc) can be high in fat.
Hope this helps you all sorry it's such a long post but hopefully it's full of all the facts you need