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Weight Gain After Hysterectomy
By WLR Dietitian
Q: I’ve lost just over a stone in 11 weeks but am soon
going to have a hysterectomy, which will severely restrict my
activity levels and leave me off work for three months. How
can I best protect the progress I’ve already made and maintain
my weight loss in these circumstances?
A: Congratulations on losing weight and I hope your
operation goes well. It’s difficult to answer this question as
you really don’t know how you’re going to feel. Some people
find they lose their appetite in the days following surgery while others get back to normal
really quite quickly. Nevertheless, within a few weeks you
should be feeling on form again.
As you won’t be able to exercise, it’s important that you
concentrate on eating a healthy diet to avoid weight gain. This will not only help
to control your weight, but will also help your recovery.
Both zinc and vitamin C are great foods for boosting immunity,
helping to heal wounds and preventing infection so you’d be
wise to include plenty of foods rich in these nutrients in
your diet. Good sources of zinc include lean meat, fish,
poultry, eggs, reduced-fat dairy products, bread, wholegrain
cereals, beans and lentils. Vitamin C is found in citrus
fruits and their juices, blackcurrants, berries, kiwi fruit,
peppers and tomatoes. Fortunately, all these foods fit in with
a healthy, balanced diet and are low in fat, too.
As you will be at home for three months, it’s also
important that you don’t turn to food to help you relieve
boredom or stress. Snacking continuously throughout the day on
biscuits, cakes, toast and jam, crisps and sugary drinks is
the surest way to put those pounds back on. Always make the
effort to have a sensible breakfast and lunch and drink tea,
coffee or water between meals. Meanwhile, if someone else is
shopping for you, you could still write the list so you can be
sure they buy the normal healthy options you choose. And when
it comes to cooking, you could still plan meals and quietly
supervise the chef to ensure meals are healthy and not loaded
with oil, cream, cheese or fatty meats.
Overall though, the key is not to worry too much. Once
you’re fully recovered, you’ll be able to get back on track
and watch those pounds start to come off again.
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