Struggling to Gain Weight with an Ileostomy

Hi, I have an ileostomy and really struggle to put on weight if I lose it. I do eat often but can't seem to take in excessive calories to help put weight on. I know we are all different but just wondered what experiences others have had.

My husband tells me to eat more, but many times I just can't. I try to eat as healthy as I can (can't eat many veggies) and also try to fit in things like puddings, etc., for extra calories, but it doesn't seem to help. If I count calories, I would need probably an extra 600 to 800 to put on weight. Not sure what else to do.

Have you tried eating any type of cake snacks or donuts? Ice cream? There's a lot of junk food that would help raise your weight; it might be slow to get there. I got down to 98 pounds, and I am tall. It took some time, but I slowly gained weight back.

When I was on chemo, I struggled with weight loss and met with a dietician. She advised looking for calorie-dense foods like peanut butter and cheese. Add butter to everything you eat. Smoothies with protein powder and peanut butter, as well as protein shakes like Premier or Ensure, were also mentioned as things to try to fit in between meals. Make every bite count with as many calories as possible.  

I can't remember more right now, but this will get you started. 

Thank you both. I have cut down on ice cream and sweet snacks, so maybe I will start back on them. I did have peanut butter today, and I do add butter. I will have to see; maybe I can add more.

Hard to gain weight if you're eating just enough healthy foods. You're basically burning the amount of calories you're taking in. There are high-calorie weight gain supplements that can add 1000+ calories in 1 serving (mix the powder with milk or water), weight gain bars (like candy bars) that have high calories. You basically just need to get more calories in than you're burning off. Don't be afraid to eat… whatever you want as long as it's compatible with your new digestive tract.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Appreciate you, AlexT. That's part of the issue; can't tolerate a lot of the protein powders and weight gainer stuff. Will just keep at it.

I totally relate to where you are. I was down to 87 lbs. and couldn't seem to gain weight. It did take some time, but I'm back to normal weight now. I'm not suggesting you forget about eating healthy, but you can still eat lots of healthy foods, along with some that are calorie-dense, and maybe not quite so healthy. I know sugar is 'white death', but it will put on weight, so don't be afraid of it. Look at it as only short term until you get your weight back. As others have suggested, ice cream, peanut butter, avocado, cook with lots of good fats, like olive oil. If you are a milk drinker, make it full-fat milk. If you have a sweet tooth anyway, indulge it. If you are having trouble eating enough food, try eating small amounts throughout the day instead of eating three large meals. That's actually healthier anyway. If you like chocolate, go crazy, especially if it's dark.

Terry

Thanks, everyone. Also, if anyone is aware of weight gainer stuff for sensitive systems, please speak up.

Hi! I lost 30 lbs after I returned from the hospital, and it's taken a lot of effort to gain back the weight. I used a calorie-counting app called MyFitnessPal. It allows you to scan barcodes of everything that you're eating and will track how many calories you're ingesting each day. You can input your goal weight and timeframe to figure out how many calories per day you need to consume.

I also used a supplement called Kate Farms, which is nondairy, tastes great, and packs an additional 600 calories per shake.

Good luck! It's not easy. It takes effort, but it's so well worth it.

Thank you

A pound in weight gain equates to 3,500 calories. So, if you can manage just 130 extra calories per day, you should gain 1 pound per month. Much easier is if you set yourself a lower bar and increase little by little rather than trying to eat a whole extra meal's worth per day.

When I left the hospital very malnourished and really hated the Ensure drinks, I was told to add a large spoonful of powdered milk to yogurt, breakfast cereal, etc., and to have some added cheese or butter wherever I could. I quickly began to crave steak pie and could only manage a few mouthfuls at first, but all the little add-ons quickly increased my energy levels and overall well-being.

Déjà vu. Started at 107, post-op. Took 1-2 years to reach proper weight. I tried junk food, chocolate cake, Häagen-Dazs, tiramisu. Got my weight back up. Now I had to back off, as my carotid was 50% occluded. You can eat 4 or more small meals a day and gain weight. Yogurt at 10 a.m. and PBJ at 2 p.m.? Skip the junk food.

Good afternoon, Mao. My name is Ryan. I was under 100 lb after my surgery. Gaining weight is tough. I have an ileostomy and found I can eat whatever I want; fiber is very helpful with the condition. If you like ice cream, have it. I prefer cookies. Either way, we may remain skinny. Oh well.

Hi corlsharonl49,

I'm like you in that respect, but I'm 10 years older (67). I currently weigh 108 lb., and if I skip even one meal, I'm down to 105 lb. just like that.

I've had my ileostomy for a little over a year. I also need to watch my cholesterol and potassium and 'empty' calories due to other issues (clogged arteries and related kidney insufficiency).

Eating as healthy as you can is a good start. Putting on weight needs to be from a variety of nutritious foods that also fuel your muscles and don't just sit there stored as fat in your cells. That's not to say you can't enjoy junk food from time to time, but eating calories just for the sake of calories may be a waste of potential nutrition that your body desperately needs with an ileostomy.

I strongly recommend enlisting a dietitian to tailor a specific eating plan for YOU. This eating plan should take into account your ileostomy AND any other pre-existing conditions you may have. Your doctor (surgeon or general practitioner) should also be involved going forward.

We can't manage our ileostomies with a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Each person needs to exquisitely fine-tune their unique circumstances in order to determine the best approach for themselves when it comes to calorie intake, nutrition intake, fiber intake, etc.

In our cases, corlsharonl49, it appears that our ileostomies tend to flush out more nutrients and calories from our bodies than we are accustomed to, so we simply need to learn more about how that works and how to manage it. Easy peasy, right? LOL

M
xo

Thank for sharing your experiences and tips. I cant do a lot of fiber. I'm up to 2100 to 2400 calories a day which a big improvement for me. I know it will take time coupled with some strengthening exercises. I'm doing 2 protein drinks a day to help too.