Somehow Gained 7 Lbs After Surgery!

Lunalore · 12-15-2011, 02:15 PM

Okay, about two weeks 1/2 weeks ago I broke my pinkie finger and messed up my ring finger (left hand), and yesterday I had hand surgery to put some pins in to hopefully fix everything. It was done in the hospital, and I was put under with anesthesia, but I didn't have to stay overnight or anything. I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight the night before, and after the surgery I was pretty nauseous, so I didn't eat much the rest of the day either. Just drank a TON of ice water.

So imagine my surprise this morning when I stepped on the scale and saw that I'd gained 7 pounds since my last weigh-in on Sunday morning! (I generally weigh twice a week. I know, but it's better than twice a day, which is what I used to do.)

I don't understand how this could have happened. I barely ate 1,000 calories yesterday! Yes, I didn't exercise an I won't be able to for several days, but still.

Am I just having a freakout for no good reason? I dunno, I just need some support.

bargoo · 12-15-2011, 02:29 PM

I think you are freaking out for no reason. Wait a couple of more days before weighing again.

rachaelm · 12-15-2011, 02:32 PM

Yes, you are freaking out for no reason!

Weight fluctuations are soooo normal. I'll bet you had a saline drip for the surgery. If you have stayed on plan, you did not gain.

Do you feel better? I hope so!

Lunalore · 12-15-2011, 03:27 PM

I'm sure you guys are right, it's just, 7 pounds, you know? The number kind of shocked me. I'll check again on Sunday.

lucyford · 12-15-2011, 03:34 PM

Your body is going to hang on to a ridiculous amount of water when healing...whether it's muscles after working out or a hand surgery. Just keep drinking lots of water.
Also...If I don't eat enough, my weight loss halts. Stay on plan and give yourself a few days to bounce back!

kaplods · 12-15-2011, 04:30 PM

I gained several pounds this summer after a bad sunburn. The gain was so large and so sudden that I wondered whether the sunburn could have caused the weight gain, so I went online and I relearned what I had learned in college biology - all healing/recovery from illness and injury requires extra water (as lucyford has already mentioned).

It's unfortunate that we don't learn very much about how our bodies work in school. Not that we all need to understand the biology of it, but because so many of us will try to lose weight in our lifetime, it seems to me this (that healing will likely result in temporary water weight gain, and that this is actually a good thing) should be common knowledge - but unfortunately, it's not.

mandalinn82 · 12-15-2011, 04:43 PM

If they put you under, they also gave you a drip of saline...essentially, salt water.

Seriously, you can gain 10 lbs with an IV drip, easily! Then you pee it all out over the next week and all is well.

Lunalore · 12-16-2011, 03:55 PM

Ooooh, I forgot about the saline drip. That probably explains everything. Thanks guys!

Pacifica Bee · 12-19-2011, 08:44 PM

I regularly gain and lose weight over the course of a single day - literally as much as 9 pounds from 6am to 9pm (this has happened to me twice that I can think of in recent memory). Water retention is a funny thing. Don't get worked up about it, I guarantee you that you did not gain any fat. HUGS

Lunalore · 12-20-2011, 10:57 AM

Hey guys, I finally lost it all. Or peed it all out, more like it, because I've been drinking water like crazy! Thanks for all the info.

rachaelm · 12-20-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunalore

Hey guys, I finally lost it all. Or peed it all out, more like it, because I've been drinking water like crazy! Thanks for all the info.

Yay, glad you got all that extra water out!!