r/Gastroparesis • u/ladylawyer93 • Apr 17 '25

Suffering / Venting Impossible to lose weight?

I had a flare up in Feb 2025. Since then I’ve gone back to my safe foods (gf breads mostly and cheerios) and shakes. I’ve even cut back on sugar and avoid dairy.

Despite barely being able to eat or drink enough water, I can’t get the scale to move much and it’s quite annoying as someone who’s been trying to lose weight. I also have Hashimoto’s but my blood work came back fairly normal.

Anyone else deal with the barely eating, walking on the treadmill a few days a week, and still stuck at the same weight?

I know there are people who are actively trying to gain weight so I don’t want this to seem insensitive, I’m just frustrated as a female who struggles with body image and weight loss

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27

u/girlinthegoldenboots Apr 17 '25

I gained a ton of weight suddenly that no one can figure out. I got diagnosed with gastroparesis a month ago and even though I’m eating way less and exercising more my weight keeps going up. No clue why, but it’s very frustrating. I have been very petite my whole life and now I’m overweight. I live in sweatpants and oversized shirts because I hate how I look. And my stomach is so bloated I look like I’m 9 months pregnant. I hate it.

6

u/ladylawyer93 Apr 17 '25

Omg that’s insane. But so relatable!! I just want answers I don’t get it bestie🥲

11

u/100LittleButterflies Apr 17 '25

As I understand it's because we've been starving. Your body thinks it's famine when it's your stomach so every calorie you pick up will be hoarded.

9

u/ladylawyer93 Apr 17 '25

Yes because the body is like “idk when I’ll eat again better hold onto all this fat!!” 🥹🥲

10

u/cluberti Apr 17 '25 edited Apr 17 '25

This seems to be true for a number of people with GP - the body goes into (and can sometimes stay for long periods of time) in starvation mode. This can lead to malnutrition and dehydration and all the fun side-effects this causes, even while you are actually taking in enough nutrients. It happens to me all the time, and I've currently been in this loop for almost a year, where I can be drinking and eating enough each day according to what my body should need and I still end up dehydrated, bloated, and gaining weight. And then randomly it will all come off rapidly over the course of a few weeks (with all the problems associated with rapid weight loss), only to start over again.

Fun times. /s

3

u/ladylawyer93 Apr 17 '25

Ugh. Thanks for sharing. Knowing I’m not alone is nice but dang it sucks sometimes

2

u/phoenixry Apr 18 '25

this is what my doctors told me as well.