How to lose belly fat after hysterectomy

Key takeaways:

• People who had a hysterectomy often experience increased abdominal size and weight gain.
• How to lose belly fat after a hysterectomy includes adjusting your diet to a weight-loss-friendly one, exercising, and going for hormone replacement therapy.
• Recovery from a hysterectomy varies from person to person. But dietary modifications, reducing stress, and engaging in low-impact exercises can help with healing and weight loss.

A hysterectomy is the total or partial removal of the uterus. There are different reasons a doctor can recommend a hysterectomy, including uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine prolapse.

This surgical procedure may help treat certain conditions that affect people with a uterus; however, it is not without its downsides. For instance, people become unable to carry a pregnancy after a hysterectomy, and some people experience an increase in belly size after a hysterectomy.

As a result, it is not uncommon for people who have had a hysterectomy to seek ways to lose weight and burn belly fat. Fortunately, some lifestyle changes, like dietary modifications and targeted exercises, can help you burn belly fat and lose weight after you've had a hysterectomy.

This article will discuss the best way to lose belly fat after a hysterectomy, low-impact exercises that can be used to burn belly fat, and how diets can be used to lose belly fat after a hysterectomy.

What is the best way to lose belly fat after a hysterectomy?

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to losing belly fat after procedures like a hysterectomy. However, the following steps can help you lose belly fat after a hysterectomy:

1. Modify your diet

Increasing your intake of foods like fresh fruits, lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains may help you lose belly fat after a hysterectomy. It will also be best to avoid foods containing high amounts of calories.

Planning your meals around weight-loss-friendly foods can go a long way in helping you maintain your weight, burn excess fat, and avoid further accumulation of fat after your hysterectomy.

2. Engage in active movement and exercise

Exercise can help you lose belly fat after a hysterectomy. Once your doctor confirms that you are fit, you should start taking small steps daily. As your healing progresses and you start regaining strength, you can gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise and other activities.

The goal is to avoid staying in one place for a long time and accumulating more fat. Keep in mind that the only way to burn the calories you consume or stored fat is by getting physically active.

You can start by taking slow walks, cycling, and performing small stretches. Once you fully recover, you can focus on exercises that will help you burn fat.

3. Avoid stress

Avoiding stress or destressing can also help you lose belly fat after a hysterectomy. When you are stressed, there will be an increased release of the cortisol hormone. Cortisol stimulates the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates, which in turn causes an increase in energy levels and appetite.

The increased appetite will make you eat more than you should. Also, under stress, cortisol will cause you to crave sweets and fatty and salty foods, which can all increase weight gain.

4. Go for hormone replacement therapy

One of the helpful ways to lose belly fat after a hysterectomy is by doing hormone replacement therapy. Some types of hysterectomy involve the removal of both ovaries. People who have not yet reached menopause but have had this type of hysterectomy will experience early menopause.

Hormonal changes after menopause usually lead to an increase in abdominal and visceral weight, also referred to as menopause belly fat.

In this situation, you can speak to your doctor about referring you to a practitioner specializing in hormone replacement therapy. The therapy will help to control and restrict the gaining of abdominal and visceral weight.

Low-impact exercises for losing belly fat after hysterectomy

Low-impact exercises gradually raise your heart rate while putting less strain on your joints and other parts of your body. They can also help with losing belly fat. Examples of low-impact exercises that can help with losing belly fat after a hysterectomy include:

• Stationary bike
• Low-impact aerobatics
• Elliptical machine
• Cycling outdoor
• Low-impact dancing

Other, more common ways of engaging in low-impact exercises include:

• If you take transportation to close distances, you can try walking instead of driving or taking a bus/ taxi.
• You can do stretches in the morning, maybe for about 15 minutes.
• Limit your use of the elevator. You can take the stairs instead.
• Limit driving; you can ride a bike to your destination instead.

Foods that can help lose belly fat after hysterectomy

The type of food you eat after your hysterectomy can help you burn belly fat. Some foods that can help you burn belly fat after a hysterectomy include:

Fruits

Some fruits have more fiber content than others, so you can take such fruits to reduce belly fat after a hysterectomy. Tomatoes, apples, guavas, strawberries, kiwis, garden eggs, pears, grapes, watermelon, and cucumbers are some fruits that can help you lose belly fat after a hysterectomy.

These fruits have high fiber content, can facilitate healing, and promote good health. Fruits can be eaten whole or blended into a belly fat-burning smoothie.

Vegetables

Vegetables are highly nutritious and are good for overall health. They are also high in fiber, and fibers are good for weight loss. Green pepper, pumpkin, carrot, red bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, and spinach are some of the best vegetables for burning belly fat.

Most of these vegetables are low in calories and high in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Beans

Beans are legumes that make you feel full. This feeling of satiety will prevent overeating. When you eat more beans, the amount of food you will eat decreases, preventing you from gaining extra weight due the body storing the extra food.

Whole grains

Whole-grain diets support a healthy weight while lowering the risk of heart disease. A recent study found that eating whole grains can reduce the risk of premature death by 27%.

So, instead of eating refined carbohydrates that contain a lot of calories with fewer nutrients, it is best to feed more on whole grains, which are more nutritious. Some whole-grain sources include millet, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, pasta, barley, and brown rice.

Nutrition tips to prevent weight and belly fat gain after hysterectomy

Here are some more nutrition tips to prevent weight gain and increased belly fat after a hysterectomy:

Reduce the amount of calories you consume

You don't have to give up healthy nutrition because you want to lose belly fat.

The primary thing to do is to lower the number of calories you consume per day. You can replace some of your high-calorie foods like milk, sweet potatoes, fish, and meat with low-calorie foods like carrots, broccoli, apples, cabbage, oats, and berries.

Also, go for low-calorie, high-fiber foods like peas and beans, whole grains, and vegetables.

Limit the portion of food you eat

Stick to the amount of food that your body needs. Eating an extra portion is one of the fastest ways to gain weight. If you are unsure of how to limit your portion consistently, you can use smaller plates, bowls, and glasses.

Also, consider reducing the number of times you eat out, as different restaurants prepare their meals with different ingredients. Eating out gives you little or no control over what you eat because you can't dictate the ingredients the food will be prepared with. You can gain more control by preparing your food or having it prepared under your supervision.

Recovery from a hysterectomy

Some factors determine how long recovery will take after a hysterectomy, e.g., the type of hysterectomy performed. If you had an abdominal hysterectomy, you might have a 5- to 7-inch incision.

The incision might be closed with non-dissolvable or surgical staples. If staples or non-dissolvable stitches are used, your doctor will be the one to remove them. In that case, you might take a longer time before leaving the hospital.

People with an abdominal hysterectomy might stay a day or two in the hospital before being discharged. Those who have had a vaginal hysterectomy, on the other hand, can be discharged the same day.

Wrap up

An increase in weight gain and belly fat is very common after a hysterectomy procedure. However, through intentional lifestyle changes and modifications, you can burn off some of those fats that accumulate in the belly and other parts of the body.

Take your time, choose healthier foods, and focus on exercises that will help you burn belly fat.