Hormonal imbalance or something else?

So, last summer I got hit with this abdominal tumor diagnosis, which turned out to be a massive fibroid that had basically taken over my uterus and one of my ovaries. Long story short, they had to go in and surgically remove the fibroid along with my uterus and one of my ovaries.

Then, about a month or two after the surgery, the weight started piling on.
I haven’t even changed my diet—I’m eating the same stuff as always—but I’ve definitely put on like 10 to 20 pounds.
And honestly, nothing seems to touch it, not even my existing thyroid issues. I've been dealing with hyperthyroidism for four years now, and right now I'm actually in talks with my endocrinologist about trying radioactive iodine therapy to get things under control.

Is it possible that the surgery caused some kind of massive hormonal imbalance, or what is even happening here...?
I keep pointing this out to my endocrinologist, like, "Hey, look, I'm living with only one ovary," since they left that one in there specifically so it could handle my hormone production. But from what I can gather, my doctor thinks my thyroid levels have absolutely nothing to do with those other hormones.

Anyway, to make a long story short, does anyone have any idea how I can fix this? 😕

William Bailey3 said:So, last summer I got hit with this abdominal tumor diagnosis, which turned out to be a massive fibroid that had basically taken over my uterus and one of my ovaries. Long story short, they had to go in and surgically remove the fibroid along with my uterus and one of my ovaries.

Then, about a month or two after the surgery, the weight started piling on.
I haven’t even changed my diet—I’m eating the same stuff as always—but I’ve definitely put on like 10 to 20 pounds.
And honestly, nothing seems to touch it, not even my existing thyroid issues. I've been dealing with hyperthyroidism for four years now, and right now I'm actually in talks with my endocrinologist about trying radioactive iodine therapy to get things under control.

Is it possible that the surgery caused some kind of massive hormonal imbalance, or what is even happening here...?
I keep pointing this out to my endocrinologist, like, "Hey, look, I'm living with only one ovary," since they left that one in there specifically so it could handle my hormone production. But from what I can gather, my doctor thinks my thyroid levels have absolutely nothing to do with those other hormones.

Anyway, to make a long story short, does anyone have any idea how I can fix this? 😕

More action, less snacks. 🤣

It’s entirely possible that surgery actually sent your hormone levels into even more of a tailspin.
I’ve dealt with my own hormonal mess—I put on quite a few pounds until things finally leveled out, and then I managed to slim down once I dialed in my diet and started working out.

Amy Rogers2 said:It’s entirely possible that surgery actually sent your hormone levels into even more of a tailspin.
I’ve dealt with my own hormonal mess—I put on quite a few pounds until things finally leveled out, and then I managed to slim down once I dialed in my diet and started working out.

Man, this is seriously helpful info. Thanks!

If you’ve only got one ovary left, it should still be handling all your hormonal heavy lifting. Honestly, I suspect your thyroid might actually be the real culprit here.

mistyseal11 said:More action, less snacks. 🤣

How incredibly thoughtful of you, 👎

William Bailey3 said:Man, this is seriously helpful info. Thanks!

Don't mention it. Just hang in there while your hormones settle down—once they stabilize, the weight will start dropping, provided you get some movement in. Walking is great, but aim for more than 30 minutes at a pace that actually gets your heart rate up. Honestly, if I managed to drop over 40 pounds while juggling four different hormone treatments, you can definitely do this too. Don't sweat it, 👍

Angela Wright said:If you’ve only got one ovary left, it should still be handling all your hormonal heavy lifting. Honestly, I suspect your thyroid might actually be the real culprit here.

I mean, it’s totally possible they’re linked, because like I mentioned before, I’ve been battling thyroid issues for four whole years now. And honestly, even with my previous surgeries, my weight stayed pretty much the same—maybe a pound or two up, a pound or two down, nothing crazy. But now? I’ve definitely put on at least 10 or 15 pounds.

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to wait until my next appointment with the endocrinologist to see what the doctor actually has to say about all this.

Thanks for the input, regardless.

Amy Rogers2 said:Don't mention it. Just hang in there while your hormones settle down—once they stabilize, the weight will start dropping, provided you get some movement in. Walking is great, but aim for more than 30 minutes at a pace that actually gets your heart rate up. Honestly, if I managed to drop over 40 pounds while juggling four different hormone treatments, you can definitely do this too. Don't sweat it, 👍

Honestly, reading this gives me so much hope.
See, I’ve already overhauled my whole diet. I don't even eat that much, yet the weight just keeps creeping up on me regardless. It feels like everyone around me is constantly pointing fingers, telling me it’s all because of some crazy hormonal imbalance.
But now it’s finally clicking for me—there's one more thing I need to fix, and that's my physical activity level. Because let's be real, even if my hormones are acting out, that's no excuse for me to just let myself go and get huge.

Anyway, thanks so much for the pep talk, Amy Rogers2. 🙂

William Bailey3 said:Honestly, reading this gives me so much hope.
See, I’ve already overhauled my whole diet. I don't even eat that much, yet the weight just keeps creeping up on me regardless. It feels like everyone around me is constantly pointing fingers, telling me it’s all because of some crazy hormonal imbalance.
But now it’s finally clicking for me—there's one more thing I need to fix, and that's my physical activity level. Because let's be real, even if my hormones are acting out, that's no excuse for me to just let myself go and get huge.

Anyway, thanks so much for the pep talk, Amy Rogers2. 🙂

When you're dealing with hormones, sometimes how little you eat doesn't even matter. I personally gained about 40 pounds in just three months because of an adrenal issue. I wasn't eating any more than usual, but I felt heavier every single day. Once I switched endocrinologists and adjusted my treatment, things finally leveled out.
At first, dragging myself through a workout at 5:00 AM before heading into the office was brutal—honestly, a nightmare. But now? I actually look forward to it.
Just keep talking to your endocrinologist, stay patient, and you'll get there!