Bounce back weight. What to expect??

I was wondering if someone could explain to me exactly why people have "bounceback weight". Is there anyone out there that it didnt happen to? Even if I eat really healthy, will I still have bounceback weight? That really sucks! Everyone keeps telling me to be careful to not get to skinny BUT I want to keep losing because I am scared of the bounceback! Can someone please explain?

The bottom line is that people have bounceback weight because they begin taking in more calories than they burn.  As we get further out, we are able to eat larger portions.  That's supposed to happen, the pouch is supposed to stretch a little over time.  But making good food choices gets more important when we can eat more.  Also, the malabsorption of calories we experience right after surgery gradually goes away as time goes on.  So when we can eat more and we absorb more of the calories we eat, we might find ourselves taking in more calories than we burn.

Not everyone has bounceback weight, no.  But many people do.  Even if you eat really healthy, if you eat more calories than your burn, you will have bounceback weight, yes.  But if you eat really healthy and do NOT eat more calories than you burn, then you won't.

Somewhere I read that people regain an average of 15 percent of the weight they lost.  I lost 150 pounds, so that would mean regaining 22.5 pounds.  I am currently 15 pounds over my lowest weight, but that happens to be five pounds below my goal weight, so I'm not real worried about it.

...great explanation

Over the years, I've heard RNY friends talk about it being normal to gain 15 - 20 pounds after one reaches goal.  I have no clue if there is any stats to confirm such.

Some of it often has to do with the loss of the rest of the caloric malabsorption, depending on when you reach your goal weight.  If you reach your goal weight around a year out, you still have about 6 months of SOME caloric malabsorption, but -- even if you continue eating the same way -- once that malabsorption fades away, you are absorbing more calories and that can be enough to cause some weight creep.

It is also common for people to be just a little less diligent abou****ching their food intake once they hit their goal weight (or below), and even a little bit of carelessness about food intake can also result in weight creep.

Beyond that, I think sometimes outpr bodies are just more comfortable at a certain weight.  I got down to 2.5 pounds under my goal weight, but then in less than 3 weeks time, had gained 5 pounds (without changing ANYTHING).  I was not able to get that 5 pounds back off BUT I can maintain my current weight (which is only about 2 pounds more than the 5lb bounce back) without having to be extremely strict about diet or exercise.  So it seems that this is a weight that my body is happy with, whereas it clearly did NOT want to be 7 pounds lower.  I cannot explain that scientifically, but I know there are a number of people who have had similar experiences.

Some people, however, don't regain any weight at all.

Lora

Lora

I'm at year 3.75 and here's how it happened to me:

- dr's goal was 145, mine was 140.
- lost down to 127 immediately post LBL but ugh - it wasn't attractive; quickly went back to 134-135.
- at my three year appt I was 138.

Today, I am 145.2. I will tell you that yes, part of it is muscle as I purposely work on that. The other part is indulgence. I enjoy treats. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. I've about decided that 145 is where my body likes to be.

My BFF who has lost 80 (and no WLS) experienced a "bounce" of about 6 pounds and I swear I think the body realizes it's not in weight loss mode anymore or the "newness" of weight loss wears off and it adjusts. Pair that with less activity, and/or more calories, and/or quality of food and BAM! there it is!