RNY gastric bypass question

How many have gained their weight back after RnY and how long did you keep the weight off? Thanks

I'm almost 3 years out and still losing.  If you follow the formula i.e., change your eating habits and exercise consistintly you have very little, or nothing to worry about.

I'm 3 1/2 yrs. post-op, lost 140 lbs. (lost 100 in 7 mo. and lost the rest by about 11 mo.), and maintained that loss for an additional year.  Over the course of the next year, I got complacent, stupid, & lazy about my portions and my food choices (unfortunately, I can eat ANYTHING without dumping), with the result being a 35 lb. weight gain.   Not a failure on the part of wls--a failure on my  part to continue the good habits I THOUGHT I'd learned well enough in the first 2 yrs. post-op that I'd do them forever! I've taken off 5 lbs., and my goal is to take off 20 more.  It's really, really, really hard now that I've let the old habits (emotional eating, mindless snacking and grazing) and bad carbs back into my life.  The useless refined sugars, starches, & breads are as addictive to me now as they were pre-wls.   A word to the wise . . .!

I'm 3.5 years post-op and have never gained any weight back.  I keep it off by doing what works for me; which is keeping my calories where I know I need to keep them for my body and metabolism.  I take my supplements and get in my protein.   I also set my goal weight as normal BMI, which is not so low that I could not easily maintain that.  Obviously this has worked well for me. 

Do you feel 'hunger' in maintaining your calorie goals?  What I mean is, you know how, pre-op, you would try to diet and would feel hungry after you ate your appropriate portions for that particular meal? Do you experience that now 3.5 years post op?

No.  I get hungry just like I did before - at normal meal times.  I'm perhaps a more unique WLS post-op in that I only ate on average 1600 calories or so as a pre-op and that was enough - with my metabolism - to get my obese.  I have a genetically slow metabolism.  Very slow.  Then, add to that, years of starvation dieting, well - 1600 calories per day was me eating 3 meals and that was enough to skyrocket my weight to obesity.  1600 calories per day was gluttony for me and my body, because it was more food than my body and metabolism needed.   When I was eating only one meal per day for all those years (about 4-5 years), I was exercising 45 minutes to 1 hour every day and the lowest weight I ever got to and maintained was 130 pounds.  I'm 5' 5.5 inches tall.  You'd think I would certainly have gotten much lower than that - but again, my metabolism prevented me from doing so.  During this time, I was starving.  I was hungry.  I had migraines every day.  I felt awful.  But I was trying to get to a normal weight (after a lifetime of being overweight) because tradition diets did not work for me, because they were not reducing my calorie intake really any less than what I had always been eating before!  After my 4-5 years of being "normal weight" from starvation dieting, I ruined my already slow metabolism and brought it down to all but nothing.  It was really shot at that point.  The weight really piled on quickly and all I did was go back to eating three healthy meals per day, as I had always done before, including exercising.  Only this time, along came uncontrolled hypertension and Type II diabetes.   After 10 years of struggling with being obese again, and the weight continuing to pile on as I grew older and I guess my metabolism got even worse, I knew I had to do something.  So I did - lap RNY. All that to say, RNY, for me, allows me to stay within a calorie range that works well for my body and metabolism.  I do not have food issues.  I do not overeat - I never did.  I do not starve myself  either:  I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.  Generally that's 3 meals per day and usually at least one snack.  I get in my protein and take my supplements, etc....    So, I guess I'm a rare WLS post-op; but I'm guessing there's more out there like me than you realize, they just don't speak up.  I just have to stay true to what I know is right for me and my body and not get hung up on what someone else is doing, because I know it isn't right for me. 

Wow, the RNY was DEFINITELY the absolute right choice for you!   Thank you for your reply. It's quite refreshing and very important to read both sides of the story!

I'm almost 6 1/2 yrs out and haven't gained back any. I had major surgery to allow me to lose the weight I needed to. The first year is best used to change eating and mental habits. When you have a complete lifestyle change it's easy to follow the rules in order to be successful. I plan on maintaining with the new rules I follow as per my surgeon. Most of the post ops I know get to goal and maintain - with a flucuation of a few pounds here and there. Most are deligent and don't gain their weight back. You have to have your head in the game if this is to work so therapy for food or weight issues is important to be successful long term. This is stomach surgery - you have to work on your head yourself. (with a good therapist).

Sorry to say, but I know a lot of people gain significant weight back.  I've seen it here as well as at the support group I occasionally attend. It's been nearly 4 years for me and I keep mine off by exercising regularly.  I am now a runner and can eat nearly anything I want, but my appetite is directly related to my exercise intensity. I can't say that I really follow the 'rules,' but I do pay close attention to the scale and eat a variety of foods. Linn

Hi, I had RNY in '02. I got to goal weight maintained a maybe 2 yrs then over the past 2 years have gained 65 back. Now I'm curious to see how long it will take me to lose again. It isn't coming off as easy as before ...as some of us have learned. Take care.