Question:
Has anyone been told what percent of calories is not absorbed after RNY?

I'm still wondering about the "mechanics" of RNY. Has anyone ever been told what percent of total calories typically go unabsorbed after surgery that supports the rapid weight loss? Does the body later heal enough that a few years out the absorption of calories becomes greater which can mean you are at greater risk then of gaining weight back?    — Annette M. (posted on July 17, 2009)

July 17, 2009
It's very hard to find any real solid info to your question and I've been searching for it for years, hoping that someone would commit to making it widely known!! I've been living with my RNY for almost 6 years now and have not gained my weight back (8 pounds gained at year 2)...I can eat MUCH more now than I did the first year post op...I eat like a regular small person basically watching my calories, simple carbs and trans fats...Calories, I watch first because ultimately calories are what make up a pound, not carbs or protein or fat...Just calories! Of course, there is much more to it than that, but stripped of all the hype that goes into watching carbs and eating high protein and all the rules and such...the very simple and effective way to mind your weight is to watch your own personal CALORIES (by eating healthy foods)! We all have different metabolism and activity levels...So after the first year of rapid weight loss (which is basically because of lack of calories going in a teeny pouch) you have to determine what your personal intake is to maintain all the weight you lost...Before WLS, I have no idea what I was eating in calories, but I did do a few calorie counts of some of my average days of eating and I was eating up to 5000 calories and sometimes more or less as well....I could NOT believe it! My binges could reach as high as 8000 calories in junk foods for a week straight and then I'd starve myself (so I thought and ate some 3000 cals the next week in healthier foods)....So I was not getting too far! I mean eating 3000 calories in apples or fat doesn't really make that much difference if your still eating that many calories! I malabsorb fat for sure...I know by my visits to the bathroom after fatty food...Enough said! Plus my cholesterol and fat levels are as my doc described "the lowest numbers she has seen in years of anyone's labs!" I don't eat fried food or trans fats either...I eat lean meats and proteins and healthy fats. I can eat 1400-1800 calories average with a active lifestyle (no set gym routine) But I play hard! LOL I have maintained my weight, eating as I do now for the last several years (minus the first year of rapid weight loss) I found that when I eat sugars and simple carbs I tend to gain...so I personally eat low glycemic indexed foods (you can do a search for a chart on these foods) I do not watch carbs at all...I just make sure that when reading labels I look for low sugar, high protein and high fiber, lower fats (no trans fats)...I do not watch how many veggies or fruits I eat at all (I only watch all these things when I have weight fluxes and need to watch a small gain I'll cut calories where I see an abundance even if it's PROTEIN calories!!!!...then I cut back for a time to get myself back on track)...Fruits and veggies, to me, are "free" foods...I don't make meals of them either, if you know what I mean...I eat a banana if I feel like one and I don't try to figure out if I ate too many carbs that day to fit it in...( I won't eat 3 bananas either...I usually pick the small ones rather than large ones to keep my calories lower...Little things like that make a difference when making lifestyle changes!) I don't eat sugar or simple carbs enough to have to mind them because I eat moderate to low glycemic foods and that keeps your blood sugars (energy) steady with no lows or highs associated with weight gains! I know I didn't really answer your question, but I hope I gave you enough to realize that you will have to find the RIGHT amount of calories to maintain your own weight loss regardless of how much you malabsorb or not...We're all sooooo different and it drives me insane that the surgeons/nuts try to put us all on the same PO diet/calories, protein intake, water intake... etc regardless of our age, sex, height, weight goals, shape, metabolism, medical issues, etc.... It's just ridiculous to believe that we all need 60 gs of protein and 1000 calories and up to a cup (8 oz) of food and 64 oz of water and at least 5 days of cardio exercise a week.... forever! It makes zero sense to me...I could be wrong :::rolls my eyes:::: The mechanics of RNY are still being researched along with the mechanics of nutrition and weight loss in general...and no one truly has it all figured out or there would be no need for WLS or diet fads/pills etc at all!
   — .Anita R.

July 17, 2009
I spoke with Dr. Garth Davis at the OH metting held in Chcicago during June of this year. I asked him that very questions and he said that noone knows exactly but that he would guess it's under 10 percent that DO NOT get absorbed. Not too much!!!
   — rkurquhart