Question:
Concerns regarding permanent weight loss....

Can the size of the RNY pouch increase with time possibly causing weight gain? Will it increase with the amounts of food that are tolerated gradually?    — [Anonymous] (posted on January 23, 2002)

January 22, 2002
The rny pouch naturally stretches over time. It's normal and to be expected. That's why you have to maximize your weight loss during the first 24 months when your pouch is smallest....that's when it's easiest to learn new dietary habits. My surgeon says that stretching the rny pouch by overeating is extremely rare and very difficult. One would have to eat the point of nausea and vomiting several times a day...for several months. People gain weight after the rny naturally stretches by over eating carbs, drinking sugary drinks, snacking between meals. In other words...by reverting to all their old habits. I speak from experience! I regained twenty of the 140lbs. I lost by reverting to my old eating habits. The good news is that I lost 4 pounds last week by getting back to basics and using my "tool" as it was meant to be used.
   — [Anonymous]

January 22, 2002
I am only four months post-op, so I may not be the best one to answer your question, but... I believe my surgery was a 'tool'. With this 'tool' I was forced to eat healthier foods. I really go over a nutritional label before I buy now (something I NEVER did before), and have learned (thanks to my 'tool'), to keep my fat low, sugar low, and protein high. My family is eating healthier now too. Their fried foods and fast foods are very limited now, and I do without completely. Also thanks to my 'tool', I had to start exercising more, to tone up the flab. I believe I have learned to live better and healthier due to my surgery, and these habits will be with me for the rest of my life. I do believe that if you don't learn from your 'tool', yes, you could stretch your stomach back out and regain the weight. Learn from your experience, develop a healthier lifestyle & I think the weight will stay off. There are so many here who have kept it off, but there are some that have gained the weight back. Remember, it's JUST a 'tool', you have to do your part too.
   — DonnaCarol