Question:
For 5y+ RNYs, why is it possible to overeat and regain?

Does the dumping syndrome lessen with time? Does the stomach pouch stretch over time (and with bad eating habits)? What's going on that would allow an RNY to gorge and not suffer the nausea/dumping effect? Some of really long-termer RNYs indicate that they are regaining a lot of their pre-op weight. I'm curious as to their opinion of what's allowing them to do so. (I'm in the initial stage of requesting RNY). Thanks!    — blank first name B. (posted on March 30, 2002)

March 29, 2002
I am 8 yrs post op. After about the first 14 months the body adapts (the human body is amazing how it can adapt to any adverse situation). the digestive system is healed and has adapted to a fairly normal way. The pouch usually ends up the size of a medium lemon. You can build up a tolerance to dumping where it will take more and more to make you dump...keep on pushing the limits and it will happen....been there done that regained 64 lbs between yrs 3 and 5. today I reset my dump o meter by getting rid of the sugars and starches, eating protein first then veggies, I exercise daily, I drink a ton of water, I don't drink with meals, I stay away from soda (old binge food!!!) and I have relost that weight plus am about 10 lbs from goal. FYI Most rnys don't binge anymore due to the limited capacity to volume eat, however, grazing is what gets us. The pouch empties out in about 30 minutes so as you can imagine, grabbing a handful of xxxx or a bit of yyyy and doing it continuously through out the day can allow consuption of a great number of calories and thus weight gain. The surgeon can only staple the stomach, not the brain so I had to take responsibility. WLS is not a panacea, it gets a lot of weight off the first year to give us a fighting chance at health and normalcy but we must do our part. Rita in Vermont RNY 3/31/94 then 463, now 190ish
   — vt_rita

March 30, 2002
We all start out with baby stomachs. I imagine the same reasons we gain weight the first time applies the second (after rny) mostly over eating, poor food choices, and not exercising. Rny is the chance to start over, learn new habits, and learn to eat like *normal* people. One can certainly graze all day, choose high fat high calorie foods, and get obese again just like the first time. Surgery is a second chance, but it isn't magic.
   — Becky K.

March 30, 2002
You might want to check into the duodenal switch if you are worried about late weight regain. There is very little late regain with the DS. Check out www.duodenalswitch.com.
   — Tracy P.

March 30, 2002
I'm 6 months behind Rita, and you bet your booty you can regain. There are a million reasons. Inadequate surgery type for YOU, lousy launching instructions, poor nutrition, not understanding what it will & will not do for you, the desire to fail, the desire to TEST & complacency (well, I ate that before & I lost wt). The actual actions? Low protein intake, sugar eating & grazing. Guaranteed formula for disaster, no matter which surgery, no matter how long you go. You can bypass dumping, or you can do your best to reset it when you see it not working for you. I can't "pig out", but I COULD graze, if I was so inclined, or have clandestine meetings with sugar (even small amounts--ask me about The Peeps Incident) and I WILL put on weight, even with my very radical distal, even with the 180g of protein supps I get in. But I don't do those things. If I am headed for some kind of Stupidity Attack, I play a little game. I can have the _____, just as soon as I have this protein drink. Of course, that nourishes & fills & makes busy hands, so the attack ends before I have to go into a true battle. I don't think regain is REQUIRED. And of course, it goes without saying that we have ruled out a mechanical breakdown.
   — vitalady