Question:
How many calries?

I had my open RNY July 18,2003. I am down 61 pounds. My question is do we absorb all the calories we intake? If not what percentage of the calories do we absorb. Thanks for your answers! Cynthia Marshall    — cindylou56 (posted on October 19, 2003)

October 19, 2003
You absorb all the calories from sugar and all the calories from carbs, except if there's some fat included in the carb meal. Your bypass keeps you from absorbing a certain amount of fats and proteins, so depending on how much is malabsorbed in those food, I would think you also didn't get the calories from them either. You could talk to your surgeon or nutritionist to get a more professional answer. As time goes by, I think your body makes up for the bypass and starts absorbing more calories from fats and protein. If you doctor gave you an eating plan for post op, I'd follow those instruction and not try to second guess what you can and can't get away with. If that's indeed what you're doing. Congratulations on your success so far. S
   — sherry hedgecock

October 19, 2003
My surgeon told me that we absorb half the calories for the first 8 months or so and then the intestines start adapting and by a year, we absorb a lot more than earlier, but never all of them. He told me at 10 weeks out that I had to get at least 1000 calories a day, preferably more or I wouldn't lose.
   — Patty_Butler