Surgery Oct. 2012, lost 60lbs and now I've gained 20 lbs back in the last six months. Anyone getting back on track?

As I understand it, there are 3 stages to RNY gastric bypass surgery. In the first stage you lose a lot of weight quickly. In this stage your caloric intake is minimal, perhaps 700 calories per day. In the second stage, you bottom out in weight loss. For me that occurred at around the 7th month. I found that I could increase my caloric intake to the range of 1000-1500 calories per day without gaining weight. It was a happy time for me. But there is a third stage. It begins at about a year and a half. In the third stage, the stomach repairs itself and becomes efficient again. So instead of absorbing only 70% of the calories in foods, it is back to 100%. Thus in order to maintain the weight loss, one needs to stay on schedule, consume a cup of food per meal, and strictly avoid Snacks.

<p>As I understand it, there are 3 stages to RNY gastric bypass surgery. In the first stage you lose a lot of weight quickly. In this stage your caloric intake is minimal, perhaps 700 calories per day. In the second stage, you bottom out in weight loss. For me that occurred at around the 7th month. I found that I could increase my caloric intake to the range of 1000-1500 calories per day without gaining weight. It was a happy time for me. But there is a third stage. It begins at about a year and a half. In the third stage, the stomach repairs itself and becomes efficient again. So instead of absorbing only 70% of the calories in foods, it is back to 100%. Thus in order to maintain the weight loss, one needs to stay on schedule, consume a cup of food per meal, and strictly avoid snacks.</p>

James you are right, I was used to eating a little bit of whatever I wanted and didn't gain anything. I did eventfully increase my calorie intake had no issues until now. I called my nutritionist and made a visit last week. We created new goals that were realistic to my current work situation and eating habits. I will attend the support meeting that the hospital has for current and former patients twice a month. I just don't want to slide back into my old eating ways completely. I am realizing that even though it was easy in the beginning to see the pounds fall off, that I must now focus on the stage I'm in now. Thanks for responding.

I'm struggling too.... I'm 6 months out and I believe what James is saying. I better get on track now and refrain from slipping back into old eating habits. I realized that once you are honest with yourself about your eating habits, you now see what you need to do. That helped me too. Keep posting on your progress.. And you will get back on track.

I am slowly getting back on track, one item at a time. I found MyFitnessPal helps. It allows me to track what I eat or drink easier, as well as includes option for exercise.

I have been officially labelled by my surgeon as an "RNY outlier". I NEVER had that post-surgery dream phase of magic weight loss when I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks. Technically I am an RNY failure on the books because of it. I ate like a post-surgery RNY patient after my surgery, but it didn't produce any significant weight loss like it should have, and it baffled the doctors. After two years of investigation, the only conclusion they've been able come to is "well that's just weird, and maybe it was the drugs for all the other stuff".

While the whole lack of massive weight loss sucks for me, I've become fairly good at maintenance for somebody not that far out of surgery. It takes practice and a Yoda-like concentration to what you are eating. Not necessarily relentless calorie counting, but an awareness that you can't have pancakes for Breakfast, stop by Starbucks on your way to work and grab that latte, graze the corporate leftovers after lunch, plunder your desk to satisfy the cravings in the afternoon, eat with the family and then graze while watching TV before the bedtime snack. You can have eggs for breakfast, all the tea you want, whatever it is you packed for lunch and for your afternoon snack, dinner, and an evening Protein IF you're hungry.

• Eat your protein rather than drink it as it will keep you full.
• The TV is evil as there are far too many food commercials on there that drive people to eat. I personally can't have a TV. If you can watch the TV without going to the fridge, you are a better person than I.
• Get a fitbit or something to help keep track of some aspects of your life. Don't try to track everything as all you'll spend all day tracking your life instead of living it.
• Get a new hobby that is either a time hog or really doesn't mix well with food, such as stained glass, photography, knitting, hiking, yoga, meditation, music, auto repair... A lot of the local school districts have night time fun courses that start in January.
• Definitely sigh and just accept graciously when your mother congratulates your weight loss by giving you a bag of mint Oreos for Christmas because people like that will always be there to sabotage you and you just have to accept that these people exist and they are toxic and you should avoid them as much as possible.
• Also acknowledge that good chocolate cake is a gift from the gods and should be consumed in moderation.
• Stay the hell away from store bought drinks. I don't know how they post the nutritional information on them in the US, but the sugar content in them is insane, and Coke is usually the least of the offenders.

Nobody is perfect, very least of all me. If there were a place called perfection, I would be down the hall, to the left. I did manage not to beat my mother with the Oreos though, so go me.