Will a pouch reset help after 2yrs rny and gaining back 20lbs?

3 minutes ago, RDC2019 said:

Will a pouch reset help after 2yrs rny and gaining back 20lbs?

Welcome, RDC. What procedure(s) did you undergo? What was your starting weight, lowest weight, and thus, what percentage are you talking about when you say you gained back 20 pounds? If you lost 200 and regained 10%, it is a very different scenario from losing a total of 25 and regaining 20.

Most people on this board are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help, but you have to give the basic information for their responses to be helpful.

Most surgeons and dietitians agree that "pouch resets" are just crash diets. They don't actually reset your pouch (and nothing will, its an organ, its doing what its supposed to and doesn't need to be "reset") or do anything for long term weight loss. What WILL help, is tracking what you eat and staying in a calorie deficit, hitting your protein goal, ensuring you are getting in plenty of water and staying hydrated, and moving your body regularly. Go back to the habits that helped you lose the weight to begin with.

Additionally, some amount of regain is completely normal. Most WLS patients find that their lowest weight isn't their healthiest weight long term. If possible, maybe check in with your surgeon's office and get their insight as well.

Thank you for your response! I had the RNY, stated at 265, went down to 170 and now at hover between 194 and 196. So actually a gain of 24/26lbs varies from day to day.

Thank you for the advice. I've been on my back due to two more back surgeries this year. Just got the clearance to start exercising again, and I know my bad habits stem from inactivity and boredom. Still think I want to try the reset to get me back where I was, mindful eating and,getting my 64oz of fluid and exercising.
Feel much better after getting clearance from doctor,and still have to rehab on walking without my cane. So I'm excited to start this journey!

5 hours ago, RDC2019 said:

Thank you for your response! I had the RNY, stated at 265, went down to 170 and now at hover between 194 and 196. So actually a gain of 24/26lbs varies from day to day.

During my pre-op research phase I really got into reading studies published online (pub med or other reliable sources), mainly looking for the expected weight loss trajectory if I went through with it. You can Google your specific procedure and find many such articles.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33042006/ - Timing of Maximal Weight Reduction Following Bariatric Surgery (China), N = 409, compares various surgical outcomes by type of surgery, gender, starting BMI, and other factors

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34768441/ - Long-Term Weight Outcomes after Bariatric Surgery (Saudi Arabia), N = only 91, but check out figure 3. I like that they measure by excess weight lost, not total weight loss. Older studies only refer to total weight loss which is meaningless because everyone starts at a different weight.

Here's a chapter from a 2020 textbook about weight regain after bariatric surgery: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/74559 - Great summary of the medical literature, if you are curious about the stats for weight regain after RNY and also want to know what doctors will recommend for you (structured physical activity, tracking diet, re-operation, etc.). Spoiler alert: you are far from alone in this! For RNY, at 2 years, 17.1% regained > 15% of their 1-year post-op weight lost, but it's TWL not EWL. That study was large, N = 1426.

Hope this helps. Currently, I am post-op and obsessing about whether my EWL % is on par with successful outcomes in the medical literature for my procedure (Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty). But that's a whole 'nother Oprah.

10 hours ago, kaylee50 said:

Here's a chapter from a 2020 textbook about weight regain after bariatric surgery: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/74559 - Great summary of the medical literature, if you are curious about the stats for weight regain after RNY and also want to know what doctors will recommend for you (structured physical activity, tracking diet, re-operation, etc.). Spoiler alert: you are far from alone in this! For RNY, at 2 years, 17.1% regained > 15% of their 1-year post-op weight lost, but it's TWL not EWL. That study was large, N = 1426.

Really interesting - thank you for the link!

first of all, pouch resets are discouraged by most dietitians. It just puts you back into "diet mentality". Just go back to basics - protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and then, if you're still hungry, a small serving of fruit or complex carbs. And log everything you eat so you know how much and when you're eating.

secondly, the vast majority of us have a rebound weight gain of 10-20 lbs after we hit our lowest weight. It's just your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at. I used to "attend" Unjury's Zoom support groups occasionally, which often feature speakers. There was a really interesting dietitian on once who said at her clinic, they don't even consider it a regain unless the person has gained more than 15% of their lowest weight (so for you, that's 25.5 lbs).

I regained about 20 lbs in year 3 (it usually occurs in year 2 or 3, after you hit your lowest weight). It really bothered me for a long time, but clearly this is where my body wants to be. I could always go lower by cutting my calories, but then, I've been sitting at this weight for quite awhile, so it evidently is not as important to me as I think it is, otherwise i'd be doing exactly that (cutting calories). I know it'd be a struggle trying to get down to my lowest weight again and staying there, because my body seems to be comfortable where it is. Do-able, but it would be a lot of work and then a challenge to stay there. I've kind of given up the ghost at this point.

if after tracking you find you're taking in too many calories and are doing too much eating while you're not really hungry, then do what you need to to get back on track (the suggestions people had of going back to your clinic for support - therapy and/or dietitian is a good one). But if that's not really the case, if this is just the normal rebound that most of us experience, then know it's just that...normal - and also, expected.

Welcome, RDC. What procedure(s) did you undergo? What was your starting weight, lowest weight, and thus, what percentage are you talking about when you say you gained back 20 pounds? If you lost 200 and regained 10%, it is a very different scenario from losing a total of 25 and regaining 20.
Most people on this board are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help, but you have to give the basic information for their responses to be helpful.

Thank you. RNY(Gastric bypass Dec.2019. 2 more back surgeries since bypass, limiting me from my normal activities (walking,exercising,daily chores...).
Starting at.:265. Lowest wt: 170. Presently hovering between 194/ 198.
Had second spinal cord stimulator implanted 8 weeks ago, just received clearance for exercise,.... Very happy and motivated now to get back to more healthy living,habits!

first of all, pouch resets are discouraged by most dietitians. It just puts you back into "diet mentality". Just go back to basics - protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and then, if you're still hungry, a small serving of fruit or complex carbs. And log everything you eat so you know how much and when you're eating.
secondly, the vast majority of us have a rebound weight gain of 10-20 lbs after we hit our lowest weight. It's just your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at. I used to "attend" Unjury's Zoom support groups occasionally, which often feature speakers. There was a really interesting dietitian on once who said at her clinic, they don't even consider it a regain unless the person has gained more than 15% of their lowest weight (so for you, that's 25.5 lbs).
I regained about 20 lbs in year 3 (it usually occurs in year 2 or 3, after you hit your lowest weight). It really bothered me for a long time, but clearly this is where my body wants to be. I could always go lower by cutting my calories, but then, I've been sitting at this weight for quite awhile, so it evidently is not as important to me as I think it is, otherwise i'd be doing exactly that (cutting calories). I know it'd be a struggle trying to get down to my lowest weight again and staying there, because my body seems to be comfortable where it is. Do-able, but it would be a lot of work and then a challenge to stay there. I've kind of given up the ghost at this point.
if after tracking you find you're taking in too many calories and are doing too much eating while you're not really hungry, then do what you need to to get back on track (the suggestions people had of going back to your clinic for support - therapy and/or dietitian is a good one). But if that's not really the case, if this is just the normal rebound that most of us experience, then know it's just that...normal - and also, expected.

Thank you. RNY(Gastric bypass Dec.2019. 2 more back surgeries since bypass, limiting me from my normal activities (walking,exercising,daily chores...).
Starting at.:265. Lowest wt: 170. Presently hovering between 194/ 198.
Had second spinal cord stimulator implanted 8 weeks ago, just received clearance for exercise,.... Very happy and motivated now to get back to more healthy living,habits!

first of all, pouch resets are discouraged by most dietitians. It just puts you back into "diet mentality". Just go back to basics - protein first, then non-starchy vegetables, and then, if you're still hungry, a small serving of fruit or complex carbs. And log everything you eat so you know how much and when you're eating.
secondly, the vast majority of us have a rebound weight gain of 10-20 lbs after we hit our lowest weight. It's just your body settling in to a weight it's comfortable at. I used to "attend" Unjury's Zoom support groups occasionally, which often feature speakers. There was a really interesting dietitian on once who said at her clinic, they don't even consider it a regain unless the person has gained more than 15% of their lowest weight (so for you, that's 25.5 lbs).
I regained about 20 lbs in year 3 (it usually occurs in year 2 or 3, after you hit your lowest weight). It really bothered me for a long time, but clearly this is where my body wants to be. I could always go lower by cutting my calories, but then, I've been sitting at this weight for quite awhile, so it evidently is not as important to me as I think it is, otherwise i'd be doing exactly that (cutting calories). I know it'd be a struggle trying to get down to my lowest weight again and staying there, because my body seems to be comfortable where it is. Do-able, but it would be a lot of work and then a challenge to stay there. I've kind of given up the ghost at this point.
if after tracking you find you're taking in too many calories and are doing too much eating while you're not really hungry, then do what you need to to get back on track (the suggestions people had of going back to your clinic for support - therapy and/or dietitian is a good one). But if that's not really the case, if this is just the normal rebound that most of us experience, then know it's just that...normal - and also, expected.

Thank you. RNY(Gastric bypass Dec.2019. 2 more back surgeries since bypass, limiting me from my normal activities (walking,exercising,daily chores...).
Starting at.:265. Lowest wt: 170. Presently hovering between 194/ 198.
Had second spinal cord stimulator implanted 8 weeks ago, just received clearance for exercise,.... Very happy and motivated now to get back to more healthy living,habits!

During my pre-op research phase I really got into reading studies published online (pub med or other reliable sources), mainly looking for the expected weight loss trajectory if I went through with it. You can Google your specific procedure and find many such articles.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33042006/ - Timing of Maximal Weight Reduction Following Bariatric Surgery (China), N = 409, compares various surgical outcomes by type of surgery, gender, starting BMI, and other factors
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34768441/ - Long-Term Weight Outcomes after Bariatric Surgery (Saudi Arabia), N = only 91, but check out figure 3. I like that they measure by excess weight lost, not total weight loss. Older studies only refer to total weight loss which is meaningless because everyone starts at a different weight.
Here's a chapter from a 2020 textbook about weight regain after bariatric surgery: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/74559 - Great summary of the medical literature, if you are curious about the stats for weight regain after RNY and also want to know what doctors will recommend for you (structured physical activity, tracking diet, re-operation, etc.). Spoiler alert: you are far from alone in this! For RNY, at 2 years, 17.1% regained > 15% of their 1-year post-op weight lost, but it's TWL not EWL. That study was large, N = 1426.
Hope this helps. Currently, I am post-op and obsessing about whether my EWL % is on par with successful outcomes in the medical literature for my procedure (Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty). But that's a whole 'nother Oprah.

Very helpful, thank you!

Most surgeons and dietitians agree that "pouch resets" are just crash diets. They don't actually reset your pouch (and nothing will, its an organ, its doing what its supposed to and doesn't need to be "reset") or do anything for long term weight loss. What WILL help, is tracking what you eat and staying in a calorie deficit, hitting your protein goal, ensuring you are getting in plenty of water and staying hydrated, and moving your body regularly. Go back to the habits that helped you lose the weight to begin with.
Additionally, some amount of regain is completely normal. Most WLS patients find that their lowest weight isn't their healthiest weight long term. If possible, maybe check in with your surgeon's office and get their insight as well.

Thank you. RNY(Gastric bypass Dec.2019. 2 more back surgeries since bypass, limiting me from my normal activities (walking,exercising,daily chores...).
Starting at.:265. Lowest wt: 170. Presently hovering between 194/ 198.
Had second spinal cord stimulator implanted 8 weeks ago, just received clearance for exercise,.... Very happy and motivated now to get back to more healthy living,habits!

Welcome, RDC. What procedure(s) did you undergo? What was your starting weight, lowest weight, and thus, what percentage are you talking about when you say you gained back 20 pounds? If you lost 200 and regained 10%, it is a very different scenario from losing a total of 25 and regaining 20.
Most people on this board are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help, but you have to give the basic information for their responses to be helpful.

Thank you Kaylee50. RNY(Gastric bypass Dec.2019. 2 more back surgeries since bypass, limiting me from my normal activities (walking,exercising,daily chores...).
Starting at.:265. Lowest wt: 170. Presently hovering between 194/ 198.
Had second spinal cord stimulator implanted 8 weeks ago, just received clearance for exercise,.... Very happy and motivated now to get back to more healthy living,habits!