[Dan1953]

I know that after a Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass (which I had a year ago last September) there is some malabsorption of calories from food. What nobody seems to be able to tell me is, how much is it? Do you absorb 80% of the calories in the food you eat? 70%? 90%? Is it different depending on what kind of food it is-- protein, or fat, or carbs?

The reason I'm wondering is this: my wife is on Weight Watchers (which I know very well-- I lost a lot of weight on WW, gained it all back and then some, and finally decided on surgery.) My weight loss has pretty much stopped, but I wouldn't mind going on WW with her, as I still would like to lose a few more pounds.

As you may know, on WW they count "Points", which are based on the calories, fat, and fiber in foods. You get a certain number of Points you should eat per day. WW makes a big deal about not eating too few Points, because it supposedly causes your metabolism to slow down (the dreaded "Starvation Mode" your body supposedly goes into.) BUT, that WW Points total doesn't take into account the fact that as a Gastric Bypass patient, I don't absorb all the nutrients (and especially all the calories) in my food. If I had an idea what the % is I'm "losing" to malabsorption, I could adjust the Points total upwards to reflect that.

So, does anybody have a clue? I asked my nurse at my Weight Loss Center, and she didn't-- she told me nobody had ever asked her for a percentage! And I've been online looking at Google entries for the last 3 hours, and I haven't found the info there, either

[BreeChick]

My understanding from my surgeon was the malabsorption is based on how long a bypass you have..distal being the most with least absorption on down.

But this one thing i DO know we need protein. I'm not a big supporter of carbs or grains/etc as they seem to blow up inside me and stop me up and cause a LOT of pain.

dense protein first and most of all. Personally I can't eat fruits either so that is all out for me too and lettuce...most vegetables. But don't even get me started! But hey..each person is different!

The weight loss center would have provided you information from a nutritionist whose specialty is based on nutrition with weight loss surgery patients. We are NOT like regular people trying to lose weight and we are NOT like regular thin people once we lose the weight either. So therefore OUR needs are very different. We have to relearn everything to do with nutrition and how it pertains to us post op for long term, it's not a short term way of eating, it has to become a way of life.

I always compare it to learning a new language. You learn the baby words, try to make baby sentences and it's all nonsense for the longest time and one day a light goes on and you start dreaming about talking in that language and then one day someone is talking to YOU in that language and you understand what they are saying, not just the 'gist' of it, ALL of it.

be patient, persist in learning and it will make sense. I really wish a nutritionist would write a book for us that explains a lot of things nutritionally and also in regard to the medical state of anorexia that the surgery puts us in.

FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal is an awesome site for tracking your food, seeing the ratios that work for YOU best and for that 'click' to happen in understanding what you're supposed to do. There's not an easy answer in that each person even after the surgery is different in the ratios that work best for them!

[MsVickie]

I imagne Doc Sanae will have your answer. I wanted to say hi!
Im still preop but my Surgeon told me when I stop losing weight that I would benefit a great deal If i got a weight watcher book and followed that along for the amounts you eat.

[DocSanae]

As BreeChick says, basically, the rate of absorption/malabsorption depends on how much of your intestines is bypassed. Also, most of the improtant nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are absorbed in the bypassed intestines, so this is an issue with all GBS patients. That's why you need to take vitamins and minerals as supplements for life.
So, it's best to follow your intake and output with a system that has been developed with the bypass surgery in mind, not the conventional diets that are geared for those who haven't had surgery.

(((((((HUGS))))) Hope this info helps.

That said, the rate of absorption also changes--our bodies are miraculous when it comes to "recovery", while you are early out, the rate will be true to the area bypassed, but as time passes, and the years go by, the remaining intestines will "recover" some of the loss, so you will absorb more than immediately after surgery. However, most since vitamins and minerals need special enzymes and agents to be absorbed and utilized that are are produced mainly in the lower portion of the stomach and the duodenum, this malabsorption will basically remain the same for life. It's the absorption of protein, fat and carbs that recovers, though not completely.