Long-term weight loss

So I'm getting close to being 3 years out from surgery and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing with their RNY.

Basically at this point, I don't feel like the surgery is all that useful anymore, going forward. As far as restriction goes, I always feel quite a bit of restriction when I'm eating my first meal of the day but subsequent meals I only feel a little restriction and can easily eat past it if I desire. I never really got dumping syndrome unless I did something incredibly stupid like eating a bowl of broccoli and cheese soup from a certain fast food restaurant that has 20g fat per serving.

Is this normal being this far out? The past year I've been about 35 lbs from goal. There's always room for improvement on the physical activity front but things would sure be easier if I felt stuffed after two bites, like old times :) I feel lucky that I haven't had massive regains or anything like that, but it sucks being so close and yet feeling like I'm permanently stuck at a weight that is just outside ideal.

Unfortunately along with your restriction changes (which I am not sure are very common) it is pretty common at about 3 years out to lose your malaborption so that you will have to decrease your intake and/or increase your exercise in order to maintain.  You will be absorbing nearly everything from here on out (except for vites which you will malabsorb forever).

So watch that scale and try to avoid the regain.

~Becky

A lot of people express this. From year three on, it's supposed to be a lot of work, or more work. The malabsorption (according to some) has gone byebye, so now it's all restriction and willpower (and according to some diet and exercise) 

Question for you..... do you drink with your meals? If so I would encourage you to stop doing so.... that will help you feel greater restriction.

MY experience has been that my restriction seems worse over time. I dump (but only 30% do), and my dumping has gotten worse, and I'm also lactose intolerant postop AND I have reactive hypoglycemia. Until I had surgery on my tailbone and was laid up for more than a month, I was battling to keep the weight I had and not lose more..... I regained 7 pounds with a month of idleness and nothing to do but eat.

Today I had a meal with solid protein.... three ounces of turkey and other salad fixins..... and i remembered why I eat turkey salads so infrequently now....I was full for three hours.

(I'm three years and a month or so out)

 I drink with my meal. I haven't actually thought about that in a long time, but it seems like a good idea to stop.

I have a question. When you say you feel "full" after three ounces of protein, are you referring to full in the more traditional sense (as a lack of hunger) or do you still feel "stuffed" after three ounces the way you would immediately after surgery?

It was nine months postop before I felt "full" ...... but it kicked in with a vengeance....I could eat a lot more until then.

Today, I had a cup-sized salad, whi*****luded 3 ounces of solid protein... turkey. I was VERY stuffed at the end of  the meal..... and still feeling stuffed three hours later (I eat every three hours to stave off a reactive hypoglycemic event)

I do not feel hunger.... EVER so that is not a part of my equation. I'm simply FULL in that I know that if I drink anything I will throw up (I can't drink with my meals, that makes me vomit)

 David,

If you roast a turkey breast, put it in the refrigerator, and allow yourself to eat as much as you want of that and only non-starchy vegetables and salad, you will be amazed at how your pouch will fill up.

It is the carbs and slider foods that don't fill us up.  Turkey breast, fish, lean pork, chicken, and very lean beef will make you feel full.  Even a little drinking with meals will make your pouch empty quickly.

Here is a video demo about drinking with meals

http://formerfatdudes.com/2009/11/friends-dont-let-friends-d rink-and-eat/

That's an awesome link! 

It's interesting, I didn't think I'd be the one that needs "lecturing" on drinking and eating at the same time but I really just haven't thought about that in awhile. 

As for slider foods, I think you might be right. I haven't been super strict with the types of foods I've been eating for some time but it  seems like when I eat a serving of meat (lean or otherwise) I stay fairly full for a longer time. I think maybe if I cut out drinking and eating at the same time and get back to eating leaner proteins I'll get back to seeing results. Thanks for the help!

I'm three and a half months ahead of you -- it's not easy and I often say that I feel like I never had surgery. My number one piece of advice to newbies is to not rely on your surgery to keep you compliant. Restriction can lessen and malabsorption goes away with an RNY.

You have to stay true to the rules most of the time..no drinking with meals, protein first, and exercise (i'm a huge fan of that third one btw)....

It's not easy but can be done. You may want to visit the Graduates forum, too.

Good luck!

Thanks for the link to my video/site!

David... if you've ever thought about blogging, it would be great to have some of your thoughts/struggles/etc for my site...

You're about a year ahead of me, and I think having someone, specifically a guy, talking about some of the struggles for those getting further out would be a great thing to have out there.

Sure, although I'm pretty much at the same weight you are so I'm not sure how useful I would be.