1300-1400 calories

It depends on your body.  The studies show that the body overcomes 80-90% of the malabsorption by about 18 months after surgery.

Lora

I beleive most malabsorbtion is gone between 12-18 months you will have some lifetime but not as much,i think your calories are fine depending on your metabilism and exercise program,as others stated.

I am coming up on 3 years out and I am only able to get 900-1000 a day. I just have that much restriction! I try for 1400, but never reach that unless I eat junk food.

WHOA! This is new to me. I do know that after a year or so the honeymoon is over and we have to start working harder to get the weight off and to keep it off.

But I was never really clear on what happens to make this change. I thought that it was because we get used to the pouch and eat more than we should.

But now Cindy and Dianabelle seem to be saying that it is because the malabsorbtion stops. Is that true? How does it work? Does the remaining part of the intestines somehow become able to digest foods that it was never able to digest before?

 The way my surgeon explained it to us was that the intestines do a great job of healing themselves and adapting to the changes (which is what takes time).  Over time, you'll be able to start absorbing most of your protein and other things.

Except, she said, for minerals and vitamins, which is why it's important to supplement.  

you malabsorbtion is due to the bypass of the intenstine so to compensate for this your body will grow more villi in the portion that is not bypassed increasing the absorbtion.

I don't think it is right to say that you will always malabsorb or that you will stop 100%. As we all go through this we learn what our bodies do are unique to each of us so what and when my body does it probably won't be the same as you.

I thinkthe reason most say it goes away is that they don't want you going into this believing that you will always absorb the same as you did the day you came out of surgery.

I'm 15 weeks out yesterday, and I get between 1100-1400 calories a day.  I work out 5 days a week (M-W-F I swim a mile and a half, and T-Th I lift weights and swim 3/4 of a mile), and track everything I eat and drink, every day.  I measure everything out.  I plan all my food.  Up until 4 weeks ago, I was getting 650-800 calories a day, and doing everything else the same.  I was losing 1-3 pounds a week.  I started eating more, per my dietitian's pleas, despite not wanting to, and a things changed...I now lose 3-5 pounds a week, I don't need a nap (I still like to take them though LoL) by 3pm every day, my hair loss slowed down, my skin cleared up...I was probably close enough to starving myself that I was slowing myself down. 

I just had my last mandatory visit with the dietitian today.  She has access to my food tracking online, and I fill out a menu form every time I go, and she was just thrilled with my current plan, and urged me to stick with it as long as I can, preferably forever.  She called me a model patient, and asked me to please still come to the center so she can talk to me and have me talk to other people there, and please come to support group meetings.  I was floored.  I was panicking before my visit, thinking OMG she's gonna blow a fuse, I'm eating so much food, but she said it's all proportioned and timed fantastically.  I'm getting about 30% of my calories from complex carbs (I do not buy or plan simple carbs into my diet), 30% from fat, and about 40% from protein.  Needless to say, it made my day, and is probably the most flattering thing anyone has said about my weight loss, because I've put a lot of time, effort, research and planning into my diet.  *stepping down from my pedestal now sorry*

I just blogged a long blog about my new relationship with food, and posted my daily menu.  It's REALLY hard to eat, and to eat as often as I do, and "as much" as I do, and I often feel like it's a chore and I'm force feeding myself.  I look at it this way...if I don't eat _______, I won't have the energy to do __________."  A lot of things are coming into perspective. 

Feed your body, it needs it.  If you don't give it enough, it really will hinder your efforts to lose weight.  You won't stop, but you will slow down.  And, you'll feel miserable.  It's amazing what 1400 healthy, balanced, well thought out calories can do for your mind & body.  

Keep on keepin' on,
Gina :~)

 Gina,

Do you have a public blog? I'd love to read it and see your menu!!! I am 13 wks out and was told to up my calories and food by my dietitician yesterday. 

I *believe* my blog is public.  Please feel free to visit and ask any questions you have.  It took a month to get this figured out, and if it helps someone else then it's definitely been worth the effort!  It was daunting when she said I needed at minimum 1200, when I was eating at maximum 800; there were a few nights of trial and error and throwing up, but once I found a way to spread them out it was magic.  I have an alarm on my phone, damn thing goes off every 2 hours starting at 8am until 9pm LoL  

Gina :~)

 
When I click on your blog in your profile, it says that you have not posted anything. Am I doing something wrong? (I tried clicking on the archives and same thing happened) Grrrrr!