question about malabsorption

hello grads!  I am a little over one year out from lap RNY and wondering...

will we always malabsorb?  if not, how long does it last?  just trying to anticipate when the weight loss will completely stop (and it has slowed wwwaaayyyyy down) and when i need to be particularly careful of bounce back...

thanks!

RNY surgery is a surgery that alters the size of your stomach, and causes malabsorption, thus causing wt loss. So your stomach will be about the same size (may stretch somewhat) and you'll always have malabsorption issues. Your body should "even out" in regards to wt as you learn to eat what is healthy over time. I lost 100 pound in a year as a post op. I've lost another 38 pounds or so, now down to 186, in the next 16 months. Yes your wt loss will slow down at your stage, but many patients have a "slight bounce" in wt gain at 2 years plus. I try to be as careful as possible, and my wt at 28 months is + - 2 pounds at this time. I feel healthy at this wt, so I'm not making any concerted effort at any more wt loos--BMI around 24. DAVE

Yes and no....Yes we will continue to malabsorb nutrients and fats, although your body may or may not find ways to compensate and absorb more than newly pre op but less than post op...HOWEVER...It will always absorb calories/sugar/carbs...so if you eat more than what you maintain ...a pound is still 3500 calories and if you eat 1500 cals a day and add 3500 extra a month or a week, you will gain a pound a month or a week...and at the same time if you are not taking your vitamins...could still be malnourished and end up with vitamin deficiencies...

I know this is all true because that is EXACTLY what happened to me at year 4....That was 6-8 months ago...I gained 10 pounds from eating bad choices and just falling completely off track with everything...I went on to lose my ten pounds about the time I had set up labs and I was stunned to find out I was anemic (I was not taking my iron pills for over a year) or my multi vits and calcium citrate on a daily regimen.  I just got a bit complacent and took them when I remembered (maybe every several days or even weeks).  I was so low or deficient in A, E, D, Zinc, magnesium and Iron and many of my blood counts were very low.  Dangerously low that the doc ordered me to two monthss bed rest and not to tax my heart or do anything stressful (not even a dinner party or outing)

6 months later (now) I am no longer anemic but still have low ferritin...I am selenium deficient now too...After supplementing vits...I am finally out of my lows...and my thyroid is quitting on me again after 4 years...Hypothyroidism!  (but that's not malabsorption related...unless I was not getting enough protein which I certainly do! )    So keep up with your labs and vits and watch your daily diet.  Stay on top of weight fluxes...If you start gaining, you need to either (or both ) cut back on calories and step up the exercise.  It's always worked for me....4 1/2  years maintaining 150lb loss. 

Star****ching it now.  Keep on top of weekly weight fluccuations...It's so much easier to work on a few pounds as soon as you can rather than wait til they've accumulated.  Surgery makes that part of it easier....but you still have the brain to deal with and if you become unfocused/undisciplined like I did, you'll end up with a hill of weight rather than a few pounds...so don't worry, just stay focused and watch yourself...Every now and then, weigh out your food to make sure it's a serving and not a serving or two!  It's easy to add an extra ounce here and there...Or extra calories from fat or carbs that you don't need.....Just don't do it regularly!  Moderation for those things and it's that easy! 

thanks to you both for your very informative and thoughtful responses!!