Expert: Diminishing Dawn - 8/3/2010

Question
Hello. Im afraid that this far out i will be unable to lose anymore weight. Is it true that after a year the pouch quits working?

Answer
False.

The pouch does not quit working.  Malabsorption diminishes over time (the body is really amazing at adapting to its own shortcomings) so after a while (usually 1.5-2 years), there is not as much malabsorption of fat and calories.  The restrictive nature of the pouch however is usually in place for the rest of your life.  

Can you change that? Absolutely, you can continue to push and push your boundaries so that the quantity of food gets bigger over time.  You can drink with your meals which can increase the size of the stoma.  You can graze and eat constantly, so that although you are eating small amounts you are still taking in a lot of calories. In essence, 6 months out, some of us could easily eat 3 big macs a day if we wanted to - we'd just eat a little here and a little there.  It's still ALL ABOUT making healthy choices.

After a few years, you become like everyone else on the planet and have to work very hard to lose weight. This is a tool and the key is to use it wisely.  The first year and a half especially is what is called "the window of opportunity" so you want to follow all rules 100%, exercise to get off even more weight and to avoid simple carbs/junkfood.  Focus on protein!

Dawn