Gastric-Bypass Surgery Question

mreko2005
mreko2005 Posts: 56
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Once or twice, after logging my calories for the day, I've received the message that I'm not taking in enough calories and that my body may go into "starvation mode", which will hinder my ability to lose weight.

I just finish watching a documentary about a 625 lb. woman who had gastric-bypass surgery. After the surgery she was only able to eat a few ounces of food a day, yet she lost over 100 lbs. in less than three months. Why don't the bodies of people whom elect to have this surgery go into "starvation mode" if they can only consume a few ounces a day?

Replies

  • bakingmadness
    bakingmadness Posts: 70 Member
    I've had this procedure and even though I could only eat 4 ounces of food 3x a day, I didn't go into starvation mode because I was eating much healthier and smarter than I ever had before. After this procedure you take a ton of vitamins and supplements to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs. I learned to eat more protein and vegetables and consume few carbs and sugar to make sure my body functioned on a healthy level.
  • rachelboddy
    rachelboddy Posts: 115 Member
    It's a very good question and I had asked the same question as well. I believe it has to do with the "full" feeling, and the hormones that take effect once your body feels "full". So, without the surgery, your body is not going to hit the full feeling, and therefore the wrong hormones will be released to hold on to stored food. When you have had the surgery, the right hormones and functions happen because your body assumes it has undertaken the right amount of food. I hope this makes sense?
  • kriskaryl
    kriskaryl Posts: 120 Member
    I had gastric bypass July 2011. I actually did go through a period of ketosis in the beginning, which is normal. The body does think it is starving, but with vitamin suppliments and protein intake, that doesn't happen. The ketosis causes a funky smell to your breath and urine. It can be embarrassing. It only lasted a few weeks and was gone before I knew it.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Because people who have this surgery are obese. They have a LOT more weight to lose.

    If you read stories they eat very, very little and the regaining is very high for people who have WLS. (similar numbers to people who lose it without WLS and then regain) It does happen but because they are eating so little (and it really is little, a girl I work with has just had it done and she eats next to nothing) it's flat out 'starvation' but their bodies have been adapted to allow this.
  • bohdanko
    bohdanko Posts: 16 Member
    This actually addresses something I have thought about asking here. I was never a big fan of the "starvation mode" theory, but I may have to revise my opinion of the various research. I had a different bariatric procedure in December (gastric plication) and lost well at first, but things have slowed down considerably. I have not lost anything in nearly 2 weeks now - in fact, I'm up 1/2 a pound. I'm averaging maybe 1000 calories per day, and I am exercising. I know it's not over-estimating food because I am unable to eat more than a cup of food at a time - usually only about 3/4 of a cup.

    So ... I don't know. I've been wondering about this myself and wondering if anyone knows more than I do. I definitely plan to bring it up at my next visit with the nutritionist.
  • chuckles217
    chuckles217 Posts: 123 Member
    Though the thyroid is king at it, many factors (a lot of which are unknown) contribute to your basal metabolism. They are finding very specific hormones this day in time such as GLP-1 which has become a new type 2 diabetic therapy target since it contributes to increased insulin response, increased satiety and is known for aiding in rapid weight loss when administered. Its a rapid acting short term hormone released when the stomach undergoes stretching. Current thoughts are that there are many many hormones such as this one that are out of balance during various stages of metabolic syndrome (especially type 2 diabetics).

    One theory I recently read is that the shrinking of the stomach size by surgery increases its tendency to distend and release some of these hormones such as GLP-1 and that aids in part of the effectiveness of bariatric surgery. Eventually these hormones experience enough negative feedback that a new balance is reached and their effects are neutralized. This can relate to a given "starvation mode" in that various plateaus may be reached due to a temporary drop in these hormones.

    Another note is that exercise drives the speed of the krebs/citric acid/whateveryoucallit cycle. The faster this cycle goes, the "higher" the metabolism per say (most of this is predetermined genetically as research points to) but this is where the thyroid hormone has a say as it can speed or slow this cycle contributing to basal metabolic rates.

    Only further research will tell though.

    I'd vote for people to avoid bariatric surgery at all costs and use it as a last ditch effort to save your life. It has many many unintended side effects.
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