Energy Balance Following Gastric Bypass Surgery: A Pilot Study of Daily Caloric Intake and Step Count

Background: The popularity of weight loss surgery (WLS) has surged in the United States during the past decade. Although obesity-related comorbidities show improvement with WLS, there is limited research about long-term weight maintenance strategies.Methods: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore daily caloric intake and walking behaviors associated with weight maintenance in post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients (n = 24) two or more years postsurgery. Demographic, anthropometric, food record, and step count data were collected.Results: Weight maintenance was stable at a mean body mass index of 33.7 +/- 8kg/m(2). Weight regained from the lowest reported weight averaged 16.2 +/- 12.7 kg. Of this sample, 18 (75%) have sustained a weight loss >= 50% of their excess body weight. A mean total caloric intake of 1,429 +/- 411 calories was reported with a caloric breakdown of 43% from carbohydrate, 17% from protein, and 39% from fat. Of those individuals who identified themselves as currently gaining weight (n = 9), a caloric intake of approximately of 1,630 +/- 532 kcals and 3,217 +/- 1,155 steps per day were recorded. Compared to those individuals who were sustaining a significant weight loss (n = 15), approximately 1,343 +/- 275 kcals were consumed per day and they averaged 6,915 +/- 3,715 steps per day. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for step count (t(17) = 3.81, p < 0.001). The estimated caloric difference to sustain a lower weight was approximately 500 calories when calculating energy intake plus walking behaviors.Conclusion: A lower caloric intake and higher energy expenditure in walking behavior appears to have a positive association to weight stabilization following WLS.