Food for Thought: Could regain be due to nutrient deficiency

The thing about calcium is that the blood never really sees a deficiency until it is too late - that is, until the bones have become porous from leeching. Please, if you are feeling the craving for cheese take a huge amount of supplementation also. Listen to your body. Taking anatomy and physiology has opened my eyes to the way the body tries to preserve itself in the face of deficiency by essentially killing off the non-vital parts first to sustain the vital ones. Only, I like my non-vital parts too. Bones are helpful, teeth being able to be held into their sockets are a delight and I've gotten used to them.

I do supplement with calcium and D.  It doesn't taste anywhere near as good as cheese.  I recently had a bone scan and I am in good shape for a 62 Y/O lady.

I am on a medication for an unrelated problem that can cause osteoporosis, so I am being very careful.  

I think it might be a piece of the puzzle for some, but I doubt it's true for many, and certainly not the majority of regainers. We should be having labs run thoroughly and frequently enough to know if there is some sort of deficiency serious enough to alter our eating habits. I would also say that a deficiency would likely make one want to eat certain foods or types of foods (and I don't mean cookies and cakes), not necessarily graze or otherwise change habits.

The comment you made about malabsorption slowing or stopping around the two-year mark - that pertains to calories ONLY, not micronutrients. It's also not a lightswitch at 2 years, but rather a gradual process from early out through about 18-to-24 months post-op. I think this could be a contributing factor as well, but I doubt it is to blame for most regain.