FatToPhat

Hi! I am 15 years out from DS. I will tell you what I was told not only by my surgeon but more or less everyone in my support group. I say from my support group because when I had surgery there was no DS Surgeon in our state and everyone left the state to have surgery, hence I don't think any of us had the same surgeon other than a married couple. EMBRACE THE FAT!!!! Number one rule! If you don't see fat in your toilet your not eating enough. My skin gets extremely dry any time I cut the fat. I am shocked that you were told or assumed that low fat was great for you. Protein should be about 100 grams a day split up in 20-25 gram servings, so any fatty meat is good!!! Avoid sugar. Sugar isn't as bad for DS'ers as it is for RNY, we don't dump. However, we absorb 100% of the sugar we take in. I am also surprised you can eat bread at all. Most DS'er will have bloating and serious gas issues from bread. For me (and from most I have heard from) the gas hits at the night so you may not be aware of it. For me it has been so bad the stink wakes me up at nigh, thank goodness I can blame the dog Try going flour free for a month then reintroduce it to your body, if you have a reaction please stop.
To make your diet easy for you, the order you should be eating your food, fatty meats, non starchy veggies with butter or olive oil, if your still hungry go back to fatty meat you didn't eat enough!!! Go easy on the starchy veggies. IF you need bread and Desserts, no more than a bite or two. But as my surgeon says, if you still hungry by the time you get to bread and dessert your out eating your surgery! As for malabsorption, you absorb about 20-25% of fat, 50ish% of protein and 100% of sugar (carbs are sugar, stay way from carbs that are not veggies)
You need to go back to experimenting with your body, bread...flour based food give me gas, bloat and in the end a lot of time in the bathroom. I also feel like I have the flu. My husband will look at the cookie in my hand and will ask me if I have plans for tomorrow and is it worth being sick on the couch for. Most of the time it isn't! I also have issues with rice, it will clog me up. I have heard of other DS'ers with that issue with rice too, but many more with flour. Sugar will cause the scale to go up. I still eat sugar, but it is a rare treat, not a daily ,weekly or even monthly treat. Mostly a yearly treat at this time of year. But I still very easy on it because to much will cause bloating and gas too. That is normal for humans who don't eat sugar, not just DS'ers. On the sugar note, if your craving sugar your going thru withdrawal or some Protein Drinks will cause cravings or you need to up your Vitamin Bs special B12.< /span>

Ok, what to eat on the go. I drive for a living so I have this down. My favorite is meat and cheese roll ups. What ever meat and cheese is on sale at the deli. In the roll up I will put a slice of red pepper or a some cream cheese or a smear of spinach dip (fat is your friend!!!) Jerky and beef sticks are great! Nuts. costco has parmesan cheese chips, LOVE THEM! tuna salad eaten with a fork with a cheese chip on top. I get the fatty tuna and a bit of crunch from the cheese chip. Love it! Salad with LOTS of meat. I can do chicken strips, bunless burgers, salad at any fast food place. Be careful of yogurt, most are low fat and high sugar. Actually in general avoid any food that is low fat, the sugar is crazy high. If you want yogurt, plain and add your own fruit or sugar free jam to it. You can eat fruit, pick higher Fiber ones just be aware of the amount of sugar your eating. I do apples slices and berries mostly, easy to pack for the road. These are treats, not staples.
Depression, I never had depression issues before surgery and was not prepared for it after. It hit me about a year out. I take lexapro now, it does not cause weight gain. I have noticed that when I eat more fatty fish, salmon or can tuna in fat (hard to find anymore) I feel better. I upped my omegas when I caught that, so now I am taking those with my Vitamins. I would suggest talking to your primary about depression and then getting a therapist or councilor to talk to. Not only for everything going on in your life, you have a lot! but also for food addiction. Surgery will not fix food addiction and if you don't get a handle on it, you will eventually out eat your surgery.

There is no reason that you can't have Dannon Fit and Light as a snack. Most of us do. It's those regular yogurts that have 4 or 5 grams of Protein and 15 or more carbs that you need to avoid.
I freeze half a banana and put it in Protein drinks. I find they keep me full longer. Bananas do have a lot of carbs in them.
If you're going to eat oatmeal, eat steel cut oatmeal.< /p>
Do you like dill pickles? I find a dill pickle with a piece of lunch meat and a piece of cheese rolled up around it to be very satisfying.
If you really have to have something sweet, have a sf popsicle or sf fudgesicle.

I had DS in March of 2014. I was 290 pounds at the time, down from my all-time high of 328 pounds pre-insurance requirements. I'm 5'3" tall, single, female, and in a demanding graduate school program which will wrap up in May of 2017.I am now at 215 pounds and have hovered around this weight for several months now. I am disappointed in myself for only having lost 75 pounds though when it has been almost 2 years since my surgery. I would like to get down to a healthy BMI and do not care as much about the size that I am, but I do want to get rid of my "hanging apron" stomach as I think it really messes with my self-esteem.

I know that others have had much more dramatic weight loss and have probably given more attention to this process than I have. I also stress eat junk food -- Doritoes, donuts, etc. basically, I am a terrible post DS person! I know there is no excuse but I am in a demanding graduate school program and travel back and forth to take care of two sick parents, one of whom has stage 4 cancer. I chose to get the DS while I was working and still had good health insurance that would cover it knowing that I would be selling my place and moving across the country 5 months later -- so I was prepared for the fact that a lot of different changes would be occurring in my life but thought that I could still focus my energy and attention on this aspect of my life as well.

Unfortunately, I am not doing so well. I am overwhelmed at school (though earning mostly straight A's) and struggling with depression -- thinking about my parents, my general dissatisfaction with my life (I'm resetting my career but will be 35 by the time I graduate next year, unhappy that I am still single, and do not feel good enough for guys because of my current weight, and feel like I only have a handful of good friends in my program, and many of my friends who I left behind are now married and starting families and busy in that transition. Also I am not one to go out binge drinking and my Masters program trends about 5 years younger). The only thing that seems to be turning around is my career, and I am starting to find some good leads for what I can do when I graduate in spring of 2017.

Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to turn my life around when it comes to my health and have tried to focus on myself rather than to be sad about not having as many good friends anymore. (I have enough that I have someone to spend time with at least 2 times a week and really need to just be okay with that). I came to grad school to change an aspect of myself that I was unhappy about (my career) and feel that I should also focus on the other aspect of myself that I am unhappy about (my weight) as it could affect my long-term health, chances of developing cancer and heart disease (like my parents). I am starting to cook more, which I previously did not do. I joined a gym and go for 3-4 hours a week. I need to learn how to use my DS "tool" to my advantage though. I know that I lose when I eat a lot of Protein and less junk food. But I don't understand how much I should be eating to lose, as before I was losing about 2 lbs/week without thinking about it much. I went to see a nutritionist but she is unfamiliar with DS and could not give me any insight. I have seen her twice and gotten some general cooking advice and strategies for planning meals out on the go (since I am at school from morning -- like 8 AM until 8 PM at night some days). I also no longer live in the city where I had my DS and thus do not have access to those nutritionists.

I am trying to focus on the positives like how I reversed my GERD and diabetes and am in much better shape But I am also mad at myself for letting assignments/grades and what is going on with my parents has caused me to revert to old habits and stress eat. I also feel like I barely ever have enough time to sleep let alone do anything else. Hence, I am trying to implement small changes. This week, that has been to try to avoid eating donuts and muffins and to instead give me a weekly allowance of 2 sweets but to have them in a smaller, calorie-controlled format.

I welcome and appreciate any advice and support people can provide, as I am starting to feel pretty hopeless that I have come so far and am just "stuck" now.

Coexister - I’m so sorry you’re having a lot of post-op pain. Not sure if you were informed about this but it is common to have shoulder pain after laparoscopic surgery because that is where the CO2 gas, that was inserted in your abdominal cavity during surgery, goes afterwards. The gas likes to settle into the shoulder area and the best way to get rid of it and relieve the pain is by walking a lot and time. I hope by now you’re feeling better. All the best.
By the way, I don’t shop at Walmart so I can’t comment on their pharmacy policies or roadblocks with fulfilling pain medicine prescriptions. I get my prescriptions from Walgreens and have not had any trouble with filling pain medicine RXs.

Just wanted to update on this topic as I know Gastric Plication is one of the cheaper and less used options for Weight Loss Surgery.
I am now two years post op and have remained at my goal weight since reaching it at almost one year post op.
My relationship with food has completely changed. I still do the things that helped me reach my goal weight such as keeping a food log, weighing my food and sticking to a high protein/low carb diet.
I know a lot of people have not had the same experience as I have had with this surgery. I do not know why my experience is different than most others. I still meal plan, and carefully watch what I eat 80% of the time.
As time has gone on, I am able to eat more as my surgeon had cautioned that I would. I want to mention that I have done a lot of work in regards to understanding why I became so obese in the first place. Surgery will not be a fix to the emotional aspect of obesity and if you are not putting in the work to understand yourself better, no amount of surgery will keep the weight off. I am sure we all know someone who has had WLS and has gained weight back. As I was self funded for my surgery, I wanted to make sure it would provide me with long lasting results. I had to dig deep within myself and really be truthful. I used food as comfort, as entertainment, as a way to soothe myself. I ate out of boredom, out of sorrow, out of happiness. These were behaviors that I had to unlearn. I also was eating more processed food than should be allowed. I now cook more often than I don't, so I have better control of what I am eating. I no longer drink soda or alcohol. Yes, doing those things are hard, but being fat and unhappy was harder. Choose your hard and get real with yourself. This journey should be about more than vanity. It should be about longevity and health. When times get rough and you feel like giving up, you will need a reason that is strong enough to keep you going. My family and being healthy to participate in life like I want to are what keep me going.
With that being said, my life is completely different, healthier and more fulfilling than it was two years ago.
I do not regret my Gastric Plication surgery at all. It has given me everything that I knew I deserved. I have worked hard to lose the weight and have had to strengthen my discipline and willpower. I put in the work everyday to keep the weight off and will have to everyday for the rest of my life.
Surgery alone will not keep you thin. I cannot stress this enough.
I went from 240 pounds (size 16) and have maintained a weight of 160 pounds (size 8) for over a year.

I so agree with the above comment especially the “recovering Type 2 diabetic “ part. Anyone of us past 2 years out is there with you, I know I am. I definitely partook of the holiday cheer this year and I’m so “puffy” right now.

I’m concentrating on wellness for the new year. I do look for inflammatory foods that trip me up and eliminate them from my orbit for a while to get back to evenness. (Don’t know what else to call it?)

Aside from food and movement changes, I struggle with stress. I noticed if I journal, walk, talk to a friend, goof off on a guitar, extra Water weight just falls off. Sometimes I need an extra mineral or Vitamin (Magnesium and Vitamin D I’m looking at you.) I don’t know if any of this helps, but keep trying. There even could be a metabolic reason behind the weight creep. It doesn’t hurt to ask a trusted medical professional. You are not alone in this.

Congrats on the 16 years of success! As we get older, our metabolism likes to mess with us, haha, but this is common. My surgeon told me that after a while, some weight regain will occur, but the best way to restart things is to redo your pre-op diet for 2 weeks, just to jumpstart things.
His plan is at least try to get 64oz of Water a day, start with 2 Protein Shakes for the two meals a day where you typically eat less. On the "big meal" each day, try to get in 6 oz of meat/protein of your choice along with as much leafy greens/broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers as you can. Cut out breads, starchy veggies (potatoes, carrots, etc) for the 2 week duration. Target 60g-80g of Protein, and under 50g of carbs per day (not quite Keto levels, just reduced). Calorie target was around 600-1000 per day, but it is meant to be temporary and not long term, just a jump start.
From my personal experience, sugar/starchy carbs tend to send my cravings off the deep end for up to 3 days after eating them. I'm having to avoid bread, Cookies, cake, candy, tortillas, wraps, potatoes, carrots, rice, and oatmeal whenever I start to regain. Some artificial sweeteners seems to set me off too, but I am a recovering Type 2 diabetic. I haven't isolated which ones affect me yet, but I can drink Fairlife protein shakes without having that sugar craving, and it has Monk Fruit, Stevia, and Sucralose. First day is absolute hell, but after 3 days it eases up considerably.
Give that a try for 2-3 weeks and see if that helps with the weight loss. After that time, start working in your normal foods again, but give them a few days to see if any are triggering the new weight gain to happen again to see what's worth keeping. Slowly increase your calories to find the amount that works best for you long term. You want the range that lets you have the energy you need without weight gain. Some people may be only 1000 calories, others 1200, and others may be closer to 1800, so there's no exact number that works for every single person.
Good luck, and I wish you well on your journey!

Mike Dumas, Are you still on here and did you get the surgery? How are you doing?

I had looked into WLS for years but was too scared to do it until I ended up on my back in bed for over a week with severe back and sciatica pain from 3 pinched nerves due to collapsed discs. That did it for me! I got WLS done within 2 months of that incident. I am only down 40 lbs so far but am definitely feeling the difference on my back and knees. I'm wondering if you ended up getting the surgery and how you and your back and knees are doing now?

I had looked into WLS for years but was too scared to do it until I ended up on my back in bed for over a week with severe back and sciatica pain from 3 pinched nerves due to collapsed discs. That did it for me! I got WLS done within 2 months of that incident. I am only down 40 lbs so far but am definitely feeling the difference on my back and knees. I'm wondering if you ended up getting the surgery and how you and your back and knees are doing now?

DSers take many, many more vitamins/minerals than any other WLS. It's due to the intense malabsorption. It's definitely something to consider (price-wise) when deciding whether the DS is the right surgery for you.
Almost all of us don't take a B12 supplement. That's much more with RNYers. ADEK is good for maybe the first year (if that). After that we have to supplement separately. ADEK isn't enough. Your Calcium number is about right. I take over 4000 units per day of calcium citrate. Your Vit. D3 will mostly likely be between 50,000-150,000 iu per day. Of course, this isn't right when you start out. You'll have stores built up inside your body. It's as time goes on and determined by your blood draws (done twice a year or yearly depending on your surgical team).
And remember, DSers can only take dry vitamins/minerals (capsules or tablets). No gelcaps or anything oil based. That would blow right though us.

@ChaosUnlimited just do it. You'll thank yourself later when you don't regain every pound like many many sleeve patients do. The malabsorption helps make up for our "human" moments when we just don't make the best decisions.

I'm glad. You'll get there too.
I'm unsure how much you're able to eat at 1 year out. I eat 125+ grams of Protein on most days. I hate to say it, but you need to try and force it down. Is there nothing you really like? I'm not talking about shakes (which if you can't stomach food then shakes are a necessity. I drank at least one for the first two years, postop, as I just couldn't eat enough) but real food. I eat steak, lamb chops, hamburgers, fish, fowl, deli meats, cheeses, nuts, etc. Anything and everything. Remember, there's no counting calories with the DS. Just protein grams and sugars (simple carbs, too).
What about your fat intake? That will help with constipation, To grease the wheels so to speak. How 'bout butter on your steak? Full fat mayo is a must. We need that fat to help us 'go'.
If I want to lose a few it'll be a ton of protein. With lots of Water and Crystal Light and very very low carbs. More protein & fluids = weight loss.

I came across this topic a while back. Didn't pay much attention as I was fresh out of surgery (mini gastric bypass). I went back to work 1 week post op, and a nurse I work with said: you are wasting away! (It was the preop that caused the dramatic weight loss of *drumroll* 14 lbs
If I'm "wasting away" after 14 lbs, what am I after 40? 80?
I didn't have a ready come back, I said "I'm sick" lmao I don't know why. She shut up right away.
I regret saying that now. Sigh.

I'm a few years out but I didn't hide it from anyone. I told my loved ones and coworkers without hesitation, I'm a very open person and trying to cover up why I would be melting away wasn't gonna work for me. I was surprised at how supportive everyone was (except a few) and how many had questions because they were either curious or wanted information for themselves or someone they knew. I felt like my honesty would be a blessing for someone and it turns out it was a blessing for 8 others who had battled their weight since they could remember.

I'm really open with people about my surgery. I don't think it's fair for people to think I'm dropping weight this fast because I'm eating right and exercising. I know that when I was bigger, and people told me that, I always wondered why it never worked for me and got discouraged. I try to use my surgery as a way to build people up, ya know?
I definitely understand keeping it private though. I don't post about it on Facebook, or at least I haven't yet, but when people ask I tell them.

Yes. 98% of us have experienced it, and gotten through it. Gotten through many more, too. Here's why this particular stall happens:
A "stall" a few weeks after surgery is not uncommon, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs. of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when a patient is not getting in enough food, the body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. Then when 2 lbs. of glycogen is used a patient will also lose 8 lbs. of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs. that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
However, when the body stays in a caloric deficit state the body starts to realize that this is not a short-term problem. Then the body starts mobilizing fat from adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But the body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. As it puts back the 2 lbs. of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs. of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though the patient might still be losing energy content to their body, the weight will not go down or it might even gain for a while as the retention of water dissolves the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

I prefer the butt wipe that contain witch hazel. Soothing but not greasy. Or just dump a bit of witch hazel into the packet of wipes you have. Use the rest of the bottle as a toner for your face.

Just an update: Things are significantly better. That day must have been my lowest day after surgery. I feel one thousand times better, and I'm pretty much pain free. I was rolling over in my bed last night, and I was thinking how nice it was to roll over and not have anything hurt. Thanks again for the support, y'all! It really was just those first two weeks after surgery that were so rough!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

Taking the step to go to therapy is a big one. It's weird to go sit in a room with someone you don't know and tell them intimate and personal things about yourself, I totally get that. I think everyone does and that's why a lot of people don't go. But honestly, after I got over the initial "weirdness" of it, I looked forward to my appointments. It was a place where I could "purge" everything emotionally and walk away feeling like I knew what I had to do to move forward in a positive way, and I always felt changed for the better.
Just having someone completely objective to talk with that knows how to handle the things you're going through and struggling with -it's huge. I always felt like the emotional side of things was harder than anything else for me, but that was my journey.
In any case, I wish you the very best in whatever you decide. Just know that even though there's struggles, it gets better. It's hard to see when you're in the muck of it, but it does. You're going to be ok.

What you are experiencing is completely normal. It's "buyer's remorse" in the weight loss surgery world, and we all go through it in one form or another. The first year is really the toughest with the physical and emotional changes - you're going through a LOT. You think that life will never feel "normal" again, but it will. You have to treat your body and yourself with kid gloves, and it's a lot of work and can wear on you emotionally.

I'm not sure what your post-care plan is, but one of the best things that I did for myself was regular weekly therapy to deal with all of the massive changes in my life. I really didn't want to go at first, but I found that it was one of the best tools that I had to deal with coping and working through everything. If your insurance doesn't cover it, there are many therapists that work on a sliding scale fee. Even if you can get a once a month appointment could work wonders. If you're going to post-op support groups, this only doubles up on the amount of support you get and you'll be able to rock it!
I'm almost nine years out. I remember having buyers remorse a LOT in the first year. I remember thinking life would never be normal again. I promise you, it will be. Hang in there!

The Duodenal Switch is the most aggressive of all the weight loss surgeries, so I reckon it'll have the toughest recovery physically...but I imagine you knew that, going in. What you're enduring mentally, though, pretty much everyone goes through in some form or another, I think. My first couple of weeks, I was pretty obsessed with food. I was watching food Network a lot. I don't know why I was torturing myself but it was like my brain was raging against the fact that I had taken away its comfort, entertainment...whatever. It was almost like it was trying to punish me, reminding me of what I'd given up. Eventually I started to think of it that way; that my psyche had become so accustomed to using food in ways other than simply providing fuel, that it was rebelling against the change.
But you know what? It passed. The obsessing about food passed, and each strange new wrinkle that I have to deal with mentally or emotionally has passed, given time and exposure. I just realized over the past couple of days that I no longer feel weird about my portions. I used to be dealing with the feeling that it wasn't enough, every time I put my little portion on a plate. Now it feels normal to me.
You are going to go through ups and downs mentally, but be aware of them. Think about why you're feeling the way you are and ask yourself if it's rational. You know why you had the surgery, you know what you wanted to achieve through it. You knew what you were giving up, and the reasons for it. This is where the rubber hits the road...you've had the surgery, and now it's time to change. And I think most of us know that you're feeling the resistance to change that your "old brain" is putting up, because we've all felt it in some form or another. And the unfortunate thing is, we'll all probably be dealing with that for the rest of our lives...working to counteract those impulses. But you took a big step to get it under control...and that is what you've done. You have taken measures that will allow you to get it under control.
The physical stuff will improve as you heal, a little better every day. The mental stuff will take time and conscious effort to change. But it'll come together, you just have to be patient and diligent. Just do what you can. As for the "doctoring" your Protein shakes, I'm afraid of what that means...but I am hoping it doesn't mean adding stuff you shouldn't be having, because you'll only be causing yourself problems if you do that. If all you can do is drink Protein Shakes and you need to skip meals, then do that - as long as you are getting your Protein every day, and you are getting your Water, you will be fine. Over time, you'll get meals in too...just don't sweat it. One foot in front of the other.
And stay off the scale for a few weeks. People obsess about the scale. It is your enemy, avoid it. I am only weighing once a month, personally.

SIPS support group on FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SIPSbariatrics/

At some point EVERY surgery wasn't around for a long time. Although you had the sleeve in comparison to RNY, the sleeve hasn't been around for a long time either. The decision is solely between an individual and their surgeon, so I wish everyone the best no matter which surgery they choose!

Congrats! Good to know I'm not the only nasty pooping machine