Numbers can be deceptive but a conservative estimate is that there is a 50/50 chance that you will experience dumping following gastric bypass. Reality check - that means that there is a 50% chance that you might not experience dumping at all. It is a mistake going into bariatric surgery assuming that dumping will occur. But in the overall scheme of things - dumping is just not that important.
There is a long list of benefits associated with bariatric surgery including improvement or resolution of more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity including type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, cardio vascular disease and many more. Not a single one of these benefits is attributed to dumping. None. Zero.
You certainly are not alone in having a pre-op sweet tooth and I'm sure others will share their post-op experiences. For now, consider the importance of what you likely heard at your seminar - lifestyle changes. The surgery is not a magic bullet. It can be defeated. Healthcare professionals seem to do a very good job of stressing the importance of lifestyle changes, but perhaps they are less effective in helping folks understand how to achieve those changes.
In my experience, the key is "follow your plan". As closely to the letter as you possibly can. Your team will almost certainly give you detailed instructions regarding what your plan is for each stage of your journey. It is the act of following that plan, literally living that plan, that produces the all-important lifestyle changes. In the beginning, it can be challenging. But changes are taking place, even though you may not be aware of them. Every day it becomes a little easier. Every day you think about it a little less. Every day that you follow your plan is a success worthy of celebrating. Some tips for your consideration:
Stay focused - follow your plan as closely to the letter as you possibly can.
Stay positive - as long as you are following your plan, there is absolutely no doubt that you will lose weight. The laws of science and the universe cannot be denied. Trust the process.
Stay patient - forget about a timeline. Commit to following your plan for as long as it takes. Never compare your weight loss to someone else's weight loss. Everyone is different. There are simply too many variables.
Exercise - when cleared by your doctor, exercise at least three times a week. Exercise does not have to be synonymous with working your body to exhaustion. I lost 130 lbs just plain old walking. Three or more times per week. I started with 20 minutes each time. Today I walk about 3 miles at least three times a week, sometimes more.
Stay away from the scales - we all understand the temptation. But there are going to be times when you lose weight very quickly, other times when you lose more slowly, and still other times when you don't lose at all. You know those times are coming. You know they're all perfectly normal. If you measure your success by the number on the scale, it is frustrating, stressful, discouraging and even self-defeating. Regardless of what your weight is doing, your response is a l w a y s the same - follow your plan. The weight will take care of itself. Do your best to resist the temptation to weigh more often than every two weeks.
Maintain a food log - My Fitness Pal is highly recommended but there are a number of apps that do essentially the same thing. There are countless benefits to using a food log but perhaps this is the most important one - clinical studies have proven, again and again, that folks who maintain a food log lose more weight, lose it faster and are more successful at maintaining their weight than those who don't. Next to the surgery, food logs are the most powerful tool you can have in your arsenal.
Forget about a weight goal - I know, this is a tough one, but it has great benefits. Commit to following your plan until your body tells you that it's at the weight it wants to be at. In my case my weight stabilized at 155 just a little under 14 months post-op. Today, a year and a half later, I'm at 153. That's where my body wants to be. Your journey will be less stressful, less frustrating, more fun, and much easier if you just trust the process, trust your body, and let it happen.
Your goal is physical change but your challenge is mental discipline. Follow your plan and...
You're gonna love the new you!!
