DS-ers! Question about food intake!

[KWeilbrenner09 88]

Hey guys!

I'm scheduled Monday for surgery and I wanted to reach out to see about how much you are able to eat with you DS. I know the pouch is bigger than just the sleeve, but I'm not clear on exactly how much!

Just trying to get ready for meal prepping and portion control! Thanks!

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[RickM 1,753]

How much difference in sleeve size is used between a DS and a stand alone VSG is largely a surgeon's preference and what he perceives to be best for a particular patient - some will cookie cutter things while others will more closely tailor the procedure. Classically, the DS sleeve would be around twice the size of a VSG sleeve - a bougie size of 56-60 is/was common for the DS while the VSG is usually based upon a 32-40 bougie; then there are differences in overall stomach length that will determine what the initial capacity is - taller men tend to have longer stomachs than shorter women.

My wife had a DS 11+ years ago and her initial stomach size was about 4 oz. I had a VSG 5+ years ago and my initial stomach size was about 2.5 oz. Initially, she had more apparent inflammation than I did, so she was more restricted in her eating volume, particularly on liquids, than I was, but early on it's still typically a few spoonfuls with either procedure and the variation will be more due to individual differences than the procedure chosen.

In maturity, from any practical perspective, our meal sizes are about the same. On an absolute basis a lot less than "normal" pre-op eating but relative to each other about the same. After her DS but before my VSG when I would prepare dinner, I would serve myself about twice as much as I served her - 6oz of steak for me and 3 for her, for instance, or just 2/3 of a combined dish for me and 1/3 for her; now I make less and split it evenly. When we eat out, we get 2-3 meals out of a typical restaurant meal depending on what is ordered.

[KWeilbrenner09 88]

Thanks so much! That helps immensely!

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[Kaylamh 144]

I'm about two weeks post op, and I can eat about one egg at a time. I've tried to eat two and I can't haha, but I do find that I'm hungry more often, so I eat those small amounts throughout the day.

[rargirl 1]

I am almost 6 months post op. My initial pouch was 4 oz. I was a little bit of a different case because I had a leak complication with my surgery which prevented me from being able to eat or drink at all for the first 5 weeks. At 5 weeks, when the leak was healed, I could eat one hard boiled egg.

Today, I could probably eat two hard boiled eggs and two pieces of bacon.

When I eat out with my friends/family, I tend to eat 1/2 to 1/3 of the portion I am served.

I eat kind of like those teeny tiny skinny ladies who seem to barely eat... and you always wonder if they feel constantly starved...only it is not miserable. You feel just fine/full.

At first, be prepared for waiters to ask you if "everything is ok" and you like your food (because you ate so little of it).

[Postop 413]

At 11.5 years out, I eat a lot. For instance, 2 [6 oz. pre-cooked] hamburges w/cheese & catsup. Now, I don't eat them in 1 sitting. It takes 2, but I finish them.

For breakfast: maybe a 3 egg omelette with cheese & bacon (some people add toast, too). Again, it takes 2-3 sittings to finish it. But I sure do.

YMMV.

This didn't happen overnight. I ate 1 tsp. of scrambled eggs [for a meal] the first couple of weeks. I got up to 1 or 2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast at a year or so. To supplement, I had 1 Protein shake per day (for the first year) bc I couldn't eat enough to get in the Protein I needed. Once I could eat all my protein the shakes were no more (as they are for most full DSers). We eat!

Edited January 4, 2017 by Postop

[KWeilbrenner09 88]

Thanks!! You guys are awesome!

Katy W- Louisburg, NC

Lapband revision to VSG with DS

HW- 297

Weight at Surgery-279

CW- will update at two week appt