Looking for encouragement, Not a lecture!!!!

Thanks for the advice and information. Eating protein will not be a problem for me I don't think,  I love a variety of meat and I do a protein shake daily with added Peanut butter for extra protein.

Elaine,

I am not at maintenance yet, but if you want another opinion I'll share.  I do not eat:  bread, crackers, pasta, rice, milk.

I eat dark chocolate every day.  I have a newfound love for Greek yogurt.  I eat the tops of pizza, flourless peanut butter cookies, cheeses, nuts, bacon, eggs.  I eat salad but it is mostly the cheese, eggs, ham, bacon with just a little bit of lettuce.  I eat taco salad with tons of cheese and sour cream (with just a bite of the tortilla.  I eat the inside of hamburgers.  I love Chick-filet's nuggets with polynesian sauce.  Lots of chicken, broiled and fried.  I eat loaded baked potatos with my steak.  I eat all kinds of grilled fish and I am long overdue for crab legs with tons of drawn butter.  Lobster too.

White flour and even whole wheat flour still give me gas. So I do avoid those.

I think that protein shakes help me loose weight.  I think if I would drink 2 a day I would loose more but I usually just get one in. 

I just had my 6 month labs taken so I am waiting to see what needs tweaking.  I currently take a multi with iron twice a day plus dry A, D and K based on my 3 month labs.  I take Calcium 3-4 times a day as well.

The "diet" and the vites are the EASIEST "diet" I have ever been on.  I am never hungry or if I am hungry I EAT.  The weight has just flown off me and I am only 1 lb from my surgeons goal.  I am 10 pounds UNDER my own goal.

I have had in the past a problem getting enough to drink, but now that I am aware of this I am staying very hydrated quite easily.  I enjoy crystal light in icey cold water the best.  I also drink a diet/caffeine free coke about once a day.

I would have the DS once a year if I had to.  I am healthier than I have been in decades.  The DS has given me a quality of life that I only dreamed about.  I consider myself one of the VERY lucky ones to have found out about the DS and to have found an excellent surgeon and to have had most of my costs covered by my insurance.

PM me if you have any questions at all.  And have you been over to www.DSFacts.com?  There is weath of information there.

Thanks, You have been very helpful, thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. Making the desion to go forth with DS is looking better all the time!

I also am trying to drink more water, I have been having severe body cramps in my back, ribs and legs, I am trying to hydrate more plus i added Magnesium.

There was just a post about your surgeon not doing DS, starting just recently. 

Just a clarification...He is no longer doing a one-step DS.  She already has the VSG, so it shouldn't be a problem for her to get Dr. S. to do the switch portion for her.

Virgin DS'ers who want to get a full DS in one surgery should look elsewhere.  Dr. S will only give a VSG then do the switch portion as a second surgery later on if he deems it necessary.

I was anemic to start. Just finished my second round of iron infusions. No biggie. I wasn't absorbing the iron pills before surgery and no matter what I did, it wouldn't have made a difference. It's a hereditary condition for me. Small blood cells. I forgot what it's called. My grandmother had it too. But they gave her iron shots back then.

You will have to take vitamins for life. But it's like a trade off. Would you rather be on vitamins or heart/diabetes/etc. medicine?

My major fear was diabetes. It's not an issue anymore. And I'm greatful.

You can eat veggies and fruit. Just not loads of them. You can build a healthy plate of food and enjoy it. Just finish your protein first. You can have sauces and such and not have to worry about fat content to the extreme that most diets do. To avoid boredom, just keep searching for recipes on the net, they are there and here too.

I had a small salad earlier this week, something I couldn't do early out. It would give me a horrible time in the bathroom. But now, almost 2 years out... not a problem. I don't find myself craving veggies and fruit. But rather protein and carbs, which I limit. Not to the 20grams, like in Atkins, but rather to 50 or so, but always under 100.

Stay away from simple carbs in the beginning. You won't like the bathroom issues. I still add sugar to my tea and I'm happy with that. I've tried using Splenda and still do, but my morning tea needs SUGAR, just not a lot.

Yeah, I eat sweets, just not massive amounts like in the past. Cakes, cookies, pie, doughnuts, etc. Are so filling, I don't want them anymore. But JELLYBEANS are my downfall. So I indulged, od'ed and now I don't crave them anymore. Not the right way to get over the carb beast, but it worked for me.

I'm in a place now where I'm becomming more serious about the last 49lbs I have to drop. So, my carbs are slowly getting lower and I'm avoiding white flour products. But, that's me.

The further out you get, the more you will be able to eat and the variety will change also. Just have some patience, retrain your thinking process concerning food, which I know is hard if you use it for comfort or boredom. But, it's worth the effort.

I get nervous about the vitamin thing still. But, I'm doing what I can and I know at least that my PCP checks these levels regularly. All I have to do is ask, and she's willing to order the bloodwork for me.

Continue to ask questions, any questions. If someone answers you harshly, don't take it personally. Remind them you're still doing research  and shrugg it off. It's not personal and comes from a place of concern. We just don't wanna see people die from ignorance on this board. It's not a quick fix, but rather a lifetime commitment, that is to be taken seriously.

Dana

Hi Dana,

Thanks for all the information and encouragement and thanks for your caring words about how some people are harsh in their responses. It's ok, I do shrugg them off. If I have worded my questions in a offensive way to anyone I am sorry, I meant nothing personl. Just researching!

I know I already told you I don't have as much malabsorption than a typical DSer, but even with less malabsorption, I do eat sugar and have lost about 100 pounds. I've been essentially maintaining for the past few months, but I'm confident that if I cut carbs some more, I could lose some more, and then could maintain again by following the type of diet I eat now that includes carbs.

I know you say you read OH a lot, but it seems like maybe you're skipping some important threads if you think no sweets are ever allowed again post DS. People around here talk about eating carbs all the time, and not always in a bad way! Some have to be stricter about sweets than others to be more successful with the weight loss; some have to be stricter about carbs than others due to gas issues. It's a very individual thing. For me, starchy carbs (potato products, wheat products, etc.) make me painfully gassy, but sweets like ice cream don't bother me at all (not sure that's a good thing since I'm a diabetic, but it is what it is!).

Personally, I didn't even really drink alcohol pre-op, so that's not an issue for me, but the biggest thing about alcohol is not to drink (or to drink very little) while you're rapidly losing weight. Weight loss is hard on the liver, and alcohol is hard on the liver, so you don't want to overstress your body. Once your weight has stabilized, drinking in modertion should be fine, although it may affect you differently (I believe most feel the effects faster, but the feeling doesn't last as long).

Now, as for your vitamins - you say you are anemic and take iron. What kind of iron do you take? You get B12 shots monthly. Have you tried supplementing with a B12 sublingual? You are low on potassium and magnesium and supplement - how much do you supplement, and what types of supplements?

Since you're in MD, keep an eye out for "MADS" (Mid-Atlantic DSers) posts - we try to get together about once a month for a lunch or dinner, and it's really great to have some in-person support.

Thanks for responding and for all the information and advice. I am not a big drinker ,but as I said before an occasional mixed drink or wine, it's good to know the quick effect it would have on me, I will kep that in the bavvk of my mind.

Response to your question about vitamins, I take a Centrum multivitiam/mineral chewable once a day, Potassium 99mg once a day, Biotin 1000mcg daily, just added Magnesium 400 mg daily, I suffer from extreme leg and body cramps, but adding the magnesium has helped, (I also eat a banana daily) I Caltrate 600 with vitamin D daily, Ferrogel Forte Iron capsul one daily, (prescibed from my family doctor) a B12 shot once a month. My regular meds are Nexium one daily, Accolate for asthma 2 a day and zyrtec at night for allergies.

Thanks for the invite. I have a very busy schedule but I might join you sometime.

I would encourage you to eat less and exercise.

(what an insulting way to ask for help)