The Common Channel

Just curious and a little upset.  i have my surgical report and it shows that my Common Channel (CC) is 150cm which is standard cm and aka the HESS METHOD.  i was told(from other DS patients) that i am absorbing more of what i eat compared to her and other DS'ers.  I am starting to get real concerned here because i have only lost 14 LBS since my surgery and i have really been working out, counting calories as well and watching my carbs.  my BMI was 50 the day of surgery, and with me only loosing as little as 14 lbs i am pretty sure that i am still at 50.  i have learned that the shortest a surgeon can go according to my researching on different websites- is 75CC...can someone please help me to get a better understanding of this? with your comments this will give me more questions to come up with when i meet with my surgeon tommorrow.  if you guys dont mind sharing please tell me your CC length.  i would appreciate you guy's feedback on this.

My common channel is 150 cm as well and my weight loss has been more rapid than I see for you.  You mention exercising & watching what you eat, but what about proteins, fats, & water amounts?  I did hit a stall about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but once the vets here told me to add more fat, I have been losing steady again.  I am only a 'baby' DSer, but you may want to only 'count' your proteins, fats & water & throw out the calorie-counting.  Also, how are your clothes fitting and/or your measurements?  From all of the posts I have read through here, the DS will work for you.

What fats did you add? What kinds of food did you eat?

My CC is 100 and my bougie size is 46. I am 1 year and a month out. My body type is hourglass (meaning i distribute weight evenly but with a smaller waist) and I have a very large bone structure. I reached my goal weight of 150 a year out exactly from my surgery. So far I have lost 112 lbs.

I read in your post you count calories? ... Do you know that your 'not' on a regular diet? You should never worry about calories, I intake close to 2k a day. I eat lots of protein (150-200g) and fat and watch my carbs (less than 100 most days). You should be below 50 carbs when trying to lose weight. This begs me to ask what eating requirements are you following?

This is my typical day:

B: Greek yogurt and a protein coffee in the morning

S: mixed nuts

L: Chef salad w/full fat feta chz, full fat dressing & sunflower seeds

S: Jerky or Gluten free crackers w/ laughing cow cheese thickly on top

D: Elk/deer steak w/veggies

S: Protein shake

I also drink 64+oz of water a day.

My exercise is limited as of right now (at a desk job) but will soon be starting an extensive plan soon.

I also follow vitalady vitamin plan but i have tweaked several dosages due to labs

I don't think you have mentioned your surgeon's name yet? I hope this helps.

My surgeon is Dr. David Kim in Fort Worth, TX .  i do exercise mostly every morning for at leat 30 min max and i walk on my breaks and maybe half my lunch.  i have worked out alot in the month of december.  it was the most i have ever worked out and the longest i kept at working out for that long.  i do pay attention to my carb intake. i try my best to stay under 100 carbs a day.  i do drink protein drinks(30g) and protein bars(20g)  for example i made a veggie/beef stew meat soup with okra, cabbage, green beans, stewed tomatoes, and beef stew meat.  i have been eating off that all this week.  in the morning i do eat and drink my protein bars and shake.  ill also eat a cup of grapefruit.

Ditch the grapefruit til you are MUCH further out...like 2 years.

Which protein drinks and what do you make them with?

Ditch the protein bars...too many carbs for the amount of protein you get. OR if they cut the carbs down, they add artificial sugars for taste.

The 100 grams of carbs...are you counting ALL carbs or net carbs? If all carbs, that's an okay amount. If net carbs, cut back to between 50-70.

While veggie soup is good...make sure you are eating JUST it and not adding crackers to help.

When making veggie soup, add twice as much meat as you use to add pre-op.

Instead of starting your day with a protein bar, try eating eggs, meat, etc. Make egg cups (the size of a muffin cup and can add anything in there you want). If time is an issue, eat a hard boiled egg.

Egg cups:

Take a muffin pan (12 or 6 cup size) and spray the inside really good. Mix up (if a 12 cup pan), 12 eggs and use about 1 egg per section. Add whatever meat, cheese, mushrooms, etc that you like. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. Release from the pan, put on a cookie sheet and stick in the freezer. Once frozen, stick in a ziplock freezer bag for later use.

Liz

 

When I first talked to my surgeon about CC length, he said the same thing...  75-150 cm.  Although, personally he'd found that he was most comfortable with 100 cm's.  He also stated that the CC length would also depend on what he saw when he got in there.  During my research, I read somewhere that shorter people do better with a shorter CC (I'm 5'2) whereas taller people needed it longer.  The average person has about 22 feet of small intestines.  With a CC of 100, mine now at 3.16 feet.  Yours is at 4.75 feet.  Even with 150 cm, you are bypassing A LOT of intestines!!! 

I was sleeved back in 2007 and when I exercised, I stopped losing and actually started gaining weight.  So keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat.  Throw out the scale and start taking measurements.  Like other posters suggested, keep an eye on your fat intake too.  I shoot for about 100 g's of fat a day (I know..  this goes against EVERY dieting rule EVER!). 

Keep your chin up!!!  IT WILL COME OFF!!!

Actually, that's NOT the Hess method. In the Hess method, the small intestine is measured and cut according to a mathematical formula, rather than just doing a 'standard' CC length. Does your operative report tell how long your small intestine was to begin with? The average is between 6 and 7 meters, but I've seen folks with ones as short as 4 meters.

What does your surgeon say? I'd ask about getting some fecal analyses done, to determine just how much fat protein, and complex carbs you're absorbing.

How many grams of protein are you eating per day? My surgeon explained that if I did not consistently eat at least 100g per day, my weight loss would be very slow or stall.

Mine is 75 and I was still a slow loser.  Diet wise, ditch the fruit and vegetables.  Eat meat.  And look at the carbs in those shakes and protein bars too.  Track on fit day and look for where those carbs are sneaking in to your diet.  Don't worry about calories at all.  Just protein and carbs.