DS as 2nd step ...on the fence and nervous

Hi. I am two years out from VSG. Lost about 100lbs. My surgeon at the time of the VSG said I would probably need DS as second step and so here I am. I am nervous though for three big reasons; 1) diet is very different from VSG 2) worried I will have bowel movement issues that seem to be documented for the DS side effects 3) loose skin. Anyone have words of wisdom, experience or advice to help me get off the bench and make a decision.

Diet - so much easier and better with the DS! You need to emphasize protein first, which you really should be doing already, because you will only absorb 40 - 60 % of the protein you eat. You can eat fat freely ( I have no idea what your surgeon has said, many give the same advice for DS as for gastric bypass even though they are very different) because you will only absorb about 20% of the fat you eat. So you can eat either lean or not so lean forms of protein, which opens up all sorts of options and cooking methods. You still need to watch carbs, but that's true no matter what you decide.

Bowel issues - generally under your control after the initial recovery and adjustment period. You will learn what foods cause problems and you can either avoid them or eat them when you don't need to worry about them. You're choice.

Loose skin - well, if you don't lose weight, you won't need to worry about that! And that's where you are now. If you lose a lot of weight by ANY method, you will have loose skin. There is just no getting around that. Whether or not you have plastics later is a very personal decision. I hope you won't let the loose skin issue prevent you from taking care of your health, which is really what this is all about.

Larra