Eating with a DS: A Day in the Life (pics!)

I am so glad you found this helpful!! I am right there with you on what I ate pre-op. Keeping it real here, I was literally hungry all the time. I NEVER got full because my metabolism was so screwed up. I would eat a big old bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, then swing through the McDonalds drive-thru and get a bacon egg cheese biscuit meal. I would often eat double lunches and double dinners too, because I was so darn hungry.

That's why the DS has been a gift for me. I never feel that "bottomless pit" feeling anymore. I can eat what are (to me) reasonable portions and be completely full and satisfied. I hope you are lucky enough to have the same experience.

As for the food, I cut the same size bites as I did pre-op. At first, I cut them really tiny and chewed really well because I was paranoid about breaking something, but I soon learned that (for me) it was unecessary. I tend to drink about 8-12 ounces with a meal (most of that is before I start eating, or about 15 minutes after I stop, just a few sips with the actual food).

Okay, I've determined I have more questions, but this may be less for you Jenna, and more for the maintenance DS vets out there.

You ate appx 3,000 calories that day with the goal of absobing 1,000 of them.  You are still in the losing phase, correct?  How much more would a maintenance person typically eat in terms of caloric intake?  I imagine the fat intake would not change (in other words, that maintenance people need as much fat as they did during the loss phase), but that the calories would increase... or is it that the body will eventually stop losing at 1,000 net calories and you stick with a similar diet?

Also, do you plan all of these meals out calorically beforehand, or are these calculations something you did in retrospect for this post?

Great questions. I should clarify a few things.

I do not typically count my calories, carbs or fat. The only thing I "eyeball" on a daily basis is my protein. I try to be mindful of carbs, but I'm not a counter. Aside from using this exercise as an illustration, I don't find it particularly useful to think of calories. I have the sort of personality where I used to get very OCD and obsessive about counting and dieting, and I want to do whatever I can to avoid that place. Others may have a different take on it.

Also, I did not plan any part of this day in advance. I wanted this to be an authentic snapshot of one random day of eating. I had no real idea how the calories would come down; I totaled it all up at the end.

Amusingly, I typically tend to eat a few more complex carbs than what I ate here. This project just happened to catch me on a lower carb day. I suspect if I did the same thing with another random day this week, my calories might come in closer to 1200 or 1300.

I can't speak to the maintains thing, because I don't have experience with it yet. I'd imagine, though, that adding in some healthy carbs might be a good way to stop losing if a person didn't naturally kick in to maintaining. (I say "naturally" because it seems like sometimes our bodies just stop when they want to.) 

EDITED: I spel reel gud.

Hi BLR,

I think you make a really good point that Jenna is still in the losing phase of her DS journey and her day's meals gave her only about 1000 calories.  I don't know if you saw this thread
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4193212/whats-for-dinner/actio n,replies/topic_id,4193212/page,2/
over on the DS forum the other day, but it was really interesting and gave several examples of what DSers who are in maintenance (such as Renee and Kerry) eat on an average day.

If I were to eat food?  (I don't because my gut doesn't like it) I could eat similar quantities.  I tend to do a great deal of protein shakes because of this.

People don't realize that even RNYers will be able to eat 6-8oz .. even 8-12oz 2+ years down the road.

I could put you all to shame.  I choose not to.


And the vitamin comparison?  Puhleeze.  I think long-term RNYers take more than many DSers do.


So rock on.

Thanks, Andrea. I think this is a useful perspective for folks to have, and I appreciate you sharing it.

 Nice pics and the sashimi looks delectable!!! 

Thanks, Lisa. The sashimi was delicious (and a good source of Omega 3s to boot.)

Look at you, surgery-date twin! You are doing so great. Congratulations on your success so far.

Thanks. It was the best decision I've made in years. Congratulations to you too! You're doing great! 

beautiful post,  Jenna, love it!   nice photos, good info, and NOTHING anyone should get offended at.

and REAL food, not crappyass fastfood  LOL!

you look fantastic, congratulations!