My two year update......

Hello all,

I thought I would check back in and let folks know where I'm at health wise these days :)

Tomorrow marks my two year milestone from having the DS. No doubt has my life changed. I'm more active than I've ever been in my entire life. I usually get anywhere from 10,000 - 18,000 steps walked in a day. I also go to the gym 3-5 times a week (6 times in the last week).

At one point I was concerned about losing too much weight - as I'm 6'2" and was down to 165lbs at my lowest. I have had some bounce back and am hovering around 188-193lbs. Considering that I focus heavily on increasing muscle mass, this is not surprising.

Last Saturday I played soccer with my 5 y/o son, went to a birthday party and ran around with the kids, took the kids to the mall to walk around and burn off some steam (when the rain started), and spent most of Sunday at the pool.

I am happily fitting into size 32 pants - which is great :) A medium shirt? That's a big difference from size 50 pants and 3XL shirts.

I have introduced carbs back into my diet, but i am usually around 40-70G a day. I will try to work on that :) I don't have any concerns about protein... I definitely get between 150-200G a day. Sometimes my body definitely tells me it needs more.

If I could give any advice, here it is:

- Look at the scale, but don't be obsessed. Focus on living.

- Your labs will guide you on your path to being healthy. Don't worry about losing too much if you are borderline! Focus on being healthy.

- GO TO THE GYM!!!!!! I see so many folks talk about how they haven't gone to the gym. I firmly believe if you do not increase activity you aren't doing much to help yourself and may end up back in the same lifestyle that got most of us where we were to begin with.

- Don't freak out about plateaus. They happen. Just about everything in life that is worth the ride has some sort of plateau. Deal with it and focus on building positive energy.

- Protein, Protein, Protein. Get out of your comfort zone and try different things. There are a ton of sugar free options that are high in protein and of course a ton of different types of meat :)

Anyways, they are some things I learned. Hopefully you find them helpful. If not, thanks for the support anyways.

Congrats, you sound like  you're doing great, thanks for the inspiration, I have been feeling a little down about the gym thing so hearing from you right now is what I needed. I will get back on track.

Thanks

Susan C

Hey Susan,

ain't nothing to it but to do it! I know how you feel though. If I don't go to the gym for a few days I get glum.

Jason1978,

Thank you for posting an update! I am considering a sleeve to DS revision. It's wonderful to hear your results and your hand work and how it has paid off. I have a trainer 2x a week and do 1 day on my own. I am a big believer in being strong. 

Anyway, I am curious about sugar free products. I have heard that sugar alcohols can have a side effect with the DS (bathroom issues). I guess you are able to tolerate them. Do you drink a protein shake? Any other GI issues, things you just can't eat...embarrassing gas at the gym.

I would love to hear your experiences!

Thanks!

Hi Jason,

Everyone is different, some can't have any carbs without problems (which is me) and other can eat certain types of carbs but not others.  It's really a trial and error process unfortunately.  I also cannot do sugar alcohols...it's BAD.  I thought I became lactose intolerant too, but after switching to heavy cream or whole milk from 2% seemed to make a difference for some reason.  I drink 2-3 protein shakes a day to make sure I'm getting in enough protein.  I am a little more than 3 years out from surgery and still trying to figure out what all I can eat now that I'm at my goal weight.  Now I've got to go through that balance of what I can tolerate vs what won't make me gain wait.

I hate protein shakes.

i do eat these often:

http://m.vitaminshoppe.com/m/p/advanced-nutrient-science-cheesecake-protein-bar-cookie-dough-flavor-12-bars/an-1075

they don't upset my stomach at all. Just a few net carbs, but I don't get any adverse effects.

Wow Jason that's great. The best thing about the DS for me was that I can now exercise and before I just couldn't. I agree it is a lifestyle change you need to try and build into your life. While the DS helped me lose most of the weight without going to the gym at a little over 2 years I think it is more key towards maintaining in the future. Anyway, again - well done!!!!

Thank you, Pete! Life at 185 or so is great!!!