DS Diet.. In the Dark

i am in the dark as to food to eat and not eat on the DS diet.  If I could please have some input.

What are the fats on the diet?  I read a post that said "I am fine as long as I get my protein and fats in." 

When someone mentioned that they were having constipation, the answer was asked if they are getting their fluids and enough fats in.

Besides chips and crackers, what are other BIG Carb problems?

How far apart do you eat your meals?  Is it 3 meals and no snacking?  Besides having a protein drink. 

Medication:  Just from personal experience... Have you had to increase the doses?  (If they do not have to do with BP or diabetes).

Those are all my questions at the moment...  more to come... most likely...,, Thanks!!

I'm sure you will get some great links for low carb life styles and suggestions  from other DSers. Meat is your #1 source of protein. All that meat and some of our required vitamins will back you up. Getting some fat in helps the pipes flow. Water, or fluids too.

As for carbs, sugar and wheat flour should really be restricted during your honeymoon phase to almost nothing. Not just for slowing the weight loss, but for me, it was the horrific gas pains it caused.

some eat 3 meals a day. Not me, I graze all day long. Breakfast can take 2 hours to consume, a protein coffee to sip on before lunch. Nuts, cheese stick, or a yogurt before dinner.  Sometimes all 3.  It's your choice of snacks that matters here.

i am on synthoid, my dosage has only been increase a small fraction in 6 yrs. I've read others who had difficulties with their meds, but not me.

i think the greatest thing about the DS is how we have to be aware of our bodies, and the balancing act we do to keep healthy. 

Hi Beckmo.  Every DSer is different, and everyone develops their own eating pattern.  The orientation I received at my surgeon's office basically was:  Eat lots of protein, and eat it first -- before fats or carbohydrates.  Drink at least a gallon of fluids daily.  Eat fat freely unless it causes digestive upset.  Keep carbs, especially simple sugars and starches, to a minimum.  All carbs will make it harder to lose weight and keep it off; I also find that they cause all sorts of intestinal problems.  Two times I regained over 30 lbs, and it was because I allowed carbs to creep back into my daily routine.  As soon as I cut back on the carbs, the weight just fell off again.  That's one of the best things about the DS; it's always there working for you if you feed it properly.  I was taught that we absorb only about 20% of fats, 60% of protein, but nearly 90% of carbs.

I'm not usually hungry in the morning, although I may have a protein drink mid-morning.  I generally eat two meals a day, along with some high protein snacks such as dairy products, eggs or jerky starting at about noon.  I do not weigh or measure my foods; I eat as much and as often as my appetite dictates, but I do try not eat after 8 pm.

I am not on any of the medications I took before surgery, so I can't speak to needing increased doses.  I can tell you that there are some types of medications, like time-release and certain coated pills that are useless to me because they just pass through undigested.

If you are confused about your food choices, maybe consulting with your surgeon's nutritionist or dietician would help.  The DS is a powerful tool, and you need the knowledge to work with it.

Thank you. You have been very helpful. My surgeon's office's nutrition educator is new, not much experience and definitely not familiar with a revision. I appreciate all the help I can get and can read.

Most nutritionists are useless for DSers, but at least yours admitted she didn't know much about it.  Many insist they are knowledgeable of the DS, as they erase copy/paste "Duodenal Switch" over "Gastric Bypass" on the nutritional guidelines.

Thank you, Everyone, for your input of experience.  It has been very helpful to me.  Now, with this information and DS tool, we will enjoy just living life... no more "die-"ting life.

A low carb diet with high fat.  You should research this diet - there is a ton of info on the internet about it and what foods are in each category.  You might even try it before your surgery so you understand the diet plan you will be following in the future.  I've eaten this way for around 20 years, even before my surgery, so I knew what I was getting into when I had the surgery.

Eating: everyone is different.  I tend to eat meals... well, meal after meal I guess.  Some days I will eat 2 meals, other days I will graze all day long.  You eat when you want to.  You can snack any time you want.  The important thing is don't eat carbs.

Medication depends on the situation.  After surgery, I actually dropped off all my meds because all my diseases went away.  I take my vits, and those where based on a DS absorption rate to begin with.  So I am not aware of any meds that the DS would affect doses - but I'm sure there are some.  I've taken asperin and pain relievers and it has not affected those.

I eat whatever I want as long as I get in fluids and protein. There are many good fats like avacado and humus. I also eat the bad ones like ice cream. As long as I stay away for too much sugar and other simple carbs, I'm good.

I'm 2.5 yeras out from my DS. Mostly the diet while you are losing is one of the endless variations on the Atkins diet. I tried to keep my carbs under 50 while losing.

Fats are very subjective. I don't track fats I just stopped eating low fat anything. Sometimes people will up their fats if their constipated but taking magnesium oxide with my calcium seems to take care of that for me. You will be more sensitive early on to carbs. For me bread and crackers are the big carb issues for me. I tend to stay way from breads but still have crackers with snacks.

Early on watch  liquids and protein first at meals. I eat 3 meals a day and have snacks in between if I get hungry. There doesn't seem to be any real value in going hungry in between meals. 

I haven't had any issues with medication. Just started on synthroid and waiting to see if I need to adjust the dose but I seem to react normally to allopurinol, BP meds, and any antibiotics I've been given over the past 2 years.