Let's Fess-Up Boys!!!

Oatmeal is a good choice for something sweet with substance.... the flavored instant kind. I have to try some!

I think you're doing great Rick!   If God expected us to be perfect... then He would've made us in His image.      .. Wait a minute!  He did do that!  Oh well!  You've stayed within 5 pounds of goal... and once in a while you need a treat... right?

Well, I'm probably the "bad" example of the group...I had the DS...so that I wouldn't have to count everything that goes in my mouth.  I did keep an eye on my carb intake the first year or so....and tried to keep it under 150 grams a day....that was including regular sugary stuff ...like cakes and ice cream.....some days I'd go higher...but rarely did I go about 200 grams a day while I was in my weight loss phase.   I never counted fat because I malabsorb so much of it, and while I do count protein, I just do a "mental" add up towards the end  of  the day. At 21 months post op...I honestly don't count anything anymore.   I eat enough protein during the day....and when I want carbs I eat them.  Calories don't mean as much for a DSer as perhaps a Lapbander because of the malabsorbtion rate.....I know some days I'm as high as 5000 or 6000 calories...again not all absorbed. I'm defnitely not a slave to the DS, it actually fits my lifestyle...I am very VERY VERY regimented with my suppliments....I have never missed a dose of vitamins ...and I take them 4 times a day.   I watch my labs like a hawk, I track trends in my lab work so that I can tweek suppliments rather then trying to fix a deficiency.  When it comes to exercise...I exercise regularly.....at least 3 or 4 times a week.  I have slacked off in the weight lifting this past week though, because my back has been bothering me...but other then that, I'd weight lift  3 days a week .   My surgeon told me (he does far more RNYs and Lap bands then DSs)...that with the lap band and the RNY you have to be much more regimented in your eating and calorie counting to be a long term success...and with the DS you can be more laid back in your eating, but you have to be much more regimented in your supplimentation to be a long term success...it was a trade off I was willing to make. Scott

I have never been one to measure, count, weigh, ect my food, but since surgery, I do pay attention more to what I eat.  I know I need protein, so I eat that most of the time.  I do take my vitamins as I am supposed to, and I drink at least 64 ounces of liquids per day.  My preferred liquid is Crystal Light peach tea.   I am 9 months post op now and down about 150 pounds...still over 40 pounds to go before I reach what my doctor says is my goal.  At about 7 months out, I began to test the waters...and what I found for me is sweets are ok, bread is not.  I now hate fast food, where before I lived off of it (meaning I stayed alive but was killing myself with every double whopper with cheese).  I eat a protein bar every day for breakfast, a Stouffers meal for lunch (I like the baked chicken and potatoes and the steak with peppers and rice).  I usually have a snack of peanut butter and crackers and then a small dinner.  I find that my old habit of eating at night is still with me.  I enjoy chips and salsa, but do not over do it. 

Best of all, I feel normal.  Early on, I did not because of the physical restriction of RNY.  Now that time has passed, it's better.  My biggest fear, other than not surviving the surgery, was that I would not be able to feel normal at meal times.  Now my biggest fear is going back to old ways of eating, and that keeps me honest.  I never want to wear a 4XLT shirt again, or have to squeeze my fat ass in a size 54/32 pants.  I like wearing regular size clothes, playing with my kids, being able to run without fear of dying of a heart attack, and not being looked at funny, like a freak of nature because of my size.   I have been given a second chance...a do-over.  And I plan to make the best of it.  But perfect....not even close.

Wow Scott!  Your stats are incredible. 15% body fat.. and it sounds like you indulge occassionally. You must work-out intensely. My sister wanted the DS, but they denied her having it because.... well I don't really know why.  She said they told her it was too drastic or something. I guess you have a greater chance of getting ill from malabsorbtion of nutrients, but it sounds like you monitor that quite well.

Well the DS does give a bit more absorbtion then the RNY, but both of us need to be diligent with suppliments for the rest of our lives....I'm more likely to be deficient in ADEKs and a RNYer is more likely to be deficient in B vitamins and iron....I'm paraphrasing Michelle (the vitalady) ...she says just because you malabsorb, doesn't mean you have to ever be deficient.  The procedures cause predictable malabsorbtions and can be compensated for before they become deficiencies.  Actually, the only deficiency issue I've had is with D.  It's been a PAIN IN THE BUTT to be honest......but then again some people I know (RNYers) have had iron issues, and even normal people I know have had B-12 issues.  You know whats funny, I'd bet  i was deficient preop...but I didnt' think to be tested for vitamins as a preop....go figure. Lots of insurance companies are making it more and more difficult to get WLS.   First they tried denying WLS's as experimental...when that failed they started limiting options..and now they are writing in exclusions so people can't get it unless they self pay.   It's really sad....and I'm hoping that this becomes an issue with the next president (not so much WLS in itself, but affordable access to comprehensive health care ).   I know a lot of the DSers on the forum (the DS forum) had to fight their insurance companies...some less then others to get approved. We have a member (Diana Cox) who is an attorney, and she has helped a lot of people get approved. As far as the 15 percent body fat...I do work out a lot....I'm defintely not as built as CB or dave....but  I do go to the gym often....I like it...it's kind of theraputic.   I can't wait to have my excess skin removed and see where the scale and body fat percent  falls then. Scott

Nice read Dex!!  I missed your post earlier.

For the most part I have been pretty regimented.  The major changes made so far is eating protein first, drinking all my liquids and taking all of my supplements.  I have my 6 month check up next week and am curious as to how all the bloodwork will come out. 

While my blood pressure was never extremely high (sometimes borderline), at my last DR visit about 3 months ago it was 110/70.  I am down 127 lbs, size 56 pants to a somewhat large 40 now.  Shirts from 3X to Xlg.  Only Obese now, shortly to be overweight. Normal??? (my wife says for me that is not a word that can be uses(lol).

I counted everything for a while but have backed off of that.  I may not get as much as some on this board but I have been satisfied and what I'm doing (and so has my nutritionist). 

I would prefer to exercise more but work, etc sems to get in the way (I know, same old excuses).  But I do work with a trainer 2X/wk and try to get to gym at least 1 other day.  I also walk more, take the stairs most of the time (work on 5th floor), etc.  So some things have changed for the good.

On the bad side, I have slipped back into 1 old habit (not eating breakfast).  After reading through the posts here I thing that (at a minimum), I will start with a morning shake.  Hopefully that will help get me back on track.

I still attend support group 2X month.  Group is at least 80% women and there have been some uncomfortable momemnts but for the most part people are open and willing to share, listen to each others experiences, and offer advice.  Not sure how helpful it is to me all of the time, but one of my goals now is to try to help others in this process.  Attending the group helps that.  The group I'm in is for less than 6months post op.  The leader has asked me to continue to attend for a while to continue sharing my experiences.  Then I'll start going to the next group for 6months to 1 yr out.

The doc fixed my stomach, now I ned to fix my head.  Am I perfect, not even close.  But I have not dumped yet.  I have eaten too much on occasion and suffered for that.  I do eat much slower than before and I make much better choices.  I know I'm still early in the process and there will be lots more for me to work on but I'm ready for the challenge.

I did not go through all of this just to fail again.

Take care and sorry this was so long (once I started typing I couldn't stop)

Brian

To be honest I also do not count anything.  I was very dedicated in the months before the surgery and immediately afterwards, but I realized that I can't be a slave to this thing.  My surgery was a tool to help me, and I have to use it as such.  I scrutinize the labels on everything we buy at the grocery store, and if something isn't right then we don't buy it.  I try to keep my meal plans simple, and I do not deviate from them.  My main focus is protein, vitamins, and fluid intake.  I start of with a protein shake for breakfast, do a protein bar for the mid-morning snack (if I have one), Carb Master Yogurt for lunch, fresh fruit smoothie (with protein) for afternoon snack, and dinner is usually 1/2 portion of meat (fish or chicken) 1/4 cup rice or other starch, 1/4 cup veggies, or just 1/2 cup veggies and no rice.  The worst "cheating" I've done has been 1/4 of a chocolate medallion at Halloween or 1 butter cookie, but in those amounts I don't really consider it cheating. 

Well, duh, of course I've gone off the reservation, or you guys would not be seeing me post in the present tense about gaining back a few pounds and trying to jump start the loss stage. I've managed to eliminate for good my previous affinities for pop and alcohol. I can usually avoid candy, even dark chocolate, but that's not absolute. My weakness is starchy stuff. My wife is completely off, and eats everything she's not supposed to. Her baked goods find their way past my tonsils, too, causing my current problems. It was nice when she was in the hospital for ~3 weeks, because I cleaned house and got rid of the temptations she supplied. I'm very much an 'out of sight, out of mind' dude... I'll never admit to being a perfect model WLS patient, 'cuz I'm not. I will admit to having human weaknesses, and struggling to keep the fat off. Things worth having never come easily...