Where's Bud and Shari.. and Chris is kinda quiet too..

Shari....  what's going on?  Are you ok? Bud....  same questions..   I haven't read anything from you lately.. Chris... say something... how are you holding up?

I'm here! I'm here!!  I've been eating myself into oblivion but I'm here!  I've actually been doing an butt-load of research on RNY vs DS. Been very active on the DS board. Been checking this board.. Kept seeing tumbleweeds roll by so I went back to civilization! :P

Ok... good.....  well... not the eating yourself into oblivion part.. but that you've been doing some research. Now.. don't go making us worry....  you might end up getting spanked!! .... and have you concluded anything from your research???

Spanked??  Oooo maybe we should carry that to a PM!! hahah! I think I've decided that the DS is ideal for me.  Looking at my lifestyle, eating habits, and my inability to stick to 'diet' or exercise I believe the DS offers me the benefits I need to succeed. Now, paying for it and finding an approved surgeon is going to be the tricky part.

In the interim.. it might be best to do what you can do reduce the fatty liver that they will insist you work on anyway.  Yanno, Chris, maybe you just haven't found the diet that works for YOU...  It took me many years to figure out what works.  Well, we both know you have a wait for approval and the rest of it, so why not experiment in the interim? Hang in there.... and PM spankings are alright with me!  As long we understand that one good whack deserves another!   hahaha  lol.

OH I do plan to continue losing weight the natural way.  It's the best thing I can do for the surgery and for myself.  As far as the right diet goes I don't think I'll ever find it.  There's healthy and balanced eating. I think that's the best diet for anyone but see..  I just can't seem to maintain it. I do well for so long and then give up and gain it all back.  Many people here have been successful at losing all their weight and becoming healthy but they still have issues with food. I don't want those issues anymore. I'm not satisfied with saying these are the cards that I was dealt and pushing onward. In researching RNY and DS I am finding that more than 80% report they no longer have issues with food.  That's what I desire. Just be gentle!! :P

I see what you are saying..  but I've also heard of folks who still have issues even after a very successful loss after surgery. Since you recognize that you have an issue with "food" itself, have you considered psychotherapy before AND after surgery?  If my insurance covered it, I'd be on the couch.  I think may of us have a love/hate relationship with food and maybe what we need to learn is to respect it.... and respect ourselves in the process (I say this because in my own experience I find that my issues stem largely from a total lack of self respect. I suspect you have aleady been formulating a plan. Oh.. and gentle only goes so far ;)

I am pretty positive I will still have issues with food post-op. I expect to have issues 10 years post op in fact. That's why DS is my surgery of choice.  I do plan on seeking counseling. After all, I want to be free from the grip food has on me and I know that's probably the best way to do so.  However, I'm not completely convinced it's all in my head. I still think there's something going on chemically in my gut.  Many (and I mean many) DS patients report they no longer crave the same things they did pre-op.. When they have cravings, they find themselves satisfied with a normal sized portion.  RNYers report similar things. Whereas now I can down a box of Oreos and still not feel satisfied.. That ain't right!   I had a huge dinner tonight.. 6 cups of rice & black beans and two baked chicken thighs.. Still.. I'm thinking about something sweet.. My stomach is very full and I'm not really hungry.. I know it's just head hunger but yet I still crave it.  I'm not sad... I'm not depressed.  I've accepted the fact that I'm 305 lbs and not 289. No big deal. I can lose that much weight in a month..  yet I still want to devour a box of oreos.. If i had some in the house.. i'd be munching on them now.  So it can't all be in my head.. yanno? If it is in my head and it is emotional I think that losing the weight and getting to goal will help me to develop self respect. The surgery is just a tool to get me there. I keep failing when I do it on my own. That in turn makes me feel like a failure...a loser and is further diminishing my self respect. Oh what a tangled web..

Again, I have to agree with you on this one.. that it CAN'T be all in your head.  I hate to keep comparing, but I found that the more carbs I had in my diet, the more I wanted and THAT is most definitely a chemical reaction.  I no longer crave carbs, but I had to DETOX from them.. withdrawal, if you will.  I saw the same thing happen with my x husband who was a sweets junkie.   Maybe one of the reasons ds patients (as well as rny) no longer crave sweets is because the initial diet eliminates them and the body has time to withdraw. Either way, whichever you chose, I know you'll be a succes.  Will your primary physician attest to the fact that you have been making a concerted effort for such a long time or do you have so see someone else? I had a customer several years back who had the rny and was explaining the whole thing to me... even the medical credit card he got for the procedure.  I remember him telling me distinctly that his surgeon told him "if it didn't have a mother and a father, don't eat it."  Of course, I know NO one else who has undergone any of these procedure, except Shari who has generously shared her experiences. Franky, I was concerned over the weigh in thing you experienced.  I know how I feel when I think I'm one weight and the scale reflects something diffrent.. and it ALWAYS reflects something different at the doctor's office.. I honeslty believe that our diets cause a chemical reaction that keeps us craving.. that's what keeps me pushing.  Unfortunately, I'm in a stall right now... hovering over the same 5 lbs which is enough to mess with anyone's head. I pray you don't experience many bumps in the road as you begin this journey toward surgery.

Yeah the increased protein in the DS diet probably does have something to do with it. Carbs are still absorbed the same post-op as they are pre-op though.  75% of the stomach is removed which also lessens or maybe even stops production of some hormones. (ghrelin) It's thought that this may have some affect on "head-hunger" but it's not known for sure. DS patients still do crave sweets and carbs the difference is post-op they are satisfied with a normal sized serving. They do say that the cravings aren't nearly as frequent and indulging in the craving usually cures the itch for quite a while. My PCP supports me. He had actually recommended it several years ago but I wasn't ready and insurance didn't cover it.  The problem is the insurance company requires 6 consecutive months of medically supervised dieting.  I've been dieting for way more than that but don't have doctor records showing that is the specific reason I came in for a visit.  Trying to get around that but if I can't, so be it. Lol, if it ain't got no mommy and daddy then don't eat it!  too funny!