Back to the chalk board

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I don't think the DS for a lightweight grazer is overkill. It may be the only way to be successful unless you know in your heart of hearts you can do all the requirements of the other surgeries to keep the weight from coming back. Being a grazer was the only thing that qualified me to ge the DS over the other surgeries. My surgeon developed a way to help his patients determine the best surgery for them based partly on their eating habits.  

Here goes: A sweeter, one who is addicted to carbs, may do well with an RNY; a bloater, one who eats one large meal a day and rarely snacks, may do well with the sleeve or band; a grazer, one who gets 70% of their calories a day from small meals and snacks, would like be best suited for the DS because they will out eat all the others.
I'm 5'1" tall and my optimum weight is 120 pounds and I try to maintain there. My lowest was 115 and I maintained that for a few months but bounce back brought me to 118 and the little regain has brought me between 120 and 125-I'm 6 1/2 years post-op. It's not too small. I wear a petete size 6 pants in most clothes and a small to medium in shirts.

Forget the part about "meals", we snack. We don't have enough room to call what we eat a meal. Also, keep drinking whey protein isolate shakes. You can count the liquid towards your daily total of fluids and it also keeps your protein labs in tip top range. They seem to help grazers not feel as snacky and you can sub a shake or protein coffee for snacks and "meals". Also, by drinking shacks and grazing on tiny bits here and there, you keep your stomach tight and your restriction lasting much longer.

Drinking becomes a piece of cake. It just becomes part of your daily habits as does taking your supplements. I follow Vitalady's plan and schedule much like hers. I do have to take more calcium than the average bear so I do pop calcium all day, but at a desck job that isn't a problem. Here's the link to her plan:  http://www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/ProgramDRNY_ERNY_ BPDDS3-2010.pdf 

Bathroom issues are the thing you have to learn to manage. You eat low carb, minimal gluten and no sugar alcohols ending in "itol" and issues should be managable. Many of us take probiotics to help. I go in the morning a couple of times and that's it for the day. Gas does crop up in the evenings if I'm not on my game..it keeps you in line to stay low carb.

I love my thinner life! Having the DS is the best decision I've made in a long long time. I wouldn't trade it for any of the other surgeries because it fits my lifestyle so well and it's helped me be successful at this. I hope I've addressed some of your concerns. Please forgive the typos and mispelling. Good luck!

--gina

I take the iron mid afternoon away from everything else. I like my protein coffee and Greek yogurt too much first thing in the morning to give it up for iron.  I also take a heme iron at bedtime, so we're thinking along the same lines. I know of quite a few DSrs that take their iron at bedtime and I haven't heard of any issues at all.

--gina

I think the chewable options are more expensive but doable for an immediate post-op. Vitalady also has a chewable plan if you'd like to compare. She still recomends more separate vitamins over all-in-ones or combined ADEKs. The combined are simply too low a dose for DSrs but I can see wanting to do that for the first month. Vitalady carries some Barriatric Advantage items too and has them in her plan; I think she and the BA owner, or nutritional specialist, were friends for years. I don't think the same nutritional specilast is with BA any longer. Here's the link if you'd like to compare.  http://www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/ProgramChewable2- 2010.pdf .  I would look at BA over Celebrate but I'm biased there. Celebrate is owned by Unjury and they used to come on Obesity Help and bad mouth Vitalady on the main board. I won't do business with bullies and Vitalady is a small struggling American owned business; and she's one of us and has lived our journey plus some.

--gina

 

Thanks for sharing MajorMom. From you I learned that I was a bloater--just wish the title was more whimsical--I am picturing a beached whale--but I guess it fits me LOL. I am 5' 1" and started at 215. I have the sleeve and it is working for me.

I easily consume 100 ounces of water a day now. New habits can be established rather quickly.

Laurie, good luck as you research various options. I think you will find your new lifestyle to be wonderful regardless of its demands.

I don't have a DS, but a RNY.  It does seem like in the beginning you are eating or drinking all the time.  Luckily, I work at home so it was doable.  But it does require discipline to stay on track of all the changes.  Drinking is slow in the beginning but soon you will be drinking like normal again.  Our group started us on 6-8 meals a day, including our protein suppliments.  And I know some Drs are against suppliments but even 3 yrs out, I need mine to keep my levels where they need to be.  And that is with protein based meals.  You certainly could get lower than you ever thought possible.  I got down to 111 and that was low for me.  I have stabilzed in the 120s and would like to get back closier to 120 than 130. 

Best of luck with your decision.  It was the best thing I ever did for me. 

I bet if both or you just think about it,you will find that you are likely eating all day anyway right now. A hand full of m&ms from a coworkers desk, a trip to the vending machine a time or two a day. Goodies in the break room all day every day,lunches catered inby management. 

It is no different after Wls. The difference IS that you are trading healthy food every two hours,especially dense protein for the things you are eating now. I bet you both don't have any trouble eating and drinking all day at work right now,right?