Question:
With the DS, can you eat whatever/as much as you want?

It seems there aren't as many restrictions with the DS. Do you still eat the same way you did pre-op and lose weight?    — preferably A. (posted on June 19, 2003)

June 18, 2003
Yes to your first question and no to your second question. It used to take 5-6 sandwiches and a box of donuts for me to feel full and satisfied prior to weight loss surgery. Now I can eat one sandwich and a couple of hours later have a donut and feel full and satisfied. I have lost 270 pounds in 3 years and am still losing. I can accelerate or slow my weight loss depending on how much I eat. If I eat three times a day, I lose about 3 pounds a week. If I eat six times a day, I lose about one-half a pound a week. I am about 40 pounds from my goal weight and am taking it slow since I am still wound-healing from the reconstructive surgery. Does that answer your questions?
   — merri B.

June 18, 2003
It's different for everybody, but most DSers seem to find that they can eat freely after surgery without gaining weight, even those who are three or more years post-op. And, clinical studies back this, showing almost no regain with the DS or with its forerunner, the BPD. However, some people do become lactose intolerant after the DS (just like the RNY) and have difficulty with milk products. Others find that wheat gluten no longer agrees with them, or that certain foods give them gas... that kind of thing. I'm one year post-op and very lucky, because I do find that I can eat pretty much anything I want without ill effects. On the other hand, my stomach is much smaller than it was pre-op, so I definitely can't eat the same kind of volume at one sitting as I did before. My meals seem to be about half the size they used to be, but I eat much more frequently (every 2-3 hours), so my overall calorie intake is much higher than it was before I had surgery. I'm still losing weight though -- about a pound a week, and my diet and exercise habits seem to have little effect on how fast or slow that goes. I'm hoping to lose 15 more pounds to reach my ideal weight, and I feel confident that I will. The only way in which my diet has really changed is that I now have a protein shake every morning, just to make sure I hit my target of 100 grams each day. I am also exercising a lot more -- because now it feels GOOD. :-) Best wishes to you.
   — Tally

June 18, 2003
Merri is absolutely right. With a DS, one can eat just about anything, but in smaller amounts. I'm about 20 months out from my DS, started at 304 lbs, now 138 lbs. I eat anything except peppers, but I had trouble digesting them pre-op so I don't consider that a big problem. I eat all my protein first, carbs later in the evening if I want them. I stick to water, tea or diet sodas for fluid intake because sugary drinks seem to fill me up too fast and cut down my protein intake. I really feel that I eat more normally now than I did pre-op.
   — dantevolta

June 19, 2003
Thank you very much to all of you for answering my question :).
   — preferably A.

June 19, 2003
I can eat whatever I want, but I can't eat as MUCH as I want. Have you ever heard the term "her eyes are bigger than her stomach"? Well, that is me. I sometimes have more on my plate than I can eat. You know--'cuz it looks so good and I'm so hungry when I first fix my plate. Then about half-way through the meal, I realize I'm too full to eat another bite. Even if somebody had a gun to my head, I couldn't eat another bite. And sometimes it even irritates me just a little bit--to not be able to take that last bite, even though I want it. So, in answer to your second question--no, we can not eat as much as we want. <p>But, by golly, I sure do enjoy the food I do eat! Mostly because I can now eat without fear of gaining weight--nothing is off limits--no guilt to deal with. It is an awesome way to live.
   — artistmama

June 19, 2003
Hope I can ask a question on this subject? Is 157 cm (?) bypassed considered a DS? Thanks.
   — Danmark

June 19, 2003
In reference to your question, Daniel--No, it is not considered a DS (duodenal switch) because the switch did not occur at the duodenum and the amount bypassed is not the majority of the small intestine. With the DS, most of the small intestine is bypassed--all but the last 100cm (approximately 3 ft.). The amount you asked about would be considered a "medial" or possibly "distal" RNY. <p>Also, the stomach is no longer functional with the RNY because the pyloric valve has been eliminated and the part of the stomach that produces stomach acid has all ben cut away, whereas with the DS, it is still fully functional--just greatly reduced in size. After surgery the stomach is the shape and size of a small banana.
   — artistmama