holyoke91
New Member
5 months post-surgery and doing well
Posts: 5
Surgery Type: DS
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Post by holyoke91 on Nov 29, 2015 17:28:21 GMT -5
So I have been reading entries for a while now, but just recently joined up. First off, I have to say that I adore you all already, and have decided that you really must all move to Philadelphia and just hang out with me all the time! Secondly, I'm not sure if my avatar is showing up but the crazy hair and eyes reflect the fact that I have reading these threads for hours upon days, and am now bleary-eyed.
So to the point of my posting-a work friend of mine with whom I have briefly discussed this surgery a year ago, sent me a video clip of a prominent bariatric surgeon in houston who says the we are all too obsessed with protein, and that we should just be eating fruits and veggies and grains and nuts and seeds etc. He is referring to Americans in general, not bariatric patients specifically. I know I will need to eat a lot of protein after I'm switched, but why can't I just go vegetarian and become thin???
My friend at work is vegan, doesn't eat anything with fat in it - no nuts, avocados, oils etc, eats tons of whole grains and is IMHO painfully thin, but she is thin . . .
So, um . . . now it is stuck in my head that I'm gonna do something really drastic and unhealthy when I could just eat some sesame seeds and cauliflower!
I'm so sorry for such a long post my first time out!
Thank you, Tina
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Post by caprice on Nov 29, 2015 21:05:51 GMT -5
Welcome, Tina! I'm just going to throw a couple of thoughts out there, it's not intended to insult, at all, my delivery sometimes has a rough edge or two, though. The DS is what I got when I felt I had exhausted every other option to try to become not-morbidly-obese. If there's a diet out there that you haven't yet tried, do it now, I guess. Then, if you lose weight, great. But when it comes back, the DS will still be here waiting for you, hopefully. Here's the thing.... Most of us could LOSE weight, but just temporarily. Eventually, it found us again. The metabolic changes that take place with the DS are what made this the first time in my life that I lost a large amount of weight, and it wasn't all back within 6 months of reaching whatever goal I had. I went from a BMI of 45 to a BMI of 18, which was too low, to, 7 years later, a BMI of 23-24. And, I eat when I'm hungry. I eat protein first, because I still have limited space in my stomach for food, and protein is the macronutrient that I need the most. Then fat, which is very conveniently attached to the protein most of the time, then, in moderate amounts, carbs. If you get the DS, be prepared to tell people to go pound sand when they tell you that you should eat low fat, and that protein is overrated. In particular, your self-righteous co-worker. She might mean well, but you already know that what she's selling will not apply if you get your guts rearranged. And there are people who have gone into a DS with the intention of getting their protein needs met with grains and beans, but I don't know if they were able to hold to that. All I know is that if I tried that, I would have shit myself to death. Seriously. The DS will cause you to not absorb MOST of the fat you eat, and not absorb a good deal of the protein you eat. And we need both to enjoy decent health. The way I need to eat to stay healthy is not what the way a person with an unaltered digestive tract should eat. You have got to get your thinking wrapped around that. And, if you haven't found threads addressing you vitamin supplementation needs, look for those. They are important. Again, welcome.
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Post by OnMyWay2Thin on Nov 30, 2015 10:58:45 GMT -5
Welcome, Tina!
Caprice is right on target (as usual!) If there is a diet that you think could work, it can't hurt to try, all you have to lose is weight! LOL But seriously, I was in the same boat and feel like I tried everything. I even considered the vegetarian viewpoint then gave it some thought and knew I wouldn't be happy living with that restriction my whole life. I knew it wouldn't work for me. I also have a friend who's vegetarian and she's not thin, she's not super morbidly obese, but she's not think by any means. It's a huge decision, take your time making it. I canceled two times before the third time was a charm. I'm surprised my doctor stuck by me and scheduled me a third time. He still jokes with me about this!
Speaking of which, I'm right over the bridge in South Jersey. My doctor who is absolutely amazing is straight down Route 38 from the bridge in Moorestown, NJ, it's an easy commute. His name is Dr. David Greenbaum, have you met him? I swear he saved my life, my health was getting so bad from being so heavy and he changed that with his skilled hands. No more diabetes, high blood pressure, aching joints, etc. Those are the reasons I had it done to save my health. Now switching to another aspect of having it done, I have never felt better about myself. The compliments from unknowing people and my relatives not even recognizing me because of the weight loss is unreal.
Caprice explained the malabsorption great so I don't need to get into that, I will just say without that, I would be banished to an unhealthy body. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I'm kind of the newbie on here since I'm only 15 months out so some of the others are much more experienced, but I'll help you in any way possible if you have questions.
Good luck, Kelly
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Post by caprice on Nov 30, 2015 12:16:02 GMT -5
Oh. And. Kelly alluded to it, but I'm going to repeat this part: If you have, or are on your way to having, type 2 diabetes, the DS gives you a much better chance of making that go away than a vegetarian diet ever could. Any weight loss would be helpful, of course, but the metabolic change you get with the DS will often make a person's type 2 go away. There are no guarantees on that, but there is a good chance that it will happen. Resolution is better with the DS than with the RNY, and seems to be longer-lasting.
Just want to make sure that you "hear" that.
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holyoke91
New Member
5 months post-surgery and doing well
Posts: 5
Surgery Type: DS
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Post by holyoke91 on Nov 30, 2015 12:49:26 GMT -5
I know that you are right, and I know that if I could have eaten that way and lost weight and kept it off, I would have done it years ago. But I have also been sure for 35+ years that the next thing I did to lose weight would be the CURE, and it never was. So despite the fact that I know this is the right choice for me, my stinkin' thinking still does occasionally take over, and I question myself. I do like fruits and vegetables and grains etc, and have tried many times since I was 8 years old to "diet", and I've even been successful at losing, but never at keeping it off. I can't even tell you how the weight came back-I just turned around one day and I was heavier than before I started. And with the DS, I will have the best chance of losing the weight, keeping it off, and eating pretty normally in terms of the variety of foods (cuz I really do like meat as well !). Additionally, while I do not have any significant health concerns currently, I am certain that it is only a matter of time before I do see the effects of how I have been eating. By the way, I love the pound sand message! Thanks Caprice and Kelly!
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Post by jpcello on Dec 1, 2015 6:02:14 GMT -5
Always remember that there are fat vegetarians as well as thin ones. It's all about choices. With the DS (or any bariatric surgery) choices are still important, it's just that the choices are different.
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Post by mark540 on Dec 1, 2015 14:11:59 GMT -5
I love fruits and veg. Eat them every day in moderation. Grains not so much. A few crackers with my chilli, a slice of thin crust pizza every now and then. Much more than 1 slice of bread and I regret it. Rice is not bad for me but others have trouble with it.
In spite of all the troubles and problems I have had, I wouldn't trade this surgery for anything. 6 years out and I can maintain 350 lb weight loss. BMI was 80 when I started, now 35ish. Not perfect but I'm working it.
Since I had surgery I have had MS kick in on me, osteoporosis, vitamin D was a 5 year battle finally in control. Had a stroke a few weeks ago, minor, no permanent damage. All of this and more would have been so much more difficult at 626 lbs.
Yeah, I can clear a room in under 5 minutes if need be, take the good with the bad and decide if you'll be happy. It does take work but it's worth it.
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Post by bswitched on Dec 1, 2015 18:47:04 GMT -5
I did a lot of research and currently at 9 months post op I have no regrets and have had zero issues !
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Post by newyorkbitch on Dec 1, 2015 21:32:29 GMT -5
I know that you are right, and I know that if I could have eaten that way and lost weight and kept it off, I would have done it years ago. But I have also been sure for 35+ years that the next thing I did to lose weight would be the CURE, and it never was. So despite the fact that I know this is the right choice for me, my stinkin' thinking still does occasionally take over, and I question myself. I do like fruits and vegetables and grains etc, and have tried many times since I was 8 years old to "diet", and I've even been successful at losing, but never at keeping it off. I can't even tell you how the weight came back-I just turned around one day and I was heavier than before I started. And with the DS, I will have the best chance of losing the weight, keeping it off, and eating pretty normally in terms of the variety of foods (cuz I really do like meat as well !). Additionally, while I do not have any significant health concerns currently, I am certain that it is only a matter of time before I do see the effects of how I have been eating. By the way, I love the pound sand message! Thanks Caprice and Kelly! An assignment: Read all the vitamin/supplement info on this board and post a list of all the vitamins/supps you need to take every day and where you are going to get them. Also find, and post here, the protein requirements you will need in the first 1/2/3 months and thereafter, and post the number of grams of protein (and portion size) in foods you plan to eat. How much time are you taking off from work after surgery? What work do you do - close quarters with other people? Are you single?
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