Eating...........after DS what a differance

[Cookie822]

Mike, this thread provides a great flashback to the early days after surgery.

I am 97 lbs down from SURGERY WEIGHT and loving it.

I HAVE NO CLOTHES THAT FIT, they hang every where. Since birth, I am confident in saying that I carry my weight in my stomach. This means buying clothes that fit your middle; not your shoulders or excess room in rear and legs that looks like you are wearing someone else's old clothes.

My tummy tuck is already approved by insurance and I can't wait to get that bulge in front excised from this body. But for that tummy I would be two or three sizes smaller and sleeves will not hang on my shoulders and pants will fit correctly all over.

As I said, I just can't wait for that day.

I went to a Mexican restaurant here in Austin last nite: Matt's El Rancho - the KING of Mexican restaurants (a 3 generation family owned business). The Bob Armstrong dip is great (queso with big dollop of guacamole and ground meat). I ate three chips with this on top. Then I had the guacamole enchiladas and ate 6 bites - that was it. Done, over, bring the doggie bag. But dang was it all good. In the late evening I had a good portion of protein since my earlier meal didn't make the grade.

Tomorrow I am scheduling my 9 month lab work. I would be surprised if my cholesterol is over 100 at all. At 6 months out it was 124 and the following month at my annual physical (with my PCP) it had dropped to 113. Lord only knows where I have dropped to since then.

I have decided to adopt a new eating-out mantra. Either order from the appetizer menu or split my meal with someone else. It's not really an issue of money, but more of waste and sometimes doggie bag leftovers don't really taste that great. I continue to be amazed with everyone else at the size of restaurant portions of food; man we eat alot of food that we really don't need to live.

[rese]

Congratulations Cookie that is awesome. Already a year I am almost there myself in about a week...

[yasmine-samara]

Hi,

I am only 7 days post op and I can honestly say that I haven't felt hungry at all. I am still on pureed food and have been finding it a bit difficult to get in enough protein so I have ordered a suppliment.

[Crazeru]

Yasmine,
Generally the rule is 30grams of protein by 30 days, 60g by 60 and 90g by 90 days. Unless your surgeon wants you hitting 100 right out of surgery. Protein drinks & bullets may be the only way. I ate a lot of tuna salad or egg salad, took most the day to eat a can. A can of tuna is 35g, add in shredded cheese and you can get up to 40g. Protein bullets come in 25 and 42g. Protein shakes 24-36g. I had problems with the whey in the shakes and the 42g bullets, early out. Switched to egg white protein shakes. Just a reminder to sip, sip, sip to get in all your water. That's more important right now. Little walks help too.

[Drewa]

Just wanted to add that my experience of hunger has been very different from that of some other people on here. It is now 2yrs since the first part of my Ds was done and I still very rarely get hungry. The person who brought me home from hospital is 8yrs out and she experiences the same as me - if we haven't eaten for ages, we get a little twinge of hunger, which you'd expect to increase gradually, but somehow it doesn't - it just goes away if ignored and maybe comes back a couple of hours later, but no more strongly. I've even conducted experiments on myself because I wanted to feel REAL hunger again - couldn't be done without passing out first!! I realise not everyone is the same and we are very lucky. I did fully expect normal hunger to have returned by now, but I suppose that once they've removed the main ghrelin factory it shouldn't.

[Paul H]

Originally Posted by girl81

Do you notice that low carb/high fat helps reduce cravings?

I've found that taking chromium picolinate (500 mcg 2x/day) sharply reduces my desire for sweets. You have to take it for a few weeks before it kicks in, but the result is dramatic--well, for me it was.

[Mike2]

Kinda neat to see that the time capsule is still in here, just checking in. Almost 3yrs out now for me, I flucuate between 195 and 198 lbs for the last couple of years, guess I am where I am supposed to be, no problems just enjoying life. Thank you again Dr. B and thanks to you folks for the guidance along the way.