Munchkin
Full of Fairy Dust
I like that. Surgically induced Atkins.Is your experience typical? I ask because you touched on my next question. I’ll try asking here before making a new post.
Why does it seem like the DS post op diet restrictions/tolerances etc are so different than what sleevers say? Not pertaining to the weight loss/malabsorption but the quantity and types. Is it strictly because of the malabsorption? Sleeve size?
While I’m not a binge eater I do love me some carbs, who doesn't? I know DS absorbs carbs 100% (right?) so does it not phase you to have to avoid carbs? Like a surgically induced Atkins diet?
We absorb 100% of the simple carbs. Sugar. It's 60%(hope I remember this right) of the complex carbs. If I am wrong someone else will come along and tell me I am a bonehead and that's OK.
It was about 7 months postop that I became able to eat a normal meal. I was on a trip to Las Vegas, alone, and I was eating prime rib at the bar and chatting with the bartender. I wasn't paying attention because I was talking and I realized I had eaten ALL the prime rib and a couple bites of broccoli. All sleeves will expand over time and eventually you will be able to eat more. Today I can eat like a horse some days and only a pony other days.
You go into the DS knowing your diet will be protein based for the rest of your life. You will be counting protein forever. Some write it down or use an app. I have been doing this so long that I just keep a tally in my head. I can probably tell you at any time how much protein I have had so far. Combine the need for protein plus restriction and you won't have room for much else during your quick weight loss phase. Most people would probably agree in the beginning, it's protein plus a couple bites of something else. Even snacks should follow along this line. It's always protein first. Hopefully, you learn how to eat during this phase and it will serve you well.
So yes, you are sort of losing weight because you are on Atkins with the added magic of malabsorbtion. Lots of people have said the restriction makes you lose the weight and the malabsorbtion helps you keep it off. That is a simplification but it doesn't hurt to look at it that way. The stand alone sleeve is just a diet with a smaller stomach. Always remember that. For them it's low cal, low carb, low fat. They absorb everything they eat. Many sleevers live on 800 to 1K calories per day. We don't have to do that because we have malabsorbtion. Many DSers think of fat and protein as free foods. The more the better. We don't absorb 80% of the fat so to a large extent this is true.
Some develop intolerances that last forever. Almost everyone has foods that cause problems in the beginning. Try them once in a while and eventually most of these issues go away. You can choose to avoid these foods or not. Up to you. If your consequence is ferocious gas, you may choose to eat whatever at a time when you know you will be alone and close to a bathroom. The only food problem I have left is beets. If I eat beets I better be close to a bathroom. So most of the time, I avoid beets. It's not a big deal. I have lived with the surgery long enough to know how most foods affect me most of the time.
It takes time to figure yourself out after surgery. If you have nausea or diarrhea, treat it. Don't stay miserable. Get yourself healed. Stay hydrated and walk. After you heal, just concentrate on losing as much as you can as fast as you can. During easy weightloss the only GOOD carb is one you don't eat. Just lose the weight. Aim for 10% under goal. You will have the rest of your life to figure out what you can eat. Maybe life will give you a carbfest at the end of your weightloss period. I feel sorry for these folks because even though it's great fun, it usually doesn't last and they will have to go back to being careful and eating right. The other end of the curve is maybe you will run out of easy weightloss before all the fat is gone and you will always have to be really careful. No one knows where they will end up so make the best use of your time! Just lose the weight!
Don't think for a minute that I have never had french toast, lasagna, bagels, or dessert postop. I have had all these things more than once or twice. And fresh baked bread??? I will always eat that. Then I know I need to really careful and stick to my plan for a few days so I don't gain. What the DS did for me was make me NORMAL(at least foodwise). I know if I overindulge and eat things I shouldn't I can cut back and mitigate the damage. I can manage my weight like a normal person.