Hell Freezes Over

[DianaCox]

The problem with cooking with it is you can't - you cannot get it over 140 degrees or it curdles (or so I've been told). So - @OldBroad - you will have to make the egg drop part of the soup in hot water FIRST, and then add the protein powder after it has cooled down, and I don't know how well that is going to work, because you kinda have to stir the powder vigorously to get it to fully dissolve (it clumps a bit at first). But tell me how it works!

 

[brooklyngirl]

@OldBroad, I have heard about the Quest bars causing a lot of GI distress because of the -Itols. I used to eat them a lot pre-op bc they are so low carb. Thanks for the tip on the peanut butter. That was one of my favorite flavors!

Lots of us eat, AND ENJOY, quest bars. Give it a try, they never bother me, even early on.

 

[OldBroad]

The problem with cooking with it is you can't - you cannot get it over 140 degrees or it curdles (or so I've been told). So - @OldBroad - you will have to make the egg drop part of the soup in hot water FIRST, and then add the protein powder after it has cooled down, and I don't know how well that is going to work, because you kinda have to stir the powder vigorously to get it to fully dissolve (it clumps a bit at first). But tell me how it works!

Oh, yes, I figured I would cook the eggs in water, let it cool down to 140F, then add the powder. I'll post to Recipes if it works out well.

 

[Munchkin]

You can as liz @southernlady her thoughts but I don't subscribe to the net carb theory being any less carbs than regular carbs. Then again I also don't believe that restricting carbs is healthy for us. Not saying to go eat a ton of carbs but 14 grams is nothing that I would be afraid of. Our bodies need carbs Just like they need proteins so balance is key.

Part of my issue with weight loss losing too much) is that my lack of carb absorption is hurting my protein stores. It is complicated and my GI explained it well but I don't know that I can other than not getting enough carbs can hurt protein absorption.

In any case I am the odd duck and not the typical DS patient so take me with a grain of salt. I have always preached the mantra of balance in life and believe it true with us for food intake as well.

I want your DS... To lose I still have to eliminate carbs.

 

[DSRIGGS]

I want your DS... To lose I still have to eliminate carbs.

Read a few of my posts like the one about needing a revision. You don't want my DS unless you are much shorter than me.

That being said the key to losing during the primary weight loss window with the DS is too maximize protein intake and balancing with some carbs. Note I didn't say eat 350 carbs a day, but I have other ds friends who did very well and they don't watch carbs at all and like me eat 200 carb grams or more a day. I know that we are all different so YMMV but I am a firm believer in balance in life (each has their own balance ) but restriction for live doesn't work.

They have the same 100 cm CC and 150 AL limb that I have. That set up doesn't work for me because I take I have to take 270k - 400k units of Creon daily to maintain and that isn't working anymore as I have lost 15 - 17 pounds in the last 3.weeks (haven't weighed yet this morning).

Key take away for me - the DS needs to be personalized for each patient. My AL should have been anywhere from 2 to 2.75 times as long as it was made. I am much taller than my two friends who had the second surgeon and limb lengths as he does same for everyone. They are in the 5'6 range of height and I am just under 6'2. Statically they have much shorter small bowel them I do so my limbs should be significantly longer than their limbs.

BTW one of if not the best Bariatric surgeons in the world does not believe DS patients should restrict carbs... Obviously moderation, like everything else in life, is in instead advised.

 

[Munchkin]

Read a few of my posts like the one about needing a revision. You don't want my DS unless you are much shorter than me.

That being said the key to losing during the primary weight loss window with the DS is too maximize protein intake and balancing with some carbs. Note I didn't say eat 350 carbs a day, but I have other ds friends who did very well and they don't watch carbs at all and like me eat 200 carb grams or more a day. I know that we are all different so YMMV but I am a firm believer in balance in life (each has their own balance ) but restriction for live doesn't work.

They have the same 100 cm CC and 150 AL limb that I have. That set up doesn't work for me because I take I have to take 270k - 400k units of Creon daily to maintain and that isn't working anymore as I have lost 15 - 17 pounds in the last 3.weeks (haven't weighed yet this morning).

Key take away for me - the DS needs to be personalized for each patient. My AL should have been anywhere from 2 to 2.75 times as long as it was made. I am much taller than my two friends who had the second surgeon and limb lengths as he does same for everyone. They are in the 5'6 range of height and I am just under 6'2. Statically they have much shorter small bowel them I do so my limbs should be significantly longer than their limbs.

BTW one of if not the best Bariatric surgeons in the world does not believe DS patients should restrict carbs... Obviously moderation, like everything else in life, is in instead advised.

I am shorter than you and my CC is supposedly 75. But you do have the man factor working too. I hope the weight loss stops for you and in the meantime I wish you could send it to me! I am coming to the reality that I am going to have to restrict everything and try to force myself back to the 800 calorie diet again. Something I never thought I would have to do.

 

[SoBe]

Munchkin:

Calories mean nothing to us anymore. Can you post up what you eat in terms of protein grams, fat grams and carb grams, be honest and we will have a look.

I have a 75cm cc and as long as most of my intake is protein and fat (I do eat about 150g of carbs too), I maintain without thinking about it and my calories are around the 2800 mark. I only know this as I use MyNetDiary. Eating 800 cals a day would in my eyes be highly dangerous for a DSer....150g of protein is 600 cals alone and that's the minimum, then you should be getting at least (minimum) 70g of fat a day, that's another 610 calories.....if I want to drop weight I up the protein and fat (up from 150g to 200g and 100g to 150g respectively) and cut carbs.

I'd guess that you aren't eating enough fat....a lot of DSers don't eat enough, but what they don't realise is, we malabsorb fat and, just like protein, it's essential for healthy body function, but because we malabsorb it so much more than protein, we therefore need to stuff our faces with it to end up with any at all absorbed!

 

[Munchkin]

Munchkin:

Calories mean nothing to us anymore. Can you post up what you eat in terms of protein grams, fat grams and carb grams, be honest and we will have a look.

I have a 75cm cc and as long as most of my intake is protein and fat (I do eat about 150g of carbs too), I maintain without thinking about it and my calories are around the 2800 mark. I only know this as I use MyNetDiary. Eating 800 cals a day would in my eyes be highly dangerous for a DSer....150g of protein is 600 cals alone and that's the minimum, then you should be getting at least (minimum) 70g of fat a day, that's another 610 calories.....if I want to drop weight I up the protein and fat (up from 150g to 200g and 100g to 150g respectively) and cut carbs.

I'd guess that you aren't eating enough fat....a lot of DSers don't eat enough, but what they don't realise is, we malabsorb fat and, just like protein, it's essential for healthy body function, but because we malabsorb it so much more than protein, we therefore need to stuff our faces with it to end up with any at all absorbed!

I used to say calories mean nothing to us just like you. Protein and fat are like free foods. And it used to be true for me just like it is for most. I am a superabsorber. I got my first diet at 6 weeks old. The DS was never a free ride for me. I had no problem at all with the surgery, that was easy for me. The problem was weight loss.

My high weight was probably close to 400lbs. I had to wait for the DS for 2 years. I was so pissed off with myself my new motto was "Thin or dead. Either one is just fine with me." I even started practicing psychological warfare, I had to tell myself food is not your friend every time I took a bite. So one last diet. 2 cans of tuna and 2 cups raw spinach. And a vitamin. Every day for 2 years while I waited. I did take off for my birthday and holidays. About 10 days a year. I went into surgery officially a lightweight at 251lbs. In the first 6 months I lost down to 200 and that's it. 3 more months passed...no loss.

I got desperate. I didn't go through all this to still be fat. I had been walking 5 miles a day and I hated taking the time for it. So after spending some time with couch to 5K, I started running. Running made a big difference. Over the next year or so, I got down to 160 and even though I wasn't really thin that was OK. That was the beginning of my 'good' years. As long as I remained active and was aware of carbs, I maintained pretty well. ONCE, I even got to wear a pair of size 6 non-stretch jeans. Once. The muffin top was horrible. More like the whole loaf, but I got those jeans up, zipped, and buttoned.

In 2009 I got a hernia I can't afford to fix so no more AB work. And I'm getting older. Past 60, running equals injuries. Plus I now live in Vegas where it's too hot to run for miles in the extreme heat. I do still run some from October to May. But not the 30 miles a week I used to do. My fitbit tells me I am still active enough that I should be able to maintain and I have been doing a lot of physical work remodeling my house.

Around 2011 something changed and I can no longer maintain on the usual DS diet. I have a very efficient body and it doesn't waste anything. And BTW even with my supposed 75 CC, I have never had any deficiencies and never needed infusions or had to take drastic measures to keep my labs in line. No osteoporosis here either. I CAN take gelcaps too.

Summer is winding down here. In another month or so, daytime temps should be under 100. I have a lot of really physical jobs saved up like removing tree stumps and moving rocks. Plus I will start running again. And then the diet begins. 2 cans tuna, 2 cups raw spinach and perhaps in deference to whatever is left of my DS, I will put some ranch on the spinach and add a no carb protein drink. Yeah, I know I'm whining but it's really hard to eat like this in Vegas! I just need to go back to my old mindset.

 

[SoBe]

I'm really sorry to hear this. You cannot be getting anywhere near enough protein?

Have you seen a team about this problem, it sounds very odd indeed. I'd be curious as to how your innards look now....even as a super absorber you should be able to eat a normal persons calorie range without gaining....how are your labs? Are they midrange or good?

 

[Munchkin]

I'm really sorry to hear this. You cannot be getting anywhere near enough protein?

Have you seen a team about this problem, it sounds very odd indeed. I'd be curious as to how your innards look now....even as a super absorber you should be able to eat a normal persons calorie range without gaining....how are your labs? Are they midrange or good?

But remember, I no longer malabsorb as much as I used to so 80 to 100 gr per day is good for me. My body is just efficient. I use more of what I ingest than an average person.

I was in a BMR study at the University of Minnesota specifically for WLS patients in the mid 2000's. They told me I should be able to maintain on about 3400 calories a day. In their dreams and I told them that! Part of the study was wearing a device that tracked your activity and recording every bite of food too. I could show them I was barely maintaining on 2300 calories a day. When according to them I should have been losing because I had a significant calorie deficit. They had no answers for me.

I have no insurance so a couple years ago I decided every other year was enough labs for me. I had done them every year up till then and no deficiencies. I won't do labs again till next August. The last ones were perfect. My PTH is even low. That's also why I can't have the hernia repaired. I just have to stuff it back in myself! Other than the hernia I am very healthy for my age. I have always been right on top of my supplements and in about 12 years I have missed probably less than 50 doses.

I hesitated to post my poor decision on the lab work but you do what you have to do and I am 100% against anyone else doing this. If I had insurance, I would have continued to do labs once a year. If you NEED to cut back on your expenses you can order the tests and have them done yourself. That does help out on the cost. That's how I get mine done!

 

[Charris]

Read a few of my posts like the one about needing a revision. You don't want my DS unless you are much shorter than me.

That being said the key to losing during the primary weight loss window with the DS is too maximize protein intake and balancing with some carbs. Note I didn't say eat 350 carbs a day, but I have other ds friends who did very well and they don't watch carbs at all and like me eat 200 carb grams or more a day. I know that we are all different so YMMV but I am a firm believer in balance in life (each has their own balance ) but restriction for live doesn't work.

They have the same 100 cm CC and 150 AL limb that I have. That set up doesn't work for me because I take I have to take 270k - 400k units of Creon daily to maintain and that isn't working anymore as I have lost 15 - 17 pounds in the last 3.weeks (haven't weighed yet this morning).

Key take away for me - the DS needs to be personalized for each patient. My AL should have been anywhere from 2 to 2.75 times as long as it was made. I am much taller than my two friends who had the second surgeon and limb lengths as he does same for everyone. They are in the 5'6 range of height and I am just under 6'2. Statically they have much shorter small bowel them I do so my limbs should be significantly longer than their limbs.

BTW one of if not the best Bariatric surgeons in the world does not believe DS patients should restrict carbs... Obviously moderation, like everything else in life, is in instead advised.

Hey Don't want it unless I am much shorter than you. ILL TAKE IT 4ft11.5. I get to eat whatever I want and still LOOSE? Sign me up. JK I know how it feels to be malnourished and just trying to eat any and everything so I wouldn't loose more weight. The grass always looks greener from the other side.

 

[Charris]

Man Munchkin you have it hard. With everything you have gone through with your DS to loose weight have you every thought maybe you didn't get what the doctor said he gave you? IS there anyway to have your DS checked out? The reason a lot of us had the DS was to longer have to diet. UGGGH

 

[Munchkin]

Man Munchkin you have it hard. With everything you have gone through with your DS to loose weight have you every thought maybe you didn't get what the doctor said he gave you? IS there anyway to have your DS checked out? The reason a lot of us had the DS was to longer have to diet. UGGGH

Hell yes! The only way I would believe I have a 75 CC would be to see it myself! Buchwald wanted to do 100 and *I* wanted 50. He refused to do 50 so we compromised on 75. But I wasn't there to see him measure it!

However, I am not the only one in this boat. Most of them are quiet and abandoned the forums long ago. I will say there is something kinder and gentler about my doc's DS. I know more than a couple of his his posties who were left fat. If I had it to do over again, considering the fact I waited 2 years for a surgery date, I would have gone overseas and had it done on my timeline. And of course that would have meant using a different doc. I probably would have gone to Baltasar at that time.

No way to predict if the results would have been any different.

 

[Charris]

Hell yes! The only way I would believe I have a 75 CC would be to see it myself! Buchwald wanted to do 100 and *I* wanted 50. He refused to do 50 so we compromised on 75. But I wasn't there to see him measure it!

However, I am not the only one in this boat. Most of them are quiet and abandoned the forums long ago. I will say there is something kinder and gentler about my doc's DS. I know more than a couple of his his posties who were left fat. If I had it to do over again, considering the fact I waited 2 years for a surgery date, I would have gone overseas and had it done on my timeline. And of course that would have meant using a different doc. I probably would have gone to Baltasar at that time.

No way to predict if the results would have been any different.

That sucks. It really sucks because you have no insurance also. Id be wanting one of the super doctors to fix me up or take a look and see what is going. Its unfortunate that those others chose to suffer in silence and just go away they have valuable information to share with others. Im glad that you didn't just jump ship and leave! I can understand their frustration and pain.

 

[Munchkin]

That sucks. It really sucks because you have no insurance also. Id be wanting one of the super doctors to fix me up or take a look and see what is going. Its unfortunate that those others chose to suffer in silence and just go away they have valuable information to share with others. Im glad that you didn't just jump ship and leave! I can understand their frustration and pain.

I'm glad you get this. I know quite a few of the disenfranchised still fatties. But there isn't a one of us who can say they would have been better off without the DS.