Fiddleman

I thought kohls is a regular store. Shows how much I know. Lol.

Why are you choosing mashed potatoes for eating ( so high in carbs)? You might try scrambles eggs instead during e soft foods stage or something like oatmeal.

Very good post Mike. Yes, our BSR does get shot with eating so few calories. I have lost 100% excess weight at 6 months (180 lb) and do not believe I have done anything special. NOw more than ever, I have always looked for ways to up my game, never getting comfortable. There is an ever increasing goal to achieve in fitness. Everyone, do push yourself. It is not going to happen without a lot of hard work on your part. Try increasing protein, water, exercise time and supplements. There are many tricks to keep improving your weight loss, but you need to have an overwhelming desire to succeed and not complain. Where there is a will, there is a way as the old saying goes. Treat your journey as one where you will be the hero with your hard work. It does not come easy by any means.

You are hot!

That is really a fascinating suggestion regarding the brain mapping. Now I must go consult Wikipedia to see what entails brain mapping. This curiosity is going to get the best of me.

Impossible to be an addict at something and not take it to an extreme. Just my opinion. Whatever I am doing, I will give it my 100% or I feel like a failure at it. Thank you for getting that out of me Dr Laura. Edit : by extreme, I really mean where it is harmful to self and/ or others. I should be careful about throwing around the extreme category because what I am addicted to now is not harming me or others.

I and others will always be addicts. It is our personality and cannot be undone (well, lobotomy, but....). We must choose an addiction that is the less of all evils if you wish to call addiction evil.

I never really liked food for most of my life and could never appreciate the subtleties of flavors and spices. I tried to, but was never able to. Yet I ate to excess. Why? I think it was because I was an emotional eater and DID like the heavy sugar and fat foods in an addicting sort of way. Not a good combination when I rarely handled stress well. Rarely. I ate a box of donut holes some times on way home from work or a Frap from SB or a fast food order before dinner at home. I would eat and keep eating portions of food even though full. Not healthy. Hated myself for vicious death grip the salty, fatty and sugary food had on my stressed out body. All this changed when I got sleeved. I think my long standing association between stress and eating is gone primarily because I deal with stress rationally now. It does not control me nor is it really part of my life any longer. I have chosen not to be that crazed stressed out emotional food eater any longer. VSG has given me a chance to really live and not be controlled by food. I simply do not have an urge. I can say that I now enjoy what I eat and can appreciate the subtleties or flavors and spices. I guess it has turned me into a foodie, but in a good way. VSG has given me a good tool to still enjoy food without overeating. I mostly do not eat salty, sugary and fatty foods any longer because I care about my health now and how it impacts my fitness goals.

Do you think with our food addiction we would be like an alcoholic? That is, they can remain sober and in control as long as alcohol is not present. However, if they drink one jack Daniel in a hotel mini bar they may say " what the hell" and clean out the mini-bar, assed-drunk even the next day (think: scene in the 2012 movie "flight"). Would that happen to a former food addict if left alone with a plate of Cookies or a dozen donuts? Not sure. I wouldn't think so if we can truly break the food addiction / emotional eating tie. What do you think? Forget for a moment that the sleeve would actually physically prevent you from eating a dozen donuts, a full pizza, etc. Would it happen otherwise? Personally, I think the answer is no but would love to hear your responses whether you consider yourself a raving food addict, an arm chair food addict or not a food addict. It would be a scary thought if we reverted to crazy binge eating like the alcoholic and a hotel mini bar. I think some of us can point at self pre op and say "yup, food addict" and then never have a food relationship issue again post op. Or do they?

Yay for fart freedom. I think mine are methane strong and would cause the CDC to put a quarantine around my house. I cannot believe how much gas there is even 9 months out. Good thing I live in Snohomish so I can blame it on the cows. Try not to blast your SO in bed though or that could lead to dog house treatment. Until the dog kicks you out.

I second the BA chews, especially caramel. They are yummy little treats 3 x a day (6 total). At 6 month, my calcium levels were dead on mid range. I have 9 month checkup next week and will see if I need to keep taking. I am a total addict to them now though and am not sure I could give them up. Lol.

Got the Green Tonic Alchemy today from Amazon. Really fast delivery - good. The taste is about the same as Amazing Grass so I added some coconut/pineapple flavoring. Now it went down faster. Holy cow, this stuff makes you feel good. And more than the energy burst. After 15 minutes, I felt my back inflammation go away. Awesome! This stuff really does have some ant-inflammatory ingredients in it. For this reason alone, it would be worth taking but I also appreciate the energy and quiet alertness that comes from a good green drink. I also appreciate that it has many different types of fruit in a single scoop. 71 total fruits, vegetables and herbs. Thanks for the recommendation on this product.

I was thinking about camping food a bit yesterday after reading this thread. How do you think hobo stew would work if the potatoes are taken out and replaced with something else. Hobo stew is basically hamburger, spices and chopped carrots, cabbage, onions, etc thrown into aluminum foil. You then throw it into your campfire and let it cook and sizzle a while. Smells awesome, especially at the end of a long hike in. Another good hike lunch we used to take on our 100 milers is salami and cheese. The cheese actually got more awesome the more number of days that went by. Instant Oatmeal is also and easy favorite to do for breakfast.

Does anyone know why raw honey is preferred over table sugar in foods such as protein bars? How different can they be processed as both are simple carbs right? From what I have read is that raw honey does not pump the insulin response like table sugar does. Give me the technical breakdown of the differences. I can take it. Lol.