SpaceDust

Well, I do think it's possible for this to happen without it being full-blown addiction. I was always overweight, but the obesity crept up on me when I switched to a desk job that had me working insane hours for weeks on end, plus I had a crazy commute. We would down sodas because they are free and kept us awake. We'd fairly mindlessly eat while continuing to work - we got paid by the hour, so we worked as much as we could. The pounds crept on, and we'd think oh, it is just a couple of pounds here, 5 lbs there... Next thing you know, that few lbs became 50. Now, I am a food addict, but i used to control somewhat because I was fairly active before that time. However, we weren't really eating like food addicts then - we were eating whatever was quick, cheap, or provided by the company we worked for so that we could keep going. We were fueling up, just with the wrong foods. We went thinking about anything but the short term. And as we all know, once it's on, it becomes more difficult to get the weight off. Sometimes it's harder to exercise. Sometimes the same reasons you put on the weight to begin with are still there. Could you have become addictive because of this, absolutely! Is it necessarily the case that you have? No, I don't think so. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

No, I'm addicted, no question. I eat too much of inappropriate foods for the pleasure it brings. I would say that my addictive element is only slighty emotional - I don't generally seek food for comfort, for example, and I don't eat more when I'm upset or when I'm happy. I also have to be careful about eating out of boredom or habit. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Although I won't deny that I eat more than I should and the sleeve will help with that, my biggest problem is my love of rich foods. I am working on that, so that rich dishes like mac n cheese are a very small side dish and an occasional treat rather than the main star of a weekly meal. I'm also finding healthier versions of some of these foods that will satisfy without breaking the caloric bank. Thankfully, I don't have to work on a huge sweet tooth at the same time - I enjoy an occasional sweet treat but I can totally skip them even when my husband and or friends are indulging! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

He he... I read from my Android phone a lot during the day' date=' but I also spend a lot of time reading from my desktop or laptop. Either way, I try to read entire threads, but I certainly agree that not seeing the signatures is a loss of info and sometimes some much-needed context (for example, it seems to me that the regretters who don't have complications are most often in the first two months post surgery, which I've gleaned from reading signatures and looking at profiles). It certainly makes a difference in how I react to and absorb a post to understand where someone is in the process, and maybe a bit about how much pre and post surgery they've had. I also think that the perception of increase in the number of regrets is that a'] a large number of the regretters post a LOT and b] a fairly large number of them are in those early phases where they're perhaps dealing with head hunger and don't realize it, or for whatever reason they didn't really understand the restrictions they'd be under, regardless of how much it was told to them. A number of people have frankly said if you'd asked them the first few weeks or months they'd have told you they regretted it, but now are really glad they did it. And yes, I do think a number of people who jump into this quickly without doing a lot of research and contemplation STILL think it's a magic bullet. Those are the ones that really bother me, honestly. I'm not sure I get how you could have been reading this site for months and NOT know you'll have to be on liquids for a while, and no, you can't cheat without risking complications. No, you can't eat ice cream every meal, even if it is only 3 oz. at a time, and expect to lose 50 lbs. in the first two months. Sorry, this us a pet peeve of mine so I needed to rant for a moment. I'm back to being calm and cheerful again. Carry on! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Very nice! Congratulations! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Congratulations! What's next on your bucket list?

Outstanding! Oh, and by the way, I have no patience when it comes to that sort of thing, either

A little guacamole to top those refried beans?

If there's a nearby wall, I stand at almost arms length from it, then, while both hands are on the wall, walk backward, keeping my heels down. Great stretch for the back of my legs after sitting for too long. If I have a seat with armrests, I will periodically put my hands on the rests parallel with my sides, push my elbows back as close to meeting behind my back as they'll go while pushing my chest forward. It releases the tension in my shoulders and upper arms.

I'm with Vicki - it's clear you're just busting with pride and love for your wife, and it's marvelous to see! No wonder she was so successful (and, boy, was she successful!) with you as her cheerleader. She's definitely lookin' GOOD!

Congratulations, that's an amazing accomplishment and you should be proud!

In the early stages with regard to artificial sweeteners, it's a bit of choosing the best from a bad lot, I think. As a type II diabetic, I have to be really cautious about carbs in general, and sugars specifically. To a certain degree, it's true of all of us with weight problems that it's best to stay away from the empty calories represented by refined "natural" (although highly processed!) sugars as much as possible. I suspect that the SF recommendations are to help wean us from our sugar dependency at some level, plus if we were allowed to add a caloric sweetener to our beverages, think about the amount of empty calories some of us would be consuming each day - talk about sabotaging ourselves right out of the gate! Given that many say that plain Water is very difficult to take after the surgery, a flavoring with artificial sweetener may be the only real option. I know for me, stevia really isn't generally an option - it leaves an overly sweet and slightly odd lingering aftertaste for me that is very off-putting. That leaves me with either truly artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose, or calorie-bearing alternatives. I do know that after I start getting into solid foods again, I will likely re-introduce some of the lower-glycemic sweeteners that are available. I find that I can use a very small amount of raw agave syrup or coconut sugar to satisfy my desire for sweetness. Raw honey is also effective in much smaller amounts than refined sugar. I don't have a real sweet tooth, but I do like a little balance of sweetness in some things that I eat. As far as low-fat, it's really about being aware of the trade-offs for a particular item. It's true that often in trade for the fat, you'll find that the carbs have been boosted. If the boost is in Fiber, I'm not so worried - I can always use a little extra fiber in my diet and I'll generally accept it as a trade. If it's a significant amount of sugars or if there are a bunch of unpronounceable ingredients added, forget it. After I've determined whether I'm okay with a particular item is okay for me from a dietary perspective, sometimes I'll still decide to take the full-fat or partial fat version over the fat-free version - I find that I want more of the fat-free to satisfy what I wanted (if it even will satisfy!), while with full-fat I might be happy with a few bites. I am fine with my 0% fat Greek yogurt, but fat-free cheese is a waste for me. I'm better off indulging with a small square of a really excellent dark chocolate than an entire bar of the stuff from the diet section. I dislike skim milk, but I can do 1%. (Better yet is if I get it from a local farm and skim it myself to a level I like, but that's a whole different discussion ).

This is great to hear! Hopefully by now she's well on her way: Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Outstanding! I should be starting the final push to get my date in late May/early June. Good luck getting your financing. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Congratulations! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

I'm glad to hear you saw the doctor and you're getting some treatment, though I'm sorry to hear about the bronchitis and strep! Hope you feel better soon! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

Go get 'em! You'll be back here in no time, knowing that you didn't allow yourself to be distracted from what you need to do! Good luck!

Oooh, sushi without rice and with cooked fish, then! Actually sounds like a viable option, since I know sushi is one of the things I will crave...

You might want to look at Adagio teas. They aren't cheap, but they have some amazing tea, including herbals. http://www.adagio.com

I definitely feel very knowledgeable about the surgery and its aftermath after hanging out around here for nearly a year, and it was very much a part of me making the final decision to move forward with it. I love the fact that it ISN'T all sweetness and light here - we do get to hear the ugly side of things. But we can also hear the really good stuff, and we know the amount of work we're in for. Kudos to everyone on the site who is willing to share details, vent, cheer, and cry together. I hope you realize what a difference you're making by doing so!

Unless you're on medications which make you sun-sensitive post-surgery, I can't imagine any reason that you can't go tanning. Well, I can - it's hideously bad for your skin and can lead to melanoma - but you're an adult making your own decisions and it has nothing to do with being sleeved