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Alcohol runs in my genes, but, I never grew up around anyone that drank. One thing they both give me that numb feeling that you get when you eat too much....that euphoria(sp) feeling. I can see why people might be attracted to alcohol after the band, because it is hard to get to that numb state.........well, I take that back.......you can still eat a bag of chocolate chips with the band lol, but, it is hard to eat to excess with the band like you use to. Some people say they get a euphoria feeling from excercise.......I don't think I will ever do that. But, find things that are positive to replace it with...be the Clean Queen, best parent/and or spouse, best lapband patient ever etc.

I have also heard that it is wise not to drink for the first year after banding because most of us are food addicts and there is a chance we can transfer our food addiction to alcohol addiction. But dear God I love wine.

Windy- thanks- I wish it were that easy. It is an addiction- just like an alcoholic or druggie. I try to not eat sweets and then I cant control it- and have to have it. It is a food addiction I wish I could break. If there is anyone who has had food addiction- who can help I would love to know. Some people say "go cold turkey" and I try for a while and just cant seem to stay away from it long. I am sure some people know what I am talking about. I do eat healthy things too. I just like to eat! I wish I could turn off the switch in my head.

I haven't, and I drink coffee every day. Our docs say there's no reason why you can't have caffeine. Our main fill doc says "I gave up food, I sure as heck am not giving up caffeine!" She's been banded for 7 yrs with no problems. The thing to do is make sure you don't put lots of sugar or fattening creamers in your coffee. Alcohol you have to be careful of for 2 reasons: the calories in the drink and the extra calories you often consume when you're drinking (e.g. Snacks or you eat more because you are more relaxed). I was told to try and avoid alcohol for those reasons while losing weight, but once in maintenance you can figure out how to work it back in. Plenty of people who are losing still have an occasional drink though. So I'd say take your nutritionist's info with a grain of salt. Watch your calorie intake & you should be fine!

To Photo nut, If it where just something we could do by making good, smart decisions, and or good judgement calls, none of us would need a lap-ban. Why do people keep eating till they are 550 lbs ???? Why do alcoholics drink till they die ??? Why do drug addicts use there drug till there is nothing left of body mind or spirit???? Why do people gamble themselves and there family into bankruptcy???? Because we are SICK !!! We are addicted to food or swallowing as much as the addicts are addicted to heroin, crack......... whatever. We will do it no matter what, like the addict spending there family food money on drugs. My sister who had a lap-ban installed last year went into a deep depression and finely into a nervous break down because she could not eat anymore. It was not the being fat, it was the act of eating & swollowing large amounts of food that she craved, the fat is a side effect of the pleasure we seek. The act of eating is how we cope with life and all it's ups and downs, it's how we deal with our joy's and our sorrow's. We devoeloped this habit by not dealing with our feelings and emosions and wanting to hide them, so we eat, and eat, and eat, till we feel better and fill that hole in our soul. I have been dealing with my 500 + lbs for years, and have lost over 1500 lbs in the last 20 years and have learned the hard way it's an inside job. As you said (Photo Nut) that the Ban is only a tool, and a way to help us not over eat. It's not the answer, we have to find some kind of help for the fact we are on a death mission, and don't feel we deserve to be happy. It's taken me a long time to get this far (I am 53 today) and I am not there yet. I still overeat (as much as the band will allow me to) and I need a fill and I balk at getting it, I have been 350 + lbs for 3 years now and am losing so slow it drives me crazy. I want to be normal so bad I can taste it, but...... do I go get a fill???? Noooooo, I wait, and wait because I still want to be able to eat a full meal at diner, and eat a full sandwich. I know I have a ways to go, but I am on the right track and I am not fooling myself that this is the magic cure. I'm an enlightened FAT person, and I know how I got here and what I use my eating for. I know some people have a gland problems, and that kind of stuff, but......... on the whole it's us compulsive overeaters that really fill up these threads. Thank you so much for this thread, I think it was great and I hope to hear more. Peace. Butch

Nykee :wave: - Have you ever read the book "Potatos not Prozac"? I'm not finished reading it yet, but the nurse who wrote it equates sugar sensitivity to alcoholism (her specialty was working with alcoholics and stumbled on the connection to sugar sensitivity by accident). I thought it was very interesting, and from reading your past eating habits and current food logs I wouldn't be surprised if you have sugar sensitivity in a big way. (((hugs)))

I am in the same boat, the holidays have always been my favorite due almost exclusively to the over indulgence of treats, this year has actually felt a little less festive without the constant baking and snacking BUT I have prepared my family for the low fat and sugar free menu including greek yogurt and fresh fruit parfaits, alcohol free mojitos (crystal light!!) and sugar free coffee cake for the grand reveal (dinner is grilled chicken skewers, butternut squash soup, quinoa stuffing and broccoli with unjury protein cheese sauce!)

I gave up caffeine for my surgery and never went back to it. Caffeine is a natural diaretic, it dehydrates your body. I spent the first weeks out of the hospital fighting to stay hydated to the point that I wasn't light headed, I sure as heck wasn't about to put something into my body that made me dehydrate!!!!! Then when the doc said I could go back to coffees and stuff, I figured I had already done all the withdrawls of caffeine and just haven't reintroduced it back into my system. I think they do "no alcohol" becasue of the tremdous amount of calories in it!!!!! You can easily drink your entire days calories in 3 drinks, AND don't mention the fact that it slides right past your band and doesn't give you any satisfaction of being full. Also I think alot of mixed drinks have bubbles, and I don't know about eveyone else but buddles are TOTALLY painful, I swore I would never have pop again after being banded, and 3 months post op I just had to taste what I was missing, OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH is all I can say, I spent 2 hours praying that I could just puke the ick up. And even once the bubbles were gone, by a belching contest to beat the band, the residual pain was still there. Long post summed up, I think your body will determine what you give up, once you've spent hours begging your body to please do "Something" with whatever is causing your pain, you will gladly never consum it again. :-)

My post-op programme didn't limit anything - no calorie goals, no protein goals, no fluid goals even! I learnt all that by being on this forum. I was told just eat as you feel. Seems just basic common bariatric sense to me now to get my protein in first, veg second, fruit third and then other carbs after that. Even now at almost exactly a year out I don't reach 50g carbs or anything like it most days. Other than weekends, when I *choose* to drink some alcohol. So many ways to skin a rabbit, LOL.

1. When you are dehydrated.. your urine smells BAD! I almost gagged the first time I went to the restroom and couldn't believe what I was smelling.. (yeah so I make sure to get those liquids in!) 2. You don't use the restroom as much.. I only go maybe twice a day. 3. Acid Reflux! I've noticed when I swallow something too quickly or if I eat that soup too fast! I get hiccups or I burp a lot. (Never had this issue before). 4. I am always cold! This drives me crazy! (I'm a little dramatic) BUT!.. I literally have to sleep with my pajamas, snuggie with the covers over my head to keep warm. (And yes I take all my vitamins). I am freezing as I am typing this now 5. Waiters/Waitresses will assume you think their is something wrong with the food when you ask for a TO-GO box. I went to BJ's the other night and ordered a soup and had just a few bites and I became full. I asked our waitress for a TO-GO box and she went into apologetic mode and asked if she could offer me another dish and so on and so on.. very nice of her.. but long story short and lesson learned.. stay away from restaurants as much as possible.. it can be quite annoying dealing with the pressure of not eating your meal. 6. Do not purchase a new wardrobe after you lose those first few pounds. You are losing weight every single day and if you buy jeans today, I promise.. they will be too baggy just a couple weeks later. 7. My advice is to not tell people you are getting/ or had the gastric sleeve surgery. I made the mistake by telling my friends and I get asked a lot of questions such as; "So are you happy now?" "Well.. when are you going to stop losing weight?", "Are you going to act different when you lose all the weight?" It's pretty annoying and people act weird for some reason when you lose weight. I swear people weren't sweatin' me at 330 pounds. 8. I still have cravings! I thought my cravings would go away.. but nope! Still there! The sleeve is really a tool to help you lose weight and it doesn't solve all your problems. I almost had a nervous breakdown because I was craving Taco Bell and I couldn't do nothing about it. But the Good News is.. once you put something in your tummy.. you are full after a few bites and the cravings goes away. But it's a struggle everyday. 9. It takes people awhile to get used to the new you! So in my case.. a lot of friends were still inviting me out to Wine Festivals, Clubs, Brunch and Pop Up Bars. Just recently, my friend invited me to go with her to a Star Wars themed restaurant and I couldn't go because I can't have alcoholic drinks and all they offered were fried comfort foods. My new phrase is "no, sorry I can't go.. I can't eat that stuff remember?" Then it's "ohhh yeahh.. I forgot.. so when will you be able to eat/drink again?". Listen. I have come too far to let ANYBODY sabotage my weight loss journey so I am quick to distance myself from ANYBODY who will sabotage my journey and my advice is to anyone reading this is to stay CONSISTENT. People will catch on and know you mean business. 10. Regret. I did experience some regret after having the sleeve because I would use food to cope with issues I dealt with. And when that was taken away, I had to deal with my issues head on. That was difficult and I wanted to reverse the surgery (which you can't) but now that I'm over that hurtle, I have no regrets at all. I have my good days and bad days. My food addiction was real. And I take it one day at a time like I am in a12 Step Program. I used to socially drink every weekend, I was a heavy marijuana smoker, I DJ on the weekends- so I would get free drinks while I'm at the club. And I stopped everything cold turkey. It's tough, but I can't deny the way I feel. I have more energy w/o caffeine, I get 8 hours of sleep, before I was only getting 4 hours, I am in a much better mood, my skin is glowing, my depression is gone, before I was taking anxiety medication and I have completely stopped that. I look and feel like a new person.. and I never want to back to my old habits. Good luck to everyone that is on this journey. You will go through physical and mental challenges but stick to it! You will never have to start over again, if you never give up. Keep at it!

I'm an alcoholic...Sober over 20 years. When I'm out with a group of people I always get asked, "why aren't you drinking?" It's much easier to say "I just don't like it but thank you anyway" rather than explain I'm a recovering alcoholic. I'm very new to this weight loss journey, not even sure I will qualify, but if I do get surgery I plan on using the same logic I do with my sobriety. Basically it's nobody's business but if I feel someone will benefit from my story and they will keep things confidential, I will share it.

PCOS Health Review Hi, Two articles today: new research on berberine, and importance of vigorous exercise. 1) More Good News about Berberine There's a never-ending flow favorable research about berberine extract. For example, just this week a paper was released that said: "Our study found that administration of berberine alone may improve the menstrual pattern and ovulation rate" in women with PCOS who were not ovulating. They also reported: "Berberine can also decrease sex hormone binding globulin, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein ["bad"] cholesterol in normal weight polycystic ovary syndrome women." That's quite a mouthful but essentially they are saying that berberine extract can help you to reduce some of the factors that are contributing to your PCOS. This was a study of 98 Chinese women with PCOS who were not ovulating and who took berberine extract for 4 months. You can see below that their ovulation rates improved over time. Berberine and ovulation Other studies have shown that berberine extract can reduce obesity, improve insulin function, protect the liver and kidneys, and help to prevent diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and possibly Alzheimer's. It also has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. Berberine has also been shown to relieve non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a problem for up to one-half of PCOS women. It appears that when you take berberine, a lot of it ends up in the liver, where it helps to clear out fat and help the liver to normalize itself. Once again, it appears that a berberine extract supplement may be helpful to you. Get automatic 10% off at checkout + free shipping for recommended berberine extract and all other supplements if your order is over $85 (expires midnight Tuesday). 2) How Vigorously Did You Exercise Today? So what's best…walking, bicycling, weight training or "high-intensity interval training"? Well, it's all good! Anything you can do to keep moving will reduce insulin resistance in your muscles, help you control weight, and cause you to feel better about yourself. However, emerging research is showing that the intensity of your exercise is a crucial factor. The University of California at San Francisco recently studied 326 women with PCOS. They compared women who exercised vigorously, exercised moderately, or were sedentary. The women who exercised had better metabolic and hormone control over their bodies. But those who exercised vigorously had the best metabolic control of all, and their weight was less that the other groups. The researchers said: "every hour of vigorous exercise reduced a patient's odds of metabolic syndrome by 22%". That's a huge drop! (Note: metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome have many overlapping characteristics). The next time you go to exercise, put some oomph into it. If walking is all you can do, step up the pace. If you go to the gym, review what you're doing and see if there is some way you can increase the vigor of your exercise without hurting yourself. And above all, have fun! There's no doubt that exercise is an essential and central component of PCOS control. Best of health! Bill Slater, Editor PCOS Health Review co-author of "The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility" "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." -- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama PCOS Health Review is a newsletter providing natural health information for women with PCOS or ovarian cysts. PCOS Nutritional Supplements Store: www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/store You can get in touch with us here: newsletter@ovarian-cysts-pcos.com Sources: Li L et al. A Single Arm Pilot Study of Effects of Berberine on the Menstrual Pattern, Ovulation Rate, Hormonal and Metabolic Profiles in Anovulatory Chinese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. PLoS One. 2015 Dec 8;10(12):e0144072. Yan HM et al. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 7;10(8):e0134172. Greenwood EA et al. Vigorous exercise is associated with superior metabolic profiles in polycystic ovary syndrome independent of total exercise expenditure. Fertil Steril. 2015 Nov 6. pii: S0015-0282(15)02031-2. Unsubscribe from this newsletter or update your email 110 NW 51st St. Seattle, Washington 98107 United States

If you had a problem with Alcohol, you wouldn’t want to date someone who was a big drinker. Find someone who has the same priorities and life goals as you. That is not shallow, it’s smart.

Morbid Obesity is a DISEASE. It has been recognized as a disease since 1985(!!!!) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is going to be a long rant… I mean, post. The longer I thought about doctors who make a patient lose weight before weightloss surgery as “proof” of their commitment to a healthier lifestyle, the angrier I got. I am FURIOUS. I am INCENSED. These surgeons are making their livings “treating” obesity, and THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT OBESITY TO CALL IT A DISEASE. THEY DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT OBESITY TO REALIZE THAT IN 1991, THE NIH CONCLUDED IN ITS CONSENSUS CONFERENCE THAT DIETS, EXERCISE PROGRAMS, APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS AND BEHAVIOR MODIFCATIONS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE THERAPIES. YES, I am YELLING. Because if they DID, they would NEVER tell a patient who desperately needed their help that they must lose weight FIRST – to PROVE they are serious about getting better!!!! And to have this kind of attitude propagated on a weightloss SUPPORT board as acceptable under ANY kind of circumstances is absolutely reprehensible, and a symptom of just how well the prejudice against fat people is accepted. Not only is it tolerated, it is expected as our “just” punishment for being fat. Because after all, we are merely gluttons. The formula is so simple: too many calories in = too much fat. So diet and exercise. Too bad for you that you’re not one of the “normal” people who can regularly consume more calories than they need without getting fat – you are NOT a “normal” person, so you must just go hungry and exercise your butt off. Guess what? The formula is NOT that simple. NO ONE really knows the complete explanation of why some people become MO and some people don’t. But not understanding “why” is NO excuse for discriminating against the MO, or continuing to blame the patient for their disease. If a person could not swim, would it be acceptable for the lifeguard to say, “I could save you, but FIRST you must swim 20 feet to PROVE that you really want to be saved.”? Or better yet, “You can’t swim, so you should never have come into the Water in the first place. Why should I bother saving you? This is your fault.” Except in the extreme cases of denying organ transplants to smokers and alcoholics, I have NEVER heard of denying treatment until the patient starts to get better on their own as an acceptable medical response. (I’m not saying I agree with the transplant thing, just that I have heard that a smoker who doesn’t quit wouldn’t be considered for a lung transplant, and an alcoholic that doesn’t quit wouldn’t be considered for a liver transplant. I don’t even know if that’s true – I’ve just heard it.) Diabetics are not denied medication until they can prove they can get their blood sugar under control with a commitment to eliminating sugars from their diet and exercise. Smokers are not denied the nicotine patch until they can prove that they can quit smoking for four weeks first. A double-amputee is not denied their prosthetics to enable them to walk until they walk two blocks without the prosthetics, to PROVE that they really want to walk again FIRST. The prosthetics, after all, are just TOOLS – not “cures” for amputeeism. People with high cholesterol are not denied medication until they are able to lower their cholesterol first, through diet and exercise. If a depressed person goes to the doctor for treatment, and they meet the protocol, the doctor would NEVER say “Snap out of it first. Then I’ll give you the medication you need to maintain a non-depressed state.” Anorexics are never told "JUST eat!!" Their condition is taken very seriously, and requires medical and psychological intervention. I ask you all, then, WHY IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO REQUIRE A MO PERSON TO LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE TREATMENT?!?!?!? YES, we have to make lifestyle changes – but just like the amputee, we can’t do it without a TOOL. We have a DISEASE. I feel that I have done the emotional work. I have completed a professional counseling program specifically for compulsive overeaters. I’ve been hypnotized. I’ve done every diet known to man, and some that I made up myself. How DARE ANYONE tell me that I am NOT serious about losing weight?!?! I cried on the way into work this morning thinking about this. I am crying now. I will NOT accept punishment for this disease. I will NOT accept blame for this disease. I WILL accept the responsibility of doing something about it, however. But I cannot do it alone – because I am NOT “normal”, and I will ALWAYS need some sort of treatment to HELP me, until they find a cure. And I cannot stand by and let anyone forget that we are NOT here because of some moral failing, some character flaw, some personal weakness. We are here because we have a DISEASE. We need treatment, not judgment. If we were not serious about getting better, we would not be here. NO ONE deserves to feel badly about themselves because they have a disease. NO ONE should be made to jump through hoops to prove they want to recover from their disease. MO is NOT A CHARACTER FLAW. This is NOT my opinion – this is medical FACT. It is up to US to know and understand this, and to eradicate the long-held beliefs that we have allowed to shame us for all of our lives. We must NEVER EVER allow anyone to get away with propagating beliefs that MO is anything but a disease that requires medical treatment. *************** http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache:OTJxKzuvN8QJ:www.shapeup.org/profcenter/diabesity/PoriesPres.ppt+is+morbid+obesity+a+disease%3F&hl=en "The truth is that Morbid obesity is a disease, not a moral failing." “Obesity is a chronic, lifelong, genetically-related, life-threatening disease with highly significant medical, psychological, social, physical, and economic co-morbidities.” Statement on morbid obesity and its treatment. Obesity Surgery 1997 7:40-41 “In 1991, the National Institutes of Health concluded in its Consensus Conference that diets, exercise programs, appetite suppressants and behavior modifications are not effective therapies.” Report of the Consensus Conference on Surgery of Morbid Obesity, National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC 1991 ************** http://www.rsapc1.com/morbid_obesity_surgery/ "Morbid obesity is the most common form of malnutrition in the United States and in the world today. It is considered after smoking to be the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States. It is a chronic disease which is very complex and has multiple etiologies." "We lose over 300,000 patients a year to morbid obesity and morbid obesity related medical problems." "There are social, psychosocial and economic consequences of morbid obesity that can be devastating. Unfortunately, the prejudice against the obese is very common in our society." "Conservative management of morbid obesity that includes diet, behavioral modifications, exercise programs and the like have been found to be ineffective over the long term. A person who is morbidly obese who attempts conservative management, as mentioned above, either alone or in any combination, is not expected to be successful more than 5% of the time. Over 95% of patients who are morbidly obese and meet the criteria for morbid obesity will regain their weight and often overshoot their previous weight. Surgery for morbid obesity is the only method that has resulted in long-term maintenance of weight loss and the reduction of the comorbid diseases that are associated with morbid obesity. In particular, hypertension, dibetes mellitus, risks for coronary disease, osteoarthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease and many others. Morbid obesity is a chronic disease which is defined as a disruption of bodily function that develops slowly and persists for an extended period of time and often for life. It is multifactorial and includes genetic predisposition, environmental factors, social economic factors, cultural influences, hormonal influences and digestive abnormalities. In 1985 morbid obesity was recognized as a disease with associated comorbid diseases by the National Institute of Health. In 1991, surgical weight loss stated to be superior to nonsurgical weight loss methods and that only surgical intervention produced acceptable long-term results. In 1993 the National Institute of Health recognized the vertical banded gastroplasty and the gastric bypass procedure to be effective in significant reduction of excess body weight. The National Institute of Health recognizes morbid obesity as being an epidemic that can only be reduced significantly by surgical intervention for both morbid obesity and its associated comorbid problems." **************** http://www.landauercosmeticsurgery.co.uk/obesity/ "OBESITY: A MEDICAL CONDITION People who suffer from obesity are poorly misunderstood by those of the population who are not obese. There is a common attitude that overweight people are stupid and unable to control themselves. People who are obese are often the brunt of cruel jokes and thoughtless humour, even to the point of suffering abusive comments in public places. We now know that the medical condition of morbid obesity is a complex disorder, and not simply due to over-eating. The vast majority of people living in the Western World eat more calories than they need but it is only a small proportion that relentlessly lay down every excess calorie in their fat stores. Most people have a mechanism, by which their body knows when their stores have been refilled, but there is an unfortunate group of people where this mechanism is defective, and when they eat it can be likened to filling up the bath with the overflow blocked off. There are of course no fat people in starvation areas of the world, but this is because these are regions with chronic malnutrition and nobody there has access to even adequate calories. People who are morbidly obese often find it difficult to believe that their problem is a medical disease and not simply due to overeating. MORBID OBESITY IN FAMILIES The disorder of morbid obesity often runs in families. The chance of having morbid obesity is clearly increased if other people in your family have the condition. Studies of identical twins who were separated at birth and brought up separately show that if one twin becomes obese, then the other one is likely to become obese as well."

Our demons are no different than the crack addict or the alcoholic. How many alcoholics have quit for years only to fall off the wagon in one fleeting moment. I spend way too much time here, too. But without LBT I have no other avenue for expressing myself. It's so safe here, because I could talk (write) for hours if necessary, and it doesn't matter if anyone reads it or not. Just getting it all out takes it off my shoulders. I've had a heck of a time so far after losing two ports, so maybe I'd still be on my honeymoon if I had regular fills and constant restriction. For now I'm going to keep writing and posting till I figure out my next move. I shudder at the thought of yet another surgery, but I need a fill, which means I need a port. I like to ramble, blah blah blah yada yada yada! The whole "honeymoon phase" isn't something I came up with. My surgeon explained it to me and it clicked immediately. This isn't something specific to me, it's something most, if not all of us, will have to face eventually, so thank God for LBT. Peace n' love - it's bed time. Wink.

I do Atkins (low carb (<30), moderate Protein (30%), high fat (60%)). I'm not sure what the food Addict's percentages are, but wouldn't be at all surprised to find they're also low fat...which is really not necessary, but I won't go there in this post. After reading Dr. Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution" and Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat", I became more convinced that it wasn't just enough to go low carb...I needed to rid myself of those carbs that cause an immediate glycemic reaction (which causes hunger and cravings for more of those carbs). So that's exactly what I did. I cut out all grains, fruit and starchy vegetables. The only dairy I eat is cheese. There are no nutrients in these missing foods that I don't get in my vegetables. The first week was the hardest because I was withdrawing from the carbs...but after that week. Wow. I've been doing this consistently (meaning no little mistakes or cheats) for several months now and I'm never hungry or craving. Where I used to struggle to eat no more than 1200 calories, now I'm eating about 900 just because that's what makes me content. I can walk past a vending machine, fast food place or even pass by the forbidden dish if I'm eating at someone's home because the *desire* to eat is gone. Both Bernstein and Taubes talk about this inability to process these carbs as a metabolic disorder. Our bodies don't process these carbohydrates in the way it should. So we should avoid them. Just as the alcoholic must avoid alcohol. Not everyone has this problem. Some people get fat because they're emotional eaters. Some because they love their sweets and goodies. Some just because they're so darned sedentary that even 1800 calories is way over what their body is using. Others get fat doing all the right things (according to the traditional thinking) because it means eating a diet that is high (50% or more) in carbs...which creates physical cravings and hunger and a demand for even more of these carbs. So in answer to your question, can someone eat this way for life? Yes, just as some alcoholics can avoid alcohol their entire lives so we (the people who do not correctly metabolize certain carbs) can avoid our carbs. Taubes and Bernstein believe this is a healthy way of eating for everyone. I agree with them *BUT* do not believe everyone needs to eat this way. If their body can process the grains, fruit and starchy vegies...more power to them. I wish mine could...but it can't. I eat scrambled eggs in a bit of butter for Breakfast every morning, but I like eggs. There are other options. lunch is either a chef's salad with a chopped up hardboiled egg, 1/2 oz crumbled bacon, 1/2 oz shredded cheese and 2 Tbs of homemade full fat blue cheese dressing or chicken/tuna salad made with mayo and celery on half a tomato or bed of lettuce or just 3 oz of protein (pan fried, grilled, roasted, etc.) and a cup of vegies with a bit of butter or sprinkling of parmesan cheese. dinner is the same as lunch. Oh...my new daughter-in-law's stepmother has been following something called a 'Grey Sheet' from Overeater's Anonymous for the last 20+ years. She *never* strays, just as an alcoholic can never stray. She started at 450 pounds and has maintained a weight of 125 pounds for 20 years. So it can be done long term. The question you need to answer is...why do *you* eat? If I can help further, I'd be more than happy to. .

I am being discharged today and asked about driving. I was told to think of the narcotic pain meds as alcohol. If I take those meds, no driving until the effects have worn off. If I'm not taking those meds, I'm clear to drive.

I had a sf kona ice early out too and it made me so sick! So do sf slurpees. St popsicles are fine- I think the flavorings must me too concentrated or something like that. I got some sf butterscotch candies that I am realizing give me the sweats and hot flash- I'm wondering if they are really sf or if maybe they have a high sugar alcohol. This is a trial and error area for sure! I ate something on Saturday that made me so nauseous and gassy for hours and can't figure it out- I only ate yogurt, yoplait 100. I'm wondering if it uses the same artificial sweetener! Mich W Hw 223, SW 217 CW 196.6 GW 135

I am neither a regular smoker or regular drinker. The two do tend to go hand in hand for me, but usually it is weeks or months between my 'party' nights out. I don't drink or smoke at all when not in these sorts of social situations, and I do neither to excess when I do go out. Once every year I go on a campout with a group of people that is pretty much a party group. I've been going to this event for over 10 years and it's my one time of year when I get to let my hair down for a few days. This year, it happens to fall over Memorial Day weekend, which is right before my 2-week pre-op diet. I am going to TRY not to drink more than a beer or two each day or smoke any cigs at all, but I know it's going to be difficult around this crowd. I'm wondering how much effect a few days of less-than-perfect behaviour with the alcohol/nicotine thing might have, or would the two weeks of following the pre-op diet to the letter be enough.... *sigh* I'm also not going to go off my BC pills until 2 weeks pre-op (as the idea of dealing with feminine hygiene while camping is not a good one), and I hope that 2 weeks will be good on that too. Argh, I hate second-guessing all this. :thumbup:

Without a doubt, obesity is stigmatized. The unfair bias that you face may be a major factor in your decision to consider or get weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, you will probably find that the obesity discrimination continues even as you try to use weight loss surgery to get healthy. Obese patients are blamed for their conditions, healthcare providers are not always sympathetic, and coverage for weight loss surgery is not guaranteed. Why Do Obese Patients Get So Much Blame? People are increasingly sympathetic to diseases that used to be stigmatized. Examples include cancer, many mental health conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and syphilis. Now, treatment for these and other conditions, such as diabetes, is widely accepted as normal and an entitlement. Each of these conditions is largely the result of lifestyle choices, such as diet, use of tobacco and/or alcohol, sexual behavior, and physical activity levels. More than 80% of cancers are likely the result of lifestyle choices. Ironically, though, many people in our society remain unsympathetic to obese people. They are quick to blame obese people for having no self-control, for refusing to follow a diet, and for not wanting to be healthy. You know, though, that those accusations are far from the truth. If you are considering weight loss surgery, you are confident that you have the self-control for the weight loss surgery diet, that you have tried to follow numerous diets but none have worked for you, and that you desperately want to be healthy! You Did Not Ask to Be Obese: Some Factors are Outside of Your Control More than one-third of American adults are obese, and another third are overweight. That in itself should remind you – and the people who judge you harshly – that fighting obesity is hard! The food environment includes fast food, vending machines, restaurants, food-focused social gatherings, and inexpensive snack foods. There are also biological and family factors that you cannot control. Skinny people have no idea that you may be feeling extreme hunger all day, every day, or that your metabolism may be slower. Your family might have raised to choose high-calorie, high-fat foods, or even driven you into unhealthy emotional eating. Research shows that some obese patients’ brains even respond differently to food compared to lower-weight individuals. Obese individuals, for example, tend to get less pleasure out of food, meaning they need to eat more to get satisfied. Furthermore, high-calorie foods like sugar can be addicting, leading to the same brain responses as cocaine does. But nobody blames cocaine addicts for their situations! Instead, they encourage counseling and intensive program to help them overcome their addictions, not punish them. Discrimination in Obesity Treatment: A Look at Weight Loss Surgery Versus Dialysis Just as unfair is the fact that the healthcare system continues the discrimination against obesity. Compare weight loss surgery as an obesity treatment with dialysis as a treatment for kidney failure (end-stage renal failure). Far from being blamed for their conditions, kidney failure patients who need dialysis are provided the respect that all people deserve and the medical care that they need. Dialysis patients of all ages in the United States are able to apply for Medicare, the government’s health insurance program normally reserved for older adults. Dialysis treatments can cost about $40,000 per year, not including This is not to mention human factors such as reduced quality of life (the vast majority of dialysis patients are too sick to work) and early death (the life expectancy of dialysis patients is about 5 years). In comparison, a typical weight loss surgery procedure in the United States can cost $20,000 to $40,000, although it can be less, and successful patients are healthier and have more energy than before surgery. The irony increases. The fact is that kidney failure usually results as a complication of type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension). Both of these conditions are often caused by obesity; losing weight after weight loss surgery can prevent, eliminate, or reduce these conditions. In addition, it takes years for kidney failure to develop once you have high blood pressure or diabetes – years during which patients are likely to be on costly medications and inconvenient treatments. Targeting obesity through weight loss surgery could prevent cases of diabetes and high blood pressure, reduce their effects in people who already have them, and prevent kidney failure, the need for dialysis, and early death. Searching for Fairness in the Medical Treatment of Obesity Your first barrier in your path to weight loss surgery may be your primary care physican (PCP). Some PCPs do not know much about weight loss surgery, or may be against it because they think obesity is your fault. Some PCPs take a narrow view of obesity, and feel that the only way to lose weight is for patients to “decide they want it badly enough” and “just eat less.” You already know that doesn’t work, so don’t let your PCP discourage you from learning more weight loss surgery if you think it might be the solution to your obesity struggles. Insurance coverage has improved for obesity treatments, especially for weight loss surgery. Medicare and many private healthcare coverage plans cover weight loss surgery if you meet their predetermined weight and/or health criteria. Some private insurance companies, though, take a short-term view because they want to make profits within 3 years. Since most weight loss surgeries do not pay for themselves within 3 years, some private insurers do not cover weight loss surgery despite the likelihood that they would pay for themselves within 5 or 10 years, and in addition improve your health and quality of life. Chance of Reduced Discrimination in the Future? The majority of Americans believe that health insurance should cover weight loss surgery, in addition to other obesity treatments such as dietetic and mental health counseling. The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), though, is not the ultimate solution. In nearly half of states, obesity treatments are not required to be covered by plans sold on the health exchanges. This determination is based on the available competitive services in the region. Since the most obese states are the ones least likely to have competitive anti-obesity care, these states are also least likely to have obesity treatments covered under the Affordable Care Act. Overcome the Discrimination Discrimination is an unfair fact of life as an obese individual, and it unfortunately does not end when you decide to get healthy using weight loss surgery as a tool. These are some of the ways that you can keep going strong and overcome the barriers you encounter as you work to get healthy. You have the right to a second opinion if your primary care physician recommends against weight loss surgery but you would like to find out more. Do not take “no” for an answer from your insurance company if you know you are entitled to reimbursement for surgery. Do not listen to negative family members or friends who do not understand your obesity or interest in weight loss surgery. It is your life and health. Educate others as much as you can to try to reduce the discrimination. Chances are that they are only being discriminatory out of ignorance, not out of true mean-spiritedness. Like it or not, some discrimination remains as you go through your weight loss journey. You cannot prevent it, but you can change how you react to it. Expect it and respond as positively as you can, keeping your own health and goals in mind. Over time, as you and others prove that weight loss surgery can be a worthwhile treatment for obesity, discrimination by insurance companies, healthcare providers, and the public will decrease.

From the fast diet website: Well today is my first day and it’s a fast day! I already do 4:3 most weeks (Mon-Wed-Fri) so will be doing that for the whole 6 weeks. Normally if plans make 4:3 difficult then I just do 5:2 but for the 6 weeks I will sub with a weekend or do back to back in the week. I usually save all my calories for even meal and plan to continue this. (I think I might also do a sep personal diary thread). Here is a short summary of what I have gleaned so far……. Mimi describes the FBD as a “short term, souped up strategy for summer” It’s approach is three pronged, based on way to: - tighten up on fast days - toughen up on non fast days - tune in on any day One of the ways suggested to tighten up on fast days is to try 4:3 but it is not the only suggestion. There is also suggestion to do 2-2 (based on Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat) which essentially means after a normal lunch on day 1 eat sparingly (or nothing at all) until a late lunch the following day . Extending the fasting window so rather than have say Breakfast at 7am and supper at 7pm missing breakfast or fasting from supper to supper. And being fastidious about your calorie quota. On non fast days it is about holding back on indulgences and “superfluous snacks” and treats, cutting alcohol (entirely or reducing), eating less refined foods and cooking at home. Suggestions include following a more Mediterranean diet or even Japanese with more emphasis on healthy cooking (grilling, steaming, raw). Aiming to have meals based more around vegetables and reducing meat intake, being careful about portion sizes etc. There are lots of other great tips – some of which I have already done over the years like eating more mindfully and not having dinner on autopilot. Then there is emphasis on quality of exercise and the suggestion to introduce 3 High Intensity Training (HIT) to your weekly exercise schedule. They also state it should be 3 max and give lots of suggestions on how to do this. Plus 2 strength training sessions incorporating push ups, lunges etc. on non cardio/HIT days. I suppose if you have Fast Exercise by Michael Moseley you could get the info there. http://thefastdiet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FB-PLANNER.pdf Book available in US paperback on amazon. Not on kindle yet.

trust the pregnant chick to know what the fancy wine is called I only drink spiced wine at Christmas, but it's tradition and it must be drunk Ever since my first trip to Germany I've been addicted to snowy nights with a glass of mulled wine (the english name). But each calorie is accounted for...even if it's the holidays, on my fitness pal. I have made eggnog for many years. The worst part of it is the burbon, whiskey and dark rum IMO (calorie wise). At least the milk and cream have some benefit LOL But several years ago the kids at Christmas wanted the eggnog so I made a non alcoholic eggnog using the same recipe (an old betty crocker recipe). It was far too thick because the original recipe counts on about 14 cups of booze to thin it. So I used milk and then more eggs without upping the sugar and it was great. As low cal as splenda? Maybe not, but much like icecream, I'll bet ya I can't drink more than half a cup anyhoo, so that won't kill me. BTW I'd rather be prego than able to drink Best wishes for a beautiful baby in the New Year!

I think that @FluffyChix makes a good point, and you should really evaluate your diet. I am over 5 years post-op. I had diabetes prior to surgery and that problem is still in remission. But I control what I eat. I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. I also restrict myself to about one meal per day containing complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread). I also avoid all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds pre-op solely on eliminating carbonated beverages from my diet and I will not go back.

This is the approach that I use: I strictly avoid processed sugars. I have a sweet tooth and that is one of the major causes that contributed to my weight gain over my lifetime. I limit myself to artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda and sugar alcohols), to natural low calorie sweeteners (such as Stevia) and to the natural sugars found in fruits and milk. I had diabetes. That went into remission when I left the hospital two days after surgery and I have not taken any diabetic medicine ever since and my blood sugar levels are good. I test my blood sugar levels periodically. [Currently over 5 years post-op] I read the labels of all food that I consume. I look at the grams of sugar per serving. If it is above 5 grams, I look at the ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order by highest percentage, and if the first 5 ingredients contain processed sugar (in any of its many forms), then I avoid this food, like a plague. I also restrict myself to about one meal per day containing complex carbohydrates (such as pasta and bread). I also avoid all carbonated beverages. I lost 20 pounds pre-op solely on eliminating carbonated beverages from my diet and I will not go back.

I couldn't handle chewable vitamins after surgery. They usually contain sugar alcohols (chemicals ending in -itol like xylitol or malitol), which are artificial sweeteners. They give me gas and make me nauseous now. This is not an uncommon reaction after bariatric surgery.