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Wow! Diet drinks-huh? Well, I don't drink that often, so I suppose that when I do, I'll just take it straight. One night out would only be two drinks max for me. Let's face it, alcoholic beverages is not my problem. But I know the carbonation in drinks can be very very uncomfortable, so I'd have wine. I love a good, cold Pinot Grigio or a Sangiovese! Red is good for ya, and there's no carbonation ; ) Stay away from artificial sweetners. Bad news.

I think you really need to stop and think about your actual thinking here. :scalesno: Seriously, the whole idea behind the band is so that we can be like normal people and eat like normal people. With the band, for the most part, you can still eat all the regular foods you would normally eat anyway, right? So doing an unfill would serve what purpose? Allow you to eat like a cow again? I mean, that is what we do without a band, right? Isn't it a bit like suggesting an alcoholic drink since they are on vacation? The only value is so that you can eat mega portions. We are trying to get OUT of that mindset, not find excuses to go back to that way of thinking. We are trying to be normal again when it comes to food issues, not find reasons to go backwards.

I can tolerate some skins, like on potatoes or stone fruits, etc but I cant eat apple skins. I had the same worries though - I read everything on here and here there is a very protein focussed trend, it really worried me since to me a chicken breast and a few vegetables does not make a healthy meal - personally I consider the vegetables the more important of the two foods. I have continued to eat my way, I'm in Australia and we're not given the same guidelines anyway. Guess what? There's more than one way to skin a cat. I'm healthy, happy, normal weight, have all my hair and I most definitely dont eat enough protein by American standards. I'm also quite confident that I have a better long term outlook for bowel health and blood chemistry because I do eat carbs in good quanities - wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. If I can only fit so much in, I will always always choose my vegies over my protein. I actually decided not to be banded initially because the protein heavy, vegetable poor (by which I mean quantity - in Australia we have a guideline of 2 fruit, five veg every single day) diet seemed unhealthy to me. But I've found that you can eat any way you damn well please, as long as its healthy, lowish in fat, and low enough in calories and you exercise, you'll lose weight, barring of course that some people absolutely do have metabolic issues that are best managed by low carb diets. That's not to diss ANYONE's dietary choices, its simply what I believe is relevant to myself and my lifestyle. I also felt that mental health is an enormous part of our health in general and that achieving normality - giving up this stupid obsession with dieting, counting, foodwatching forever, for once and for all - was every single bit as important as achieving a healthy weight. If I have perfect nutrition but spend all freaking day obsessing over it, I have not achieved good health! So I eat what I want, when I want, most of the time its good, sometimes its not, I use food appropriately - for nutrition and as a social custom also, I can partake of things like sweet foods and alcohol moderately and my diet is most definitely NOT perfect. But because I have made such gains in terms of the mental side of it, I'd consider my outcome an extremely successful one.

No words sting worse to the ear of an alcoholic than the words of a "sober, recovering" alcoholic. But, I do think most come here for "support" and are in varying stages of recovery. At least on the internet you can take what you want and leave the rest. Some people have super steely constitutions. Some are weak. We all have stuff to learn from one another. But I get your original post. It's the Facebook friend who ONLY posts her EVERY woe. How can someone be truly that miserable???? The ones who do that (from my experience) usually create their own misery. Still, I think leadership means you foster hope in others. There is some "owned" responsibility to help others. Even if they are mind-boggling ridunculous. I almost spit out my coffee laughing at the "not to Scottland" response! Lolololol

My husband and I researched WLS 10 years. We knew what to expect, what the risks were, and what our risks were if we had not had the surgery. I hope anyone who has not had surgery yet makes sure they can handle this. It is not for everyone. We both had hernias. We both were prepared not to eat pizza and french fries the rest of our lives. We gave up cola and alcohol. We are smiling at each other today, over 4 months later, because the sleeve surgery has exceeded our expectations. I am so sorry for anyone who has had these extreme problems, but I have also seen threads where someone is very sick and in two days they post how much better they are feeling or had an issue resolved by their surgeon. I would do everything in my power to follow strict eating and drinking guidelines, even if it meant eating yogurt 3 times a day because nothing is worse than being ill. WLS is not for everyone. You will still want pizza. If you are depressed you will still be depressed. If you drink and party, you will still want to drink and party. I wish better days for everyone who is feeling sick. Linda

I am wondering something, and I'll ask the doctor also, but, the drinking and eating situation. Is that an on going thing, or later will that change? I think about that every time I eat now, when I take a drink, I tell myself that I'm not going to be able to do that after surgery. Like you, not drinking alcohol will not be an issue, I rarely drink now. I have given up all carbonated drinks already. Yes, I will probably just grab a few bites off my hubby's plate. Thanks

Hi there, I have been where you are....I am what I would like to call myself "a professional dieter". I have done it all....weight watchers, Jenny Craig, Southbeach, or whatever fad diet there was at the time. I went to extremes...starvation, purging, overexercising...you name it! The problem was that I ALWAYS came back to the food. It medicated me when I had any sort of emotion that I couldn't handle....stress, boredom, sadness, happiness, etc. The food was always there for me and comforted me. I was a closet eater too....drive through windows, eating in my car, etc. I hid wrappers so get rid of the "evidence", I ate off my kids plates, I (embarrassingly enough) ate out of the trash. I was and am powerless over food. I can't stop eating something that is not healthy for me if I start. In saying that, I became a member of Overeaters Anonymous in June 2009 because I was in a deep depression because my world revolved around my food, my weight, my dress size, etc. I was on TWO antidepressants which only helped marginally. Through the process of being OA, I have found peace and some semblance of control around my food. I am accepting now that I am a compulsive overeater. I am addicted to carbs (flour, sugar) just as an alcoholic is to liquor. I have found out WHY I overeat and how to manage it. OA has given me the coping skills to deal with those emotions that are unsettling and how to handle situations that come up without using my drug of choice. If any of this rings true for you, you may really like OA. There are meetings you can go to or even phone meetings so you don't have to travel anywhere, just sit in the comfort of your own home and just listen to what others' experiences are. I do not want you to think I am pushing this on you or anyone, it is just I have found so much peace over the last couple of years. I am off my antidepressants, I am calmer, I don't cry anymore......and I can see that I am meaningful and that life is worth living! Good luck. If I can help at all, let me know. Thanks, Katie

Yes, there is sugar in the milk that is in the mix, so it can't be classed as "sugar free" but if they don't add any additional sugar, then it is "no sugar added". The mainline instant breakfast does have sugar in there (second ingredient after nonfat milk and before maltodextrin) but the no sugar added version will have some other sweetener in there instead - sucralose, aspartame, sugar alcohols, etc. "No sugar added" is a newish label that is working its way into the nutrition label, and overall is a good thing, as it is the added sugar that is typically the biggest problem. A package of frozen strawberries can't be said to be sugar free, as the strawberries have sugar naturally occurring in them, but they can be "no sugar added" if all they are are strawberries that have been frozen. I have seen some studies that indicated that on the order of 70-80% of the packaged goods on the shelves have some form of added sugar in them, This is distinct from intrinsic sugar, or sugar that is naturally occurring in foods - milk, fruit, vegetables - almost anything grown in the ground - which is typically much less of a problem as it is usually bound into the fiber of the plant and more slowly absorbed than the added free sugar. Is the instant breakfast a recommended product for your program? Typically it is not as it is more of a "meal replacement" product that is moderate in protein as opposed to the protein shakes that are primarily protein, (20-30g protein per serving vs. about 5g for instant breakfast. Usually we are looking for high density protein early on as we can consume so little for a while. That said, I did (and do still) mix instant breakfast with protein powder as I was not having any big problem with protein intake, even early on, and chose to blend in the instant breakfast to give a better overall nutritional profile than just the protein powder alone. There is no right or wrong answer, but just a consideration, particularly if one is struggling to get in their requisite protein at the start. Good luck in your coming adventure!

I just found out from my surgeon why I was suppossed to wait til 3 months post-op... If there is a raw edge from the staple line, putting the alcohol on it can ulcerate it. Yikes, I'm resigned to wait for 4 more weeks now.

A friend of mine just got fired for drinking on the job. He had the sleeve done last winter. I think what has happened he was a drinker but once he got the sleeve, the alcohol was no longer absorbed in the stomach. It passed through to the intestines & had a faster & stronger affect. It became a problem before he knew it. Does any one know about this? This should be a warning for the drinkers out there.

I understand that. I'm sorry my tone felt derogatory. It honestly was no different the day I typed it to now. You should seriously Google the sugar/alcoholism connection. I would seriously disagree with your assertions. This has to do with how the brain lights up in the pleasure centers and dopamine receptors rather than liver metabolism...

Just for insurance... Okay, back to the topic at hand. My next guess is alcohol poisoning. Have you been drinking?

I caught myself sleeping on my stomach the other night and well im a big tummy sleeper, I did change to my side just because im still a bit tender. As far as alcohol there is a video that explains about that. I do have to say its all up to u. If u go thru this journey do u really want to still hVe the bad habits we had before?

Early on in this thread I did empathise. However after now reading all the posts which I must say do come from a very narrow minded point of view I've seriously had my eyes opened. Seriously folks if you are planning bariatric surgery please don't pay heed to this viciously over exaggerated and very negative thread. I'm now five weeks in and although it can be a struggle at times, it's really life changing worth every once of hard work needed to gain success. Like this lady pre-op I suffered from many of the same illnesses fibromyalgia, crippling Arthritis, irritable bowel, lumber spondylosis, just to name a few. I took a large cocktail of drugs that the side effects from made me very ill and yes I was one was lyrica too. I was virtually housebound for a year. Since Xmas I've lost 3 stone. One and a half stone lost since the op Only five weeks ago. I no longer take any medication apart from paracetamols and lansoprazole which protects our stomach while it's healing. I no longer need crutches and am vitally pain free. I live in the UK and did extensive research on bariatric surgery prior to my op . I know the NHS offer an amazing comprehensive service for those lucky enough to live in a district that can fund bariatric surgery free in the UK. You get free pre counselling Good free pre op care Good post op care including medication and follow up diet all prescribed free. Free follow up appointments with your bariatric surgeon. A free post op support group And free care from a doctor if you need it. If you live in the right district her in the UK the Gastric Sleeve operation on the NHS will cost you nothing. I know people here on the UK who would jump at the chance to have this life saving and changing operation but their district has not got the funds to offer it. I hasten to add I could have gone through the NHS but chose to pay nearly £10000 for my op because I could afford it, I got the op performed within four weeks privately my decision because health was so bad and I was virtually housebound. I don't regret it at all. I now have use of private telephone support. But I also have access to a regular NHS support group where I meet people who support each other. ...................... I've just read about not knowing about the effects of bariatric surgery. This is impossible ! Everyone has a consultation with your surgeon before making the decision to have the operation . Everyone has a pre op consultation with a team of nurses. Before surgery everyone meets with their surgeon and anaesthetic consultant. Everyone has to read and sign a pre-op agreement outlining exactly what could go wrong during and after their operation. The surgeons have to be so careful. They need to know you understand all the risks. From all the frequent posts above full of drama you would think the care here on our NHS is non existent. This is not true! What worries me and many other people is a narrow minded point of view we are reading can scare monger and ruin other people's chances. I also find it extremely disturbing to read there was no understanding to what the operation entailed or what would be happening after the op. However someones pointed out a membership on this forum of ten years prior to surgery. A ten years membership here would make an expert of anyone! ...................... I've now read of another side effect from the operation is Clostridium difficile. This can be carried in the body and could be caught after any operation. Unfortunately it had to be another drama and turn into a further more serious complication. I've just read the support for this condition is also poor with no proper treatment and no doctor support. The NHS in the UK take this infection very seriously. Granted there is a massive shortage of doctors in the UK it can regularly take weeks to see one . However you can get phone call appointment and readily get nurse appointments. Also emergency appointments instantly if deemed necessary. I can't believe I've just read that while so critically ill with gastric sleeve problems and CDiff a house move have been planned actioned and is taking place... If things were so bad this would be Impossible! A house moved is deemed as one of the most stressful events we can have in our life. This can also effect our digestion and bowels. Let's look at... Clostridium difficile: What is the treatment for Clostridium difficile infection? The decision to treat C. difficile infection and on the type of treatment depends on the severity of the illness. No treatment is needed if you have no symptoms but are known to carry the germs (bacteria) in your gut. However, if symptoms develop, some of the treatments below may be needed. If you are not already in hospital, people who have mild infection can often be treated at home. However, if the infection is more severe, you will usually be admitted to hospital so that you can be treated and closely monitored. ...................... Pseudomembranous colitis signs and symptoms: Diarrhea that can be watery or even bloody. Abdominal cramps, pain or tenderness. Fever. Pus or mucus in your stool. Nausea. Dehydration. Pseudomembranous colitis self-management: To cope with the diarrhea and dehydration that can occur with pseudomembranous colitis, try to: Drink plenty of fluids. Water is best, but fluids with added sodium and potassium (electrolytes) also may be beneficial. Avoid beverages that are high in sugar or contain alcohol or caffeine, such as coffee, tea and colas, which can aggravate your symptoms. Choose soft, easy-to-digest foods. These include applesauce, bananas and rice. Avoid high-fiber foods, such as beans, nuts and vegetables. If you feel your symptoms are improving, slowly add high-fiber foods back to your diet. Eat several small meals, rather than a few large meals. Space the smaller meals throughout the day. Avoid irritating foods. Stay away from spicy, fatty or fried foods, and any other foods that cause you problems. ...................... If suffering this illness, it seems having the gastric sleeve which limits the intake of all the irritating types of foods that can make the current problem worse is really a very good thing! That is if following a gastric sleeve diet properly. That means reading all the paperwork and diet advice everyone undertaking this operation is given prior to leaving hospital. The gastric sleeve operation will help anyone recover faster. Doctors medication advice. Sensible foods, lots of liquids and don't forget your soluble or liquid vitamins ... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

SouthBeach Diet Tips and Guides The SouthBeach Diet is different from the Atkins diet in that it is not a low carbohydrate diet. Regardless of which phase you are currently in, you should follow these recommendations: Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of Water, decaffeinated beverages such as club soda, tea, coffee, or decaffeinated sugar-free soda every day Limit your intake of caffeine-containing beverages to 1 cup each day Take one Multivitamin and mineral supplement daily Take 500 mg of Calcium for both men and women under the age of 50, and 1,000 mg for women over the age of 50, each day Eating can be both pleasurable and healthy as long as you eat the proper foods. All the meals in the SouthBeach Diet consist of healthy combinations of carbohydrates, Proteins, and fats. Dishes can be made by anyone and the ingredients can be found in most grocery stores. These foods will satisfy your hunger without depriving your system of the low-quality starches and sugars that caused problems with your blood chemistry in the first place. The SouthBeach Diet does not involve counting calories, fat grams, or portion sizes. This plan was designed to be simplistic and will help you understand the principles of metabolism and put it to work for your own body. A major key to success with the South Beach Diet is the Glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods based on the effect on blood sugar levels. When you start adding foods back into your diet in Phase 2, keep your focus on low-GI foods such as apples, berries, grapefruit, high-Fiber Cereal, and whole grain breads. Preparing For The Rest Of Your Life Mindset Change for South Beach Diet You have learned what the South Beach Diet is, how it works, and what to eat. Now, you need to get prepared to change the way you eat, for life. Start by accepting that the first couple of weeks will be a big change but one you will not regret. The first morning of this diet, you will eat a breakfast that may consist of a two-egg omelet with two slices of Canadian bacon, cooked in either spray canola or olive oil. In your old life, you may have toasted bread or a bagel and had fresh fruit or fruit juice to go along with your omelet. However, with the South Beach Diet, the bread will have to wait. Most people have been conditioned their entire life to add bread to meals. You have toast with breakfast, sandwiches on bread for lunch, dinner rolls with dinner, and cake, Cookies, or pie for dessert. However, during Phase 1, you will have to forget about the bread. It may take a few days to leave old habits behind but keep in mind that it is during this time that your body’s inability to process sugars and starches is being reversed. After trying numerous diets, most leave you feeling hungry, is one of the most difficult aspects of any diet. A common denominator seen with overweight people is that most of them skip eating breakfast. When this happens, blood sugar drops, which then increases the desire for bad carbohydrates to escalate until lunch when the entire meal is blown. Planning for South Beach Diet Planning will help you stay away from snacking or substituting things that are not healthy and could cause weight gain. Remember that once you start into Phase 2, carbohydrates will start being introduced back into your diet along with fruits. You also need to remember to eat your mid-morning and mid-afternoon Snacks, even if you do not feel like it. Some of the greatest low-fats foods to incorporate into your planning include cheese and yogurt to replace the fats since they have no bad carbohydrates. In addition, the sugar is found in the lactose, milk sugar, is one of the things you can have with the South Beach Diet. The South Beach Diet is a lifetime change, lifetime commitment, and a lifetime of health and vitality! How Does The South Beach Diet Work? As mentioned, the South Beach Diet is unique, successful, easy, and works in a three-phase process. Unlike many other so-called diets, with the South Beach Diet, simply substitutes your bad carbohydrates and fats for good ones. After trying this, you will be amazed by how well and quickly it works. South Beach Diet Phase 1 South Beach Diet Phase 1 lasts for two weeks. During this first phase, you will eat normal meals of chicken, beef, turkey, fish, and shellfish, lots of vegetables, eggs, cheese, nuts, and garden salads using 100% olive oil for your salad dressing. Each day for 14 days, you will eat three, well-balanced meals. While eating until your hunger is satisfied may go against most diets, with the South Beach Diet, it is part of the plan. Trying to lose weight and become healthy by depriving the body of food makes no sense. In addition to the three meals each day, you will also eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, and then again between lunch and dinner. Even if you do not feel like eating these snacks, for the South Beach Diet to work, you need to, and after dinner, you will even have dessert. Additionally, during this phase, you can drink all the coffee and tea you want and be sure to drink lots of water. You may be thinking that this is a lot of food - it is! With most diets, you deprive your body, eating only small portions of foods that are unappealing. The change you will make during this phase is that you will cut out all bread, rice, potatoes, Pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, or sugar. Keep in mind that these eliminated foods will be added back into your diet, starting in Phase 2. In addition to taking these foods out of your diet temporarily, you will also need to avoid beer, or any kind of alcohol. Once you start Phase 2, reasonable amounts of wine can be added back in. Instead of feeling overwhelmed about the foods that will be taken out of your diet during the first two weeks, stop and think about this for a minute. To achieve a life of health and lose unwanted weight, two weeks is a small investment to make. After all, you are worth it! The first two or three days will be somewhat challenging, but breaking any bad habit starts out a little bumpy. Once you pass this small hurdle, the rest of the time will go by quicker than you think. When you see the results that these changes bring, you will be glad you did not give up! 30 Things You Need to Know About The South BeacH The South Beach Diet -- despite sometimes being referred to as one -- is in fact not a low-carb diet plan. The South Beach Diet is based on eating the right carbohydrates (i.e. "good carbs") and fats. Eventually, you will be satisfied without eating the carbs you normally do, as your body adjusts to the good carbs you are eating. It is completely acceptable and recommended on The South Beach Diet to eat until you are fully satisfied. The first two weeks of The South Beach Diet are called Phase 1. Phase 1 is the strictest part of The South Beach Diet and provides the fewest allowable foods as compared to the other two Phases. The purpose of Phase 1 of The South Beach Diet is to adjust the way your body reacts to sugar and starches. You will lose the most weight during Phase 1 (up to 14 pounds), especially belly fat. During Phase 1 you will not be eating bread, rice, potatoes or pasta. The first few days of Phase 1 are the most difficult part of this diet. Baked goods, sweets, and fruits are completely off-limits during Phase 1 as well. Alcohol of any kind is not allowed during Phase 1. During these two weeks you'll be eating high-fiber foods such as vegetables and salads, as well as fish, meat, chicken, eggs, non-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and nuts. The South Beach Diet allows you six meals a day: three main meals, two snacks, and one dessert. You'll find a variety of recipes in the book, such as Marinated Flank Steak, but you don't have to cook to follow the plan. The science behind this diet is the Glycemic Index, which measures how a food impacts your blood sugar. Since salads and vegetables are naturally low on the Glycemic Index, you can consume virtually unlimited amounts of them on this plan. After Phase 1, those powerful cravings for candy, baked goods and "bad carbs" like white bread will be a thing of the past. Eventually, you can eat anything you want and still be considered on the program. If you feel hungry during Phase 1, increase the amounts of allowable foods you are eating.<SCRIPT>zSB(3,3)</SCRIPT> Eliminating "bad carbs" from your diet is a way for this diet to give your bloodstream a fresh start, free of those insulin-spiking starches and sweets. You can quell your sweet tooth: Sugar-free Gelatin such as pre-packaged sugar-free Jello cups are an easy and recommended dessert during Phase 1. Dr. Agatston provides recipes for a number of Phase 1 desserts that use reduced-fat ricotta cheese. Obese individuals may choose to stay on Phase 1 for longer than two weeks. Most people should advance to Phase 2 after two weeks to prevent getting burned out. Phase 2 is much more liberal than Phase 1. You will return previously "forbidden" foods such as whole grain breads, fruits, and sweet potatoes back into your diet (albeit a little bit at a time) during Phase 2. Weight loss will slow down significantly during Phase 2. Phase 3 is the maintenance Phase of The South Beach Diet. You can add any foods you wish unless you find that you are gaining weight. You can start over in Phase 1 again if you see you are gaining weight during Phase 3. You can start over in Phase 1 again if you see you are gaining weight during Phase 3.

This should answer all your questions!!! 30 Things You Need to Know About The South BeacH The South Beach Diet -- despite sometimes being referred to as one -- is in fact not a low-carb diet plan. The South Beach Diet is based on eating the right carbohydrates (i.e. "good carbs") and fats. Eventually, you will be satisfied without eating the carbs you normally do, as your body adjusts to the good carbs you are eating. It is completely acceptable and recommended on The South Beach Diet to eat until you are fully satisfied. The first two weeks of The South Beach Diet are called Phase 1. Phase 1 is the strictest part of The South Beach Diet and provides the fewest allowable foods as compared to the other two Phases. The purpose of Phase 1 of The South Beach Diet is to adjust the way your body reacts to sugar and starches. You will lose the most weight during Phase 1 (up to 14 pounds), especially belly fat. During Phase 1 you will not be eating bread, rice, potatoes or Pasta. The first few days of Phase 1 are the most difficult part of this diet. Baked goods, sweets, and fruits are completely off-limits during Phase 1 as well. Alcohol of any kind is not allowed during Phase 1. During these two weeks you'll be eating high-fiber foods such as vegetables and salads, as well as fish, meat, chicken, eggs, non-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and nuts. The South Beach Diet allows you six meals a day: three main meals, two Snacks, and one dessert. You'll find a variety of recipes in the book, such as Marinated Flank Steak, but you don't have to cook to follow the plan. The science behind this diet is the Glycemic Index, which measures how a food impacts your blood sugar. Since salads and vegetables are naturally low on the Glycemic Index, you can consume virtually unlimited amounts of them on this plan. After Phase 1, those powerful cravings for candy, baked goods and "bad carbs" like white bread will be a thing of the past. Eventually, you can eat anything you want and still be considered on the program. If you feel hungry during Phase 1, increase the amounts of allowable foods you are eating.<SCRIPT>zSB(3,3)</SCRIPT> Eliminating "bad carbs" from your diet is a way for this diet to give your bloodstream a fresh start, free of those insulin-spiking starches and sweets. You can quell your sweet tooth: sugar-free Gelatin such as pre-packaged sugar-free Jello cups are an easy and recommended dessert during Phase 1. Dr. Agatston provides recipes for a number of Phase 1 Desserts that use reduced-fat ricotta cheese. (This really curbed my appetite, so I ate it as a Breakfast and evening snack most of the time) Obese individuals may choose to stay on Phase 1 for longer than two weeks. Most people should advance to Phase 2 after two weeks to prevent getting burned out. Phase 2 is much more liberal than Phase 1. You will return previously "forbidden" foods such as whole grain breads, fruits, and sweet potatoes back into your diet (albeit a little bit at a time) during Phase 2. Weight loss will slow down significantly during Phase 2. Phase 3 is the maintenance Phase of The South Beach Diet. You can add any foods you wish unless you find that you are gaining weight. You can start over in Phase 1 again if you see you are gaining weight during Phase 3. You can start over in Phase 1 again if you see you are gaining weight during Phase 3. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I'm 7 weeks out from surgery but I have had complications so I am just now starting a clear liquid diet. My dad got me some sugar free hard candies but there are 14g of sugar alcohols. I was wondering if you can still get dumping syndrome from sugar alcohols?

There are some really great HEALTHY sweetners! Stevia also comes in flavors so experiment a little before you write it off. You get used to it. Besides Stevia, there is: Lo Han or Liu Han (inulin) Feeds good bacteria in intestines (somewhat expensive but I've recently tried Dr. Mercola's New whey chocolate Protein bars and they were pretty damn tasty!) Yacon – Peruvian Tuber (FOS) Syrup: Amazing therapeutic properties. The body is not able to break it down as sugar and it passes through and then promotes the good bacteria in the intestines. Tastes like a cross between honey and molasses – a good, inexpensive brand is Amazon Therapeutic (brown glass jar and red label) sells for $16 for 16 oz jar (can probably find it cheaper on-line). I use this stuff a lot and I love it! I'm not a fan of honey or molasses but this stuff has a fantastic rich, sweet, taste. I use just a drop in my oatmeal and it tastes fantastic! Xylitol – Has antibacterial properties. You should always carry mints (look for Spry mints) or gum sweetened with this if you can’t brush after a meal. It’s being used more and more in foods and toothpastes and such! Very healthy and affordable! Erithratol (sp) is also antibacterial. This is a sugar alcohol so it can cause digestive upset if you eat too much. It tastes more like 'real' sugar than Splenda or any of the other artificial sweetners. You will have to do a little research to find which ones of these have high glycemic index. I know Erithratol is low but not sure about the others....

Sugar alcohols made me EXTREMELY sick early on. At week 4, I was going on vacation and had 2 atkins bars....thought I was going to die. I try and stay away from them now.

Thanks for the information. I would consider mine mild. I can go days without any meds and really its just alcohol or carbonation (or bending over after a big meal) that can give me reflux. I think I have a hiatal hernia as that seems logical being that when I bend over or lift something heavy I can get instant reflux. The manometry, scope, and gastric emptying test all showed everything looked good so they are a little baffled why I have reflux. I did have a hiatal hernia repair when I had lapband surgery back in 2010.

The other aspect that isn’t spoken about is the fact that many of us are addicted to food. There is a significant body of research that looks at how repressed emotions drive physical disease and addictions. 90% of families are judged to have dysfunctional patterns. Just think of how girls and women are taught to not show anger and to never set boundaries and say no. As for men and boys ‘Big boys don’t cry’. When emotions are pushed to the bottom something else takes their place - alcohol, cigarettes, computer games, smartphones, food - the list carries on and on. Most of us have multiple addictions that we go to when we don’t want to feel those emotions. ‘Comfort’ eating - I feel bad so rather than sitting with myself and feel whatever uncomfortable emotion that wants to talk to me - I eat something instead and now my focus is on the food. For me I notice that my stop button goes away - I stop listening to my stomach saying ‘enough’. What I eat changes as well - I stray into sweeter territory and maybe even bread. This is the biggest learning for me. I can do the healthy eating ( I have a lot of training in nutrition) - but if the mental and emotional work isn’t being done, I sabotage myself. My biggest fear: going through all of this and STILL effing it up...

So, I feel funny writing about this, but...has anyone else ever experienced a negative change in their social life post-op? I had my surgery back in January. Although my physical health has made drastic improvements, I'm afraid my mental health has taken a toll. I noticed people have been treating me very differently since having the surgery. I've been getting so many rude comments, I can't keep up. They think I "took the easy way out (not realizing it was actually quite the opposite: the last resort)," and/or are freaked out by all my new eating habits and restrictions or are saying cruel things like "oh, you'll just gain it back like so-and-so did anyway, you watch." A lot of them have also proceeded to claim my changed appearance "weirds them out." Some of my now ex-friends have even gone so far to complain that I "betrayed the body positivity movement by giving into society's expectations of what women should look like." What the actual heck? Even dating, something I thought would get better as I lost weight, is just as bad as it was before. Since I can't drink alcohol anymore or eat a lot of foods, guys have been pretty hostile. Although I've been private about my surgery while dating (simply stating I have a strict diet I need to follow), that hasn't stopped guys from being mean or rude. Bottom line here is I've lost a lot of friends this past year and my love life is no better than it was. I'm extremely lonely and depressed. Has anyone else ever encountered this? What can I do to change it? Why is there so much social stigma towards this surgery?

One of the real pleasures of my former lifestyle was having a good glass of wine with a fine meal. I really miss that. But I keep putting off my first post-op glass of wine. Of the few treats I have allowed myself in the past few months, I have chosen to have Desserts rather than wine. Then the next day I regret my choice because the dessert turns out not to be so special and I can never eat a whole serving anyway. I think I'm afraid to have the wine because I believe that alcohol interferes with weight loss even more than simple carbs. I guess I'll just wait until I reach my ultimate goal before I partake. But even then, I won't be able to drink it with my meal. Oh well, I'll trade that pleasure for my new healthier body anytime.

I was banded yesterday with Dr Elli. I got the stomach shot for the blood thinner and didn't even feel it. The iv went in easy, I had great nurses!!! I woke up felt sore and nauseous but they gave me medicine to fix both. I was up in a chair pretty fast and turn walking around. The ice packs really help my soreness!! So keep those around. I have 2 1/2 incisions. Last night when.I was home I had sips of water and broth and a popsicle. Today I've had water and might try broth later, just not hungry. My families have been helping with my dogs. I have had no shoulder pain from the gas and walking around seems to keep any gas to a minimum. Also the alcohol prep pads are AMAZING for nausea. Over all it just feels like I did 1000 crunches lol good luck everyone!!!

I feel terrible for her. Her whole life has been one big fiasco after another and now, real, serious tragedy has knocked on her door. God bless her son and God give her comfort and wisdom during such a trial. I'm interested to hear the outcome as well. They've stated that her lawyer was the other person in the room, but my mind keeps going back to the fact that he (her son) came straight from the airport to her room. There is mention of alcohol on the plane, but I guess because of my own experience, I can't help but wonder if he suffered a DVT/PE from the plane ride. There was mention of vomiting excessively, so perhaps alcohol poisoning. I guess the truth will eventually come out. What a tragedy...:think