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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.

:rolleyes:Has anybody ever told you the worst kind of smoker is an "X" smoker? Not that I don't respect them for the intestinal fortitude required to set aside an addiction, but tune down the preaching for a sec and look at people as individuals!!! Here's my problem; my support group counselor, i.e. the gate to my surgeon is a recovering alcoholic. Which doesn't say anything about her character; she is a wonderful individual who truly cares about her clients. However, she looks at us through the same lens; we are all food addicts, and if we are insistent that we are not, then we are deluding ourselves and probably wouldn't benefit from this operation. Well, I won't get into how I am sure I am not a food addict; as any defense would simply appear to be a mealy-mouthed attempt to convince myself and so defeat my point, but she doesn't listen to any rational debate about it. She shuts down by sitting back, crossing her arms, placing a smug, "I know better than you about what makes you tic," smirk on her face and shakes her head in the negative while you ply your case. I find this a big negative to my working through my issues about the surgery in general and it is becoming an obstacle. I mean, I can play the game and totally agree with her to achieve my approval for surgery, but do I really have to admit to an addiction I don't have? How is that productive? Shouldn't a counselor have a more rounded approach to treating everyone as individuals? Even if 99.9999% of people you deal with on a daily basis are emotional eating, bottomless pits of self loathing and bargin basement self esteem who don't have the ability to push away from the table before their guts fairly burst without ever hearing their brains say STOP.....You still need to treat each and every one as a unique set of life experiences and circumstances, right? You would think so, but as a recovering addict herself, she knows all the arguments, she's used them on herself. She's heard every justification, every nugget of self delusion, she understands the psychology of total loss of control. What makes her good at her job also handicaps her. If you are here in this class than you are over weight; if you are over weight than you have no self control (where food is concerned); if you have no self control than you are an addict. This is a logical thought process. However, sometimes (and I am well aware of the microscopically small percentage of people we are talking about here) people end up needing surgical intervention for reasons other than a lack of self control. Health conditions that wreak havoc on metabolism, i.e. thyroid malfunction, auto immune disorders such as Lupus and chronic pain as in rheumatoid arthritis; work together to both hamper with calorie absorption and trap the body in a jail cell of stiffened, inflamed and painful joints. All this is most usually accompanied by severe depression which further zaps the ability to move about as one should. Given a period of 1-2 years spent living in this hell a person who is NOT addicted to food can gain a considerable amount of weight! So, I don't know. Does it really hurt me in any way to just go with the flow? I guess it just pisses me off that I have spent 42 years on this planet exhibiting total self control. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't experiment with recreational drug use; heck I don't even take all the pain meds prescribed for my conditions because I don't want to be a pill popping addict! So it ruffles my feathers that this women insists she knows that I am addicted to food! So you know one way I know I am NOT a food addict? Because when I get angry I don't down an entire bag of doritos with a big gulp from 7/11; no, I write a blog instead!:lol:

:rolleyes:Has anybody ever told you the worst kind of smoker is an "X" smoker? Not that I don't respect them for the intestinal fortitude required to set aside an addiction, but tune down the preaching for a sec and look at people as individuals!!! Here's my problem; my support group counselor, i.e. the gate to my surgeon is a recovering alcoholic. Which doesn't say anything about her character; she is a wonderful individual who truly cares about her clients. However, she looks at us through the same lens; we are all food addicts, and if we are insistent that we are not, then we are deluding ourselves and probably wouldn't benefit from this operation. Well, I won't get into how I am sure I am not a food addict; as any defense would simply appear to be a mealy-mouthed attempt to convince myself and so defeat my point, but she doesn't listen to any rational debate about it. She shuts down by sitting back, crossing her arms, placing a smug, "I know better than you about what makes you tic," smirk on her face and shakes her head in the negative while you ply your case. I find this a big negative to my working through my issues about the surgery in general and it is becoming an obstacle. I mean, I can play the game and totally agree with her to achieve my approval for surgery, but do I really have to admit to an addiction I don't have? How is that productive? Shouldn't a counselor have a more rounded approach to treating everyone as individuals? Even if 99.9999% of people you deal with on a daily basis are emotional eating, bottomless pits of self loathing and bargin basement self esteem who don't have the ability to push away from the table before their guts fairly burst without ever hearing their brains say STOP.....You still need to treat each and every one as a unique set of life experiences and circumstances, right? You would think so, but as a recovering addict herself, she knows all the arguments, she's used them on herself. She's heard every justification, every nugget of self delusion, she understands the psychology of total loss of control. What makes her good at her job also handicaps her. If you are here in this class than you are over weight; if you are over weight than you have no self control (where food is concerned); if you have no self control than you are an addict. This is a logical thought process. However, sometimes (and I am well aware of the microscopically small percentage of people we are talking about here) people end up needing surgical intervention for reasons other than a lack of self control. Health conditions that wreak havoc on metabolism, i.e. thyroid malfunction, auto immune disorders such as Lupus and chronic pain as in rheumatoid arthritis; work together to both hamper with calorie absorption and trap the body in a jail cell of stiffened, inflamed and painful joints. All this is most usually accompanied by severe depression which further zaps the ability to move about as one should. Given a period of 1-2 years spent living in this hell a person who is NOT addicted to food can gain a considerable amount of weight! So, I don't know. Does it really hurt me in any way to just go with the flow? I guess it just pisses me off that I have spent 42 years on this planet exhibiting total self control. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't experiment with recreational drug use; heck I don't even take all the pain meds prescribed for my conditions because I don't want to be a pill popping addict! So it ruffles my feathers that this women insists she knows that I am addicted to food! So you know one way I know I am NOT a food addict? Because when I get angry I don't down an entire bag of doritos with a big gulp from 7/11; no, I write a blog instead!:frown::ohmy:

Wow, that must have been discouraging! I find it hard to believe that one evening of excess=5 pounds, but it must be true. Likely a combination weight gain and water retention (due to salt, alcohol?, high carbs, etc). Just get back on the program and all will be okay. Learn from this and add it to the list of things to avoid in the future. Part of this journey is figuring out how you gained so much weight in the past (and you just got a clue on the weekend). Good luck and carry on.

Get back to basics! Learn to say no to eating at bar-b-ques or eat before you go so you're not tempted to eat around the band.. and as far as the alcoholic drinks, those are super high calories that your body is just waiting for you to suck down so it can slam it to your hips... find a lower calorie alcholic drink if you feel you have to have it .. try looking up diabetic diet website .. there's sure to be a low cal drink on there .. concentrate on following the lap band rules for the last 6 weeks of summer and when you hit the labor day b-b-q, you'll be down quite a few more lbs and you'll feel great... it's temporary but hopefully it will get you motivated again!!! DO NOT GIVE UP!!! you deserve to be thinner and healthier!!!!:thumbdown:

Sound like you heading in the right direction to me. rememeber Alcohol is just empty calories!

Ah, I miss the 4 am Denny's runs after those "19-year-old male with profuse vomiting, alcohol ingestion" 911 calls! These days, when I'm away at school all day, I pack hardboiled eggs, small yogurt containers, Protein shakes, and a couple of wheels of Babybel cheese - Gouda is my favorite, it's quite soft. I don't know if you are doing a low-carb thing, but I also like fruit. Right now, I've got plums and persimmons in the fridge.

I'm not an alcoholic don't get me wrong. I'm scared to drink, but wondering when did u just start to try it??!!!

Was reading other blogs today and it got me thinking. I have said many times that I was addicted to food, but not until today have I realized that I am a food addict. Been banded 16 days now and it has made me very aware of everything I put in my mouth. If addictive personalities run in families, then I can see that I am an addict. My father was an alcoholic as was my older brother. Second brother was addicted to perscription narcotics. I used to pride myself that I did neither of those. But now I see that I was not immune. I can sit here and blame it on my childhood traumas ( do not wish to go into those here) but it comes down to personal responsibilities. No one forced me to become this obese. I want and I need to lose this weight, as much as I can, be it 60 lbs or 160lbs. I know I need to get support everyday for my journey. I don't think very many people read these blogs so I don't expect much in the way of responses. I just want to write down my feelings, my goals,and my successes or failures in order to continue on. Maybe I can read my entries in a few months and see I am getting better.

Addictions come in all sorts of forms. The most common forms of addiction people think of are drugs and alcohol. And those are both, obviously, bad. There's other addictions too though. There's addictions to soda pop, bread, pasta, cookies, cakes and other pastries, food in general. I think most people that have gotten to "OMG I have to do something about my weight or I'm going to die" have some form of food addiction. I've been realizing, albeit way too slowly, that I am addicted to sugar. I may even be addicted to food in general. I was at the grocery store with my mom today and at the checkout are the candies. Reese's, Twix, Butterfingers, York Peppermint Patty, M&Ms...the list goes on and on. I nearly cried because I wanted some (and I really didn't care which one either) chocolate yumminess (that usually isn't all that yummy after I eat it) so badly. I am so glad I am going to be going to a therapist starting on Thursday. I HAVE GOT to get this crap under control before my surgery. I should already be at least 20 pounds down by now and I think I'm the same weight I was last month. I'm awful about not logging any meal that isn't good for me. I'll log all the ones that are right on track though. I don't even understand why I want the stuff. It doesn't taste good most of the time and then I feel all kinds of guilty after I eat it. Other times I'm just so depressed that I couldn't give a rats patootie what I eat, so I don't eat what I'm supposed to. Like tonight mom bought pizza for dinner. I could have run over here to my house and gotten the leftover chicken and broccoli from the other night. No carbs hardly at all. I could have been a good girl, but no. I just didn't care. I was tired, hungry, and depressed and so I ended up eating two pieces of pizza, a cheesy bread stick with marinara sauce, and a chocolate chip cookie since I figured I'd already blown the whole meal anyway. Now I'm just tired and even more depressed. How do you fight an addiction to food? I'm scared that I'm going to go from one extreme to the other. Going from a see food diet to a no food diet. I guess that's something for the therapist to deal with, huh? I hate this. I'm going to bed. Night night.

As much as I love vaping, and how much better I feel since the switch years ago... If one can just quit cold turkey and never go back, that is just awesome. The money spent is real too. Lol coffee, a caramel green apple vape and knitting gives me the "Je ne sais quoi" daily pleasure. Thank goodness I never cared for alcohol, it makes me nauseous. For that I'm thankful. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

My surgeon would *like* his patients to wait one year. He fully acknowledges that it is probably the one rule he makes that most people break. I'm not a big drinker, so I don't anticpate any problems. I'm sure it will be quite a while before I attempt to drink anything with alcohol.

I have high blood pressure and was not denied surgery. I take 160mg of Diovan and 12.5mg of hydrochlorothiazide daily to keep my blood pressure under control. On a good day my BP is 135/72 but it often goes higher. I agree about the consumption of caffiene...mine is much higher on days that I drink more than 2 cups of coffee. I would inquire about different blood pressure meds...as the first script that I had (can't remember what it was) wasn't nearly as effective as the Diovan. Are you exercising? Physical activity often decreases blood pressure. In addition to exercise you might want to decrease the amount of sodium that you are taking in and take note of any over the counter medications that you are taking. Causes of High Blood Pressure In most cases of high blood pressure, the American Heart Association says there is no one identifiable cause. This kind of high blood pressure is called primary hypertension or essential hypertension. It is usually a combination of factors, such as: Weight. The greater your body mass, the more pressure there is on your artery walls. That's because more blood is produced to supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues in your body. Activity level. Lack of physical activity tends to increase heart rate, which forces your heart to work harder with each contraction. Tobacco use. Chemicals in cigarettes and tobacco can damage artery walls. Sodium intake. Excessive sodium in the diet can result in Fluid retention and high blood pressure, especially in people sensitive to sodium. Potassium intake. Low potassium can result in elevated sodium in cells, because the two balance one another. Stress. Stress can raise blood pressure. Alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol intake can, over time, increase the risk of heart disease. Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Family history. High blood pressure often runs in families. Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure Lifestyle changes and natural remedies may help to control high blood pressure, but your doctor may also recommend medication to lower high blood pressure. It is important to work with your doctor, because untreated high blood pressure may damage organs in the body and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, brain hemorrhage, kidney disease, and vision loss. See a drawing of a hypertensive heart. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) There is some evidence that the supplement coq10 may help to reduce high blood pressure. A 12 week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 83 people with systolic hypertension examined the effect of CoQ10 supplements (60 mg twice daily). After the 12 weeks, there was a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 17.8 mm Hg in the Coq10-treated group. Another study conducted at the University of Western Australia looked at the effect of CoQ10 on blood pressure and glycemic control in 74 people with type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 100mg CoQ10 twice daily, 200mg of the drug fenfibrate, both, or neither for 12 weeks. CoQ10 significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure(mean reduction 6.1 mm Hg and 2.9 mm Hg respectively). There was also a reduction in HbA1C, a marker for long-term glycemic control. To learn more about CoQ10, read the Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) fact sheet. Garlic In a meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials of garlic supplements, three trials showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and four in diastolic blood pressure. Researchers concluded that garlic powder supplement may be of clinical use in patients with mild high blood pressure. Garlic supplements should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner. Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) similar to aspirin. Garlic may interact with many drugs and supplements such as the prescription "blood-thinners" drugs such as Coumadin (warfarin) or Trental (pentoxifylline), aspirin, Vitamin E, gingko. It is usually recommended that people taking garlic stop in the weeks before and after any type of surgery. To learn more about garlic, go to the articles about garlic. Hawthorn The herb hawthorn is often used by traditional herbal practitioners for high blood pressure. In a randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers in Reading, UK, 79 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either 1200 mg of hawthorn extract a day or placebo for 16 weeks. Medication for high blood pressure was used by 71% of the patients. At the end of the 16 weeks, patients taking the hawthorn supplement had a significant reduction in mean diastolic blood pressure (2.6 mm Hg). No herb-drug interactions were reported. Fish oil Preliminary studies suggest that fish oil may have a modest effect on high blood pressure. Although fish oil supplements often contain both DHA (docohexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), there is some evidence that DHA is the ingredient that lowers high blood pressure. Learn more about fish oil. Folic acid Folate is a B vitamin necessary for formation of red blood cells. It may help to lower high blood pressure in some people, possibly by reducing elevated homocysteine levels. One small study of 24 cigarette smokers found that four weeks of folic acid supplementation significantly lowered blood pressure. Learn more about folic acid.

I was banded on the 23rd september, so its been one week. I feel great no pain almost feel back to normal. Im still on liquids and my on a fact sheet i recieved from my doctor it says i shouldnt drink alcohol for one month after surgery. Im wondering does anyone know what will happen if i do a have a few drinks? Is this the same information that everyone else has recieved? any insight will be great!!! thanks

All your doing is being a cowardly jerk hiding behind a computer telling people off and scaring them from being honest. I guess this is a site where everyone lies and says how perfect their journey is or they will be attacked by bullies. A lot of people got the point across that it could hurt him without being an obnoxious ass. Get over yourself and stop trolling. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Yes. I see how positive and supportive you are. You are a drug and alcohol counselor yet this is how you behave? This is the language you use? WOW. What's that phrase about a pot and a kettle?

My dr told me to wait at least 3 months to have alcohol and to be very careful because it affects you differently after surgery. Obviously it should be very moderate during losing phase due to the empty calories in alcohol.

Alcohol can impair healing, it relaxes inhibitions and if you overdo you could become nauseated...and vomiting before the band heals is a no no. Plus many of us are on a restricted diet for the first 4 weeks (liquids, full liquids, mushies) and drinking on an empty stomach really isn't good for you, especially post op. It's only 4 weeks...(some docs require much longer!) so I'd say just tough it out. And remember alcohol is empty calories...while you are trying to lose, they aren't really a good choice (but you know that!) :biggrin:

Hi - I was banded August 15th. I agree with Restless. Alcohol is empty calories. I truly have enjoy my beer and wine and vodka...etc over the years. . Alcohol, in addition to the love of food, are the main reasons I am obese. The band is a tool and a reminder that we need to change our old habits. I know that I can drink a few beers, but ....I am trying to lose weight. So far, I haven't endulged... I am sure I will, but for now, I am dedicated to lose weight. The band isn't a magic wand, we need to work at it. Try to limit all calories including limiting the booze. This is from a person who has loved his libations for years.....Good Luck..

I have been told no alcohol as well. Maybe eventually ONE glass of wine now and then. I have had 1-3 glasses of wine in an evening since my banding {9-02-08} even though I know better. I have never felt any restriction so it didn't upset my new tiny tummy. I can eat anything and swallow large pills too. I am trying to schedule my first fill now. The doc wants me to wait 6 weeks but I just gained a pound in the last week :thumbdown: so I want a fill yesterday. I need to feel the restriction......fast! And Gary, in case your doc didn't mention it, beer is carbonated and my understanding is that ANY carbonation is a no-no, forever. The bubbles can stretch your pouch and defeat your whole purpose. Maybe find another libation to love. Best of luck to all. Barbara

So I have been up and down and filled and filled and filled! I am now at 11 in my 14cc band. I finally have some good restriction. I haven't lost as much as some but I am okay with my loss so far. When I lose my next 22lbs I will be out of the 300s so I am excited about that! It hasn't been easy, at least not as much as I thought it would be. Get a band that monitors me so I don't have to...WRONGO! It's alot of work and emotion. I fight all the time! I noticed the other day though that I am automatically serving myself smaller portions and being full on less. Before it was something I had to force myself to do. I am still having a problem letting go of a mini kit kat or butterfinger. Doesn't sound like much, but telling a foodie to have just a little is like telling an alcoholic just a little drop won't hurt! It's hard! When people find out I used to weigh 404lbs and now I am down to 320 they are wow'd! If only they knew what a big accomplishment that really was...what a struggle it remains. If a foodie loses 1lb it's a big deal! I see so many ppl on here discouraged that they are only down 5lbs or 50lbs but SNAP OUT OF IT!! any amount less than you were is a big deal! So we all fall off the wagon. The important thing to realize is that doesn't make us bad people, it makes us human! We absolutley have to see it as a mis-step and get back on track. don't use it as a reason to give up.."well it happened so I am not gonna try"...No! spin it! It happened so now I know I am capable of mistakes which means I have to try harder the next time not to do the same thing! The hardest thing I struggle with is not eating everything on my plate. I quit eating out(fast food) because it's a waist of money. I still go out to dinner with my family and I just have to watch what I order and eat. It's constant but like anything else, I take it one day, 1 decision at a time. It has to be that way, that's how it works for me... Cheryl

Sunday, July 19, 2009 Relatives--Help or Hindrance My husband threw out all his night-time treats. Just because he loves me. Pretty cool. I let him know I was struggling with the treats he kept in the house and frequently ate in the evenings while we watched TV and played on our computers. In fact, I was just thinking about the ice cream in the freezer and, oops!, remembered Ken threw it out. Thank God. Thank you, Ken. This disease is not fair to him. It's not fair that his choices impact me way beyond what they should. He can eat ice cream and then let it sit untouched for weeks. He had a taste for yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and decided to make them himself, ate a couple, and let the rest sit. For him, no big deal. For me, unbearable temptation. I know they're there. Knowing makes them pop into my mind over and over. I have to reject eating them over and over and over. Taking care of myself by being honest with my husband was important for me to do. It's part of working on being less people-pleasing when its to my detriment. It is entirely to his credit that he chose to get rid of the snacks and not to eat snacks at night in front of me. He wants to be with me. It was his main reason for giving up smoking when he married me. He couldn't smoke around me and he wanted to be with me. He'll probably still keep some treats hidden and eat them when I'm not around. That's fine. Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't know its there it won't be on my mind, either. Chances are Ken'll lose some weight, too, which wouldn't be a bad thing. Night-time has always been my most difficult time. Food has always helped me wind down. Some people drink alcohol. I eat food--it puts me into a kind of carbohydrate coma. Those carbs generally come with fat attached. Perfect recipe for slowly but surely putting on the weight. So many factors in eating disorders. It's such a complex disease. Relatives can help or they can hinder. Ideally, we shouldn't need the cooperation of our relatives. We're asking them to be codependent. But we also need to take care of ourselves. There are people who would deliberately sabotage those they profess to love. There are those relatives with the same addiction who have a vested interest in keeping you the same and not letting you change. There are those who don't know addiction at all and urge you to eat--they made it special just for you, it doesn't hurt to have a little once in a while, etc. There are also those who would never humble themselves and give up their right to eat what they want when they want it and might actually insist that buy those things yourself and keep them in the house for them. With these people you need to have heavy-duty boundaries and perhaps actually keep them at a safe distance or even totally out of your life. I'm blessed that my husband is supportive. I'm blessed that he reads my blog because he wants to know me better and understand what I'm going through. He's a little angry at having to change his lifestyle to accommodate my disease and he's entitled to be. But we talk about it. We're no longer ignoring the elephant (my eating disorder not me) in the room. I may get to the point where he can go back to eating snacks in front of me and keeping my favorites in the house, but not right now. Not with the reduced restriction I'm experiencing while waiting for my first fill. Once again, weight loss surgery is a tool, not a solution. If I don't take care of myself in my relationships, it won't be as helpful.

Normally, I'm not into artificial sweetners, but I spotted this new product at the store today that is called: Eat Well, Be Well, sugar-free, no sugar alcohols, diabetic friendly chocolate bar. So I bought it thinking it will probably be like eating cardboard, but it's good! It's definitely a dark chocolate taste and I like it. Just thought I would share for any trying to curb that sweet tooth. Kelli

<div> <div>This is the general guideline I was given by my NUT.</div> <div> </div> <div><strong>Phase I Clear Liquids</strong> (Weeks 1 and 2)</div> <div>IsoPure</div> <div>Broth</div> <div>SF popsicles</div> <div>water, decaf tea</div> <div> </div> <div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; border-collapse: separate; orphans: 2; widows: 2; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><b><font color="#8600a4">Phase II Full Liquids</font></b><span> </span>(Week 3 -- 500-600 calories)</span></div> <div>runny Protein shakes<br /> Low-fat soups (strained / pureed)<br /> runny cream of wheat<br /> Non-fat milk<br /> Sugar free/fat free ice cream</div> <div> </div> <div><font color="#328712"><b>Phase III Puree</b></font><span> </span>(Week 4 and possibly 5 -- 600 - 700 calories)</div> <div>Baby food<br /> sugar free/fat free pudding<br /> pureed cooked meats with broth<br /> pureed cooked beans<br /> low fat cottage cheese<br /> nonfat yogurt<br /> low fat mashed potatoes *<br /> pureed cooked veggies *<br /> unsweetened pureed fruit *</div> <div>* add protein powder</div> <div> </div> <div><font color="#fa7a00"><b>Phase IV Soft foods </b></font>things that can be mashed with a fork<span> </span> (Week 5, possibly 6 -- (700-800 calories)</div> <div>scrambled eggs<br /> steamed or poached fish<br /> low fat cheese / string cheese<br /> skinless chopped or ground meat<br /> soft canned fruit<br /> well cooked veggies</div> <div> </div> <div><font color="#3665ee"><b>Phase V Regular Diet</b></font><span> </span>(Begin week 6, 7 or when ready -- 800-900 calories)</div> 3 meals, 1-2 Snacks or 5 small meals the first few months<br /> each meal 4-6 oz (always start meal with eating protein)<br /> High Protein, Low Fat, Low Carb and avoiding simple carbs (concentrated sugar), alcohol<br /> Add one new food and record intolerance</div> <p> </p>

My doctor and the nutritionist have both referred to me as a "restrictor." Guess that's a label for those of us who have dieted like crazy and find it difficult to let go of those restrictions. Pre-band I have been no dairy, no wheat, no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol -- a lot of no-nos. So I'm trying to embrace all of it and just have those very small amounts of what it is my body is asking for. It wants dairy so I'm having some. Have not tried wheat yet and think I may not. My husband is celiac so we already have a wheat-free house. That is restrition of another kind, however, not that mental "can't have" game I have played so well the last two decades. Even though I'm so incredibly good at it, I was still unable to lose weight with that approach.

OK, I found an answer about net carbs online here: Net carbohydrates can be calculated from a food source by subtracting Fiber and sugar alcohols (which are shown to have a smaller effect on blood sugar levels)[citation needed] from total carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols contain about two calories per gram, and the American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics count each gram as half a gram of carbohydrate.[4] But how does that impact us? Do we want to watch all carbs or just net carbs? I'll have to ask my nutritionist, but does anyone else know?