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I have had luck with some sugar free candies. You have to look at the sugar alcohol content and gauge it. I started with sugar free life savers and did ok. Some Russel Stover's sf chocolates are fine, others make me feel yucky. I'd avoid sugar free licorice, gummy bears, and Reese's. I'm 10 months out and don't have these items at all anymore. 1) because I don't want to really on artificial sweeteners for sweets so I fruit instead, and 2) because they seem to make me constipated and that's a tricky balance at my phase. Good luck, dear!

How would one liquid be more likely to stretch your sleeve than any other, say.... Water? That's preposterous. I heard the same thing in support but I never bought that jive. Alcohol and soda and crap will put weight on a person but actually stretching a sleeve is, from what I've read, nonsense. It's the swelling going down; rarely it's due to some sort of dilation. Anyway ultimately it's what goes into our mouths.

I'm surprised at some of the questions I see here and on other WLS boards from new VSG patients, like ... * I just had VSG surgery. What am I supposed to eat now? * My surgeon says not to drink alcohol until X months out. Can I drink now anyway? * When can I start eating ice cream? * I'm four days out and just had chicken McNuggets. Have I damaged my sleeve? * If you plan to drink heavily, first take a Percocet to calm your stomach. I totally get that, even pre-op, this surgery can sometimes be overwhelming. But some patients' questions suggest that even though they've just undergone major surgery they haven't read their post-op instructions, understood their instructions, don't believe what could happen to them if they don't follow instructions, or maybe they just never received any instructions at all. Weird!

The holiday season is here and it’s time for us all to quickly gain ten pounds. What? Why would I say that? I say that because it’s written all over the place. Over the next few weeks, you are going to see and hear references to our tendency to gain weight during this time of year in every newspaper, magazine, website, blog and television news program. And while the opportunities to eat may increase this time of year and the kinds of foods pushed on us are often not the healthiest, you don’t have to gain weight. However, if you expect to…you will. What do expectations have to do with weight gain? Think of expectations as a combination of predictions and learned patterns of behavior. Outcomes that have occurred in the past, we generally expect to happen again. Take Thanksgiving for example, or what I like to call “National Binge Eating Day.” Thanksgiving is one of those few days of the year where the holiday seems to be about overeating. Of course, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about taking the opportunity to give thanks for how fortunate we are to live in this great country and to count our blessings for what we have. However, if you ask most Americans what comes to mind when they think of Thanksgiving I’ll bet turkey, stuffing, pie and football come long before giving thanks. More importantly, it’s not only food and eating that we think of but overeating and overindulging. This is so common that it’s often parodied in television commercials. Companies that manufacture antacids run ads showing people with exploding pant buttons or slumped back in the big armchair following the big meal. Thanksgiving, holiday parties and overeating seem to be synonymous. Many of us expect to overeat on Thanksgiving and at holiday parties so we inadvertently mentally gear up for this to happen. With this expectation of overeating in mind, our behavior becomes less controllable…you’re psychologically setting the stage for a binge to occur by expecting a huge meal to be served and by recalling previous Thanksgivings when you overate. Similarly, this is the season of holiday parties. Holiday parties tend to include foods that are rich, highly caloric and plentiful. And let’s not forget the alcohol. When you attend holiday parties, many of us expect these foods and drinks to be available and we are more likely to overindulge if that has been our pattern in the past. You’re certainly not a drone who is unable to make change, but it is infinitely less likely unless you take active steps to make that change. What can you do to prevent overeating at this time of year and gaining those extra pounds? Change your expectations by planning what you will do ahead of time. On the morning of Thanksgiving, think about what the likely layout will be where you are having the meal. Have you been there before? Do you know what to expect to be on the table? If so, plan ahead. Make some decisions about what you will eat and how much. Promise yourself that you will not overeat. After all, it’s just one meal and ironically many people who overeat say they’re not particularly fond of Thanksgiving food. They just get caught up in the collective binge mentality and the rest is history. If you plan ahead and carefully consider what to do instead of binging, you have a much better chance of controlling yourself and feeling good about your eating behavior afterwards. Consider that while eating may be a significant and enjoyable part of holiday parties and gatherings, OVEREATING does not need to be. Try not to give yourself permission to overindulge. Let’s face it…eating is fun and enjoyable and is a large part of holiday merriment. However, there is no fun in feeling nauseas or uncomfortable just after the meal and guilty and self-deprecating hours later. Don’t starve yourself on Thanksgiving morning or on the day of a holiday party. This is one of the most common, yet foolish strategies people employ. The calories you give up by skipping breakfast and lunch usually pale in comparison to the calorie content of the evening binge at Thanksgiving or the holiday party. Instead, eat normally during the day which may actually help keep you from binging later. You are far more likely to control yourself if you are mostly full during the day rather than starving when you walk in the door of the party. Consider making some eating compromises. Who said you have to have turkey only on Thanksgiving? Is pecan pie banned at other times of year? Consider having the foods that truly are once a year items rather than loading up on everything. And even then, you don’t need five pounds of the special foods. If you only get to eat your grandmother’s special stuffing once a year, you certainly shouldn’t pass that up. However, I promise you that eating a ton of it will not make you happier than having two nice size tablespoons of the stuff. Again, plan ahead and make decisions earlier in the day. Watch the booze. Alcohol causes our judgment to get a little fuzzy. You are going to be more successful controlling your behavior if your brain is firing on all cylinders. If you drink too much too early in the day, you’re going to have a tougher time sticking to whatever plan you created. Also, too much alcohol causes us to make other foolish decisions. There are enough unfortunate tragedies that happen this time of year. Make sure you’re not a part of one. I’m not suggesting in any way that you be a killjoy and I certainly don’t believe that it’s necessary to avoid holiday parties or gatherings where food is available. By planning ahead, changing your expectations, and making a few specific eating compromises, you can truly have your cake and eat it too. Happy Holidays!

I feel compelled to respond to this because I see this situation a little differently. I had my sleeve 3 years ago and my insurance did require a psychological evaluation. I was tod the purpose was to assess if I could comply with post op instructions,not screening for addictive behavior. Addiction transference is real and it happens to people who were not addicted to alcohol,gambling etc. Pre weight loss. I lost over 160, and am still maintaining under goal but I say the reason people regain is because over time, it's really really hard. It's hard to fathom this when you are in that amazing first 6-18 months, but at 3 years out I need to eat really small. I have to work out (plagued by injuries). I have to face a social world were as the "trim" chick, food is often pushed at me. I do sometimes stress eat but my main issue with food is that I have to eat pretty low calorie, low carbohydrate to maintain and yet I get hungry. No psychological evaluation helps with that. Anyway, just a different perspective. I do feel that the outstanding education and support provided by my surgeon and staff has been critical to my success. I advise anyone to shop for a surgeon with great follow up if at all possible. Several of the staff, one of the surgeons and anothersurgeons wife were sleeved so they are believers!

You know Corliss something you said, really jumped out at me, and it was nothing direct. But you said you wished you had stayed on the wt. loss and cosmetic surgery side of the board, then went on to mention MJ's plastic surgery, and the fact that he did not get the help he needed even with all his resources. It made me realize that this board or something of the sort for him could have been an anonymous (generally speaking) form of help. All of us here that vent and disagree with one another on whatever subject, are still allowing those feelings, thoughts and emotions OUT! They are not being bottled up, and released in other possibly harmful to ourselves or others, ways. I have a niece who has issues with low blood sugar, and she just told me last night (no idea of truth or not) that Brittney Spears has the same problem, and she hid it. It is sad that it is ok to show you have alcohol and drug issues, and to be photographed doing all sorts of things, yet it is not ok to be open concerning a TRUE medical issue, over which you have no control of having or not? Would MJ have been different if he COULD have opened up the can of worms that was his past, and raged over it, and argued with people and wished his abusers ill? If he could have done so in a way such as a forum like this where he was unknown but able to let that out.......Who knows, but it has been proven that keeping all the emotion inside, and not letting yourself deal with causes emotional AND physical problems....obesity among them. I agree that all signs point me to believing he was a pedophile. I also truly believe he suffered from body dysmorphia (SP?)---he was not much different from people with severe life threatening anorexia, who do really SEE themselves as others do. Apples, thanks, the steroids about did me in, but slowly I am losing the damn weight.....again!!! I am so ready to simply maintain again it is unreal!

<CENTER>I got this off another thread. It is similar to the Cabbage diet. Someone else said you could use it in your mushies stage and add shredded chicken. I think soup is a good way to get your Protein and veggies, maybe add a little brown rice to it. If anything, it can by used as a plateau buster. Sacred Heart Medical Diet </CENTER>This 7-day eating plan can be used as often as you like. If correctly followed, it will clean out your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being. After only 7 days of this process, you will begin to feel lighter by at least 10 pounds and possibly 17 pounds, and experience an abundance of energy. <DL><DT>SOUP: <DD> 1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes 3 plus large green onions 1 large can of beef broth (no fat) 1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle) 1 bunch of celery 2 cans green Beans 2 lbs. Carrots 2 Green Peppers <DT>Season with salt, pepper curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, hot or Worcestershire sauce. Cut veggies in small to medium pieces. Cover with Water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until veggies are tender. <DT>This soup can be eaten anytime you are hungry during the week. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want. This soup will not add calories. The more you eat, the more you will lose. You may want to fill a thermos in the morning if you will be away during the day. <DT>DRINKS: <DD> Unsweetened juices Tea (also herbal) coffee Cranberry juice Skim milk Water, water, water <DT>DAY ONE <DD>Any fruit (except bananas). Cantaloupes and watermelon are lower in calories than most other fruits. Eat only soup and fruit today. <DT>DAY TWO <DD>All vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed with fresh raw, cooked or canned veggies. Try to eat green leafy veggies and stay away from dry beans, peas or corn. Eat veggies along with the soup. At dinnertime tonight reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Don't eat any fruits through today. <DT>DAY THREE <DD>Eat all the soup, fruit and veggies you want. Do not have a baked potato. If you have eaten as above for three days and not cheated, you should find that you have lost 5-7 pounds. <DT>DAY FOUR <DD>Bananas and skim milk: Eat at least 3 bananas and drink as much milk as you can today, along with the soup. Bananas are high in calories and carbohydrates, as is the milk but on this particular day, your body will need the potassium and carbs. Proteins and Calcium to lessen the cravings for sweets. <DT>DAY FIVE <DD>Beef and tomatoes: you may have 10 to 20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes, or as many as 6 tomatoes on this day. Eat the soup at least once today. <DT>DAY SIX <DD>Beef and veggies, eat to your heart's content of the beef and veggies today. You can even have 2-3 steaks if you like with green leafy veggies but no baked potato. Be sure to eat the soup at least once today. <DT>DAY SEVEN <DD>Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and veggies, again, be sure to stuff yourself and eat the soup. You can add cooked veggies to your rice if you wish. <DT>By the end of the 7th day, if you have not cheated on this diet, you should have lost 10 to 17 pounds. If you have lost more than 17 pounds, stay off the diet for two days before resuming the diet again. <DT>This diet is fast. The secret lies within the principle that you will burn more calories than you take in. It will flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being. This diet does not lend itself to drinking any alcoholic beverages at any time. Because of the fat build-up in your system. Go off the diet at least 14 hours before any intake of alcohol. <DT>Due to the variety of digestive systems in individuals, this diet will affect everyone differently. After day three, you will have more energy than when you began, if you do not cheat. After being on the diet for several days, you will find that your bowel movements have changed. Eat a cup of bran or Fiber. Although you can have black coffee with this diet, you may find that you don't need caffeine after the third day. <DT>The basic fat burning soup can be eaten anytime you feel hungry during the seven days. Eat as much as you wish. Remember the more you eat, the more you will lose. You can eat broiled, boiled or baked chicken instead of the beef. Absolutely no skin on the chicken. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef on only one of the beef days. You need the high protein in the beef for the other days. <DT>Continue on the diet as long as you wish and feel the difference both mentally and physically. <DT>DO NOT - DO NOT <DD>No bread, alcohol, carbonated drinks (including diet drinks). Remember, absolutely no fried foods. <DT>DO - DO - DO - DO <DD>Drink plenty - at least 6 to 8 glasses - of water a day, as well as any combination of the following beverages: black coffee, unsweetened Fruit Drinks, cranberry juice and skim milk. <DT>This diet comes from the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital that is used for overweight heart patients in order to lose weight rapidly</DT></DL>

This is not a study, only a recommendation by the ASMBS for certain surgery types and the introduction of certain foods during the post op diet phases. It is only an excerpt of a very lengthy article. I am not going to argue this point, everyone needs to do what they feel is best for them based upon their surgeon's and nutritionist's recommendations. There are polar opposite opinions by the medical professionals on carbonation stretching your stomach, so it is not something that they seem to agree upon. I guess err on the side of caution if you want to feel safe. This document is intended to provide an overview of the elements that are important to the nutritional care of the bariatric patient. It is not intended to serve as training, a statement of standardization, or scientific consensus. It should be viewed as an educational tool to increase awareness among medical professionals of the potential risk of nutritional deficiencies common to bariatric surgery patients. The goal of this document is to provide suggestions for conducting a nutrition assessment, education, supplementation, and follow-up care. These suggestions are not mandates and should be treated with common sense. When needed, exceptions should be made according to individual variations and the evaluation findings. It is intended to present a reasonable approach to patient nutrition care and at the same time allow for flexibility among individual practice-based protocols, procedures, and policies....... .....Similar to AGB and RYGB, programs offering DS/BPD procedures reported that the clear liquid diet phase is employed for one to two days after surgery. The full liquid phase was most commonly noted to last >10 to 14 days, while the pureed phase was reported to be >14 days. Most programs report that a ground texture phase is not utilized. The soft diet phase was reported to last >14 days. Finally, those programs offering DS/BPD most often reported advancing patients to a regular diet five to eight weeks after surgery. **Foods commonly restricted ** The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery members reported in the survey that patients were instructed to avoid or delay the introduction of several foods as noted in [Table 9](#tbl9). Research to support these clinical practices is limited, especially with regard to caffeine and carbonation. Practitioners might theorize that certain foods and beverages will cause gastric irritation, outlet obstruction, intolerance, delayed wound healing, or alter the weight loss course; however, much of the information is anecdotal and lacks empirical evidence. In addition, although practitioners recommend that patients avoid or delay the introduction of these foods, little information is known as to whether patients actually comply with these recommendations and whether those who do not comply have altered outcomes or clinical histories. One retrospective survey suggested that many patients are noncompliant with diet and exercise recommendations [[174]](#bib174). food type Recommendation Sugar, sugar-containing foods, concentrated sweets Avoid Carbonated beverages Avoid/delay fruit juice Avoid High-saturated fat, fried foods Avoid Soft “doughy” bread, Pasta, rice Avoid/delay Tough, dry, red meat Avoid/delay Nuts, popcorn, other fibrous foods Delay Caffeine Avoid/delay in moderation Alcohol Avoid/delay in moderation The article: https://asmbs.org/resources/integrated-health-nutritional-guidelines

Shues - as far as alcohol goes, the only things I am not allowed are beer and champagne (the carbonation thing). I too am looking forward to a glass of wine! I was told to keep it in moderation though -- a basic weightloss thing -- alcohol calories add up too! Maria

Merry Christmas! Cindy: I know what you mean about not seeing yourself the way everyone else does. In my thin years, I always thought I was fat. Now that I actually am fat, I never quite saw myself as big as I really am. I also realized today that we have only 2 small mirrors in our house. Not surprising really -- but a real eye-opener as to how our inner thoughts can creep into our outer actions and environment when we don't even realize it! I guess maybe the mirror count in my house will be a testament to how successful I am! LOL! Audree: I didn't eat too much this weekend either, though I did drink my share of wine! Seeing as how I'm off alcohol for at least the next 6 weeks, there was no way I was missing out! Hi to Rose and Ted too! Maria

My incision was looking a little read and I just put some alcohol on it. I had to be on a 3 week liquid diet. I barely get to eat solids on Saturday!!:faint: I am excited but then again I am scared. How is the food going down? Have you pb'd?

i would avoid "sugar free" anything & definitely wouldn't eat splenda... http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/08/23/splenda-part-one.aspx Please note that I do not advise using Splenda. Nearly three years ago I posted an article describing the dangers of Splenda (sucralose). Why not use Splenda? Well, research in animals has shown that sucralose can cause many problems. Nearly every month we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse reaction to Splenda, and you can see many of them posted on our site. Reduced growth rate in newborns and adults at levels above 500 mg/kg.day Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia (at levels abofe 1500 mg/kd/day Decreased thyroxine levels (thyroid function) (According to McNeil, since this only occurred on male rats and no abnormalities were observed with the thyroid tissue, this was considered insignificant.) Mineral losses (magnesium and phosphorus) McNeil stated that these patterns were variable and at times not dose related so they were not significant. Decreased urination Enlarged colon (The FDA Final Rule states cecal enlargement is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and is not significant.) Enlarged liver and brain (McNeil stated these were insignificant due to a lack of a dose response.) Shrunken ovaries Shrunken thymus aboe 3 grams per day Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.) Increased adrenal cortical hemorrhagic degeneration (McNeil stated that this is a variable finding common in aged rats and not toxicologically significant.) Increased cataracts (McNeil stated that cataracts were discovered upon microscopic sections of the eye tissue and that this was not as accurate as in-life ophthalmological examinations and did not reveal any treatment- related ocular findings. Abnormal liver cells (The FDA Final Rule states that this was only marginal and probably not treatment related due to the severity of the lesion was not contaminant with the dosage.) McNeil concluded that all of these findings could be explained by reasons other than sucralose toxicity and were insignificant. This seems to be a pattern in all of McNeil"s study conclusions. I find it suspect that for every single adverse finding in the animal studies, McNeil always has some rationale that renders it "insignificant." Their downplaying every harmful finding makes it seem as if they are more interested in making sucralose appear safe than making sure that the people are not harmed. The FDA concluded that most of these findings had no toxicological significance and those that did such as the decrease in thymus weight and the decreased red blood cells, would not be a problem because they occurred at doses of sucralose much higher than what people would consume.. As a physician, I beg to differ. I believe that these findings are not of no significance." Many of these are symptoms of serious pathology. ----------- most sugar free stuff has aspartame in it... http://www.naturalnews.com/026849_aspartame_drug_diet.html The aspartame horror began in 1981 due to Donald Rumsfeld, as head of the G.D. Searle pharmaceutical company, when he used his political clout to put a known carcinogen on the market to poison a nation all in the name of money. In a Washington Post article of December 12, 2001 about Donald Rumsfeld, there was a one liner that was so incredibly relevant. That sentence was: "He could be swilling Diet Coke with the secure knowledge that if not for his turnaround of Big Pharma giant G.D.Searle & Co. and successful touting of the sweetener aspartame, the beverage would not be possible". If Donald Rumsfeld had never been born think of how many millions of people the world over would not suffer headaches and dizziness. Thousands blind from the free methyl alcohol in aspartame would have sight, and there would be much fewer cases of optic neuritis and macular degeneration. Millions suffering seizures would live normal lives and wouldn`t be taking anti-seizure medication that won`t work because aspartame interacts with drugs and vaccines. Think of the runner, Flo Jo, who drank Diet Coke and died of a grand mal seizure. She, no doubt, would still be alive. Brain fog and memory loss, skyrocketing symptoms of aspartame disease, would not be epidemic. Millions suffer insomnia because of the depletion of serotonin. Think of Heath Ledger. He took that horrible drug, Ambian CR for sleep, which makes your optic nerve and face swell and gives you horrible headaches. Plus, he drank Diet Coke and took other drugs and died of polypharmacy. Since aspartame has been proven to be a multi potential carcinogen, would Farrah Fawcett still be alive? Consider the constant plague of fallen athletes. Aspartame triggers an irregular heart rhythm and interacts with all cardiac medication. It damages the cardiac conduction system and causes sudden death. Thousands of athletes have fallen. Doctors H.J. Roberts and Russell Blaylock wrote these alerts: http://www.wnho.net/aspartame msg scd.htm and http://www.wnho.net/aspartame and arrhythmias.htm Epidemiological studies should be done on MS and lupus because of their link to aspartame use. Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from aspartame induced multiple sclerosis and lupus, and if not warned in time could lose their lives as many have. Hospice nurses have reported Alzheimer`s disease in 30 year olds as it skyrockets from Rumsfeld`s plague. Think of Michael Jackson, a former Diet Pepsi spokesman. He developed lupus, then came the drugs, then came the serious joint pain, and then he died of cardiac arrest which aspartame causes. As the phenylalanine in aspartame deletes serotonin, it triggers all kinds of psychiatric and behavioral problems. The mental hospitals are full of patients who are nothing but aspartame victims. If Donald Rumsfeld had never been born, the revoked petition for approval of aspartame would have been signed by FDA commissioner Jere Goyan and the mental hospitals would house probably 50% less victims. Jere Goyan would never have been fired at 3:00 AM by the Reagan transition Team to over-rule the Board of Inquiry. Instead, FDA commissioner Jere Goyan would have signed the revoked petition into law. See: http:/www.mpwhi.com/fda petition1.doc. The FDA today would still be Big Pharma`s adversary instead of being their "hooker". If aspartame had not been approved, Lou Gehrig`s Disease, Parkinson`s and other neuro-degenerative diseases would not be knocking off the public in record numbers. Michael Fox, a Diet Pepsi spokesman, would never have gotten Parkinson`s at age 30. He would probably still be making movies, young and healthy. Aspartame interacts with L-dopa and other Parkinson drugs. Parcopa has aspartame in it and the pharmaceutical company refuses to remove it. One has to take a deep breath when you think how heartless it is that there is not even a warning for pregnant women. Aspartame triggers every kind of birth defect from autism and Tourettes` Syndrome to cleft palate. Aspartame is an abortifacient (a drug that induces abortion). As an example, out of 9 pregnancies, 8 were lost and the one that survived is schizophrenic. Multiply that all over the world due to Rumsfeld`s Plague. ADD and ADHD would be rare instead of rampant. It`s normal for young girls to look forward to marriage and children. Yet, many sip on diet soda or use aspartame products not realizing that aspartame is an endocrine disrupting agent, stimulating prolactin, which is a pituitary hormone that stimulates milk production at childbirth, changes the menstrual flow and causes infertility. Many go through life never knowing why they couldn`t have children. Aspartame even destroys marriages because it causes male sexual dysfunction and ruins female response. Aspartame causes every type of blood disorder from a low blood platelet count to leukemia. Because aspartame can precipitate diabetes the disease is epidemic. To make matters worse, it can simulate and aggravate diabetic retinopathy and neuopathy, destroy the optic nerve, cause diabetics to go into convulsions and interact with insulin. Diabetics lose limbs from the free methyl alcohol; professional organizations like the American Diabetes Association push and defend this poison because they take money from the manufactures. How many millions would not have diabetes if Rumsfeld had never been born? Aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal/Spoonful/E951/Candere/Benevia, etc) and MSG, another one of Ajinomoto`s horrors, are responsible for the epidemic of obesity the world over. Why? Because aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates and causes great toxicity to the liver. http:/www.mpwhi.com/ aspartame makes you fatter.htm The FDA report lists 92 symptoms from unconsciousness and coma to shortness of breath and shock. Medical texts list even more: "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic", www.sunsetpress.com by H.J. Roberts, M.D., and "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D., www.russellblaylockmd.com. There is simply no end to the horrors triggered by this literal addictive, excitoneurotoxic, genetically engineered carcinogenic drug. This chemical poison is so deadly that Dr. Bill Deagle, www.nutrimedical.com , a noted Virologist once said it was worse than depleted uranium because it is found everywhere in food. The formaldehyde converted from the free methyl alcohol embalms living tissue and damages DNA according to the Trocho Study done in Barcelona in 1998. Even with this devastating study showing how serious a chemical poison aspartame is, the FDA has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it. With Monsanto attorney Michael Taylor now appointed as Deputy Commissioner to the FDA by Obama, it`s nothing more than Monsanto`s Washington Branch Office. Even before the Ramazzini Studies showing aspartame to be a multi-potential carcinogen, the FDA knew it. Their own toxicologist, Dr. Adrian Gross, even admitted that it violated the Delaney Amendment because of the brain tumors and brain cancer. Therefore, no allowable daily intake ever should have been able to be established. Aspartame caused all types of tumors from mammary, uterine, ovarian, pancreatic and thyroid to testicular and pituitary. Dr. Alemany, who did the Trocho Study, commented that aspartame could kill 200 million people. When you damage DNA you can destroy humanity. Dr. James Bowen told the FDA over 20 years ago that aspartame is mass poisoning the American public and likewise in more than 70 countries of the world. No wonder it`s called "Rumsfeld`s Plague". Big Pharma knows all about aspartame and they add it to drugs, including the ones used to treat the problems caused by aspartame. Big Pharma has made America a fascist government. People are so sick from aspartame and yet they keep selling these dangerous pharmaceuticals at outrageous prices. Dr. H.J. Roberts said in one of his books that you have to consider aspartame with killing children. We are talking about a drug that changes brain chemistry. Today children are medicated instead of educated. Death and disability is what Donald Rumsfeld has heaped on consumers just to make money. Think of the death of Charles Fleming who used to drink about 10 diet sodas a day. Then he used creatine on top of this, which interacts, and is considered the actual cause of death. Yet his wife, Diane Fleming, remains in a prison in Virginia convicted of his death, despite being the very one who tried to get her husband to stop using these dangerous products containing aspartame in the first place. The list never ends. At least six American Airlines` pilots, who were heavy users of aspartame, have died with one in flight drinking a Diet Coke. When American Airlines was written about removing aspartame they said, "leave the flying to us". Pilots too are sick and dying on aspartame, and when you fly your life is in the hands of the pilot. There was a case with a Delta pilot that died from esophageal cancer and had a history of consuming huge quantities of diet sodas. This was brought to the attention of the Delta management that refused the pilot`s wife`s request to alert other pilots. Then there`s the Persian Gulf where diet sodas sat on pallets daily in temperatures in the 100 to 120 degree range for as long as 9 weeks at a time before the soldiers drank them all day long. Remember, aspartame converts to formaldehyde at 86 degrees; it interacts with vaccines and damages the mitochondria or life of the cell, and the whole molecule breaks down to a brain tumor agent. There`s a book out there called, "Rumsfeld, His Rise, Fall and Catastrophic Legacy", by Andrew Cockburn that will substantiate all of this. And fittingly, Rumsfeld appropriately lives in a place called Mount Misery. In the video, "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World", which you can view at www.healthtalkhawaii.com, attorney James Turner explains how Rumsfeld got his poison marketed for human consumption. To learn about how the CDC investigation was covered up - The Rumsfeld-Pepsi-Nixon Connection, go to http://www.sweetremedy.tv/pages/rumsfeld2.html or view it in its entirety at www.healthtalkhawaii.com. For over a quarter of a century there has been mass poisoning of the public in over 100 countries of the world by aspartame because Donald Rumsfeld, as he put it, "called in his markers". The aspartame industry has paid front groups and professional organizations to defend them and push it on the very people it can cause the most harm to. A suit was filed against the American Diabetes Association in 2004 for racketeering but they got out of it. The hands of physicians are tied. Most are clueless that a patient is using aspartame, and the drugs used to treat the aspartame problem will probably interact and may even contain aspartame. This is the world that Donald Rumsfeld is responsible for! Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/026849_aspartame_drug_diet.html#ixzz25VCzXW8t

I am two years out and don't follow the rules, but like Queen of Crop, I eat sensibly. I no longer track Protein and carbs, but I remain aware of the general balance that I should maintain. I do eat sweets daily, and have a couple of alcoholic drinks on Saturday evening. I never eat a big meal, but have several small meals each day. I have never had the soda habit. If I tracked I think I would find that I eat more carbs than I think. Fortunately, I have no desire for rich fatty foods such as cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes. I'll take a baked sweet potato, please. I have no trouble at this point maintaining my desired weight, which is a few pounds over the recommended BMI. I have a ridiculously high metabolism, and I've said here before how embarrassing that is because it means I really had to work hard to get so heavy! Unfortunately, I have yet to hit the first lick of exercise (hangs head in shame...).

Ugh forgot about the sugar alcohols! Thanks for the reminder.

@TheRealMeIsHere! Congrats on your weight loss of 115 lbs. Great accomplishment. Your eating plan, whatever works for you, is what counts. I am a "recovering" morbidly obese person. Analogy - "recovering" alcoholic. good luck to the alcoholic for not having that first drink. hope/wishes to all of us for not eating that WHOLE pie, cake, bag of chips etc.☺️ kathy

Per my own surgeon's guidelines it is as long as it's cut very small, and is very moist, but review your own personal instructions from your own clinic as they can vary. I'm lucky that my mom has NAILED how to keep a bird from being super dry, but if your turkey is dry I recommend mixing gravy into it or maybe mixing into your mashed potatoes. As far as things to avoid, I'd stay away from whole cranberry sauce, anything with nuts in it, anything with undercooked fibrous vegetables (which could include things like green bean casserole or stuffing depending on the "chef"), overly dry meats, salads, raw veggies, raw fruits, and alcohol.

I've tried sugar free pudding twice now...and both times it made me nauseous! I had my post-op class on Friday and brought this up. They said even though it says sugar free....look at the sugar alcohol content. I never even heard to look for this. The pudding is 16% sugar alcohol....guess that's too high for my little pouch. I love pudding...bummed.

I do not mind at all when the government helps those who 'need' the help. The problem is waste. There is so much waste of federal funds going on. Eliminating waste cannot balance the budget. But here’s a start: 1. The federal government made at least $72 billion in improper payments in 2008. 2. Washington spends $92 billion on corporate welfare (excluding TARP) versus $71 billion on homeland security. 3. Washington spends $25 billion annually maintaining unused or vacant federal properties. 4. Government auditors spent the past five years examining all federal programs and found that 22 percent of them–costing taxpayers a total of $123 billion annually–fail to show any positive impact on the populations they serve. 5. The Congressional Budget Office published a “Budget Options” series identifying more than $100 billion in potential spending cuts. 6. Examples from multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports of wasteful duplication include 342 economic development programs; 130 programs serving the disabled; 130 programs serving at-risk youth; 90 early childhood development programs; 75 programs funding international education, cultural, and training exchange activities; and 72 safe water programs. 7. Washington will spend $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job. 8. A GAO audit classified nearly half of all purchases on government credit cards as improper, fraudulent, or embezzled. Examples of taxpayer-funded purchases include gambling, mortgage payments, liquor, lingerie, iPods, Xboxes, jewelry, Internet dating services, and Hawaiian vacations. In one extraordinary example, the Postal Service spent $13,500 on one dinner at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, including “over 200 appetizers and over $3,000 of alcohol, including more than 40 bottles of wine costing more than $50 each and brand-name liquor such as Courvoisier, Belvedere and Johnny Walker Gold.” The 81 guests consumed an average of $167 worth of food and drink apiece. 9. Federal agencies are delinquent on nearly 20 percent of employee travel charge cards, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 10. The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $3.9 million rearranging desks and offices at its Washington, D.C., headquarters. 11. The Pentagon recently spent $998,798 shipping two 19-cent washers from South Carolina to Texas and $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida. 12. Over half of all farm subsidies go to commercial farms, which report average household incomes of $200,000. 13. Health care fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers more than $60 billion annually. 14. A GAO audit found that 95 Pentagon weapons systems suffered from a combined $295 billion in cost overruns. 15. The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually in flight upgrades. 16. Washington will spend $126 million in 2009 to enhance the Kennedy family legacy in Massachusetts. Additionally, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) diverted $20 million from the 2010 defense budget to subsidize a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute. 17. Federal investigators have launched more than 20 criminal fraud investigations related to the TARP financial bailout. 18. Despite trillion-dollar deficits, last year’s 10,160 earmarks included $200,000 for a tattoo removal program in Mission Hills, California; $190,000 for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming; and $75,000 for the Totally Teen Zone in Albany, Georgia. 19. The federal government owns more than 50,000 vacant homes. 20. The Federal Communications Commission spent $350,000 to sponsor NASCAR driver David Gilliland. 21. Members of Congress have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars supplying their offices with popcorn machines, plasma televisions, DVD equipment, ionic air fresheners, camcorders, and signature machines–plus $24,730 leasing a Lexus, $1,434 on a digital camera, and $84,000 on personalized calendars. 22. More than $13 billion in Iraq aid has been classified as wasted or stolen. Another $7.8 billion cannot be accounted for. 23. Fraud related to Hurricane Katrina spending is estimated to top $2 billion. In addition, debit cards provided to hurricane victims were used to pay for Caribbean vacations, NFL tickets, Dom Perignon champagne, “Girls Gone Wild” videos, and at least one sex change operation. 24. Auditors discovered that 900,000 of the 2.5 million recipients of emergency Katrina assistance provided false names, addresses, or Social Security numbers or submitted multiple applications. 25. Congress recently gave Alaska Airlines $500,000 to paint a Chinook salmon on a Boeing 737. 26. The Transportation Department will subsidize up to $2,000 per flight for direct flights between Washington, D.C., and the small hometown of Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY)–but only on Monday mornings and Friday evenings, when lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists usually fly. Rogers is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which writes the Transportation Department’s budget. 27. Washington has spent $3 billion re-sanding beaches–even as this new sand washes back into the ocean. 28. A Department of Agriculture report concedes that much of the $2.5 billion in “stimulus” funding for broadband Internet will be wasted. 29. The Defense Department wasted $100 million on unused flight tickets and never bothered to collect refunds even though the tickets were refundable. 30. Washington spends $60,000 per hour shooting Air Force One photo-ops in front of national landmarks. 31. Over one recent 18-month period, Air Force and Navy personnel used government-funded credit cards to charge at least $102,400 on admission to entertainment events, $48,250 on gambling, $69,300 on cruises, and $73,950 on exotic dance clubs and prostitutes. 32. Members of Congress are set to pay themselves $90 million to increase their franked mailings for the 2010 election year. 33. Congress has ignored efficiency recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services that would save $9 billion annually. 34. Taxpayers are funding paintings of high-ranking government officials at a cost of up to $50,000 apiece. 35. The state of Washington sent $1 food stamp checks to 250,000 households in order to raise state caseload figures and trigger $43 million in additional federal funds. 36. Suburban families are receiving large farm subsidies for the grass in their backyards–subsidies that many of these families never requested and do not want. 37. Congress appropriated $20 million for “commemoration of success” celebrations related to Iraq and Afghanistan. 38. Homeland Security employee purchases include 63-inch plasma TVs, iPods, and $230 for a beer brewing kit. 39. Two drafting errors in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act resulted in a $2 billion taxpayer cost. 40. North Ridgeville, Ohio, received $800,000 in “stimulus” funds for a project that its mayor described as “a long way from the top priority.” 41. The National Institutes of Health spends $1.3 million per month to rent a lab that it cannot use. 42. Congress recently spent $2.4 billion on 10 new jets that the Pentagon insists it does not need and will not use. 43. Lawmakers diverted $13 million from Hurricane Katrina relief spending to build a museum celebrating the Army Corps of Engineers–the agency partially responsible for the failed levees that flooded New Orleans. 44. Medicare officials recently mailed $50 million in erroneous refunds to 230,000 Medicare recipients. 45. Audits showed $34 billion worth of Department of Homeland Security contracts contained significant waste, fraud, and abuse. 46. Washington recently spent $1.8 million to help build a private golf course in Atlanta, Georgia. 47. The Advanced Technology Program spends $150 million annually subsidizing private businesses; 40 percent of this funding goes to Fortune 500 companies. 48. Congressional investigators were able to receive $55,000 in federal student loan funding for a fictional college they created to test the Department of Education. 49. The Conservation Reserve program pays farmers $2 billion annually not to farm their land. 50. The Commerce Department has lost 1,137 computers since 2001, many containing Americans’ personal data.

As well you should be, green. The documentation surrounding the (often silent or hidden) grief that mothers suffer after abortion is overwhelming. I know you haven't struggled at all with your decision, but it is not uncommon for those who have to turn to all sorts of unpleasant things (drugs, alcohol, etc., even leading down the path to suicide). It is a good start that she is expressing her grief to you now. The information I'm posting is from a pro-life group, but the research is nevertheless lengthy and valid: The Character of Post Abortion Syndrome - David C. Reardon.. I'm still waiting to hear back from some organizations about resources specific to Toronto. Most of my sources are US-based so I don't know how successful I'll be. I'll lyk when I know more.

Harsh? No, Ignorant of the facts in her life at the time, yes. That child would have been doomed to a life suffering from the mothers mistakes, born addicted to drugs and alcohol, born into a life of pain and anguish. Shortly after she had the abortion she put herself into rehab, cleaned up her life and left her ex. That sequence of events was the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. Starting with aborting a child that was a part of her. You can say she took the "easy irresponsible" way out all you want, you do not know her, you do not know how much this choice haunts her. But she knows she made the right choice. She lives her life now for her unborn child, her sobriety her choosing to move forward and leave the relationship she was in was for this child's memory. In the end the ONLY person she has to answer to is her God, not you, not me, not some poor stuttering protesting schmuck on the street. Until you are in her shoes, you can't honestly pass judgment on her choices in life. Isn't the bible the one that states "let he who is with out sin cast the first stone"?? You got a handful of pebbles darlin, but I don't see your halo or wings anywhere.

Ever since this story aired on the evening news I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. For years the National Weight Control Registry has been keeping records and documentation of those who have lost weight and kept it off for years. The term “Super Dieters” tends to turn me off a bit because we all know diets don’t work and no one should be called “Super” as if figuring out how to manage your weight somehow gives you magic powers. I’ve been a member for several years. The questions are extensive… they ask everything you eat, your activity, how much you weigh, did you gain, did you lose, etc. Ok…. so they gave us six tips these people seem to have in common and I’m thinking most people won’t get past the first one. Just like knowing the sky is blue, this first tip will be just like being told it isn’t….but what if this nugget is really spot-on? Truth is it won’t apply to everyone but I’m going to attempt to explain why it might apply to way more than you think. Let’s get the next part over with (the posting of the list) so we can go ahead and get done with the screaming after reading the first rule. Rule No. 1. Don’t ever cheat. They never give themselves a break, not even on holidays or weekends. Rule No. 2. Eat breakfast. The National Weight Control Registry shows that’s one of the most common traits of those who succeed in keeping those pounds off once and for all. Rule No. 3. Get on a scale every day. Rule No. 4. Put in the equivalent of a four-mile walk seven days a week. Rule No. 5. Watch less than half as much TV as the overall population. Rule No. 6. Eat 50 to 300 calories less than most people. So rule 4,5, and 6 deal with the “stuff” we’ve heard forever….calories in/calories out. For years I never ate breakfast because every day for over three decades I woke up with the idea that I would go as long as possible without eating. Too bad no one was around to tell me in the 4th grade that I was destroying my metabolism. So check…Rule 2 is a given. Since finding out there are about approximately 2,000 steps in a mile, most days…Rule 4, check! Rule 5 done. Sometimes I watch TV while I’m walking so I’m not sure exactly how that fits in. Rule 3 is an absolute for me. “Hello scale” every morning…it just gives me feedback and it has no special monster powers. I’ll do a “part two” in order to cover this in another post because this one is for everyone still laying on the floor from a cold faint after reading Rule 1. My surgery was nearly 13 years ago and I’ve learned many, many things. Some beliefs that were absolutes changed and Rule 1 was one of them. I’ve told this before and I’m telling it again. Early on I would allow myself my one guilty pleasure ONLY IF I was able to get 5 pounds below goal. (It was a Quarter Pounder with cheese – insert my self induced shame). I was somehow able to stick to that but what I noticed was on the days I couldn’t have it, I wanted it! Eventually it became harder and nearly impossible to get 5 pounds below goal and after some period of time I also realized that I was beginning to forget how my “crack” meal tasted. Then I totally forgot and I didn’t even crave it anymore. Because I stopped eating it I had successfully rewired my brain to lose the cravings. I was also acutely aware the cravings would come right back if I ate another one…even one bite. Um….duh. That’s sort of like quitting cigarettes and having one just for fun after 3 years. I’ll say this again too. For me, the idea of taking a bite of something to get past the craving equates to giving an alcoholic a sip of beer to stop the craving. SOME of us can take these bites but so many cannot. If I had a quarter for every post-op that told me the M&M story, I could take a trip to Mexico. The M&M story you might ask? Maybe it’s because they are tiny…but the story always starts the same. “I was doing great for 2 years, 4 years, (sometimes even longer) and I ate one M&M. Really what could that hurt? Next it was two then three…then a small bag, a bigger bag.” Some call it testing the waters. They went such a long time without one single M&M and nobody died, they certainly didn’t miss out on anything of nutritional value and they were doing great until they decided they could try just one. In other words they never cheated during that time and most were at the weight they wanted to be or at least smaller than after they started the M&M’s. You CAN be abstinent from sugar and junk food and it is far easier if you have none instead of a little for those that struggle with not being able to stop. Again let me repeat….IF you can “eat just one”, go for it. I’m beyond thrilled for you!!! If you find you are not losing or you are in the process of regain, you could always try stopping any food you don’t wish to crave. Try it for a month but approach it one day at a time. When I’m somewhere and there’s a bowl of M&M’s, I look at it as if it’s a bowl of cyanide. Sugar put me in the prison of an obese body and at the end I would have rather died than spend another day at my heaviest weight. And really….if you were a drug addict would you allow yourself a cheat snort once a week? This is a great quote that applies. 100% is easy, 99% is a b***h. Not eating processed sugar and junk food 100% is so easy but 99% leaves a ton of wiggle room. It has became totally effortless for me to avoid these foods but please don’t misunderstand…..my journey is still something I work on every….single…day. If you still think this is utterly ridiculous, file it away for later. My favorite quote: There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation. It means don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. And just in case you might have missed this before… I’ll leave you with an oldie but goodie.. .

Try your best to do a real, honest head-check, especially where wine is concerned. I don't know if alcohol is an issue for you (it is for me) but you must be very careful. Especially so early. I drank wine at 5 weeks out and regret it. At only 12 weeks, it continues to be a problem for me and always will be. In addition, it greatly slows the rate of loss for a variety of reasons. It is very early on for you to be on this slippery slope. But if you are not able to control what you eat, at least chew things to an absolute mush consistency as much as possible and avoid wine. Tell yourself it will still be there, and you can have it down the road.

First and foremost, food is an addiction just like smoking or alcohol. We all have reasons why we use food to "soothe" us. Emotional, past history, boredom, depression, joy, celbrations, family, culture, etc., etc. No excuses - just reality. Our brains chemically "change" the perspectives of our bodies partly due to the foods we eat. (I teach biology, by the way). It takes discipline and training to change remove our bodies from an addiction. Even with the lap band, my BRAIN STILL WANTS the same foods in the same amounts I have always eaten. However (and I thank God for this), my BAND will not allow me to eat that food, in those same amounts. After time with a band, and discipline combined with success - we CAN re-train our bodies away from the NEED for the food. Believe it. We can. It is no 'fast cure'. It will take time. Our 'fast food - I want it now' society doesn't help us deal with this very well, but if we are diligent and patient . . . the band will help us make this change. NOT do it for us, but HELP us. Hang in there everyone. I have enough HOPE for us all.

It is, it's absolutely stupid and a great way to lose a band to infection. Alcohol and a sterile needle does not make for sterile technique. It's NOT like drawing blood, whole different ball game.

Hi @LibrarianErin I work for an American company and have some US based family and friends so I am well aware of the 4th July. I told my boos (American) that I was having my own freedom day on the 4th I had my pre-op consultation yesterday at the hospital with the anesthetist and floor nurse. Lots of questions for me, an EGC and blood test. I asked if there was anything to do in advance food and drink wise and they said no, just fasting from the night before when I arrive to the hospital. When I said I had given up alcohol three weeks ago they said that was a "good idea" and when I then said that as of the start of this week I had switched to decaf they asked me why I would do that, there was no need!! I explained I had read online a lot where it said not to have caffeine before or after surgery, the nurse laughed and said one of the things they give as a liquid after the op is a coffee. I didn't even tell them that I had started my own version of a liquid diet for the two weeks lead up. Protein shake for breakfast and one for lunch or dinner and then a meal for the other. I am trying to reduce my portion sizes and eat slower but it is really hard. I think that is what I worry about most, being able to slow down and be more mindful. I also love to drink - water, coffee, alcohol etc. - and not sure how I will cope with tiny sips. It is very hot here, in mid to high 80s which is too much for me and I am gulping back the water non-stop. What I didn't like to hear was that I have to shave from under my breasts to top of my things including pubic area. I am not sure I have seen there in years or can easily reach down there The pain of surgery might be one thing but the pain of regrowth elsewhere could be worse for longer, not looking forward to that.