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My insurance and surgeon required it. They're checking for things like, do you have the commitment to make the necessary changes to be successful, are you doing this for your health or someone else? Tendencies to transfer food addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, etc, suicidal thoughts, etc. They want to make sure you understand it's not a "quick fix" but a lifetime commitment. Not a big deal at all. Several paper\pencil tests and an hour interview. Mine didn't require anything post op and I've not felt like I needed therapy, (though I was prepared for that if I felt like I needed it.)

I try to eat different stuff all the time. I purposely still drink a Protein shake and eat a Quest bar every day so I can meet my protein goals. And although most of my food choices are high protein, the shakes and bars give me the freedom to eat a balanced diet including fruit, veggies and whole grains while still getting 60-80g+ of protein. From a physiological standpoint, I like the idea of providing my body with different nutrients all the time. From a psychological standpoint eatng the same thing over and over with no variety would only be frustrating and lead to cravings and binges (for me, anyways) However, the examples you gave (pizza, chips, Bloody Mary, wings) are all pretty poor choices when it comes to healthy, weight loss friendly foods. That first meal was pretty much all carbs and the second was some protein, but laden with fat and probably carbs from the sauces. If you want variety, great, but make sure you mostly focus on lean protein and non starchy veggies. Your only carbs should be from maybe a little fruit and healthy, whole grains. Alcohol, bread and chips certainly should not be regular choices.

Good morning hopefulchurch. Welcome aboard. Yes, the liquid diet is hard to follow, but it can be done. Everyone here that has had the surgery did it and you can too. You just have to set your mind to it. Stay busy and when you think you are hungry, drink some water or something.(you will have to start that anyway) Since your surgery is friday, think about how exciting it is to be able to start a new kind of life. I promise you, that's what it is. Yes, food is an addiction and you can't quit it like alcohol or drugs, but you can set your mind to eat the right kinds of foods in the right amounts. That has to happen when you get the band with proper restriction. You have to be determined to do this in order for it to work. I'm sorry, I can't help with the mood thing. I was so excited to finally be approved and my surgery was scheduled so quickly after approval that I didn't get moody. I was on cloud nine , or was it ten? Anyway, just think about the outcome of this whole pre-op thing... you will have a band when it's over!!! When you start loosing, I feel like your moods will change. Don't think about how little you can have..think about how much you will be changing. Check the noscales.com web site and look for support group meetings. I think the next one is in Idabel. If you can attend those, they help with support that family can't give, cause they (family) don't always know what it's all about. Bansters do and they will help you in any way they can as far as support. And that's my sermon for the day. Have a good one! lisa

Got "home" about 5 pm. Got a late start. Jacki wanted to make us these Scandinavian things... aebleskiver. Anyone know what I"m talking about?? They're kind of like round pancakes... about like doughnut holes. Very good.. hollow inside. Very tricky to make...have to have a special pan. And have to keep turning them with a knitting needle to get them round. Anyway, her granddaughter was throwing up all night long, so she didn't get up until 9 a.m. That's why we got a late start. Then we had to stop at Costco for gas and to look for something for our neighbor... she was taking care of the cat. I wanted to get her a bottle of Egg Nog... Costco has been selling it... already has the alcohol in it. But they were out of it. She also likes "Fuzzy Navels"... the wine coolers. They didn't have those either. So we have ot go somewhere else to get her something. We both had headaches all day long.. hope we're not getting what our friends' DGD had! Had more friendly conversation with DS #2 yesterday, and then his son called... the one that has been among the missing for the last two months or so. We had a really good talk. Remember when his mother called me.. several times, so drunk I could barely undrestand her?? well that's why he left. Said he can't take it anymore. And she & her parents (his other grandparents) are growing/selling "medical" mj now, so... unsavory characters hanging around and he wanted out. He was court ordered to live with his mother and judge would not listen to any of his allegations so he ran away. He turned 17 last week. He wants me to help him get emancipated, and he wants to enlist in the Marines. He's talked about that for as long as I can remember.. like 6 yrs old!! So I'm going to do a little research online and see what is involved. He is staying with his girlfriend's family and I talked to the dad for a while. He's wanting to help, too... even said he'd fly DS up there to sign papers if it was necessary. Will need parent's signature to get emancipated, I think, and definitely to enlist at 17, if that's even possible!

Yesterday: I was super bad yesterday and somehow someway still lost 1 lb. Here goes: Breakfast:1/2 cup egg beaters and 3 slices of turkey bacon Snack-Ham and cheese kolache Lunch-1/2 cup of chicken salad and 6 crackers Snack-strawberry donut Dinner-4 shrimp tempura 2/3 cup of edamame Had several coronas because I went out for girls night. I lost count so felt extremely bloated last night. Total-1434 Calories (food) Alcohol (not too sure just know that it was alot) Protein 89g Protein

I have been eating a lot of beans, but the doctor would REALLY like me eating real foods and not liquids. That was the entire reason I had this surgery! As for the sugar...HELL NO....I have not had anything that has sugar in it. I will see what it feels like to dump once I get to maintenance (which should be around the end of July/mid August). I will really only try to sugar (in the form of BBQ sauce and Teriyaki sauce) so I know what the start of it feels like in case I eat something at a restaurant and feel it coming on and stop eating. The closest I have come to dumping is getting a light headed feeling when I eat too much sugar alcohol. They really aren't joking when they say that your taste buds totally change when you have gastric bypass. I really have no desire to eat anything sweet. I have some sugar free fudgecicles but I don't eat them very often. SF Pudding makes me sick and sometimes even yogurt is too sweet. The only other way that I would eat (or attempt to eat) sugar is if I start getting too far below goal weight. The doctor is a little worried about that possibility seeing that I started out at such a low BMI for bypass. I am already halfway to goal and I am only one month out of surgery. I am starting to fit back into some of my clothes and had a really good run/walk this morning. I'm STARTING to feel like a normal human being again. Well it is be time...just wish this basketball game would hurry up and get over...with the Heat beating the Mavericks of course.

So my PCP called me this morning because she has a c-section that she needs to do tomorrow and wanted to know if we could push out my appt. She wanted to know what was going on with the medication and I told her that I was having UNBELIEVABLE food cravings. All I want is simple sugar. I couldn't sleep last night because I was starving and all I wanted was sugar. I tried something with splenda in it because I thought I just wanted something sweet...but that didn't cut it. Well we don't have anything in the house that has sugar in it so I ate 2 tablespoons of pure sugar. Yep...right out of the box. When I told her that she said...you are coming in and we are getting you off that medication. "The next step will probably be alcohol." Those were her exact words. Turns out that these are not just food cravings. It is a severe reaction to the medication but it usualy manifests itself in alcoholism. But since I don't drink alcohol EVER my body craves the simple sugars that alcohol breaks down into. She told me that whatever I do NOT to have any alcohol (including sugar alcohols or cooking alcohol) until we get me off this medication. I cannot explain to you how debilitating these cravings have been. I have been incredibly quiet around here because the food issues have been devastating and I was trying to wrap my head around them. In the last week I have had 3 candy bars and 2 pieces of cake. This is the first time that I am admitting to them. It is the only thing that will make the hunger go away. Imagine going for about 12 hours without eating and think of the hunger that you would feel. That is the hunger that I am feeling constantly. How do I know that it was actual hunger and not head hunger...well...I went for 8 hours without eating yesterday just so that I knew that whatever I felt in my stomach was actual hunger pangs. Then I ate. I was so full that there was a lot of pressure in my pouch and my nose was running like a faucet (sure sign I ate too much). Lo and behold...the feeling in my stomach was EXACTLY the same. When I told the doctor this she just kept apologizing that she put me on it. She said it was a rare side effect but one that is VERY real. I said that when I was put on this medication the last time I had very similiar reactions. I was eating 3-4 candy bars a day and doughnuts by the dozens. I told her that I never said anything to the doctors because I figured I was just a fat slob that didn't know how to control her eating. But now...this is WAY off. I am usually very content with the food that I eat. I love my veggies and proteins and right now I can't hardly stand to eat them because all I want is sugar. So thank you for all of your advice, but it turns out that I have not lost total control over myself like I feel I have. I felt like my world was spiraling out of control and that there was nothing that I could do about it. I now know how a drug addict feels. I am sneaking food again and doing whatever I can to get my next fix. She did say the cravings usually went away pretty quickly after we get off the meds but that it will take about 2 weeks to wean me off. I am not sure what we are going to do but I honestly believe I would rather be uptight, anal, obsessive and throwing chicken sausages across the kitchen then going through what I am right now. Sorry to ramble, but I had to get this out there. Love you all and thanks for the encouragement.

So, I had a friend's wedding last night, and let me just say I had a blast. I did have a glass of wine with dinner, but then I had 3 drinks at the bar afterwards. I have not been out that late in a long time. It was also great because I'm here in Omaha without my hubby and saw some friends from high school. One of them was a guy friend who told me that he had never looked at my a$$ so much. It was a great compliment. Now I just need to work the 3 white russians off that I had. I can tell you though that I haven't had any alcohol for about 8 months, so needless to say, it hit me pretty hard!! But, I had a GREAT TIME. On Friday, the bride-to-be and I went shopping because I needed a new pair of dress pants for the wedding as mine were so big that they looked horrible. We went to Dress Barn and they had their holiday dresses out. I decided to try on a couple and picked up an 18 & 20 to try on. The 20 was way too big, and the 18 fit well, but a little big in a couple areas. My friend told me to hold on and she went to the rack and grabbed a 16 and it fit. I was so surprised, and almost bought it, but I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a dress I wouldn't be able to wear at home. I was super excited though because it's been over 11 years (since the start of my senior year) that I was able to fit into a 16. Jeans are still another story, but that will come with time, I just couldn't believe it. So, talking about mini goals, I think I'm doing well on the Thanksgiving challenge. Before I left, I was down to 230 (5 pounds for the challenge), which I might add is the same weight as my hubby, so sometime in the next two weeks I should weigh less than him for the first time ever. My other mini goal (since I can see it now) is to get to onderland. I'd love to be there by my b-day on Jan 25th, and now I really do think I'll be able to hit that goal. So, put me down for another 10 pounds between Thanksgiving & Christmas. I'm so glad I have you guys as you truly do understand what I'm feeling and how excited I am with the little things!! I hope you all had great weekends, and I'll check back soon. ~Nichole

Hi everyone! I lost my last dang post! I don’t know what happens. I hit something with this laptop and the post just goes away! Anyway a lot has happened with you all since I have been gone. About a month since my last post! Too long, I know. We were camping and spending all free moments out in the sun, now we are in Canada. It is wonderful here. My DH and I have been here about 9 days now and are leaving in two. He is here for work and I am here for a vacation from work!! I have been lying around the pool, and shopping… it has been nice except for all the eating out! I am doing well on eating but have really been indulging in alcohol! Which is so bad, I know….. all the liquid calories! I have been swimming and went to the gym a couple times. I have gotten 3 fills this far and have a total of 4.1cc’s in my band. I am probably overfull since I can only eat a little more then an ounce of food at one time and have been sharing all my dh’s food with him. I can not eat meat unless it is baby size bites, bread is the same thing, but I am ok with salads and soups. I don’t want any taken out because for the first time I can feel my cloths getting bigger. TracyinKS – congrats on the wedding!! I had no idea! Wedding planning help and lovin all at the same time what a lucky girl!! Laura, That is awful about your honeymoon!! I would be so dang angry! I miss chatting with you all!! I am heading to the gym now thanks to your encouragement! Angie

Sounds great. I have my work function on Friday night do can give you an update of my first experience of having some alcohol.

Did a little over 200 miles today I think. Stopped before 2 pm a little west of Phoenix in a town called Buckeye. Janet... I think you were off by about 100 miles yesterday because we still have a little over 200 to go. May or may not come in tomorrow. I have an optional stop planned for Quartzsite, but depends on whether or not we feel like stopping there or going on. I'll tell you what... it's HOT and Earl is complaining a LOT! He's not going to like being in DHS a few weeks early! Stopped for coffee and short visit w/Eva... other thread... this morning. There is a STARBUCKS right next to the parking lot of the building she works in. So that's where we went. Hip hurting a little again today, but walking just fine. Kind of funny... as we walked up to the SBX, part of the sidewalk was all blocked off with yellow "crime scene" type ribbon. It appears that someone tried to create a "drive through" window!! Windows broken out and all boarded up and frames pushed in. Someone was a little too anxious for their coffee!! LOL! Another funny story... I bought so much wine in Buffalo...7 bottles on our wine tour, and a case of the homemade stuff from the guy my nieces know. So Earl had the case stored on the floor next to his chair. This morning he decided that since there were just a few bottles left he'd get rid of the box. So he took the remaining bottles out of the box and laid them on their side one by one. He quickly found out that the cork had popped on one of them when we went over the mountains yesterday! Several of us bought 1 or more bottles of something called "Walleye Wobbler" at the very last winery we stopped at. By that time... 5th winery, we were "happy" and this gal at that winery was a kick... said she doesn't drink but uses all the wines her boss sells in recipes. So she was rattling off all these recipes she'd made up with all these different wines while giving us generous "samples" to try. So we were all quite taken with the WW and with the recipes she said she used it for... sauteing mushrooms, scallops, etc. So... she sold a lot of bottles of it. So a couple of days ago I get a text message from my sister, Barb asking if the WW is supposed to be "bubbly" like champagne!! I told her I didn't remember it being bubbly. So I emailed the other gals and asked them... they didn't respond. But.. that is the bottle that popped it's cork! I'm having a glass now and it's definitely not quite right. I called and talked to the gal at the winery today and told her what happened and she said the calibration was off on a couple of their scales resulting in this problem with the WW. She said it was perfectly safe to drink, just might have a little more alcohol content. But it's definitely not as tasty as what we sampled. But she's shipping me another bottle.

@@LynnAlex My best friend had a band installed 5 years ago. He lost some weight, it was up and down, fills were common and he had a lot of problems finding foods he could eat. He lost about 40 pounds and sort of stayed there. Two years ago he deployed (as a civilian) to Afghanistan and having nothing to do, decided to get back into the military workout routine. He lost 50 pounds. Came home and had a fill. As it turns out they overfilled him. He figured he would just keep losing weight and grow into the fill. He gained weight back, 10-20 pounds up and down and has been in that range for the last two years. He had the fill reduced 2 weeks ago, and lost six pounds in his first week. The problem was the fill was so tight all he could eat were soft carbs, so in spite of walking 25K steps EVERY SINGLE DAY and being one of the most active people I know he was not losing any weight. Now that the fill set correctly, he can eat hard Protein again and had lost about 15 pounds. However, he still eats what he wants. If he wants a snickers bar, he eats one. So in spite of the band, he'll remain around his current weight just because he pushes his caloric intake everyday. Oh he is also a nighttime alcoholic, what was the odd beer or two at night is now, 8-10 oz of Jack seven days a week. I love him like a brother and would take a bullet for him (we enlisted together), but I cannot solve his drinking problem. He has to realize it's a problem, and given his past history he won't until it is too late and his wife leaves him. The point of all this was soft carbs versus hard protein, in 3 weeks I go to an unrestricted diet, and intend on eating solid foods as much as humanly possible, because with the exception of my beloved yogurt, I am a bit tired of soft food. This just gave me an idea for a chicken stir fry I could probably eat......

Good Morning Gang Thought I would post EARLY but see Karla has beat me :0) Ruby as to your struggles - hugs -- You need to get back to the basic - Go back to the beginning - I know it's hard after you have lost your motivation - but I think doing that - Logging calories (you were good at that) and following a healthy eating plan and not allowing so many treats - that's what gets us all the time .... Remember food is our drug of choice - plan and simple - I was talking to a lady last night from back east she's getting banded 6/17 - and I told her clean out your kitchen - get all your trigger foods out of the house - you would not leave a bottle of booze on the kitchen counter if you were an alcoholic so why would you leave a bag of cookies (or whatever) in the pantry. You explain this to your family and they should understand.. We have no control when it comes to food. I know that you get plenty of exercise cuz you walk and don't drive - but are you still doing your gym and karate (or what ever it was like that) Oh ya - Ruby met Karla (cremark) Karla meet Ruby - She is one of our Original #7 - maybe cuz we were talking about how many pple have left she came back - Ruby, Karla is a friend of Steph and was just banded and cuz Steph loves us so much asked her to join us.. Karla - My doc is tough after a fill its 7 days liquids - 7 days mushies - 7 days soft then back to regular food - I pretty much did that the 1st fill but the 2nd fill I didn't - I did like 2 days liquids then mushies then soft then regular.. 1st fill felt right away remember eating yogurt and almost pbing - but that fill seemed to dissappear within 2 weeks so I called and made another appointment - then my 2nd fill took about 2 weeks to finally settle in. Kari - My friend who's getting banded next month has knee issues - I told her that you just biked - she asked what kind of bike do you have regular or recumbent?? I didn't remember.. I think I am going to invite her to join our thread Karri - Did you get some sleep - I saw on FB that you realized that you aren't super human and needed some rest - did you get it?? Denise - How goes the battle.... Phyl - How's the knee doing - how long with DD be gone on vacation - is this the one with the little kids (thomas) so far I remember Tracy has the 2 older ones (Adam & Alisha) Steph - How's the back doing... Candice - When to you leave for France !!! Ok gang it's 5:30 - I can't beleive how fast time goes when you are on the computer !!! Gotta jump in the shower... Talk to you all when I get to work...

Hi all! How has everyone been. I've had a busy past few days. Well, I finally got my fill on Saturday. So here it goes: My fill was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. so I figured I should skip breakfast. No one told me to do it but I just went ahead and did it. I got there and she cleaned the area with alcohol. I did NOT lie down. It was standing. I stood behind the x-ray machine and lifted up my shirt and tucked it under my bra. I could see my port on the screen when they turned on the machine. She located the middle of the port by using a long metal rod and just moving it around my port area on my skin. Once she located the middle of the port she marked it with the tip of her marker. She then gave me a numbing shot. That didn't really hurt. Just like a little ant bite. Then I saw the fill needle. OMG it looked huge. I turned away while she inserted it. It miraculously did not hurt. So then she put in 2.5 cc's. She gave me a tiny little bit of barium and asked me to drink. You could see the liquid gathering in my little pouch! She timed how long it took to flow through and then she decided that 2.5 cc's was too much. She pulled some saline out and left 1.7 cc's. She then asked me to sip some more barium. She was satisfied with how long it took to get through. She then gave me 8 oz of water to drink and she had me drink them while the needle was still sticking out of me!!! So I'm standing there with this huge needle sticking out of me! Too funny. Took me a little bit to drink all the water. I could feel the tightness. Finally when I was done drinking then she went to go remove the needle. OUCH! THAT HURT. That was the only part that hurt. I rode laying down all my way home because I felt sore in that area. I felt sore for the rest of the day but there was no bruising. I did warm or room temperature liquids for the rest of Saturday. Sunday all day I had mushies. I could feel some definite tightness. I felt like the third day out of surgery. On Monday I had an runny scrambled egg for breakfast and then I had one hamburger patty that I nibbled on for the rest of the day. This morning I had 4 oz of cottage cheese with a handful of rasberries. Also, Saturday and Sunday I did not get all my water in. I was having to take tiny sips and I only drank like 30 oz each day. Today I am doing good with my water. I will reach my 96 oz by the end of the day. I noticed on Monday that if I don't chew very very well it fell like the food was going down like barbed wire. I had gotten used to being able to eat reguarly and then this brought me back to having to follow bandster rules! I will see what happens for the next few days and keep ya'll posted!

Dammit---I just lost my post! Aaarrggghhhh!!!! Denise, I would suggest holding off on the fill. To do it on top of a serious PB is asking for trouble I am afraid. When you add the stress you are under to that....it seems a bit iffy to me. I know we all want our weight ALL gone like NOW---but sometimes if we try to rush it too much, and get too tight, it causes serious problems, and only slows you down in the long run. I did not lose my weight this far in record time, but I am losing it, and I am not so tight, that I cannot eat. I was reading TracyK's post, and pretty much I could eat any of the things you mentioned---I cannot eat a lot of it...but enough so that I don't feel deprived by being unable to have any of it! I am terrible with being deprived though, that is when I will binge. To tell me I could have none of that, would have me to the bottom of an ice cream carton in nothing flat!!! I am much better if I can have a few bites of the ice cream, and a bowl of sausage gravy, or whatever....regardless if I only eat a few bites of it...knowing I can have it, makes the difference to me! I applaud you girls for dealing so well with that level of restriction, I have steadfastly refused to be that tight. Remind me of this when you all reach goal, and I am still losing half a pound at a time!!! Denise, as for your DD---you poor thing! Does she really deep down think that you kicking her out, is just a temporary fight between the 2 of you? My DD and I can push each others buttons like no other! Lucky for me, we never had the issues you are dealing with---but it only brings to mind the thing my Great Grandma used to say---there but for the Grace of God goes I. A single change in anything and it could have so easily been. Her father is an alcoholic, as is my brother....she could be too. She refuses to drink a drop...she is scared of it. Where does your DH stand on this? I lost my post when I went to your profile to remind myself of your marital status etc. Sorry my brain is old!!! So...you are remarried, is he involved in the battle with DD? What about her father---where is he? And her sister? What is her take? To me those are the closest ones to the situation, they are being hurt by her actions too I am sure, but do they support the decision you made? Will they back up the tough love? My brain says you have to show her how serious you are, but my Moms heart is exactly where yours is....I know the fears you are dealing with. I wish I had answers. Any hope of catching a meeting before having to answer her question about coming home? Sorry I have more questions than answers Denise!!! ((((hugs)))) Kat

Well over 2 and 1/2 years post op and I'm doing things I never dreamed possible. I got back into mountain biking and never thought I would be doing a downhill bike park, bit here I am doing it!! I joined the bike patrol unit in work and ride 15 to 20 miles a day in work. I travel, I eat food, I drink alcohol, I'm really living my best life as cliche as it sounds.

Ok ladies. .... So ... I just spent the am in the bathroom. I have not had fibersure in 3 days, it was not working, but.... here is a question... does anyone know if crystal light has sugar alcohol? The only thing I have done different 2 times, the 1st being when i started fibersure, and the 2nd being yesterday afternoon because I ust got more was drinking tons of crystal light rasp green tea to go packs. And when I say tons, I am talking about 80oz a day. I couldn't even eat more than a few bites of my eggs this am because i felt like i was going to die, and had a green tea on my way out this am. I know... TMI.... but I don't understand why i'm not working right! off to lie in the sun, mower is dead as a doornail!

Hi Seth and welcome to the group. This is one question that concerned me the most prior to my surgery. I was scared that things would never be the same again. I initially started out thinking that I didnt want anything permanant. Through the process of investigation of the options I found that it was the best option for me. I dont say t hat the sleeve is the best choice for everyone, we all have different needs and wants in life. What i do know all the fears I had pre-surgery about what life would like after surgery and things never being the same again were wasted energy. Post surgery, yes I eat less, the only time I really notice that now is when I am eatting out but I have developed ways of dealiing with this, either share a meal with friends or order an entree for myself. I can eat pretty much the same things that I did pre-surgery, however generally now my body craves good stuff that I can derive more engery from rather than junk food. I am in maintenance and yes I still eat junk on occasion. I still drink alcohol, maybe a bit slower but doesnt really feel like it. I guess what I am trying to say is that while it is a permanant measure I dont feel like it is an impact to my life now. Life isnt the same for me but in every way it is better, cause I took control of my life. For me my eatting/weight was defining me, it doesnt now. Just my 2 c from 16 months out.... Welcome sconatsam!! Way to go Lila!! Way to go!! *insert cheerleader singsongy thing here*...double digits here you come..I know how much of a landmark in the process is. You are seriously rocking your sleeve. Swiftkate, hopefully all is still going well with your recover

RE: coffee/caffeine Doc/team is fine with me me drinking coffee, though did ask me to refrain for 1 month post op (which I did) Now I drink maybe 1-2 coffees and 1-2 teas a day. I don't drink any pop/soda (diet or not)...with the exception of club soda as a mixer in alcoholic drinks occasionally (though I don't think it has any caffeine in it anyway....?)

Good Afternoon Peeps Had boot camp this morning then funeral - then did a little shopping got this great bbq sauce from World Mart - Stockyard BBQ - OMG to die for - I know there is a Stockyard Restaurant in Dallas that's really famous I assume it's from there - going back tomorrow to buy a whole bunch - cuz it's hard to find good bbq sauce and when I find one I love - they quit making it.. So gotta stock up Candice - I don't think I have had rubbard.. Bannana nut bread - omg - that can't be a N American thing - how werid Linda - How' Mindy doing are you home yet Phyl - Wine really doesnt help your bp - I think it makes it worse really This is from the Mayo Clinic - I just wanted to make sure that Dr Janet was giving correct info Question Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure? Does drinking alcohol affect your blood pressure? Answer from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily increases your blood pressure, but repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases. Heavy drinkers who cut back to moderate drinking can lower their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by 2 to 4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) by 1 to 2 mm Hg. If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation. Moderate drinking is generally considered to be: Two drinks a day for men younger than age 65 One drink a day for men age 65 and older One drink a day for women of any age A drink is 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits. Keep in mind that alcohol contains calories and may contribute to unwanted weight gain — a risk factor for high blood pressure. Also, alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness and increase the side effects of some blood pressure medications. So gf sorry to say gf - you need to only have 1 period - they can give you meds for the bp - are they talking about changing it.. Exercise and getting some more weight off will help.. Hugs on that proceedure - you are in my prayer - but ya gotta limit salt too i think Well I am off to the couch for a while - cbl

I'm not going to completely admit to what I ate yesterday, as my period arrived today. Suffice to say it consisted mainly of sugar, combined with a little fat. And for variety last night, I added alcohol to the mix :shades_smile: Once a month doesnt hurt, right? Anyway, back on track today. Breakfast: Barbecued pineapple and peaches (they were going soft, had to use them up) brushed with maple syrup, served with Greek yogurt. Yummmmmmmmmmm. Worth the effort to fire up the barbie on a school morning. Snack: a banana smoothie made with skim milk and vanilla and a banana . Followed a 10km run. Lunch: A sushi/sashimi pack - I mostly ate the fish and left the rice. Small bottle of orange juice No afternoon snack, that was quite a bit of food this morning and I'm really not hungry. Dinner tonight is going to be roast lamb, roast potatoes and pumpkin, steamed broccoli and carrots.

Thanks for working through it with me. I've just checked the calendar and Aunt Flo is due next week, so that'll probably count for the cookie craving. I may have an attack for the next few days until she arrives, so I need to keep myself busy. I've got a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle here somewhere, that should keep me out of the cupboards for a little bit. And there's always my books. I have plenty of SF gum in the cupboard, so maybe I should just chew on some of that to get me through when the cravings are really bad. I'm just thankful I didn't have any Cookies in the cupboard. The sensible me is the only one that's allowed to go shopping these days and won't buy them. I've gotten those 100 calorie packs a few times, but noticed I tended to reach for an extra pack or two when the demons pay a visit. So I stopped buying those. Sometimes I feel like a junkie. Not that I've ever had a problem with alcohol or drugs, but it's like I have this need and it SHOUTS at me to be satisfied. At least when you give up those addictions you stay completely away from them. Our addiction is food and we still have to eat. :huh2:

I always knew that if I could have been just a little taller, that I would have been the perfect weight. I kept asking for 4 inches every year, but Santa got confused and gave them to me in width instead of height! Well I have been on my Atkins phase for 24 hours now, and I remember how much I actually like it. I had to cut out my protein bar for the next 2 weeks until I get my fill, but that is fine because I just replace it with low cal string cheese. Cheese is my FAVORITE food in the entire world, so it doesn't bug me much. The only HUGE difference between Atkins before and Atkins now is that I am eating low fat and low cal and not doing the Taliban version of it. For those of you who need explanation, the Taliban version of Atkins consists of less than 10 grams of carbs per day, including sugar alcohols so I pretty much eat meat. Now I have relaxed that a little and allow 20 grams of carbs. Still not much, but it allows me to get in some vegetables. I also talked to our nutrition teacher at the high school and she suggested that I go to 1200 calories and eat like this BREAKFAST, SNACK, LUNCH, SNACK, DINNER, SNACK. Well I know me and if I eat a snack after dinner, the flood gates will open so I am not going to follow her advice on that one. Well I have to get back to working on school stuff. the new trimester started today, so LOTS O' PAPERWORK!

Hi Everyone - Indigo - thanks for the support. I think I am depressed, I just want to shake myself out of it. I have a number of systems to work through it along with medication, but know that what will make me feel really good is to stay with a good eating program for just today, then tomorrow, etc. It is like alcoholism, but you still have to eat. I liked the idea of no overt white sugar in the diet. I think that would help me reduce the "eat now or die urges." Well, I commit to a no sugar day, and I'll report tomorrow. Have a great Monday! Good bye mashed potatoes and gravy. Hugs, Michelle

Hello fellow nurses! I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, have been an RN for close to 30 years now, currently splitting my time between dialysis and long term care but have worked everything from Surgery to Outpost, occupational, etc etc etc (I get bored easy!) I am not sleeved yet, likely not until January due to staffing issues (sound familiar to anyone?)' and will be self pay going to Mexico with Dr. Liza Pompa. My BMI is 37, and I am struggling with people who say that that's not too bad. Well, my brother 'only' has a BMI of 38' had his first heart attack at 38' has had 2 stents, severe sleep apnea, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and my whole family struggles with high cholesterol, asthma and depression. No, not 'too bad'. I need to do this to be healthy. I have done diets to deAth ll, I do enjoy exercising but it is obviously not enough. But, despite being a nurse for so long, I must admit I am scared of surgery! I had my tonsils out at age 4, and have been fortunate enough not to need anything else done (so far). Talk about ironic!