Search the Community

Calories can generally be somewhat higher than women, but there's still a lot of individualism to it. Some guys have more significant metabolic problems than others, such that they may have similar metabolic levels to many women - maintaining in the 1200 calorie range, etc, so they need lower calorie levels to lose. My guess is that at your starting point that your metabolism isn't that screwed up so you can lose like a "normal" guy. My doc didn't have a specific calorie level (they're a DS centric practice, which has fuzzy math in this regard) but I quickly settled in around 1100 calories. Protein target was 105g, based upon my lean body mass. Carbs and fats were "whatever" - not particularly important with our caloric deficits - but I simply endeavored to get the best overall nutrition for the remaining non-protein segment of the diet, which in retrospect worked out to be a rough caloric split between fats and carbohydrates. For the vast majority of us, it's the caloric deficit that drives the weight loss and not any magical macro splits Your missing watermelon may be an indication of some missing nutrients contained within - potassium perhaps, as our typical supplements don't make much of a dent in satisfying our requirements. Many sugar substitutes are known for having a laxative effect in many people, particularly some of the sugar alcohols and a few of the zero calorie sweeteners so you seem to be right on track with those.

I had my RNY Gastric bypass on January 7th of this year and it felt I had finally found the solution I was always searching for. I began preparing to have the surgery the September prior and it felt like every moment that went by I was just waiting for the day to start my life over; like I was only half present during holidays, dates, or work and half counting down the hours. I got down to about 100 lbs this past June, just in time for my birthday; but, ill admit I hadn't been consistently playing by the rules, I started smoking again, drinking alcohol, picking at foods when I'm cooking, not taking vitamins, not exercising and loading up on the carbs. My weight loss had stopped and it seemed like I had lost all motivation to get it up and running again. It wasn't until last Monday that I was re awoken. A week ago I watched my boyfriend have the same surgery, with the same surgeon and later recover in the same room. I remembered how hard starting out was for me and I knew that I needed to be strong for both of us. I feel alive again, and I won't dare lose focus again. I bought new vitamins that I have been taking vigilantly, drinking my water and making better food choices. I'm still working on the exercise but ill get there. I'm grateful I got the opportunity to change my life and I'm even more grateful that I get to experience this journey with the person I care for most.

I also became an alcoholic after gastric bypass. I've been sober for over 2 years now but it was a tough fight to get there. I only recently found out that gastric bypass makes you prone to alcoholism! That's because the alcohol goes straight to your small intestine (bypasses the liver) and into your bloodstream and brain. It's a powerful head rush and very addictive. You can google "gastric bypass alcohol" and find articles about it. So it's not all your sister's fault that she is addicted to alcohol. They should warn EVERY gastric bypass patient before their surgery and forbid them from drinking after the surgery. You might be able to help your sister by going to al-anon or other support groups for family/friends of alcoholics. It will help you too. Hopefully once your sister is ready she will be able to stop drinking. It took me a trip to rehab and then 4 months of drinking on and off before I finally gave it up for good. Re support groups after gastric bypass: for me there weren't any. That could be partly why I failed. I went to the US (Rochester) to get my op done and then there was nothing here for me in Canada. For my lap-band I deliberately chose a clinic that offers a lot of online and in-person support after the surgery.

You can eat around a lap band, you can eat around gastric bypass. It happens. Slider foods, sugary drinks, too many carbs and alcohol are just come of the things that can contribute to regaining weight. I assume since you are here posting, you don't like what's happen and want to fix it. So my questions are, when was the last time you went to the doctor and got a fill? How full are you and what size band? If you haven't been to the doctor in the past six months, GO. Fluid levels in bands can decrease slightly over time; bands can sometimes leak. Get it all checked out, get a fill ... and get to work.

Mines with a licensed social worker (like myself) at the Bariatric Center. I might look into this as a career move some day. I do assessments now for drug and alcohol related problems at a Rehab.

Cody, your post is like a new member of AA confessing to the support group that he/she's an alcoholic. You're preaching to the choir here. Nearly every one of us have some sort of eating disorder or food related conditon. All of us have tried various diets and failed numerous times. Many of us were nervous to have WLS. Many of us have co-morbidities and other ailments. If you feel like you've reached the end of your rope and no diet will ever work, if you feel like WLS could be the answer, then you're probably making the right decision. Just be prepared that you will have to make some life changing decisions by changing a lifetime of bad eating habits. The band is a tool and don't go into this thinking the band is going to monitor or regulate the amount of food you can eat. Only you can do that, but the band can make it so much easier and more comfortable. This site is dedicated to supporting patients of all sizes, ages, no matter how far along your journey you are. tmf

I'm going in on a Friday and hoping to be back by Monday (Tuesday at the latest). My twin sister had lapband surgery last year and took a whole six weeks off. She has an excellent employer!! I do know that she was not allowed to drink alcohol for 1 year. It's something to do with corrosion of the band. You may want to research that before you partake! A year out she enjoys a drink now and then.

Thanks for the replies. AlienBandit, it's encouraging to hear that people with BMI <35 can still achieve great success with the surgery. I'd be very happy if I could maintain a weight of 160 lbs! Unfortunately, in the past it's involved hours of exercise a day, not having any alcohol, any Desserts, and not having any sort of dinner, all with a daily caloric intake of about 1000...NOT sustainable! LauraLane, Mexico is not at the top of my list right now, but if the Russia thing fails, I am willing to look into it. I called the Russian clinic today, but the receptionists were quite rude and refused to offer any sort of information over the phone, so I'll have to send my mom over there and pretend to be a patient, so that she can actually meet with the surgeon him/herself. I sent her an e-mail, so hopefully she can do this sometime next week.

Yes alcohol no he never said I couldn't I phoned the clinic and she said as long as it wasent fizzy drinks it should be ok

I'm sure you didn't stretch your stomach but I'm guessing you're referring to alcohol at 10 days out? All drs are different but did yours not give you guidelines for alcohol?

Hey Everyone! I'm Lauren, 22 and am scheduled to get my band on March 10th!! I'm a self-paying patient and am scurd outta my mind! I only know one friend who's had the surgery and she loves it, but I have soo many concerns about how to tell people and what about my beer drinkin?? I know I can drink other alcoholic beverages, but NO BEER?? sheez- reguardless though, I'm ready to make the commitment! If anyone around my age has before after photos or any advise or wants to be a lap band buddy let me know!!!

I am almost five months post op from having my Verticle Gastric Sleeve. I had my surgery at the INT hospital in Tijuana, Mexico. Right off the bat, I have to say, it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel SO much better, having lost 90 pounds so far. And I know that I look better! My family has had mixed reactions. But I am thrilled! I have always been heavy, fat, fluffy, large, obese, what ever you want to call it. Once, when I was pregnant with our second child, I was so nauseated, I lost about 30 pounds at the beginning of the pregnancy. My doctor told me to eat more. I told him how nauseated I was, how I just couldn't eat. He said "You have to force yourself to eat!" And I thought "Just my luck! THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE I AM SUPPOSED TO FORCE MYSELF TO EAT, AND I AM NAUSEATED!!!" Never before or since has anyone ever told me to force myself to eat!! I had my surgery the middle of June this year, and have lost a total of 90 pounds so far. I now wear a size 12, and am coming up fast on a size 10. (I tried on a pair of size ten slacks this morning, and they fit, but are tight. Didn't buy them. Just wanted to see if I could get them on!) But what a thrill. I know that as a child, I went straight from children's sizes to a women's size 16! Never, ever wore a size smaller than a 16. And gradually since my marriage (40 years ago!) I have gained a few pounds each year, taking me to an all time high of 260 lbs. I am a travel nurse. My specialty is Labor and Delivery. I love to work with laboring women! Don't so much care for delivered women or babies, but I love the laboring women! I have been working as a travel nurse for about 5 years now. A travel nurse contracts out, through an agency, to work for a hospital for a set number of weeks, usually 13 weeks at a time. At first I only worked contracts around Iowa, my home state. Then about three years ago, I took a contract in California, and have been working off and on in California ever since. I have been at my current contract for over a year. At the end of each contract here, they have just kept offering me extensions. So I have stayed here. I love it here in Merced, CA, but my current contract is over in a few weeks, and I have decided to go home,. My husband is lonely living alone, and it is of the highest importance to me is to keep him happy! When I initially started working in California, I thought I would use my time here to get thinner. I had an image of everyone in California being tan and thin and good looking. (The Hollywood Image I guess.) But it didn't work that way. I was lonely, living all by myself with no family or close friends, and I cooked and baked, and ATE! (Did I mention that I LOVE to cook and bake? Wish I had discovered this talent 40 years ago, I would have been a chef instead of a nurse!) I gained almost 40 pounds living in California by myself. So about a year ago, I started considering having bariatric surgery. My first cousin IS a bariatric surgeon, and I even went for a consultation with him. However, our insurance wouldn't cover it at all, and even though he offered to do the surgery free of charge, I would still have to pay the hospital and anesthesia charges out of my pocket. So I opted for going to Mexico and having the surgery there. I have previously expressed on this board my mixed feelings about my surgery in Mexico, so won't repeat it here. But the end result has me thrilled to death! I love the results I have gotten, and am so happy with my outcome. I couldn't ask for better results. No complications other than a persistant fatigue that hounded me for the first 4-6 weeks post op. But now am over that, and loving the way my life is now. I get so many compliments on how I look, and how much I have lost. Everyone has been so nice about it. I can't say enough about how my friends have supported me. It is going to be interesting to go home in a few weeks and see how my friends there react to me. When I first told my four children I was going to have the surgery, they all expressed displeasure and negativity about it. My son's mother-in-law had a Roux-N-Y surgery (another bariatric surgery) about 8 years ago, and she lost a huge amount of weight. But has gained it all back. She drinks quit a bit, and I think her alcohol consumption has contributed to her weight regain significantly. A good friend of mine who also has always been heavy had a Roux-N-Y procedure 9 or 10 years ago, and she too has gained most of her weight back. I look at them, and it re-doubles my determination not to gain my weight back. I want so strongly to maintain the loss I have achieved and continue on till I get to goal. (Also, I have given away ALL my fat clothes, so I HAVE to stay this thin, or go naked which would NOT be a pretty sight!) I told my husband at the outset, when he expressed his concerns about my having surgery, I am not doing this to look better, I am doing this to FEEL better. And I can say without a doubt, I feel SO good now. My joint aches and pains are gone. My chronic fatigue is gone, I have Loads of energy. I have been able to quit my arthritis medicine, my cholesterol medicine, my allergy medicine (who knows about that one!), my blood sugar medicine (I was a Pre-diabetic) and my blood pressure medicine. So I KNOW that my health has improved! What more could I ask for? My only regret is that this procedure wasn't available 30+ years ago!!!

You are a true inspiration. My surgery date is feb 5. Thank you for telling your story. I too have alcoholism in my family (my siblings) and it hurts to watch them through their lives away. Fortunately i have a wonderful supportive husband who wants me healthy. God bless you and your husband.

Hello to everyone!!! I am so glad to find a forum/blog to be able to talk about this!!! In the beginning of 2012 I had a big birthday coming up that was affecting me emotionally. I was turning 47, I was in a marriage that was very toxic (Spouse that was an alcoholic, and not working), and i was coming to the point to where I was aware of my own mortality. Let me explain... My father passed away at the age of 57, and he well over 450 lbs. Here I was, turning 47, just 10 years younger, and I did not want to die. On top of that, I had an issue with my Husband and his drinking and lack of employment. In March 2012, I separated from my husband, and my son (who is 19) and I moved out. Two months after leaving my husband, he called me and said he was ready to get healthy. As of today, he is almost 9 months sober and we are back together. I digress.... After my Husband moved back in, and we started talking about the new journey that we were on together, we started looking into help for me. In August 2012, my Internist referred me to Dr. Sami Hamamji, with St. Joseph's Bariatric Program in Orange, CA. I was advised that I needed to go to an initial Seminar. Hubby and I went and we were excited. We wanted both of us to be healthy. Now that he was back on the right road, I needed to be as well. August 2012, I had my initial meeting with Dr. Hamamji. I was ecstatic with him. Very open and willing to answer each and every question I had. I went thru all the required necessities of acheiving insurance approval, support groups, psychiatric evaluation, and what my husband and I found to be the most important part, meeting with the Registered Dietician. I finally received insurance approval December 5th. My surgery was scheduled for December 17th. Surgery day came, and to be honest, I was not nervous or excited. I think I was resigned to the fact that I was beginning a new journey in my life. Surgery went well, no complications. I was released the next day and went home to sleep (finally) in my own bed. Christmas was very difficult. As we all know, the holidays go hand in hand with food. I am the one in my family that does all the cooking. Christmas eve, I made 2 batches of enchiladas and 4 dozen deviled eggs. Had a great time with family. Christmas day was more difficult. Now, I am back to work, and am finding that each and every day brings anew... I am wearing clothes that I had not put on in 2 years (thank goodness I kept them). The scale is my nemesis. I am finding that I am losing inches rather than pounds. But I know it will all even out in the end. Good luck to everyone on their journeys... I know that for mine, I have a healthy husband and I am working on being healthy myself!!!

Hello all; this web site was very informative and supportive in my Gastric sleeve journey. So I am sharing here some information that would be helpful to all: Gender: Male Age: 40 Height: 173 CM (5.6 feet) Weight at day of Surgery: 259 Pounds (117.5 Kg) Weight today August 8th 2013: 207.4 Pounds ( 94.1 Kg) Surgery date: 15-5-2013 Surgent: Dr. Hekmat Mattar - Abu Dhabi - Highly recommended - an amazing doctor food intake: between 400 and 1000 cal's depending if am excising or not that day. I am practically eating everything except sweets, sugar, and bread). I am still eating them, but quantities are close to nothing on a weekly basis. Water intake: 1 to 2 liters per day. That is a problem, I should increase Fluid intake as I noticed in the weeks I drink more water, I loose more weight even with less training. Main exercise activity so far: brisk walking 2-3 times a week. between 4 and 8 km per walk. No weight lifting yet... did some scuba diving two weeks ago which helped a lot continue the weight loss. Planning to start going to the gem next week to continue the weight loss. Medicine and Vitamins intake : in my last visit to the doctor he was not happy at all that I am not taking my medicine and vitamins as he prescribed. He scheduled me for 3 shots of Calcium. Also he stressed on quiting smoking taking Pariet 20 mg to protect the stomach from acidity and Centrum every two days as Vitamin supplement. The Good: no major complication so far, losing weight incredibly fast, eating everything (much smaller portions). fully functional at work after 5 days of the surgery. exercising (though not regularly) The Bad: water intake not enough, not recording food any more, not getting used yet to chew enough. When I don't chew the food enough, I will definitely be vomiting. I am drinking alcohol again, but only once a week, one or two glasses of wine of blended whisky. Just trying to feel normal The Ugly: I am back to smoking cigarettes two weeks ago this is really ugly. I am feeling its effect on my stomach and its making my energy low again. I am working on quitting. Hopefully more intense exercising will help... Below image has my weight progress over the last 84 days. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU

Tagaroo your story sounds just like mine. In 2012 I worked so hard, lost 45lbs and was leading a very healthy life. Then I started a new job in 2013 and here I am 2 years later at my heaviest yet at 250lbs. I gained 65 lbs since I began the new job. My bmi was a 39 when I started my 6 months of visits and now I'm cleared by insurance and my surgery is exactly one month from today. My pre-op diet doesn't start for 2 more weeks but I have already lost about 7 lbs so I'm daily preparing myself for surgery. I gradually cut out coffee, alcohol and most carbs to just prevent myself from going into shock! Best of luck on your surgery and hoping for a quick recovery!

That depends. When was your surgery? I was allowed alcohol in moderation about 4 months out. I usedto have 1-2 beers a month but the carbonation makes it less pleasant now so 1-2 x a month i have a glass of wine with absolutely no problems.

Took a little vacation last week and first part of this week and was bad. Was out in nature camping and it ate camp food, hotdogs, Beans, cheeseburgers, ALCOHOL . Have not and will not get on the scale to see what injury/damage I've done. Had a wonderful time! I've got a fill scheduled for Monday so I'll find out. Last time at the Doc's I was 185. I hope I haven't gained too much but if I gained a pound or two I'll forgive myself and get back on track. I know that March was pretty much a wash with no weight loss and not sure why cuz I worked my butt off. Will post update Monday. Just wanted to say hi, I'm glad I'm back and need my pals here to help me get back on track.

Everyone's surgery is different. Will you be having a drain? I had a drain for 9 days after surgery. Once the drain is out, there is a big relief. Bring Protein shakes with you, the ice cream may be too much for you, as the sugar could cause you to have diarrhea. I was on full liquids for 4 weeks so stick with Protein Shakes, broth. If you can bring a sugar-free Jello to keep in your room. Make sure you have your Vitamins and take rests. I did a lot of walking after surgery but I also took naps every day for the first two weeks too. We all heal at different rates. Remember to sip your Water still and stay away from alcohol, rest when you can.

Hi Everyone out there, What prompted me to write this was a wonderful lady named “Kathy”. She spurred some thoughts that I have going around in my head. First of all a big thank you to Kathy for what she said and the very nice compliment about my writing style and the things I have to say. She said they have helped her go forward to make some appointments to check out having WLS. For most of us we didn’t overeat because we were hungry. We ate for a thousand different reasons, and they were mostly emotional reasons. We have so many issues or problems in our life and have turned to food for comfort. The range is so wide, self-esteem, addictions, to food, drugs, alcohol. Our hearts and souls have deep emotional scares for various reason, we cared more for the food than we cared about ourselves. Food was or is our comfort and it was easy to hide behind being fat. For some they have been sexually or emotionally abused and the food was the one thing that we could control and NO one could stop us. Kathy said something that really stood out in my mind; and that was we were slowing killing ourselves with a “fork”. That is so true. So what will it take to motivate you to love and care for yourself enough to STOP this cycle? We do have a disease also called obesity. If we had any other disease we wouldn’t think twice about having surgery for it, we would do it because a doctor would tell us it will save your life. For some it will take some therapy, to heal enough to turn their life around. What you look like on the outside is usually not who you are on the inside where it really matters. There are so many people who love and care about you. I want you to take your power back and take the steps to move forward past the pain you feel. I never said it was easy, but you are worth all the efforts it will take. You are unique, and special. There is ONLY one of you, and you are here on earth for a purpose, and a reason. Take that giant leap forward and consider having the WLS to change your entire life forever. You have earned the right to be everything you could ever want to be. Shed the fat and let that inter person inside of you out. Look at all the possibilities and pick the right one for you. I will be the first one who will tell you, it will require work and effort on your part. WLS is your tool to use to achieve your healthy weight. Be proud of yourself for doing it. Only you can make this choice to change your life. The first time someone calls you “skinny” you will think are they talking about me? Yes, they are. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I had Weight Loss Surgery almost 4 years ago and Dr. Aceves in Mexicali was my doctor. I happen to think he is the very best doctor you could ever have for WLS. As a matter of fact Dr. Compos who is his partner has had VGS and so he knows all the things you have to go through to be healthy again. They are a terrific team, and when you have them, you have the BEST. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Congrads for your surgery!!!! I was sleeved two weeks ago. It was not bad at all. If you get nauseated have the nurse to bring you some alcohol wipes and fan them in front of your nose. Crunch and suck on ice chips. This will help you get through the first 24 hours. The third day you will be tired. Just rest. Remember to sip, sip and walk around. Each day you will get to feeling better. I had some ups and downs with my energy....just listen to your body and go lay down and take a 15 minute power nap. It is amazing how you brain and stomach will not be on the same page! I just love the new me. I am down 18 pounds in 18 days. It was the best thing that I could have done for myself and I trust it will be the best thing you could do for your self. I still have a long way to go, but I am optomistic about my near future! - Addison

Telling a food addict to "just not eat" is about as dumb as telling an alcoholic "just don't drink." The dumbest advice I ever got was to moderate myself when it comes to sugar/sweets. I realize that many of you on this board can do that; I just can't. Once I start eating sweets/sugar, the cravings begin and I'm on a bender. So...for me "moderate" was the worst advice. I spent YEARS trying to moderate while I slowly put on 70 lbs!

Acid has nothing to do with the reason to avoid coffee or alcohol. The moment the surgeon closed your stomach again it starts producing hydrochloric. That is far more acidic than anything that you will put in your mouth. The main reason for the avoidance of alcohol is the fact that it is a barbiturate(depressant) and a blood thinner and is famous for lowering inhibitions. In the case of a gastric patient, lowered inhibitions could mean "just one more bite" or something along those lines. On one hand I agree with you, it's a special occasion and it should be observed. However, you trusted the surgeon enough to knock you out and cut you open then remove a part of you, yet you are asking a bunch of strangers if it's OK to go against the surgeons recommendations. Do what you like, but realize that it is only 3 weeks post op and you already going against plan.

I'd say you are a likely candidate for another revision to RNY bypass. To have uncontrolled GERD is concerning, because it can lead to increased risk of esophageal cancer. You'd be looking at going to Mexico again, most likely, if you did choose to have a revision. (Many times RNY fixes acid issues.. it isn't guaranteed, however). A concern is your lack of aftercare in where you live. RNY requires more maintenance than the sleeve, and of course, what would you do if you had complications? Man, you are in a tough spot. While you are trying to figure things out, maybe list which medicines you've tried.. maybe there is something else... Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include: Alcohol, particularly red wine. Black pepper, garlic, raw onions and other spicy foods. Chocolate. Citrus fruits and products, such as oranges and orange juice. Coffee and caffeinated drinks including tea and cola. Peppermint. Tomatoes. Also, if you really don't want a bypass, you could see if you just need a hiatial hernia repair. That might help without the long term issues of a bypass.

Why, oh why, didn't I think of this before?? I hope it's OK to post this here. I haven't been sleeved yet but I have started dieting in preparation. I've enjoyed everyone's stories, I've laughed and cried. I know we are all in search of the same goal. Everyday I look at the before and after pics. I read all the posts. Y'all are my inspiration. It hit me like a ton of bricks this afternoon, so I thought I'd share a little. I'm 44 years old and life has been a roller coaster, just like my weight. My battle of the bulge is similar to many. I didn't get fat overnight. It was fast, but it wasn't overnight. This is the biggest I have ever been. Yesterday, I thought I was 250#, but noooo, that was just cruel joke my scale played on me. I had just lost 10 pounds. I went to the doctor yesterday and he weighed me in at 262#. That can't be! I just lost 10 pounds, it should say 252#! That just added insult to injury. Damn scale! So actually I started at 272#. I realized I was staring 300# in the face, I was over half way there.......I just wanted to cry, it was tough holding the tears back. Anyway he made it better. Everything is gonna be OK, once I get my sleeve. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the upcoming changes. I've read things like head hunger and food addiction. I can relate to that. I LOVE food. I eat even when I'm not hungry. My life revolves around food. I've come to realize I'm a food addict. Food is my drug of choice. It satisfies me, it comforts me. I'm no stranger to addictions. I really hate to admit this and probably shouldn't, but in my early 20's I had a nasty drug habit. I kicked it on my own and have been clean for 22 years and have never touched it again. Fast forward a few years and I married an alcoholic. That is a recipe for DISASTER! We have been together for 18 years. He has been sober for the last 6+ years. My husband wasn't your everyday drinker. He was binge alcoholic. He could go weeks or months and not touch a drink. But when he did, all hell broke loose. That's a familiar word. "binge". It was very ugly. I won't go into all that. He needed help. He tried "Antibuse", that didn't work. It was supposed to make him violently ill if he took a drink. It made him sick even when he didn't drink. AA didn't work, all that talk about drinking triggered him to want to drink. I was at the end of my rope. Nothing was working. I started researching, there had to be a way. Other people quit drinking. I quit drugs, why couldn't he stop drinking??? My research lead me to www.rational.org. OMG! that opened our eyes. It worked for us. He has been sober for almost 7 years. It can be used for ANY addictive behavior!! It's free. It can't hurt to try it. I used it 3 years ago when I lost weight on Adkins. I got down to 160#. Major life upset and I let my eating get out of control AGAIN. My bad. Anyway, while I was vacuuming today, it all came back to me. I went back to the website and it was still there. I encourage anyone that needs help to take a look at it. I am starting to use it again today. It can't hurt. It is another tool that some may find useful. Anyway here is the link and an explanation from their website. It was originally geared to alcohol and drugs but they found it works with all addictions and bad behaviors. The key is to change the words alcohol/drug with food/binging/overeating or whatever your vice is. Change the word abstinence to healthy eating. I know that it works and I will use it. It helped me to get a piece of paper and write it all down. It's not that long. Don't rush through it, think about what they are saying and let it sink in. It makes so much sense. When you read it, it's like flipping a switch. It will hit home for some. If it works for you, it's awesome. It will only take about 15 minutes to read through it. Another tool for your weight loss journey.. www.rational.org (copy & paste the link) This was taken from their website: Quick Start on Rational Recovery ©2009, Jack Trimpey, all rights reserved. There is enough information at this website for you to totally recover from any addiction, e.g., alcohol, crank, crack, heroin, opiates, sex and porn addiction, overeating, computer addiction, gambling, or other personal behavior that goes against your own better judgment. • If you're drinking/using today, you won't learn much of anything. Come back in the morning or when you aren't under the influence. • To quit your addiction you must first stop drinking/using long enough to learn AVRT®. Quit Now For Life! You now have access to Addictive Voice Recognition Technique® (AVRT®), a powerfully simple means to defeat any addiction, to any substance or behavior, in as short a time as you like. The link below will guide you through the decision making process to total recovery, before you sleep tonight. Go to www.rational.org , on the right hand side of the page click on the blue button that says CRASH COURSE ON ARVT Before you click this link, however, observe your thoughts and feelings, positive and negative, about abusing food. Feel the hope, but notice the dread! Thoughts and feelings which support continued abuse are called the Addictive Voice (AV); those which support abstinence are you. When you recognize your AV, it becomes not-you, but "it," an easily-defeated enemy that has been causing you to abuse food.