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I'm 30, got sleeved on 4/28. I tend to have slight acne problems anyway but last night I went crazy. My face, chest, and back are TERRIBLE!!! my boyfriend tried to help last night with alcohol on my back last night. This is definitely the worst it's been. And my breath isn't so great either. Ahhh!! I'm a monster!!! Haha

I was told I had to wait a month. Alcohol has no difference on me now then it did presleeve

My bari program recommends no alcohol for one year after surgery. Like other posters said, you get buzzed really fast, so just be careful.

What did your NUTs or Dr.s say about alcohol? When are you all allowed to have a drink? Recognizing that they are empty calories, etc, I do like an occasional glass of wine. Just curious what everyone else's teams have said. Thanks!

I'm sorry it went so badly. I had a weird appointment with the psych too. Basically they should be screening for untreatex mental illness and active drug and alcohol addiction. They shouldn't nitpick us but I guess they feel like they have to fill the hour or half hour. Your eating habits will totally change after surgery so there's no point in her arguing with you about it. You won't won't know until you get there. I know what you mean about not emotional eating. I don't think I was either. Maybe sometimes but most of the time I just wanted to eat something that tasted good.

onajourney, i agree with you wholeheartedly. my nut (s) are still pushing fat free, artificially sweetened food. but i understand why. i think my center is really falling short on actual education and follow up (and it's still better than most), and they use these crappy suggestions for food as a way of trying to help people with their food addictions. but it's like suggesting that alcoholics drink alcohol free beer as a way to treat alcoholism. it's a poor suggestion to begin with and does absolutely nothing to address the actual problem or teach people new ways to behave. but i dont think it's bad advice to caution against bananas in a post op shake though. it's good to be a minimalist right after surgery.

B12 info In patients with liver disease, cholesterol and/or phospholipids become deposited on the membranes of circulating red blood cells, leading to larger than normal cells.[1] Causes of non-megaloblastic macrocytosis •There may also be folate deficiency due to a poor diet •Liver disease. •Serum folate levels are readily available but most laboratories offer red cell folate that is more specific. It should be remembered that serum B12 is not always an accurate reflection of deficiency at a cellular level. It is perhaps for this reason that some patients become symptomatic if the frequency of their injections is reduced, despite having normal serum B12 levels. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570488/ http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/410469_4 A low serum folate level may indicate only a decrease in folate intake over the preceding few days. [26] A better indicator of tissue folate status is RBC folate concentration, [27] which remains relatively unchanged while a red cell is in the circulation and thus provides an assessment of folate turnover during the 2 or 3 months preceding measurement. Also, low RBC folate levels correlate better with the degree of megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow than do low serum folate levels. When there is coexistent iron deficiency, liver disease, serum and RBC folate levels may be normal -- and serum B 12 levels may be normal or even elevated -- but tissue vitamin deficiency can be present. This is only demonstrable via subtle hypersegmentation and/or deoxyuridine suppression test and is subsequently confirmed by response to vitamin therapy. Decreased serum total folate-binding capacity is another test that may indicate hidden folate deficiency. An elevated MCV is also associated with alcoholism[3] (as are an elevated GGT and a ratio of AST:ALT of 2:1). Vitamin B12 and/or folic acid deficiency has also been associated with macrocytic anemia (high MCV numbers).

Good morning, I went to a support group last night and found that my surgeon does not require a pre op diet. As long as I keep my 15% off. I'm getting excited. Less then three weeks now. I got my letter from the hospital yesterday with all my dates and times listed. Last nights mtg was about what you wish you knew prior to surgery... Some points were... The pain in the left lower rib area is normal, feel free to call the Doctor anytime something concerns you,be prepared that you can not gulp water again,be prepared that your food choices will change post op due to taste buds, buy a bento box for going back to solid foods, So many more things to think about too. Oh and they said to get a buddy. Have someone that you can call and say ,,,help I want to eat..... As they talk you down! I am hoping for this group to help me! My protein shake I chose was "metRx" I got peanut butter flavor. It has 110 cal, 2 gm fat 1 sugar and 23 gmail of protein! I mix it in almond milk. Sadly, they said don't drink your calories..ie alcohol ..lol but in time you cam again!

Back from my trip late last night....happy to say the band has come through and performed splendidly.... Yes there was food around all day long.... You could not avoid Breakfast, lunch and dinner, as it was part of the agenda were all expected to eat together and the speakers and presentations continued as you ate....plus in the evening were the big sponsored parties..... All I can say is, the band is the band is the band.....regardless of where I'm at, or what I'm doing....no change....did not gain or loose a pound.... I do feel that what I did eat was not all that healthy, at least not the type of foods I would normally eat on a daily basis, not to mention the constant flow of alcohol available....just need to purge my body of all these toxins and impurities

Met Dr. Diccicio for the first time today. Of all three of the potential surgeons I have consulted with and had to pay $45.00 co-pay, I found my guy. Dr. Diciccio didn't talk at me and he didn't act all self important. He answered all my questions and he didn't treat me like I had no right to know the why this and why that. He explained to me why the liver has to be shrunken before surgery even though I'm not an alcoholic and I haven't worn out my liver. He said even obese people have an enlarged liver that can be reduced by a ten day liquid high Protein diet. I have to have my legs scanned for clots (which I had in 2004), I have to have a cardiac clearance and I can have surgery in about six weeks. Yay!

Sure one banana isn’t bad, but it could lead to many bananas. Same can be said for drugs and alcohol. I spent an hour yesterday with my psychologist covering this topic. We will all make mistakes, but isn’t the point of having this surgery to put you in control of eating instead of the other way around? Until I reach my goal weight, I plan on following the NUTs suggestions as best I can. The three rules are no high calorie drinks, no grazing and no alcohol. Once my goal is reached, I will be able to conduct controlled experiments on what to eat measured by my own weight. In other words, I will set a normal block in 5 lbs range. When I reach the top of this range, it will be time to evaluate what I have been eating or why I have been eating more or exercising less. Then make a change. This will take a lot of effort.

Hi ladies! Lordy - just got back from a few days at the coast with friends who were up from San Diego and it is kooky how off track my hubby and I can get when we are out of our home element. Going to an unfamiliar grocery store seemed to completely discombobulate the both of us. We both nibbled our way through more calories than we should have - I certainly had more carbs and processed food than I am used to and whoa what it does on the scale - poof up 7 lbs in one day from puffy bloat, salt and not enough fluids. M2 I have had my Fitbit flex since last October and I love mine - still need to work on getting all of my daily steps in though. 10k a day every day is a goal. I have been recovering from the BS from end of semester stuff - I basically walked away from my teaching job two weeks ago ( I turned down the offer to compete for my old job after the new administration brought the hammer down and dismantled the art department at our college - the music dept is next.) Basically half of all of the core faculty contracts were bought out - meaning teachers were threatened to either take a severance package (which was 75% of their salary) or possibly have nothing - they basically worked the collective bargaining agreement to eliminate professors who made the most money - which at our college is not that much. My ethics told me not to keep subjecting myself to a new corporatized situation that cares nothing for anything but money. I had started taking my anti-anxiety medicine (usually reserved only for long car trips) just to go into work, and crying every day. Its scary but I no longer feel sick to my stomach every day. Anywho - enough of that. I have been reading a new book on clean eating after reading about a program of eating called Whole30 - which I had no heard of. Its basically 30 days of hard reset - no wheat, sugar, dairy, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, etc - and is focused not so much on WL but rather elimination of inflammation, breaking the carb addiction, etc...All pretty common stuff in the food literature that we read. The dairy part would be really rough for me - I like a bit of 2% milk, and my favorite sweet is light and fit Greek yogurt - hi dairy and artificial sweet lol. If you slip up you have to start the 30 days over again lol. I am frankly dreading the fall (my most difficult part of the year for food and activity) and want to whip things into shape this summer to be better prepared. I just need to knuckle down! I too like our little group the way it is - I trust you guys and that is a big deal to me - I don't trust very many people

to my H, a snack ALWAYS consists of carbs! or alcohol. or both.

Hey guys, Atkins is still giving away their Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 Atkins bars - completely free. I did an Unboxing and review video of the contents, it's posted below. The link to the Atkins free offer is below the video. http://goo.gl/1mAv8A - This is the link I promised to the sign up page for the free Atkins Quick Start Kit. There's no catch, they need your email and shipping address, they even pay shipping and handling. The kit included 3 different Atkins bars - one small, one medium, and full size meal replacement bar. All 3 were delicious, it was hard not to eat all three of them. Just a word of caution, the bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols, so those of you that can't tolerate sugar alcohols might not want to eat the bars. The kit also includes some literature: 2 coupons for $1 discounts on Atkins bars, snacks, and meals. An Atkins approved food booklet and the Atkins Quick Start guide that explains the Atkins diet and the phases. As well, there are links to the Atkins support community and where you can download the Atkins app. The Atkins app will help you: *search for nutritional info, *keep track of your carb intake, your weight and how close you are to reaching your goal, *provides a daily meal plan or help you design your own, *has a database of the foods considered acceptable for each phase, *and has a restaurant guide to help you make Atkins friendly food choices when dining out.

Hey guys, Atkins is still giving away their Quick Start Kit, which includes 3 Atkins bars - completely free. I did an Unboxing and review video of the contents, it's posted below. The link to the Atkins free offer is below the video. Meal Replacement bar. All 3 were delicious, it was hard not to eat all three of them. Just a word of caution, the bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols, so those of you that can't tolerate sugar alcohols might not want to eat the bars. The kit also includes some literature: 2 coupons for $1 discounts on Atkins bars, Snacks, and meals. An Atkins approved food booklet and the Atkins Quick Start guide that explains the Atkins diet and the phases. As well, there are links to the Atkins support community and where you can download the Atkins app. The Atkins app will help you: *search for nutritional info, *keep track of your carb intake, your weight and how close you are to reaching your goal, *provides a daily meal plan or help you design your own, *has a database of the foods considered acceptable for each phase, *and has a restaurant guide to help you make Atkins friendly food choices when dining out.

I am frequently asked about whether certain foods should be completely avoided or if it is essential to learn to eat all foods responsibly. Individuals who believe they are “addicted” to certain foods (like sweets) or certain ingredients of food (like sugar) commonly ask this question, and it’s a great question. The most common method of dealing with addiction to substances such as nicotine, alcohol and cocaine is complete avoidance of the substance, referred to as abstinence. Abstinence from these types of substances, while difficult to achieve, is far easier than the alternative of trying to moderate one’s intake of the substance. In the case of nicotine, heroin, cocaine and “hard drugs,” nobody challenges this approach because there is no benefit in continuing to use them. These substances are just plain bad for you so abstinence is completely rational. Alcohol has often been shown to be healthy when consumed in moderation, but for people who have battled with alcohol abuse and dependence it’s just not worth it and once again, abstinence is the preferred approach. In the case of specific foods or certain food ingredients, the story can become much more complicated. There is an ongoing battle as to whether or not certain foods or food ingredients are “addicting.” Is sugar an addictive substance in the same way as nicotine, cocaine and alcohol? Can someone actually be “addicted” to sweets or carbohydrates? The jury is still out, but a definitive answer may not be necessary. What’s important is for you to consider how you plan to change your behavior given that the environment seems to be making little effort to eliminate the availability of these foods. Almost everyone has one or more foods that they are prone to eat compulsively, whether they consider themselves to be “addicted” to them or not. Often these foods include sweets that are high in sugar (like cake, cookies, or ice cream); however, many people struggle to control their intake of a variety of foods like deli meat, pizza, peanut butter, nuts or even beef jerky. For many people, sugar isn’t the big problem. What is interesting to consider is that most people have trouble controlling their intake of foods that they believe they shouldn’t be eating. Over and over I hear stories of people who binge on exactly the foods that they were told they couldn’t have as a child. These are often called “forbidden foods.” Whether it is peanut butter, ice cream, potato chips, cookies, pizza, or cheese doodles, it may be their “forbidden-ness” that makes us eat them compulsively and not their content of sugar or other ingredients that’s the problem. The literature on binge eating lends some support to this hypothesis as a very high percentage of binge eaters describe a history of restrictive dieting and/or deprivation. Indeed, a overwhelming number of patients I have seen over the years who describe themselves as binge eaters describe histories of either chronic over-restrictive dieting or having grown up in homes where their parents or others denied their access to certain foods. Some patients jokingly referred to one or both their parents as the “food police.” Once they were free from such restrictions (either by moving out to live on their own or by going “off” the diet) their consumption of these foods seemingly became uncontrollable. It seems that avoidance or total abstinence from such foods might actually be causing the binge eating. There is an all-or-nothing quality to this behavior. One possible explanation for this pattern is that the individual has never actually had the opportunity to eat these foods in moderation but rather to be forced to avoid them or eat them like there was no tomorrow. They were never allowed to eat them, so when they were finally available, they overindulged. So again I ask: “Is this type of compulsive eating or bingeing due to an “addiction” or to over-restriction, and what should you do about it in either case?” Should you continue to avoid certain foods or food ingredients or try to learn alter your behavior? The answer really depends on your personal philosophy and how much distress the whole matter is causing you. Do you want to learn to eat certain foods more responsibly or would you rather continue to try to avoid them? Does it cause you great distress to think of a life without your favorite foods? Does it cause you great distress to make constant efforts to avoid certain people, places and events because your “trigger foods” will be available? If you decide that you would like to learn to eat certain foods more responsibly, you need to accept that this will take some work. To be successful, you need to become a bit of a scientist and experiment with different approaches. Perhaps you are experiencing anxiety about the proposition of trying to learn to eat your “trigger foods” responsibly because you have never had the ability to do. This is completely understandable. Also, consider that if the foods you find to be triggers are inherently unhealthy (like “junk food),” maybe abstinence isn’t such a bad idea. After all, like heroin and cocaine, it’s hard to make the argument that chocolate covered cheesecake is good for you. You could try to learn to eat chocolate covered cheesecake responsibly, but life will continue even if you permanently take it off the menu. However, many people believe that they shouldn’t have to live the rest of their lives without chocolate, peanut butter, cashews and other foods or perhaps they just don’t want to. They are aware that most people do not need to resort to such levels of restriction. If you think in this way, then you need to learn how to eat these foods responsibly. You have to practice a new way of eating to get better at it and strengthen your ability to do so just like you would any other skill. One approach to strengthen new eating skills is to eat certain foods in a limited number of circumstances and in a different manner. For example, if you believe that cashews are a “trigger food” and you have no history of eating cashews responsibly, it would be silly to continue to buy the one-pound jar of cashews from the bulk food store. You know how that story is going to end. Similarly, it may not be wise to bring a gallon-sized container of ice cream into your home if ice cream is a “trigger food.” However, it may be possible for you to learn to eat a responsible amount of cashews or a single serving of ice cream if you buy a small container of either when you’re at a convenience store. This is a good way to learn with a much smaller chance of bingeing. You don’t have to completely avoid cashews or ice cream for the rest of your life. Just don’t buy them in large quantities and bring them home for the time being. Many people adopt this approach. They’re not averse to eating these foods and don’t avoid them completely; they just don’t bring large quantities of them into their home. Many a patient has told me a similar story about pizza. When they want pizza, they go to the pizza parlor and buy a slice or two. They just don’t have a whole pizza delivered to their home. These are examples of altering behavior rather than avoiding certain foods altogether. This is how you learn to eat responsibly…you practice. Another approach gaining a great deal of attention is called “mindful eating.” There is a growing literature on the merits and effectiveness of mindful eating in the treatment of binge eating as well as for those who simply want to learn better eating habits even if they don’t have concerns about their weight or eating behavior. Mindful eating is an approach where one learns to be more present-focused while eating, and can be especially helpful when eating “trigger foods.” A primary objective of mindful eating is to learn to develop an ability to control one’s eating behavior. Mindful eating involves slowing down and focusing on the thoughts, feelings and sensations you are experiencing while eating to be in better control of your behavior. Mindful eating is the antithesis of avoidance. Much has been written about mindful eating, so do some research if you’re interested in learning a powerful method to alter your eating behavior so that you may be able to develop the ability to enjoy eating certain foods without experiencing distress and anxiety or leaving them off the menu completely.

I am frequently asked about whether certain foods should be completely avoided or if it is essential to learn to eat all foods responsibly. Individuals who believe they are “addicted” to certain foods (like sweets) or certain ingredients of food (like sugar) commonly ask this question, and it’s a great question. The most common method of dealing with addiction to substances such as nicotine, alcohol and cocaine is complete avoidance of the substance, referred to as abstinence. Abstinence from these types of substances, while difficult to achieve, is far easier than the alternative of trying to moderate one’s intake of the substance. In the case of nicotine, heroin, cocaine and “hard drugs,” nobody challenges this approach because there is no benefit in continuing to use them. These substances are just plain bad for you so abstinence is completely rational. Alcohol has often been shown to be healthy when consumed in moderation, but for people who have battled with alcohol abuse and dependence it’s just not worth it and once again, abstinence is the preferred approach. In the case of specific foods or certain food ingredients, the story can become much more complicated. There is an ongoing battle as to whether or not certain foods or food ingredients are “addicting.” Is sugar an addictive substance in the same way as nicotine, cocaine and alcohol? Can someone actually be “addicted” to sweets or carbohydrates? The jury is still out, but a definitive answer may not be necessary. What’s important is for you to consider how you plan to change your behavior given that the environment seems to be making little effort to eliminate the availability of these foods. Almost everyone has one or more foods that they are prone to eat compulsively, whether they consider themselves to be “addicted” to them or not. Often these foods include sweets that are high in sugar (like cake, cookies, or ice cream); however, many people struggle to control their intake of a variety of foods like deli meat, pizza, peanut butter, nuts or even beef jerky. For many people, sugar isn’t the big problem. What is interesting to consider is that most people have trouble controlling their intake of foods that they believe they shouldn’t be eating. Over and over I hear stories of people who binge on exactly the foods that they were told they couldn’t have as a child. These are often called “forbidden foods.” Whether it is peanut butter, ice cream, potato chips, cookies, pizza, or cheese doodles, it may be their “forbidden-ness” that makes us eat them compulsively and not their content of sugar or other ingredients that’s the problem. The literature on binge eating lends some support to this hypothesis as a very high percentage of binge eaters describe a history of restrictive dieting and/or deprivation. Indeed, a overwhelming number of patients I have seen over the years who describe themselves as binge eaters describe histories of either chronic over-restrictive dieting or having grown up in homes where their parents or others denied their access to certain foods. Some patients jokingly referred to one or both their parents as the “food police.” Once they were free from such restrictions (either by moving out to live on their own or by going “off” the diet) their consumption of these foods seemingly became uncontrollable. It seems that avoidance or total abstinence from such foods might actually be causing the binge eating. There is an all-or-nothing quality to this behavior. One possible explanation for this pattern is that the individual has never actually had the opportunity to eat these foods in moderation but rather to be forced to avoid them or eat them like there was no tomorrow. They were never allowed to eat them, so when they were finally available, they overindulged. So again I ask: “Is this type of compulsive eating or bingeing due to an “addiction” or to over-restriction, and what should you do about it in either case?” Should you continue to avoid certain foods or food ingredients or try to learn alter your behavior? The answer really depends on your personal philosophy and how much distress the whole matter is causing you. Do you want to learn to eat certain foods more responsibly or would you rather continue to try to avoid them? Does it cause you great distress to think of a life without your favorite foods? Does it cause you great distress to make constant efforts to avoid certain people, places and events because your “trigger foods” will be available? If you decide that you would like to learn to eat certain foods more responsibly, you need to accept that this will take some work. To be successful, you need to become a bit of a scientist and experiment with different approaches. Perhaps you are experiencing anxiety about the proposition of trying to learn to eat your “trigger foods” responsibly because you have never had the ability to do. This is completely understandable. Also, consider that if the foods you find to be triggers are inherently unhealthy (like “junk food),” maybe abstinence isn’t such a bad idea. After all, like heroin and cocaine, it’s hard to make the argument that chocolate covered cheesecake is good for you. You could try to learn to eat chocolate covered cheesecake responsibly, but life will continue even if you permanently take it off the menu. However, many people believe that they shouldn’t have to live the rest of their lives without chocolate, peanut butter, cashews and other foods or perhaps they just don’t want to. They are aware that most people do not need to resort to such levels of restriction. If you think in this way, then you need to learn how to eat these foods responsibly. You have to practice a new way of eating to get better at it and strengthen your ability to do so just like you would any other skill. One approach to strengthen new eating skills is to eat certain foods in a limited number of circumstances and in a different manner. For example, if you believe that cashews are a “trigger food” and you have no history of eating cashews responsibly, it would be silly to continue to buy the one-pound jar of cashews from the bulk food store. You know how that story is going to end. Similarly, it may not be wise to bring a gallon-sized container of ice cream into your home if ice cream is a “trigger food.” However, it may be possible for you to learn to eat a responsible amount of cashews or a single serving of ice cream if you buy a small container of either when you’re at a convenience store. This is a good way to learn with a much smaller chance of bingeing. You don’t have to completely avoid cashews or ice cream for the rest of your life. Just don’t buy them in large quantities and bring them home for the time being. Many people adopt this approach. They’re not averse to eating these foods and don’t avoid them completely; they just don’t bring large quantities of them into their home. Many a patient has told me a similar story about pizza. When they want pizza, they go to the pizza parlor and buy a slice or two. They just don’t have a whole pizza delivered to their home. These are examples of altering behavior rather than avoiding certain foods altogether. This is how you learn to eat responsibly…you practice. Another approach gaining a great deal of attention is called “mindful eating.” There is a growing literature on the merits and effectiveness of mindful eating in the treatment of binge eating as well as for those who simply want to learn better eating habits even if they don’t have concerns about their weight or eating behavior. Mindful eating is an approach where one learns to be more present-focused while eating, and can be especially helpful when eating “trigger foods.” A primary objective of mindful eating is to learn to develop an ability to control one’s eating behavior. Mindful eating involves slowing down and focusing on the thoughts, feelings and sensations you are experiencing while eating to be in better control of your behavior. Mindful eating is the antithesis of avoidance. Much has been written about mindful eating, so do some research if you’re interested in learning a powerful method to alter your eating behavior so that you may be able to develop the ability to enjoy eating certain foods without experiencing distress and anxiety or leaving them off the menu completely.

About 3 months till I had it occasionally. Waited till about 6 mths to have it regularly. in fact, I rarely drank wine before being sleeved. I was a 1 Corona Lite a nite fan for a cpl yrs. While I miss my beer, red wine is good too. I don't remember my dr having any requirements for alcohol. Probly in there, I probly just ignored it! Think I'm gunna give it up while I work on those last 13 lbs. Yes, my ticker says 11 to goal, but I gained 2 lbs this past cpl wks. Bummer.

Just to clarify a little on the Atkins - you actually count net carbs - which is total carbs, less fiber carbs and sugar alcohol carbs. So your carbs from the fiber in the veggies would not be included in your daily total

I like your phrase, "food anesthesia". I'm going to borrow that. Because, that is what it is for me when I abuse food. It is the same as alcohol. As a long term member of a 12 step program, I learned early on that alcohol wasn't my problem, it was my solution. I was the problem ... how I lived life on life's terms. If I didn't want to feel the emotions of the day, I could anesthetize myself with alcohol. That worked for a long time ... until it didn't. The same came true for my relationship with food. It comforted me when I was down, was there for me when I celebrated. It was an option for me when alcohol wasn't. And just like alcohol, food worked for me for a long time ... until it didn't. WLS has been the tool to help me not abuse food the way I used to. But there is still the deeper problem. Me and my ability to live life on life's terms. I still have the same roller coaster life. I still struggle with doing the next right thing. But I don't have my old coping mechanisms, and that is hard, sometimes. My solution has been to re-commit myself to my 12 step program as for me, I have learned a lot of life skills there. I have never been to an OA meeting, or seen a counselor as it relates to my relationship with food, but I would suggest to anyone who doesn't already attend some form of the many forms of 12 step meetings, to seek out one of these options. For me, it has been critical to help me find the serenity I need in my and my family's lives.

Remember it is a disease like any other like alcohol or drugs , just food was our drug of CHOICE, you notice I said choice , and until that person their selves want help and ask for it and really wants it then there is nothing you or any one else can do, so you can or might say in a nice way how you like being able to not to have the aid of a cane to walk and how you like to be able to bend over and come back up and not feeling like your going to pass out and how you are just able to breath better , and maybe it will trigger something , but again you can't force a opinion on someone , cause we all know what opinions are like , everybody has one , just do you like you have been doing and tell your sister you love her and are just worried and would miss her because of something simple that may save her life, well I hope some of this helped , and I am so mad that the Doctors won't touch my Mother to help her with her weight , because now she has to many issues and their afraid her heart wouldn't be able to take it , she is only 65, I am afraid I want have her around in a few yrs, and I mean few.

5 months post op and I've been stuck for about 1-2 months with the scale not really budging. Ive been stuck shy of 50 lb mark for too long now. I've gotten frustrated enough to jump off the cliff of the plateau and to push myself more. I've reduced my calories (esp random snacking), reducing the alcohol and increasing exercise. This morning my scale had said I lost 2.7 lbs! I am excited and noticed again. I question myself if I'm really hungry or bored. A 3 mile walk on the beach with gorgeous weather definitely helped today. I'm in Florida. Hope everyone is doing well. How'd you get over your plateau's?

@@DonRodolfo Our local GNC stopped carrying Quest bars. The owner said it was because they changed the formulas and now use more artificial things, which increased the sugar alcohols and he did want to carry them. Have you found that to be true?

My doctor addressed the issue. No drinking for 3 to 6 months then it will go slowly. My first g and T was 3 months out. Drank about 2 oz and was woozie. Two days later had another and finished it 1`.5 hours after it was served. The next one my roommate (a true alcoholic) had to finish it. Have not had one in nearly 6 months and may not. Too much money for what little I get from it.

From the fast diet website: Well today is my first day and it’s a fast day! I already do 4:3 most weeks (Mon-Wed-Fri) so will be doing that for the whole 6 weeks. Normally if plans make 4:3 difficult then I just do 5:2 but for the 6 weeks I will sub with a weekend or do back to back in the week. I usually save all my calories for even meal and plan to continue this. (I think I might also do a sep personal diary thread). Here is a short summary of what I have gleaned so far……. Mimi describes the FBD as a “short term, souped up strategy for summer” It’s approach is three pronged, based on way to: - tighten up on fast days - toughen up on non fast days - tune in on any day One of the ways suggested to tighten up on fast days is to try 4:3 but it is not the only suggestion. There is also suggestion to do 2-2 (based on Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat) which essentially means after a normal lunch on day 1 eat sparingly (or nothing at all) until a late lunch the following day . Extending the fasting window so rather than have say Breakfast at 7am and supper at 7pm missing breakfast or fasting from supper to supper. And being fastidious about your calorie quota. On non fast days it is about holding back on indulgences and “superfluous snacks” and treats, cutting alcohol (entirely or reducing), eating less refined foods and cooking at home. Suggestions include following a more Mediterranean diet or even Japanese with more emphasis on healthy cooking (grilling, steaming, raw). Aiming to have meals based more around vegetables and reducing meat intake, being careful about portion sizes etc. There are lots of other great tips – some of which I have already done over the years like eating more mindfully and not having dinner on autopilot. Then there is emphasis on quality of exercise and the suggestion to introduce 3 High Intensity Training (HIT) to your weekly exercise schedule. They also state it should be 3 max and give lots of suggestions on how to do this. Plus 2 strength training sessions incorporating push ups, lunges etc. on non cardio/HIT days. I suppose if you have Fast Exercise by Michael Moseley you could get the info there. http://thefastdiet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FB-PLANNER.pdf Book available in US paperback on amazon. Not on kindle yet.