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I am such a sugar addict that I found this to be of help in some ways. Hope you enjoy it... Addicted to Sugar? 7 Steps You Need to Take Before You Can Break Free Last month, I devoted my blog to reviewing some of the more surprising adverse health outcomes associated with excess sugar consumption. While most of us know that sugar is not the best substance to load our body with, many individuals struggle with tactics in actually breaking free of their addiction to sugar -- and yes, it can truly be an addiction. In fact, the results of one study showed that a greater neurological reward was provided by intense sweetness than by the drug cocaine. Similar findings occur when we look at withdrawal from sweet as well, indicating that getting off sugar may cause the same neurological symptoms as withdrawing from nicotine, morphine and alcohol. Now more than ever, we are seeing more and more associations linking addictions of sugar and drugs in the same bucket. Additionally, we all face the unfortunate reality that sugar is readily available in our food supply as a cheap fix for our cravings, 24 hours a day, in thousands of different venues and forms. Finally, we often use sugar as a reward (kid stops throwing a tantrum at the store, kid gets cookie at home) and the main food substance during celebrations (when is the last time you saw birthday candles sticking out of broccoli florets or a 1-year-old baby smashing lentils in his or her face for the quintessential first birthday picture)? So given these studies and the vast availability of this stuff, is there any hope? Can you really break free from the chains of sugar addiction? The answer may be yes, and it doesn't necessarily include admitting yourself to a rehab facility for six weeks. The start of your sugarless healing could perhaps come in the form of seven easy steps. Step 1: Don't replace real sugar with artificial sugar. In an effort to provide us with the sweetness we crave without the excess calories we dread, manufacturers created artificial sweeteners. The first, saccharin, was discovered in the 1870s by a scientist at John Hopkins University. He wasn't trying to come up with a fake way to sweeten our foods, in fact, back then food actually was actually that -- food. He was actually working on coal tar derivatives and as the story goes, some of the white substance spilled onto his hand. Later that evening, the substance on his hand transferred to the roll he was eating at dinner making it exceptionally sweet. After that fateful spill on the hands, the world of food has never been the same. Artificial sweeteners have been blamed for a lot of things that ail us -- but most recently, artificial sweeteners and their effect on our ability to lose weight have come into focus. As it turns out, a lack of calories doesn't always equate to a lack of consequences. A 2013 study in the journal Diabetes Care found that artificial sweeteners can actually alter the way the body metabolizes sugar. A 2008 animal study found that rats given artificial sweeteners ate more calories throughout the day and as a result, gained weight. The researchers found that the ingestion of artificial sweeteners essentially caused confusion between the gut and the brain. The authors of the study stated that, "sweet foods provide a 'salient orosensory stimulus' that strongly predicts someone is about to take in a lot of calories. Ingestive and digestive reflexes gear up for that intake but when false sweetness isn't followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused. Thus, people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would." While these studies provide incentive from a weight approach to kick the fake sugar habit, it's what artificial sweeteners are doing to your sugar-laden diet that is most concerning for the true sugar addict. Why? Studies show that replacing regular sugar with artificial sweeteners is akin to kicking your cigarette habit by switching to cigars. You're still getting the sweetness you crave, so you're never really taking away the sweet taste that keeps calling your name. Chances are, you'll go back to the real stuff. I often tell my sugar addict patients on day one that in 60 days, I want them to crave salmon over licorice. They look at me like I have two heads of course, but after three months of truly sticking to a no-sugar plan, their cravings do actually turn. Step 2: Start an exercise regimen and add milk to your diet. Eating lots of sugar has been shown to enhance reward mechanisms in the brain, thus making it difficult to break the habit. Rats that were given sucrose for example, wanted more of it and self-fed with it if it was available in their cage. While the comparison may seem extreme, I see this as no different than the individual who keeps candy bars, Cookies and hard candies in their home or office desk. If it's there, and you've got a preference for it, chances are high you'll eat lots of it and chances are even higher that you'll feel pretty good after eating it -- at least for a little while, until you crash and need more. But what if you could boost one of your most efficient acting "feel good" effects through foods other than sugar? One study for example, showed that consumption of whey Protein (a major protein found in milk) increased serotonin (a feel-good hormone first isolated at the Cleveland Clinic that is associated with mood elevation). Other studies have found an association between exercise and serotonin increase as well. Step 3: Say "no" to fat-free products. Here's the low down on fat-free foods. Fat (something we like that tastes really good) goes out and sugar (another thing we like that tastes really good) goes in. Why? Because manufacturers are selling you on the fact that the product is fat-free -- not sugar-free. Huge culprits include fat-free salad dressing (honey or high fructose corn syrup often coming in as the second or third ingredients), fat-free cookies or cakes (angel-food cake for example has a devilish 20 grams or more of sugar per slice), fat-free puddings, muffins and reduced-fat Peanut Butter are also offenders. The solution? Keep your salad dressings and peanut butter the full-fat variety. The monounsaturated fats in them will actually help to increase your overall sense of satisfaction and slowly move away from the cookies, cakes, muffins and puddings by trying out some of the other tactics in this article. Step 4: Improve your sleep habits. A 2013 study found that our circadian sleep cycles have a whole lot to do with whether we reach for a cookie late at night. We also are less equipped to resist a high-calorie treat (sugar-laden doughnuts come to mind) if we are sleepy throughout the day, according to another study. An additional study found that when individuals were sleep-deprived, their reward activation centers in the brain were actually greater, thereby making it more difficult to say no to the candy bar. Bottom line, while diet and exercise have a lot to do with staying away from the sweets, neither of them will be as effective if you're not getting enough ZZZ's. Step 5: Keep Snacks close by. One tactic that's worked with many of my patients is keeping healthy snacks on hand. I had one patient who told me that she'd be driving her car and would see an ice cream shop and without even realizing it, would be entering the parking lot to get a fix. Her impulses were reduced though, when she started to keep trail mix in her glove compartment. She could easily grab it and have a few satisfying bites of peanuts, raisins and whole-grain pretzels. Just this simple action distracted her from the ice cream shop. Figure out what your trigger is and have something on hand to distract yourself. It could be an apple in your purse, a bag of healthy popcorn in your pantry or a string-cheese stick in your office refrigerator. Step 6: Chew gum. A 2009 study found that individuals who chewed gum hourly and for at least three hours in the afternoon reduced their cravings for sweet snacks. While the study used a sugar-free gum variety, which does in fact contain artificial sweeteners, it nonetheless provides an interesting tactic to perhaps lower your sweet cravings. Step 7: Never forget the benefit to your body. One of my patients has a serious sugar addiction. The challenges with these patients are helping them gain a greater ability to lose their sugar cravings without gaining weight. One thing this patient told me was the secret to her success was remaining constantly aware of what sugar was doing to her body. She told me she's been able to stick to her no-sugar plan partly because her desire to be around for her grandkids had become more powerful than her desire to eat a bunch of gummy bears. Remain focused and never forget that reducing your sugar addiction has benefits well beyond the perfect body. For more by Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., L.D., click here.

I am so sorry for your loss, I am new to this forum so I will make this comment brief. I have a rule that I have applied to my eating that I hope will help you. it goes like this....Feelings are not right and not wrong they just are, let them be and choose how you will react. Grief, loneliness, and anger are all powerful feelings that will take our control away from us if we let it. Ice cream for you, pizza for me or a drink for the alcoholic will destroy all of us and I really can't believe that this is what your lovely little dog would want for you. Sugar free popsicles would be a better choice for me but if I were you and I kept grieving I would go into a deep depression and just keep eating without knowing what I was doing to myself. I hope this advice helps. God Bless ttfn

I drink as well. I make sure I drink PLENTY of water in between drinks and I take my Pepcid. My concern is getting a stomach ulcer, so just be safe about it and you should be fine. my doctor told me to just keep drinking to a minimum so I save alcohol for when my fiancé and I want to have a night out once or twice a month. I actually keep track of the calories I'm drinking so I don't exceed my calorie intake for the day and that's a great way of keeping me from over doing it. Haha

So tired laying on my back, it hurts. Laying on my side really makes my knee's throb. What am I to do???? I call for drugs and alcohol. I guess I won't make the news like Anna Nicole, guess I'll behave.

How we lose inches when we are not losing weight - muscle vs. fat. Rapid weight loss is the result of your body metabolizing fat - body measurements are shrinking. High Protein diet promotes the addition of lean muscle - one pound of muscle is considerably smaller (less volume) than one pound of fat. So you can reach a point where the "weight" of the fat being metabolized by the body is equal to the "weight" of the muscle being added by the body = no weight loss. But one pound of muscle has less "volume" than one pound of fat = inches are being lost even though weight is stable. Sugar alcohol - I know that stalls are sometimes attributed to consumption of sugar alcohol. There are some that believe a more likely cause is the higher amount of carbohydrates commonly found in foods that contain sugar alcohol. Here is a link to one of the better articles that I've read on sugar alcohol. It does a good job of explaining what sugar alcohols are and their pros and cons. http://www.ynhh.org/about-us/sugar_alcohol.aspx I'm off to jury duty. You guys have a great day!

I had the band because I really struggle with moderation and longevity. I'm a great dieter...do really well but simply can't stick to it long enough. I gave up medication, drugs (long story), alcohol all addictions to some extent but couldn't give up food. I thought like you that I'd eat the same only smaller. For me thats not so. I can't eat bread/doughy food at all. Fried anything makes me nauseous. I don't eat crisps chocolate, biscuits which were sticking points for me. Not because I can't because I know I shouldnt. The scales going down every week is enough to keep up my motivation. I don't see food as a treat anymore. I choose makeup, clothes perfume. I don't regret my band one bit but its a tool. You/we still do the hard work make the right choices. No one should influence your choices/decisions follow your own heart.. Sent from my GT-S5830 using LapBandTalk

Anyone who has not struggled with their weight long term can never really understand, and you can't expect them to. It's like someone who doesn't drink telling an alcoholic to just stop drinking... Only you can answer the question have you tried hard enough or if surgery is right for you. I would not wish another 20 years trying on anyone (I'm 44). This particular surgery was not an option when I was your age (damn, now I feel old writing that) I didn't opt for the lap bad or bypass years ago, so I don't think "surgery" was my answer. I think THIS surgery was the answer for me. If you want to try on your own again, do it. You can even do it while you are moving forward with plans for surgery. Only you know what is best for you, but you are asking questions and you can't go wrong there! Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!!

Great job staying on track on a cruise!! I just got back from Florida on a week long vacation. I was on a 2 week stall when I went (at 4 months out I had avoided a stall up to that point). It was really hard not having a scale while I was out of town, but I survived! I didn't deprive myself at all, but I was eating small portions of mainly fresh seafood. I did drink too much alcohol but didn't really have any issues with it. I was walking on the beach and swimming a lot. I was able to move so much better and play with my kids! When I got back, my stall had broken and I was down 1 pound. Over the las few days, I've lost a couple more pounds. I'm happy with that!! I can't wait till Florida next year when I will be at goal

As many of you know, I'm a travel agent. I really hated to ask for a seat belt extension and not being able to do much but sit on the beach. I was sleeved at the end of May and today am down 60 pounds. Well, at 55 pounds lost I went on a cruise. Any of you ever done this? You know all of the food that is served on board...and in ports of call. I was with my hubby and parents...all eaters. I think I did pretty well...seeing there were a million desserts etc on board. The first night was bad.....I had a small soft serve icecream cone, then later that evening had a virgin mudslide. Ugh!! My first time having "dumping"!!! needless to say I watched the rest of my trip. My cocktails consisted of watered down cranberry juice in a cute glass with a piece of fruit and straw. The bartenders were pretty cool when I told them I couldn't drink alcohol or soda. They didn't even charge for the juice. I got so tired of iced tea. Every morning I had a fresh omelet made..well every other...I have to have bran cereal about every other day to try to stay regular. Breakfast was fine. I always tried to eat a mid morning snack like I do at home, but no cheese sticks or fudgesicles on a ship. I tried to get a fresh fruit cup but man the soft serve icecream machine kept getting in my way. I only had a few, very very small ones. Hubby kept giving me the evil eye. Lunch was usually a yogurt cup and fruit..There was a little cafe onboard that you didn't feel like you had to load your plate at the buffet. Dinner was usually a piece of baked chicken or fish. Not really eating any veggies yet, just mostly protein as I get full really fast. Mid night snack was eating the pepperoni and cheese off a slice of pizza.....or these cute little mini croissant ham and cheese sandwiches. When ever I wanted dessert my hubby split it with me...the pieces are only about a 1 inch square anyway. The point is, I didn't want to feel deprived. I took a portion of everything I felt I wanted to eat, but by the time I ate my protein there was not much room left for the other things. It was a bummer at the lobster house and getting a whole lobster and only being able to eat the claws....but I survived. My parents looked at me like wth....cuz I'd get full on a few bites. But that's ok, I had lost 55 pounds so far and I was walking the steps. We took the steps and walked every chance we could. Now, before the sleeve I would've come home with an extra 5 pounds. I wouldn't have walked and taken the elevator.This time I maintained....so proud of myself. But back home for almost a week now and 5 more pounds gone...yippee!!! Our next trip will be in April. I hope to be down another 30-40 pounds and parasail...that's my gift to myself...something I've always wanted to do. Anyone else have anything to say about vacations????

The reality is that in the beginning, we all lose weight due to the physical restriction of the sleeve. However, there comes a point where the sleeve will no longer be as effective at weight loss or maintenance as diet and exercise is. I have put significant effort into changing my relationship with food and embracing exercise. I still have work to do- my old habits still creep up every now and then and I find myself repeating old behaviors that I am trying so hard to replace with better choices. I understand and accept that the sleeve is basically temporary but my lifestyle is what is going to make the permanent and life-long change that I am looking for in my life. I understand and accept that I might struggle with my food addiction for the rest of my life, as any alcoholic does. But I also knew that I only had a 5% chance of loosing more than 100 pounds on my own, so for me, the surgery was necessary. Now, as I continue to struggle, I only have to deal with the food issues and temptations, and not the constant shame and guilt I felt at being 340 pounds. So even though I might always struggle, I won't struggle with as many things, if that makes sense.

Hello, My name is Jennifer, and my husband and I went to one of the bariatric surgery seminars a few weeks ago. We have had a follow up with the surgeon, appt with the dietitian, and my husband has attended I think 3 weekly support/information meetings that his surgeon runs. I'm posting here, because I truly want honesty and I'm not sure where else to put this. I am having some major concerns at this point. A little about me-I am not overweight, and I have no idea what that is like. I am a recovering addict, so the "addiction" issues that my husband has I do understand somewhat, I realize however that having food as an "addiction" is very different than drug and alcohol addiction. My husband (and I ) are 40. He is about 5'10" and currently weighs about 280. He has struggled with weight his entire life, but there have been times he was able to lose and keep weight off. This is the most he has ever weighed. I know he is miserable, depressed, uncomfortable, in pain and has no energy. We have gone through every diet, Meal Replacement, weight loss pills, etc-if they work, he stops doing them and then the weight comes back. He hates diets, hates being told, "you can't eat that" All the diets we have tried, low-carb, high Protein, he quickly abandons because of the restrictions. After our first one on one discussion with his surgeon we were talking about some of the lifestyle changes. His surgeon is a vegan, and my husband very clearly stated, well, I'm not going to do that kind of diet. He came home after group last night and appeared agitated and angry. We are dealing with some budget issues as well right now, and one of our huge expenditures is eating out, so that's something we are trying to drastically reduce. I went grocery shopping yesterday and on the way home I was thirsty so I got one of those frozen coffee things from burger king. This apparently was what triggered my husbands anger. After he had been home for a while, (he went and laid down almost immediately after he got home) he came into the kitchen and we were eating dinner. We started talking about how his meeting went, and it became very clear that he was really upset. My husband is normally pretty laid back, so this was a bit odd. Basically what it came down to is that he feels that we ALL eat lousy food and he doesn't want this lifestyle change to be "all his fault" and we really need to learn how bad all the food we eat is. OK, so over the past few years, I have changed a lot about our diet. I have traded out regular pastas for either whole wheat, rice, or veggie options, we don't eat potatoes hardly ever, low sodium everything, more salads and fresh veggies and fruits. If hamburger is in this house at all its 96% lean, more often its been replaced by ground turkey. I read and try to stay informed about healthy food choices. I do have 3 kids at home, all of whom pack a lunch every day. They have available to them quick microwave heat up things like pizza or chicken nuggets, there are chips and granola bars and applesauce, and puddings for Snacks to go with lunch. There is also fresh fruit that they take as well. Jason (my husband) seems to think this all needs to change. There shouldn't be any "junk" type foods ever, we are teaching our kids horrible eating habits, they are going to hit their 30s and 40s and become overweight. Bread is a useless food, unless it's homemade due to preservatives and even then it's minimally nutritious at best, (he became aware just last night I believe that he prob can't eat bread, or pastries or pancakes etc once he does this surgery) Bread and carbs are a bigger attraction for him than say candy and Cookies. Eliminating those items in the past for diets has caused him to hate diets. I'm concerned that if he goes thru with surgery he will just end up more depressed and angry at the limitations he is going to be under. Any thoughts?

it varies. General rule is if you are stalled lay off the sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols were ok in moderation but wow can they stall weight loss. Bummer

I ordered some online last night Vicki. Anyone have trouble with protein bars stalling them? I know sugar alcohols can be bad news from being a professional Atkins dieter lol.

I quit caffiene about 6 weeks and I kept some around (like a bottle of diet coke), so when the headache hit I would take a swig and tylenol. Like an alcoholic needing "hair of the dog". It took about a week. I swapped over to caffiene free diet coke and kept cutting back and finally quit the carbonated beverages 8 days ago... I think it would have been easier giving up "crack" or something like it, I had this need for it. I quit smoking 5 1/2 years ago and I think giving up the carbonated beverages was harder for me. I was drinking probably 6 - 8 Diet Cokes a day. I feel like my appetite has lessened, just a tad... not enough to call off surgery, but enough to leave food on a plate.

i'm three months post op and there hasn't been a day i;m not thinking about my eating constantly but i've had 50 years of wrong choices, yo-yo dieting and binge eating, isn't it natural that it will take some time to get used to making the right choices? but it looks harder than it really is. without the constant feeling of hunger you can make better choices. i'm sure that once we reach our goals and we level out everything will start to come more naturally. A friend of mine - 8 years post op - told me she doesn't need to think about her eating but she still needs to watch out for her trigger points - in her case alcohol. I guess there's still no fix for emotional eating (or drinking). Good luck with your surgery and i'm sure you'll do whatever you need to.

Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe bars - 180 calories, 20g of protein, 17g of carbs (2g of fiber, 4g of sugar alcohol). Protein calories to total calories is only 44% so 56% of calories is "other stuff". Not great considering their shakes average 85% of their calories from protein. But the bar is over the top good and when you're on the go, you can't beat the convenience of a bar. They come in a lot of other flavors but this one is just too good and since I probably eat one or two a month I don't need a lot of variety.

The bariatric foodie just reviewed Quest bars .. If you have FB you can like her page. They do have sugar alcohol called something else I can't remember but anyway wanted to let you know thaf date of surgery 02/21/12 surgery weight 340 lbs. current weight 146 lbs

Is it for pain control or recreational? If its the latter you might want to talk to your psyche consult about what you get out of it and if you can get to a place where it isnt really a benefit anymore. I'm not judging either. Ive had to make the same decisions about whether I want to keep alcohol in my life post op. These aren't easy decisions. At least your choice is calorie free!

So, I did see my doc about this - she practices alternative as well as traditional medicine. She started me on a product called Gaba Ease - intended to reduce the "adrenal response" - ie panic chemicals from our body. Well, I took 3 doses, and it wasn't until the 3rd dose that i figured out it was making me worse. I had a temporary but very very scary reaction - twice I was driving down the road and had to pull over because i thought i would faint - both times happened about 20 minutes or so after taking a dose. I felt like I couldn't breath and I actually considered calling 911 while i still could. It passed fairly quickly, but it wasn't good. The last time it happened I felt ill for hours and when I met a friend for a big hike he actually told me I looked a little green. I regained my strength and we hiked just fine... but it was several hours of suckage. Their theory is that i had a paradoxical response - meaning the herbs did the exact opposite what they were supposed to. My personal theory is that since my blood pressure is normal/low - that I had a sudden blood pressure drop. We won't find out because she decided it was not wise for me to continue that. She switched me to HTP 5 but I admit I haven't taken any - it is like I am afraid of feeling worse I guess. I hate green tea, but am willing to try it. I have posted about this before, but coffee is my primary "addiction transference" substance. I figure it beats alcohol, gambling, wreckless sex and maniacal shopping etc. but my coffee consumption got crazy wicked high over the summer. I have been cutting back over the last month or so and am moving toward going decaf/no coffee in preparation for my plastic surgery. I did that before my VSG too because last thing i need is to go through withdrawals while recovering from surgery! I am probably consuming 1/4 of the caffeine that I was a few months ago and yet my anxiety is actually amped way up. I eat pretty clean otherwise - mostly meat,seafood greek yogurt, cheese, green veggies and Protein drinks. I will note another small thing. I had let my weight creep about 5# above goal early in the summer - I think i hit 163. I am down to 155 and dropping (intentially) and I can't help but wonder if some of this goes back to the food reduction, the letting go of the weight. I have been doing the 5:2 thing - but I don't notice higher anxiety on fast days, it is just that in general I am eating less. Our bodies are complicated and I am guessing that I am experiencing something that has both physical and emotional components - just as I believe my overeating and obesity had both. the point of my original post really is that i am surprised that this is showing up so late in the journey, but I do see it as another aspect of myself that "needs work" and that I continue to work through as part of my transformation. The biggest difference between the new me and the old me? I am talking to friends and family about it, I am not trying to hide my discomfort and unease. I am being a genuine person and when I was obese I think i often tried to bury many of my inner struggles and i just don't do that anymore and I feel proud of myself for that small victory.

As a recovering addict/alcoholic, with over 15 years clean... I can say its very simple, not easy at all, but simple: when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired, the pain is greater than even the tiniest pleasure or comfort you get from food(or whatever it is we use to 'feel better')... you have the shame, guilt that adds another 100lbs onto your spirit... You want to go to bed and not wake up tomorrow....you have that moment you look in the mirror and don't recognize yourself, dont like what you see....but know deep down where that shred of hope and belief in yourself...that somehow the person on the inside who you believe in, you once were, you dreamed of becoming is still in there, and is crying out for one more chance at change, wants out of the self made prison.... THATS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE READY, and you will be willing to do whatever it takes to change. Whether its food, cigarettes, drugs, overspending, booze, sex, co dependency.... Addiction is addiction....period. Sure, drinking oneself to death or smoking crack, doing pills etc is more obvious, more harmful...way lower bottoms to hit. But, I have found that focusing on the substance, or the "what" we are addicted to is irrelevant... Its addiction. We are powerless over the ADDICTION , & it makes life unmanageable. Addiction is not limited to drugs, cigs, food, booze, etc.... We can always trade one for another, and unless we grasp what addiction or having an addictive personality is about, that will make life unmanageable too. Its emotional, spiritual, physical.and mental. For me, the 12 steps in the "A" programs work (oa, na, aa, etc).. The principles in the steps WORK. Never been to OA...not always thrilled with my own fellowship... My experience with those (incl me long ago) that have said this isnt for me usually werent entirely ready or thought they could do it on their own, or control it. But the same steps and principles, support, meetings, etc I have learned from and practiced for the last 15 yrs that have successfully kept me from using/relapsing....and gave me another shot at life... Are working for me in this journey too.... Rehab was a tool to start me off on the right track 15=yrs ago. It was up to me to continue to do what i needed to do to stay on that path, change, grow, heal...let go of past crap, live differently, make new habits etc.. Change people, places, things....even now. This surgery is a tool for me to get on the right track...because I know and accept I cant do it on my own...like you said food is everywhere, we need it to live...and its easier to.cheat or "relapse" on a cupcake.(or 10) than it is on a drink or drug. Not as much to lose.... Or is there???? Why OA is kinda unrealistic, imho. However, support groups, or a 12 step group that doesnt focus on specific substance, etc are essential, for me. Self sufficiency is a lie. We need each other, people who "get" it...the real it ... Addiction is a feelings disease. I can empathize with someone who shared about pretending to order food for a couple people in the drivethru, when in reality it was all for them... I never did that, but I can look at the behavior, the shame, guilt, feeling of degradation and despair it caused, and relate 100%.. I never thought I was a food addict, but the reality is that I am.. I like and want whatever makes me feel good, takes me out of whatever reality I dont wanna deal with, or need to numb. I usually eat well, yet if over emotional, stressed, etc...i tend to say "f" it, and eat whatever. I wont trade my clean time/sobriety for anything....but you can be sure Id break an eating plan or goal for a box of HoHos or pizza/wings in a second.... Until I realized that was keeping me trapped in a cycle of failure.....just like i was using. I ended up losing myself again, in a fetal position, crying every day... Once again looking in the mirror, saying WTF are you doing ??? You got clean, did all this work on your self with the steps, therapy, go to meetings drinking crappy coffee...have changed your life, in so many ways... To stay stuck again...to hide the beautiful person you are behind all this fat?? Settle again for just enough to get by, not being all you want to be?? (Thats my key...hiding behind the weight, more afraid of success than failure... Something inside still not feeling worthy...) And that was my "bottom" that led to this... So approaching it just like i did the drugs/booze and getting "clean". A lot of recovering people get this surgery...i have at least 6 friends in my network, and met another 5 or 6 at the NA world convention .."randomly" a few wks ago....and its not random. I got my approval on 8/29 while at that convention.... My HP (God for me) put people in my path all weekend that had had WLS, and where it came up in conversation....out of 18000 peeps there... My friend i was there with doesnt get it, questions my decision...and it was affecting me a bit....but BAM, there were peeps who got "it", lived it, were in the process who I just met that built me back up... So, there is something to giving it over to some power greater than ourselves, regardless of who or what that is. Sorry....long. Addiction is just something i understand all too well... Luckily, I also am continuing to learn what recovery, change, growth, etc is even better. thats my two cents....or ten cents, lol.

*** You really hit the nail on the head. You get it. I suppose I was thinking I had to be perfect (I,mistakenly, sometimes see things in black and white) in my diet, traveling this journey, thinking that I HAD to be 100% perfect. **** Fighting addiction is lifelong and with food, it doesn't have to be perfect. I guess I am human and CAN do this! Just like many of you. My therapist is a recovering alcoholic with 23 years clean, so she gets it a lot, but stumbles with the food issue because alcoholics recover by not picking up a drink, ever and with food, we HAVE to eat. It's more intense than that, but you get the drift. *** I've learned something new again, thank you all!

sugar free hard candy is a saving grace. It makes you feel bad.. but they are low calorie .. They have sugar alcohol which burns off in your body. Had this same issue last month on Pre-op diet. -Debbi

I feel like the longer I have my band the less I understand it... A little background info: Banded 2/6/13 with a 14cc band Surgery = 4cc 5/14/13 = 0.5cc 5/23/13 = 3cc 7/10/13 = 0.8cc Before my last fill I was experience some tightness in the mornings. Since it is almost like I don't have a band at all. I have only experienced one "stuck" episode and this was sometime between my 3cc fill and my last fill. I have never been one to throw up and I can only remember doing it twice. Once from nerves and the other alcohol. Which makes me wonder...is this why I am not experiencing more stuck episodes. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to have stuck episodes, but I also feel that I am overeating and eating to fast. I don't eat as fast or as much as I used to, but I know its more than a cup per serving. My concern is not so much weight loss related as it is damaging my band or stretching my esophagus. For those of you who are in the green zone...Does it take your hunger away or just your desire to eat? I only ask because I don't really want to eat most of the time, but my body is telling me I need to. Since surgery I get extremely sharp pains in my left shoulder if I let myself get to hungry. It also seems like my hunger comes on all of a sudden. One min I feel stuffed and the next I could chew my arm off... So this leads me to wonder if I should get a fill or not. I assume the tighter I get the more likely I will be to damage my band from over eating. However, will being closer to the green zone assist me with not overeating?!? I know the band will not physically keep me from over eating, but assist with the desire to over eat. Does that make scene? Ugh... If you can understand my ramblings and feedback would be greatly appreciated. *Sigh*

I subscribe to Dr. Sharma’s blog where he is currently talking about weight regain and all the reasons it happens. Today’s topic happened to be about Mental Health and regain. To quote him: We found substantial evidence for the role of mental health factors both in failure to lose adequate amounts of weight or to regain any weight lost. Out of the sixteen studies included in the review, all studies that examined this factor, implicated uncontrolled mental health issues as an important cause of weight regain. These included, binge eating disorder, depression and addictive behaviours (alcohol and drug use)…… Overall, patients with two or more psychiatric conditions were approximately six times more likely to either lose no further weight or regain weight than patients without psychiatric problems. Of course this sent me searching for Eating disorder screens and this is the one I took. NEDA. Thankfully I didn’t have one, but if you do, the news is not all doom and gloom. To quote him again, Interestingly, one study found that completion rates of behavioural modification therapy increased to 91% when performed post-operatively, compared to 14 % when done pre-operatively. So if you’re sleeved and struggling, get thee to a shrink and maximize your chances for success. Link to the study abstract HERE Happy Monday to one and all!