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IMHO - is that there are several factors that come into play whe adjusting a band, especially a larger band. The first which is true for either band is that the doctor will want to be relatively cautious when giving fills. They would much rather give you too little than too much and risk needing an unfill (in a worst case senario at the ER). Even though they make you drink some water after a fill to make sure its still going down there are those that find they are more restricted a couple days after a fill than they were immediately afterwards. But what I feel to be the bigger factor in that ever-ellusive "sweet-spot" of fills whith the larger band. Is that most of us were given the larger band (myself included) because we had a larger fat pad around the stomach wall. This fat pad will also naturally shrink as you lose weight causing the band to feel looser again. Which is why with the larger band I feel you usually end up finding and losing that sweet spot more often than not needing more tweaks until that fat pad has stopped shrinking. Personally, I ended up with over 12 fills in my first year. But have only had 1 in the last 6 months. And to be honest it probably was a mistake as I think that last fill left me a little too tight for several months. :eek:BTW - Am I reading your ticker right. The last time you posted your ticker said you were down 29 pounds now it reads 37. WOW!!! One bit of advice if you feel you are continuing to lose right now more on good ol' will power rather than "band-power" Make sure to emphasize that with your doc or he's likely to suggest you don't need a fill with such drastic weight loss. My doc refused me on either my first or second fill as he thought the band must be fine considering how much I had lost. But I was starving all the time and only restricting my intake through sheer effort. :ban:But I was so new to the process I didn't think to explain that to him and went away with out a fill. Coming back for one a few weeks later and after an unecessary 2 pound weight gain.

That's great. I was banded on 6/17 and I've lost 20lb-had my 1st fill 2 woks ago and feel a little restriction but I so conscious about what goes in my mouth, I'm not really clearing 800 calories and I can get on the scale from morning to night and have 4 lb weight gain...how does that happen??? I'm going for a 2nd fill on 8/2. I workout like a mad woman. I don't know what else to do, I was losing weight more consistently before the band.

Hi everyone! I am so thankful for this site and the many people on here who share their experiences. I was banded on 3/1/11 and am actually going in for my first fill this Friday (4/15/11). I lost approximately 15 pounds since the day I went in for surgery and I had a relatively easy post-op with no complications and now that I have healed, I am pretty much having no issues with eating ANYTHING or any stuck episodes (at least not yet). Due to this, I have been pretty much practicing the High Protein - NO Carb (as in no simple carbs, no Pasta, no rice, no potatoes, no bread) primarily because I am very much a carb addict (I looooove potatoes and bread and can eat them all day long). However, here is my problem, since I am completely new to this lifestyle and have been reading all of the posts on here and it seems as though everyone on here has incorporated SOME carbs into their diet without experiencing the weight gain that I am fearing will happen once I indulge even just a little bit. I am not a person who likes to cook and am slowly trying to overcome this obstacle. I think my main problem is I am quite confused on what to eat/make that would be satisfying but yet healthy and would still garner the intake i need to maintain weight loss with the band. I was hoping someone could possibly shed some light on the following for me: 1) what simple carbs can I incorporate into my diet and how much to still stay in ketosis (please keep in mind I cut all the "white" out of my diet previous to the LB surgery - white bread, rice pasta, etc.) 2) any good food ideas especially eating out that you can suggest? Any help would be greatly appreciated.. 3)

I think you have gotten some great suggestions. You have been on my mind all night, bc I keep thinking you are gonna have to eat regularly. If the move is too stressful, maybe don't do it. I think your health is the most important thing right now, right? I bet your husband is very worried. I am praying for your weight gain. Do you think they made the sleeve too small? Since you are tall I would think it would be longer that some of us shorties. But perhaps you can't get enough food down or you don't eat often enough. You need to find some fatty foods, some kind of balance. Seem like TIff got the hang of it with her small sleeve. But hopefully you are getting medical care. Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you and hoping/praying you'll get some fat on those bones soon.

Jennifer, Thanks for the heads up on the weight gaining. I am a scale geek...weigh myself daily. I know it's bad, but I can't help myself. I am getting banded at Highland Park Hospital by Dr. Denham. Where did you get banded?

I wanted to preface this post with this optimistic fact. My husband had the surgery with amazing results and no problems whatsoever 15 years ago - it saved his life. He lost over 150 pounds and kept if off. He's gained and lost the same 25 pounds like your typical middle aged person, but it's been nothing but a blessing for him. We had different surgeons. My experience wasn't so awesome, and I feel it's so important to share a few facts so you choose the RIGHT surgeon and ask the RIGHT questions. I hope I can help people avoid the avoidable. I'm a big believer in the surgery - but I want you to not suffer. Let me help:) What's the problem? The sleeve has a common and serious side effect that I suffer with, and that many surgeons downplay. GERD. But this isn't the GERD you think you know - I'll jump into that later. GERD has up to a 30% rate of occurrence after VSG - that's a lot higher then what my doc told me. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.14467. Not only did my doctor gloss over it, and convey that it was "really rare", but he didn't really explain what this type of GERD is. I'm going to explain what this type of GERD is, and then I'm going to arm you with the right questions and research to do before you pick a surgeon. Because once it goes bad, your surgeon will pawn you off on a GERD doctor and that's that. Let me help you get proactive and avoid a bad result! What is VSG GERD? Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux is when acid shoots into your esophagus and throat. VSG GERD is different - that's why I'm giving it its own name. I never had GERD before the surgery. Now I get VSG GERD after drinking 4 oz. of water. It's NOT triggered by food. This isn't occasional, it's constant without dangerous meds. I now weigh 115 pounds, so it's not triggered by overindulgence or weight gain brought on by binging. Now you might think you already know GERD. Who hasn't had to pop a tums here and there? Not a bad trade off for a morbid obesity cure, right? THIS IS NOT THAT!!!! VSG GERD is an unrelenting tidal wave of persistent, burning acid that causes chest pain (and emergency room visits) that can only be somewhat managed by daily, longterm use of a class of drugs called PPI's. These PPI's lead to malabsorption and a host of side effects. I sit in my local cancer center to have my bi-annual 4-hour iron infusion with chemo patients to name just one. https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2018/10001/Effect_of_Long_Term_Proton_Pump_Inhibitor_Use_on.1227.aspx PPI's are a class of drugs that are only intended for 2 weeks of use because of their fairly horrific side effects. PPI's are linked to depression, blindness, cancer, and early death, (and this is the short list). There are several law firms dedicated to compensation for PPI victims. PPI's makes me feel like I've just downed a bottle of Mayo. I've been nauseous for years. I alternate between taking a bottle of tums a day so that I can take breaks from the PPI - but I always revert back to them after a short break to alleviate the pain. I am seriously at risk for a ton of really serious diseases, and my liver tests are really bad. PPI's are deadly. I'm in the process of finding a surgeon who can help. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53622-3 The amount of VSG patients converting to the bypass/Linx system/etc. to rid themself of GERD and get off PPI's is exploding. Common sense would tell you that this isn't a" tums" sort of reflux! Hope for post VSG GERD As someone with no energy, horrible anemia, and low final weight - the bypass conversion sounds like a disaster because of the increased risk of malabsorption, but one surgeon told me it might be my only option. Some surgeons are discovering that a revision surgery to treat a hiatal hernial (HH) is the key to relief. I've had several scopes over the years, and they can never find a HH, but according to my husband's VSG surgeon, that isn't uncommon. He feels there is a possibility that my past the doctors missing it. I'm waiting on my barium swallow results. This gives me hope - that's why I wanted to share it. Hope is everything. I'm also going to talk with the doctor who wrote this article. "Laparoscopic Ligamentum Teres cardiopexy to the rescue; an old procedure with a new use in managing reflux after sleeve gastrectomy". Follow me and I'll keep you updated. https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(20)30814-X/fulltext#gr2 Future VSG patients - ASK QUESTIONS! A few surgeons are now doing the sleeve with hiatal hernia repair at the same time, and some understand how important it is to consider GERD while doing the surgery. Different surgeons have different techniques. Some doctors "get it", and are being proactive because they've seen the pain that GERD causes. Some downplay it. I would suggest that ALL sleeve pre op patients have this discussion with their surgeon before moving forward. If he downplays it, RUN. ASK!!!! Ask your surgeon how many patients has he had who've had GERD. How does/or will he address it if you are unlucky? Ask about his follow up - does he even know what's going on with his past patients? How does he keep track? Has he sent any patients to a GERD specialist? If he says, "oh, only a few of my patients had that" - ask him how he handled it. (My surgeon sent me to the GERD doc and then cut off ties. He was not curious about my results - he did not want to know. He probably still tells patients that it is rare. He has no idea I've been suffering for 14 years.) Bariatric surgeons who've done the surgery and are on the forefront of GERD repair are a good bet. These doctors are rare and you need to really hunt for them. If your doctor does the whole "very rare", etc. (my doctor did), he's either: not reading recent studies, not listening to his patients, not following up on them, minimizing this horrific side effect, or all of the above. Don't settle for a doctor who acts like it's "super rare" or "no big deal". THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Find one that is proactive and discusses HOW they avoid it. I'm rooting for all of you! Let's get the surgery, but let's get it from the right people. Don't pick the guy in Mexico just because he's cheap. Don't pick the guy because he takes your insurance. Spend the money for a few consults to discuss the surgery with different surgeons. Come here and reach out to people who've gone to him/her. I went with a blind recommendation and didn't ask enough questions - and the price is really expensive - I'm still paying.

Thank you MommaCEO for the 200 lb. issue. Maybe that is my problem. I'm at 202 right now and holding steady. Although for a fleeting moment, I was 200.9. That was such a great day......... Yes, the stall is still here. No weight loss in 12 days except for a 1 pound weight GAIN. Lots of others have experienced the same thing, from what I'm reading. And from what I see, the stall can last a week or two. Here is an article I found while obsessively looking for others who have stalled. I thought this was interesting... http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html#.U7FAqBYvvHj Okay ladies (any men following this? I dunno) it's Monday! Let's all get on here and tell everyone our progress! I would love to hear from you!

When I first started hanging around this site back in Oct. 07, I remember seeing people talking about onederland and not knowing what it was. Then I figured it out, but remember thinking "Wow, I wonder if I can ever get to "Onederland." First I had to get insurance approval, which I did and had the surgery on March 14, 2008. Well, today I reached Onederland!!! Yeah!!!! I am so thrilled and very retrospective at the same time. I have spent alot of time trying to work on the "why" of the weight gain over the years, so today I really feel like a different person. I am so happy to be at this point, feeling so good physically and mentally. So to all of you just beginning your journey, good luck and best wishes, you will be amazed at the wonderful life you are embarking upon.

While most of us knew all about the physical side of Weight Loss Surgery, many people have no idea about the emotional ride they're about to face. This article discusses all aspects of the "emotional roller coaster" from the moment you first decide on having bariatric surgery all the way up to the maintenance phase of your weight loss. It's a wild ride baby! When was the last time you were on a roller coaster? If you’re like me, it’s been a while. In fact, the last time I was on a roller coaster I was 310 lbs and could barely fit into the seat. The restraint almost didn't go around my tummy. I was squeezed in like Cinderella’s step-sister’s foot must have tried to squeeze into that tiny shoe. Yep. I was Drizella’s foot and the coaster seat was the glass slipper. I’m sure it was a comical, if not sad and pathetic site, for those around me. It was embarrassing to me, to say the very least. But I laughed it off and went on, as I tended to do. That roller coaster was a wild ride. It had huge climbs, steep drops, loop-de-loops, sharp turns, and at one point it feels like you’re lying on your side. Honestly, it’s a wonder I stayed in the coaster even with the restraint!! The end of the ride was abrupt - it felt like my insides were coming out of my mouth when it stopped short back at the beginning of the track. When it was over, I felt accomplished, in a way. I’d survived that coaster ride, wild and uncomfortable as it was. Many people don’t realize that life before, during, and after weight loss surgery becomes a roller-coaster ride of it’s own. It has the huge climbs of elation and joy and excitement, the steep drops into anxiety and depression, and the loop-de-loops, sharp turns, and lying on your side moments of uncertainty, worry, and fear. Here are some of the emotional dealings that will occur before, during, and after surgery that you might not know. 1. Pre-Surgery Elation. This happens when you are finally approved for surgery. It’s going to be a reality! You are going to get a brand new lease on life! The period of life where you are having to go through diet after diet is finally coming to an end! You might tell everyone you know or you might decide to keep your secret to yourself. Regardless, you are excited and ready to go! 2. Pre-Surgery Blues. This is when you realize that you are going to have to say good-bye to one of your best friends ... Food. You come to the realization that there are some favorites that you are just not going to be able to eat anymore. Depression sets in slightly, and you might even go on a food bender - similar to what an addict might do. At this point you might even question your decision to go through surgery. 3. Day of Surgery. You’re going to be going through a myriad of emotions during this time. You’ll feel excitement, anxiety, apprehension, and impatience all at the same time. You’ll be worried because, after all, it is a major surgery you’re about to go through. But at the same time, you’ll be excited at what’s about to happen. When you wake up from anesthesia, you might be scared, especially if you’re having a rough transition out of anesthesia. You might be a little confused, wondering where you are. When your body settles down a bit and you remember where you are and what just happened, you might feel a little concerned. "Did everything go okay?" "Is this going to work?" "Did I just make the biggest mistake in my life?" On the other hand, you might wake up beautifully, singing the praises of your surgeon and his/her team, excited to begin your new life. These feelings and emotions will likely cycle throughout the day as you’re getting used to the idea of what just happened and your body relaxes and comes out of shock from surgery. 4. Going Home. When you’re finally released to go home, you’ll either be excited or scared. Thoughts might rush your brain like “will I be able to do this on my own?” and anxiety might set in again. You might, again, question your decision to undergo surgery, especially once the monotony of the liquid diet phases set in. The first few days might be easy, and the next might be excruciating. You’ll be in some discomfort because of incisions and if the surgeon inflated your abdomen with gas prior to surgery (commonly done in laparoscopic surgeries), and this might heighten your doubts and anxieties. You might begin to worry about issues such as leaks, slippage, or staples coming loose. 5.The first few months. You will be going through a mourning period at some point, and for some that occurs during the first few months after surgery. You no longer are able to lean on food for emotional support, so you might feel sad. You might even go through a type of “withdraw” from food, similar to what an addict might be going through their first few days in rehab. You’ll be able to eat more some days than others, and that will lead you to worry if your surgery is working or if there’s something wrong. Some days you’ll be jealous of watching everyone around you eat foods that you once loved. Others, you’ll be glad you can’t/don’t eat those things anymore. By the time you've finished all of your phases and are on to real food, you’ll be relieved and excited, and likely worried and anxious as well. Whereas before, you were relying on liquids for sustenance, now you’re on your own and have to rely on figuring your food choices out for yourself. 6. The losing phase. From the moment you leave the hospital until you reach your goal you are considered to be in the losing phase of surgery. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to call the losing phase the time period from month 3 (about the time you transition into full solids) to the point where you reach your goal. There will be many frustrations, joys, and concerns in the months ahead. Some days you’ll forget everything you were taught about nutrition and make yourself sick on something you shouldn't have eaten. Other days you’ll be 100% on track. You’ll have moments of pride and joy, and moments of shame and weakness. You’ll revel in finding out you can eat something as simple as asparagus and despair over not being able to eat rice pilaf. You’ll finally reach your “groove” point sometime during month four or five, and things begin to go well. You’ll reach a stall or two (or five ...) and wonder if you’re doing something wrong or if you've messed up your new tummy. You’ll marvel over losing 10 lbs in one week. You’ll wonder why you only lost 2 lbs the next week. When your loss starts to slow down, you’ll worry that you’re not exercising enough, that you’re eating too much or too little, or worry that your surgery is beginning to fail. You’ll relax more when you are consistently losing, even if it has gone down to 1-2 lbs a week. 7. The maintenance phase. When you reach your goal weight, you will have reached what is called “maintenance”. This is the final stage that you will likely be in for the rest of your life. Here, you will change your diet slightly in order to not lose or gain any more weight. You will get frustrated a time or two - especially the first time you gain a few pounds. You will marvel at what you've lost, but are concerned with the way your body looks now. You will have loose skin, which may cause body image issues. If you’re single, you might notice more possible suitors paying more attention to you. You might fall from one addiction (food) into another (sex). You might also be tempted into other addictive substances or habits such as alcohol, cigarettes, shopping, or pornography. Alternatively, you may look back at your loss, as meaningful and inspirational. You might revel in the way your life has changed and be happier than you have ever been and be ready to branch out and help others succeed in their bariatric surgery journeys. Tips on Riding the Roller Coaster Knowing that these emotions are possible doesn't mean they will happen for everyone, and doesn't mean you can’t get through them. The following tips will help you stay on the road to success and prevent you from falling off the wagon and into an abyss of self-doubt and depression: 1. Support. This is the number one most important thing for WLS patients. Even more important than food is support. Support can be found at home, through friends and family, in a hospital or surgery center support group, or even online forums such as Bariatric Pal. 2. Stick to the plan. As tempting as it might be to veer off and eat something you’re not supposed to, stick with your doctor or nutritionist’s eating plan as closely as possible. This will ensure that you continue to lose steadily, decrease the length and amount of stalls you’ll experience, and will speed up the healing process. 3. Vitamins. It sounds very cliche, but remember to take your vitamins! Focus on Iron and B Complex vitamins especially.A vitamin deficiency can result in depression, physical weakness, and poor sleep habits. 4. Speaking of sleep ... Make sure you’re getting plenty of it! At least 8 hours a day for an adult! Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue, weight gain, and (you guessed it!) depression! 5. Remember that “this too shall pass” ... These stages of emotional turmoil certainly won’t last forever. You’ll get over them as quickly as they overcame you. And keep in mind that each stage after surgery only lasts a short time in the grand scheme of things. Most eating phases last, at most, a month. After which you’re on to the next phase. 6. Keep a plan handy. Know that you will likely feel some unpleasant emotions or feelings and plan for them. Know what you’re going to do when you get upset, depressed, feel head hunger, or even feel physical pain from surgery. Have a list of friends to call at the drop of a hat, have a bottle of water ready to sip on at all times, or have your doctor’s phone number on speed dial. Know that these feelings will likely happen at some point in time, and be ready to deal with them when they do. 7. Remember that everything you’re going through is completely normal and OKAY. It’s important and helpful to know that everyone goes through a stall at some point. Everyone has pain during the first couple of weeks after surgery. Everyone eats something they shouldn't at some point. Whatever it is you’re going through - someone else has likely gone through it! 8. Finally, DON’T GIVE UP! Remember that this is a journey. As the old saying goes, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” There will be ups and downs on this wild roller-coaster ride. There will be twists and turns and loop-de-loops and there will be many moments when you feel like you’re laying over on your side. But, in the end, it will all be worth it. Your health, your life, and YOU ARE WORTH IT!!

I am 60 and had my surgery 2 years ago 1/14. Now I can eat anything. Not good! I gave in to the holiday food! Weight gain! Scared to get on the scales but tomorrow is the day to get this weight back off! My advice would be to get as much weight off within 18 months as possible. I failed to research. This week I found two different support groups and that has encouraged me. I don't have that at home. So if this helps you, I'm thankful! Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It may stretch some, but stretching is not what causes weight gain. You can gain weight back by drinking your calories, choosing high calorie foods, eating slider foods that you can eat a lot of, and by eating throughout the day. Eating 500 extra calories per day will pack on a pound a week. So someone could eat a healthy diet, throw in a Starbucks Venti White Hot chocolate at 520 calories every morning and viola- at the end of the year we're talking 52 lbs. Same thing with Snacks. My problem is snacking at night. I have to keep a grip on it. I love Chex Snax mix. It has 130 calories for 1/2 cup and I can eat a couple of cups over the course of the evening while I'm watching TV. I prefer to not have it in the house. I strongly recommend counseling for those who are struggling with overeating after surgery. Surgery does not cure head hunger. I would love to have those snacks at night, but I know I can't if I want to maintain the healthy weight I have worked so hard to achieve. Lynda

Thank you for your post vickiebc! I just found this group today. I am 61 and have been to the seminar, the consultation and have my first meeting with nutritionist tomorrow. I was beginning to think there were no other people my age going through this. I I am very excited but also very nervous!! Please, keep posting. Sent from my QTAIR7 using the BariatricPal App Hi! Excited to see some of us "older but wiser" peeps on here! I am a 66 yr. young female going on 67 (in July) and had my surgery at 59. I went from "my" high weight of 241 to 127 in 8 months and was told to put on 5 lbs. Well I've done that, AND more, 23 lbs! I share this because it's a well known fact that if we do not stay plugged in to a support group and think our "pouch" is going to do all the work, we are fooling ourselves. I know because that's what I've done.....Im depressed about my weight gain, I cannot afford any type of cosmetic procedures and find myself slipping into the same habits that got me heavily obese in the first place! I'm not crying the blues or feeling sorry for myself folks, just asking if anyone out there has been, or is, there and what you did. For those of you who've just had the surgery, or are scheduled, I applaud you....I still believe it is the best thing I've ever done for myself Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

What's everyone planning on doing for staying active? I know we have to walk, walk, walk. But anything else in addition to that? I have always been a "thick" girl but my horrible weight gain started after I dislocated my knee cap at the gym in 2012. No bueno. It was on a Saturday so I was rushed to the ER but the military didn't understand how serious it was so they delayed my MRI until that Wednesday. When my doctor got the results he called me and told me he didn't realize it was that bad and had me off my knee for several weeks. It was too late for surgery and I had to do conservative rehab. Since then I have gained 70lbs. Granted, I had a baby 16 months ago but still...that's a lot of weight. So I am very eager to get back to working out. I plan on starting out walking only for the first two weeks. Doctors orders. And then adding light weights for the next two weeks after that. I bought a 4lb bar - very light, I know, but I am going to kill my arms with reps each time I use it. Then I don't know what I'm going to do. I love Zumba but the class I go to is really hard core. I am a licensed instructor myself (not practicing) so I know hundreds of routines. I might just start doing that at home for a month to get back into it. I also have a membership at Orangetheory fitness. Anyone heard of it? I put my membership on hold until March...that's also pretty hardcore - HIIT on the treadmill for 30 minutes plus 30 minutes of weight training. If I stuck with that I would probably go 3 times a week at first. I've recently seen ads on tv for Shaun T's new dvd set - Cize - which is another dance program (I love dancing, can you tell? I was a cheerleader in high school and on the dance team in undergrad). I don't know anyone who's tried it. One appealing thing about it is that it uses actual hit songs that are popular right now which I find very motivating! But anyways, what are some of y'alls plans for working out post-op?

@@Lexigurl82 First of all... you are beautiful. I know you can't see this right now because you're so broken but you really are. Your ex is a straight up BUSTER. Know that you have done the absolute best thing for you and your daughter and I just want to applaud you for having the COURAGE to take such a huge step. Many women live in this kind of turmoil and because they really don't believe they deserve better-- they stay. YOU made the first step and not only did you leave-- but you filed for DIVORCE. Please know that This too.... shall pass. Lexi, this is your time. I know it doesn't feel like it right now but in time you will be able to look back on this day shaking your head and smiling at the same time. It's time for you to start loving YOU. You've had the WLS-- and been quite successful thusfar. Congratulations!!!! Continue with healthy activities it's this kind of thing that can derail us back to bad habits but DON'T EVEN. The 5 stages of grief associated with dying apply to Divorce just the same. Some stages you will skip past quickly, some you will linger around in longer. It's ok to be sad. To cry. To break things. To be ANGRY. But then you must move on so that you can grow as an individual and transition into the next phase of your life that GOD has waiting for you. It is amazing. Don't worry about dating right now. You're no where nearly ready for that. You have to heal first so that you are ready for the right one. OR else you might find yourself back in the same situation. First and foremost allow me to recommend personal counseling/therapy. I know this is not a very popular option but-- check your insurance benefits. Many plans have a Mental Health benefit that most of us never take advantage of. If your co-pays are too high, reach out to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Its a great resource available to employees to help you cope with stressors in your life. If you belong to a church you can also seek pastoral counseling. I went through therapy for about 4 months. One night a week. 1 hr. No judgement. Psychologist was neutral and helped me to identify reasons that led to my thinking and behavior, and provided tools and behavioral exercises to help improve my thinking patterns, and responses. I had to DO THE WORK chile, because she couldn't be with me 24 hours but there were things I would work on until my next visit and we would review and move forward. This helped me to look at life with a new perspective, see the positive in myself so that I could focus more on becoming a better version of myself. That was the mind part. I began eating healthier, exercising, taking care of my body. Then I had WLS. That was the body part. Many men who are themselves insecure, will prey on others with insecurities as a method to inflict control. He had not problem with your weight gain because it was no threat to him. He asked you if you were going to leave after having WLS because this was a threat to him. That's his problem, not yours. Then the soul... whatever helps you to tap into a higher power, spiritual connection-- meditation, prayer, scriptures-- Bottom line all things need to be in check mind body and soul. Spend some time to yourself to do some reflecting and create a vision board for what and who you want to be. Fit, stylish, Social, Traveler, whatever. Create a list of things you want to do. Yoga, Spa, re-connect with old friends, visit a new place, get your hair, nails, feet done. Go to the mall buy a new lip color, let them makeup your face. LOVE on YOU. IF you look good, you'll feel good. Spend time with your daughter. I encourage you to work on yourself first and foremost because everything you do affects her. If you're moping around and depressed-- mad at the world, mad at her dad. She's taking it all in. Trust me kids pick up on these things and when mommy is sad... she hurts too. Be open to discussing her feelings. I understand your feelings toward his friends and family but at the end of the day... their loyalty is to him. My sister in law and I are very close but I KNOW-- if there were something going on... her loyalty will always remain to her brother. Sometimes people just don't want to get involved or cause drama. That doesn't make it right, but this is a time for you to purge individuals out of your life and its up to you to pick and choose who you want in your life. I do wish you the very best. I have a feeling this time next year for you will be much different but it is a process and there is light at the end of the tunnel. But it starts with you! Best wishes Lexi!

Okay, so I've overshot my final goal, and my wife is upset that I'm getting "too skinny". Now what? I'm still losing, slowly, but I really need to stop, and maybe even put 2-3 pounds back on. I guess I need to get out of ketosis. My doc suggested adding back carbs that you'd eat cooked with a meal (brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat Pasta, etc. And I'm guessing quinoa, barley and oatmeal would probably be okay, too. Can any of you vets who have successfully transitioned to maintenance advise about how you did it? What can we do to stop the weight loss – and what shouldn't we do – in order to prevent weight gain? Thanks in advance!!!

Hey Mandy is that you? I haven't checked out this site for about a year. So much have changed. I'm single again. My total weight loss so far is 85 lbs. I just had a defil in Ottawa with Dr Bishop and now I can eat everything I want. I'm still being careful but I have had at least a 5lb weight gain. I am waiting for a Barium swallo to she if the band has slipped. They don't think that it's possible but they want to make sure. Are you married yet? Are you maintaining your weight loss. So much catching up to do Louise

The report below came from John Hopkins health Alerts. Thought you all would be interested in it:faint: A revealing study published in the International Journal of Obesity (online edition, June 27, 2006) highlighted 10 reasons why Americans are fat. The study explained that too much food and a lack of exercise are not the only factors contributing to obesity. They identified 10 other possibilities: Weight gain factor 1. Less sleep. We’ve gone from an average of nine to seven hours of sleep a night; sleep deprivation is linked to a more robust appetite. Weight gain factor 2. Pesticides and other chemicals in foods. These substances can change hormonal activity, which can boost body fat Weight gain factor 3. Air conditioning and heating. We don’t sweat and shiver as much as our ancestors, so we don’t burn as many calories. Weight gain factor 4. Fewer smokers Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. Weight gain factor 5. Greater use of medications, such as antidepressants and diabetes drugs, which have weight gain as a potential side effect. Weight gain factor 6. Population changes. There are now more older people as well as more Hispanics in the United States, and these groups have higher rates of obesity.[/font] Weight gain factor 7. Older birth mothers, whose children are more prone to excess weight gain than the offspring of younger mothers. Weight gain factor 8. Genetics. Obese moms may pass the trait onto their children in utero. Weight gain factor 9. Higher body weight = greater fertility. Heavy people produce more offspring than thinner people. Weight gain factor 10. Assortative mating. Heavy people tend to mate with each other and produce heavy children.

I'm in.. I've lost my motivation lately and have been eating a lot of snacks and slider foods... resulting in a 10 pound weight gain :smile2::thumbdown: I need to be accountable!!!

This will be long. It'll be for those who are checking out the thread and those who just want to be reminded. It's a rant about Type II Diabetes from Dr Garth on his FB page some time back. LOL ENJOY READING! So, this is going to be a long rant with lots of scientific references, reader beware. The cliff notes: carbs do not cause Type 2 diabetes, meat does! I will provide references at the end of the post. "But wait a second" you may say. "My sugar goes up when I eat carbs, so carbs must be to blame". You are not alone in this thought. Even the President of The American Society of Bariatric Medicine thinks this way. He believes that if your sugars are low you are cured of diabetes. SO he puts people on low carb diets , and in fact the studies show low carb diets will lowers blood sugar, go figure. But has diabetes been cured? Are they healthier? Low carb studies are very short term and use lab results as their end points, not end organ disease. They don't prove that low carb diets reduce heart disease, they show that it raises HDL and since high HDL is associated with less heart disease they assume that heart disease is lower. Likewise, they assume diabetes is cured when blood sugar is low, but has diabetes been cured? Not at all. As soon as the patient eats a carb the blood sugar will rise. Why? Because they still have insulin resistance. So many people make the mistake of thinking diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar. High blood sugar is just a symptom, the disease is insulin resistance. This is why I see so many failed Atkins and protein fast patients. So what causes insulin resistance. This is the big question. Treating the symptom and not the cause is the typical western medicine paradigm. We need to look beyond. The fact is the biggest consumer of sugar, the organ most affected by insulin, are your muscles. I find it ridiculous that people, like Robert Lustig and Gary Taubes, talk about insulin as some kind of awful hormone. Why would we evolve to have an evil hormone that is in every single person. Insulin is only a problem when the body is resistant to insulin. Insulin serves a vital purpose, which is to get the fuel into the cells, and muscle needs glucose to generate fuel. Our bodies are built to live off sugar. Insulin is supposed to join to an insulin receptor on the surface of the muscle cell which allows the sugar to enter the body and then be utilized to produce energy in the mitochondria. In fact, the healthiest people in the world eat tons of carbs. The Sardinians and the Okinawans eat 80% of their calories from starches and yet their insulin levels are not sky high, and their blood sugars are normal. So what causes the muscle to become insulin resistant. Well this is a little more complex but it appears that it is fat build up in the muscle cell. Excess fat entering the cells interferes with the muscle cells ability to produce insulin receptors. If the muscle cannot make insulin receptors then sugar cannot get into the cell and then the sugar starts to build up in the system. Then the pancreas has to produce even more insulin to try and force sugar into the cells, and now you start getting high insulin levels. Moderate insulin is good but high insulin inhibits an enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase causing even more fat accumulation, and a vicious cycle begins. This then begs the question, "what causes fat to accumulate in the muscle cell"? Well, there are many theories. One is that insulin combined with lipids in the blood stream after eating causes intramyocellular fat. This makes sense. So if you eat steak believe it or not your insulin rises. It is also filled with fat. The insulin will cause fat to be accumulated in the cell. The same thing would happen if you ate a donut or a pizza. These are not carbs. They have carbs but they actually have more fat than carbs. Other theories are that inflammation causes the muscle cell to dysfunction and not oxidate fat, causing fat accumulation. There is definitely evidence that acid accumulation cause insulin resistance likely from muscle cell dysfunction. Type II diabetes has been rising at astounding rates. How does our diet differ? We are eating a very acidic diet with too little of the bicarbonate producing plants as our ancestors did! Meat based diets are very acidic and cause inflammation which results in intramyocellular fat. There are even models that show certain amino acids will cause direct deposit of fat in the muscle cells. There is some fascinating research looking at MRI's of people's muscles which show that athletes are able to mobilize fat easily from their muscle but overweight people cannot. This raises the additional question as to whether exercise has an affect on intramyocellular fat. There is also a good body of studies showing high iron stores can affect insulin resistance. As you may know, meat is high in a particularly toxic form of iron which can further attribute to insulin resistance. Interestingly, carbs are readily burned in our body or stored as glycogen. It is actually very difficult to turn carbs to fat. The only time carbs become fat is when glycogen stores are full and calorie intake has exceeded expenditure. A nutrition professor proved this by eating a high sugar diet but keeping calories less than 1800 calories. Despite eating almost purely sugar, he lost weight and his insulin resistance improved. So if what I tell you is true then it should work in a randomized control trial and in epidemiologic studies of populations of people. In fact, it does. Dr. Turner-Mcgrievy and Dr. Barnard have put it to the test. They took diabetics and randomized to either vegan diet or the typical ADA, high protein diet recommended by doctors. Despite eating high carbs and lots of fruit, the vegan group had significantly greater drop in A1C. We can see this in action in many different epidemiological studies too. The EPIC/Panacea study, which is the largest epidemiological study ever done on food and disease, found no correlation between carb consumption and development of diabetes, but meat had strong correlation to diabetes. In fact, fructose consumption was associated with less diabetes. This becomes more understandable when you know that meat causes inflammation, acidosis, stimulates insulin, and has fat. People tend to think Type II diabetes is genetic, but diabetes is affecting all races at this point. In fact, Japanese had low rates of diabetes but if they migrated to Brazil, which is having a crisis of diabetes, they get very high rates of diabetes. In fact, the Brazil government has made recs to decrease meat. The same recs are being given by the Japanese government which has noted an increasing rate of diabetes with the increasing meat consumption. One of the best long term studies is the Adventist Healthy study as they followed a large population for many years. The population was healthier in general due to lack of smoking and drinking and moderate exercise, making them an excellent study given less confounding factors. The vegans had considerably lower diabetes than the meat eaters. Even Harvard's Nurses Health Study, which is the largest and longest epidemiologic study in America, shows a significant relationship between animal protein consumption and Type II DM formation. Let me also add that the randomized control trials and epidemiological studies, unlike the low carb studies, show improvement in end organ function. Less heart disease, less kidney dysfunction, less neuropathy, and longer life. Most of all. Let me tell you that it is absolutely ridiculous to eat less fruit, as the president of the American Society of Bariatric Medicine claimed at our meeting. Studies show that fruit consumption does NOT increase A1C and is actually associated with weight loss and diabetes control. Studies show increasing carbs actually controls diabetes if they are whole grains, fruits and veggies! There are so many studies that prove this point. I have included just a sample below. Gimeno, S. G., et al. (2002). "Prevalence and 7-year incidence of Type II diabetes mellitus in a Japanese-Brazilian population: an alarming public health problem." Diabetologia 45(12): 1635-1638. de Carvalho, A. M., et al. (2013). "Excessive meat consumption in Brazil: diet quality and environmental impacts." Public Health Nutr 16(10): 1893-1899. Morimoto, A. (2010). Trends in the Epidemiology of Patients with Diabetes in Japan. JMAJ. 53: 36-40. Adeva, M. M. and G. Souto (2011). "Diet-induced metabolic acidosis." Clin Nutr 30(4): 416-421. Souto, G., et al. (2011). "Metabolic acidosis-induced insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk." Metab Syndr Relat Disord 9(4): 247-253. Sebastian, A., et al. (2002). "Estimation of the net acid load of the diet of ancestral preagricultural Homo sapiens and their hominid ancestors." Am J Clin Nutr 76(6): 1308-1316. Dawson-Hughes, B., et al. (2008). "Alkaline diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults." Am J Clin Nutr 87(3): 662-665. Jenkins, D. J., et al. (2003). "Type 2 diabetes and the vegetarian diet." Am J Clin Nutr 78(3 Suppl): 610S-616S. Holt, S. H., et al. (1997). "An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods." Am J Clin Nutr 66(5): 1264-1276. Barnard, N. D., et al. (2009). "A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial." Am J Clin Nutr 89(5): 1588S-1596S. Barnard, N. D., et al. (2006). "A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes." Diabetes Care 29(8): 1777-1783. Barnard, R. J., et al. (1998). "Diet-induced insulin resistance precedes other aspects of the metabolic syndrome." J Appl Physiol (1985) 84(4): 1311-1315. Stubbs, R. J., et al. (1997). "Carbohydrates and energy balance." Ann N Y Acad Sci 819: 44-69. Bloomer, R. J., et al. (2010). "Effect of a 21 day Daniel Fast on metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women." Lipids Health Dis 9: 94. Snowdon, D. A. and R. L. Phillips (1985). "Does a vegetarian diet reduce the occurrence of diabetes?" Am J Public Health 75(5): 507-512 Tonstad, S., et al. (2009). "Type of vegetarian diet, body weight, and prevalence of type 2 diabetes." Diabetes Care 32(5): 791-796. Fung, T. T., et al. (2004). "Dietary patterns, meat intake, and the risk of type 2 diabetes in women." Arch Intern Med 164(20): 2235-2240. Jornayvaz, F. R., et al. (2010). "A high-fat, ketogenic diet causes hepatic insulin resistance in mice, despite increasing energy expenditure and preventing weight gain." Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 299(5): E808-815. Valachovicová, M., et al. (2006). "No evidence of insulin resistance in normal weight vegetarians. A case control study." Eur J Nutr 45(1): 52-54. Frassetto, L., et al. (2001). "Diet, evolution and aging--the pathophysiologic effects of the post-agricultural inversion of the potassium-to-sodium and base-to-chloride ratios in the human diet." Eur J Nutr 40(5): 200-213. Flanagan, A. M., et al. (2008). "High-fat diets promote insulin resistance through cytokine gene expression in growing female rats." J Nutr Biochem 19(8): 505-513. Cai, H., et al. (2007). "A prospective study of dietary patterns and mortality in Chinese women." Epidemiology 18(3): 393-401. Schulze, M. B., et al. (2003). "Processed meat intake and incidence of Type 2 diabetes in younger and middle-aged women." Diabetologia 46(11): 1465-1473. Song, Y., et al. (2004). "A prospective study of red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly women: the women's health study." Diabetes Care 27(9): 2108-2115. Vang, A., et al. (2008). "Meats, processed meats, obesity, weight gain and occurrence of diabetes among adults: findings from Adventist Health Studies." Ann Nutr Metab 52(2): 96-104. Pan, A., et al. (2013). "Changes in Red Meat Consumption and Subsequent Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Three Cohorts of US Men and Women." JAMA Intern Med: 1-8. Ahmadi-Abhari, S., et al. (2014). "Dietary intake of carbohydrates and risk of type 2 diabetes: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study." Br J Nutr 111(2): 342-352. Lara-Castro, C. and W. T. Garvey (2008). "Intracellular lipid accumulation in liver and muscle and the insulin resistance syndrome." Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 37(4): 841-856. Cozma, A. I., et al. (2012). "Effect of fructose on glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled feeding trials." Diabetes Care 35(7): 1611-1620. Azadbakht, L. and A. Esmaillzadeh (2009). "Soy-protein consumption and kidney-related biomarkers among type 2 diabetics: a crossover, randomized clinical trial." J Ren Nutr 19(6): 479-486. Sørensen, L. B., et al. (2005). "Effect of sucrose on inflammatory markers in overweight humans." Am J Clin Nutr 82(2): 421-427. Montonen, J., et al. (2013). "Consumption of red meat and whole-grain bread in relation to biomarkers of obesity, inflammation, glucose metabolism and oxidative stress." Eur J Nutr 52(1): 337-345. Barbaresko, J., et al. (2013). "Dietary pattern analysis and biomarkers of low-grade inflammation: a systematic literature review." Nutr Rev 71(8): 511-527. Muraki, I., et al. (2013). "Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies." BMJ 347: f5001. Ye, E. Q., et al. (2012). "Greater whole-grain intake is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain." J Nutr 142(7): 1304-1313. Chiu, T. H., et al. (2014). "Taiwanese Vegetarians and Omnivores: Dietary Composition, Prevalence of Diabetes and IFG." PLoS One 9(2): e88547. Goff, L. M., et al. (2005). "Veganism and its relationship with insulin resistance and intramyocellular lipid." Eur J Clin Nutr 59(2): 291-298. Esposito, K., et al. (2003). "Effect of dietary antioxidants on postprandial endothelial dysfunction induced by a high-fat meal in healthy subjects." Am J Clin Nutr 77(1): 139-143. Jiang, R., et al. (2004). "Body iron stores in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in apparently healthy women." JAMA 291(6): 711-717. Hua, N. W., et al. (2001). "Low iron status and enhanced insulin sensitivity in lacto-ovo vegetarians." Br J Nutr 86(4): 515-519. Watzl, B. (2008). "Anti-inflammatory effects of plant-based foods and of their constituents." Int J Vitam Nutr Res 78(6): 293-298. Chandalia, M., et al. (2000). "Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus." N Engl J Med 342(19): 1392-1398. Pickup, J. C. (2004). "Inflammation and activated innate immunity in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes." Diabetes Care 27(3): 813-823. Deopurkar, R., et al. (2010). "Differential effects of cream, glucose, and orange juice on inflammation, endotoxin, and the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3." Diabetes Care 33(5): 991-997. Ghanim, H., et al. (2009). "Increase in plasma endotoxin concentrations and the expression of Toll-like receptors and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 in mononuclear cells after a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal: implications for insulin resistance." Diabetes Care 32(12): 2281-2287. Bao, W., et al. (2012). "Dietary iron intake, body iron stores, and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis." BMC Med 10: 119. Romeu, M., et al. (2013). "Diet, iron biomarkers and oxidative stress in a representative sample of Mediterranean population." Nutr J 12(1): 102. Cooper, A. J., et al. (2012). "A prospective study of the association between quantity and variety of fruit and vegetable intake and incident type 2 diabetes." Diabetes Care 35(6): 1293-1300. Rizzo, N. S., et al. (2011). "Vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome: the adventist health study 2." Diabetes Care 34(5): 1225-1227. Consortium, I. (2013). "Association between dietary meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: the EPIC-InterAct study." Diabetologia 56(1): 47-59. Watt, M. J. and A. J. Hoy (2012). "Lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle: generation of adaptive and maladaptive intracellular signals for cellular function." Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 302(11): E1315-1328. Coletta, D. K. and L. J. Mandarino (2011). "Mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance from the outside in: extracellular matrix, the cytoskeleton, and mitochondria." Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 301(5): E749-755. Eckel, R. H., et al. (2005). "The metabolic syndrome." Lancet 365(9468): 1415-1428. Brunzell, J. D., et al. (1971). "Improved glucose tolerance with high carbohydrate feeding in mild diabetes." N Engl J Med 284(10): 521-524. Christensen, A. S., et al. (2013). "Effect of fruit restriction on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes--a randomized trial." Nutr J 12: 29.

SLG, I'm glad you've gotten good news about your insurance. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm doing really well! I am down to 193 (192, actually after exercising and bathrooming) again. That's a 5-6 pound drop from where I was at the beginning of the week. I had just had a couple of really bad eating days, so I don't know how permanent the weight gain would have been. I do know, though, that it would have stayed high and continued to go up if I hadn't made some big changes. Now to just continue on down the scale! I'm ready to change my ticker back, even though I don't think it will stay long. Have a great day, Ladies.

Like Butterthebean, I also feel like I looked for struggling posts before. But I know that while there are more now, I think that I also didn't want to see the negative side before. So I'd quickly browse those posts and think "Well, that won't be me" and move along. The vets that were here when I was researching are mostly gone, with the exception of Oregondaisy. I think part of why you see so many people sharing is the plain awesomeness of the group we have hanging around. Okay, more likely it's that we 1) have a place of our own to vent that stuff. I mean, where would you do it before the vet board? Would you charge into the general discussion area and throw it out there? Probably not. Also, 2) People are staying active here on the forums for more than nine months. I think the real struggles for most folks are more than a year post op. The norm before was about nine months, come back to post a one year hooray me! post and disappear again. Only a small handful of people were the vets "in charge" of answering all those questions and giving support all over the forums. For them, it was surely exhausting and probably made it doubly difficult to realistically post about struggles. And I know for a fact that two of them, in particular, spent a huge amount of time answering personal PMs for people. It gets draining and it's also hard to admit (while cheerleading and leading the way for others) that you're struggling, too. Just my opinion, but I have lots of those. As for the rest - I cannot do the abstinence thing. We are all different. For me, that instantly makes whatever I'm avoiding the thing I want most in the world. I put myself in a position where I must summon a mountain of willpower to stay away. I know this because it's how I lived as a diabetic. Abstain, abstain, abstain, BINGE, guilt, weight gain, guilt, abstain, abstain, abstain, BINGE, repeat until you're 120 pounds overweight and positively miserable, and oh yeah, your blood sugars are a disaster, too. So if it wasn't bad that your mind feels like crap from this cycle, your body does, too. But some people really, really have to stay away entirely. I think for me, the enemy isn't the food. Sure, I limit my "exposure" to the issue so to say by keeping some things out of the house, especially when I'm feeling bad. But for me the real issue is mindfulness. If I think about what I eat, I have no problems. So my issue isn't obsessing about food - I only do that when it's forbidden. It's in my head. If I think about what I plan to eat that day, if I have a plan, I'm fine. If I just sit around and eat or join in with my friends at a restaurant and have everything they're having, without thinking about it or logging my food first, I have a problem. And when I'm stressed or emotional or whatever I'm less likely to put myself first and plan my food out. It's when I "wing it" for dinner that I run into frying homemade pizza rolls rather than roasting some chicken breasts. So for me, and my very organized and in charge personality, I need planning and mindfulness to stay on top. It's different for everyone, though. I think that those with the real triggers are the ones that have the toughest struggle. Abstaining is hard and one little slip for those people can mean sliding down the whole darn slope. I feel like I went crazy off the rails last week. When, in fact, I didn't track my food for roughly ten days and spent about a week eating whatever I wanted. I gained one pound. For me, that's a big deal. For other people, that can be part of every month, you know? That makes it a totally different place to be coming from and I think it also means you need a different approach. I think that's why 5:2 is working for a lot of the vets lately. No abstaining, a little less stress and pressure about food choices. It's not a free pass but I dunno. I feel like I can breathe more easily and be more forgiving of myself. And yeah...I'm putting the scale away (no, I really am this time, my husband hid it from me again!) but I'm down another pound today. Make that ten pounds, five days on 5:2 and I'm two pounds away from usual goal weight window and one pound under my pre-pregnancy weight. Today is day six and I feel like I didn't just shed weight I shed a load off my mind. I don't know if the fast did it or what but I feel less foggy and unhappy. ~Cheri

I'm 6 days post op and doing great! Lost the surgery weight gain plus 2 lbs.

A person who is building muscle will have a different diet plan than one that is wanting to 'cut' and show ripped muscles. Body beast by Beachbody is a program that is strictly designed for weight gains. The food program bulks you up then at end of program you go on a 'cut' diet plan to define the muscles you have been building up. It's a science.

Weight is a touchy subject, and women are complicated creatures. I know none of us would take kindly to anyone commenting on our weight when we're gaining it, and I feel like a lot of people also think that way about commenting on someone losing it. I had my surgery one day after you, and have lost right about the same amount as you, I think...from 213 down to 124. There's a huge difference in my appearance, yet almost no one acknowledges it. I am actually grateful for it. Even though I know that I look much better, if someone were to say that to me, I am pretty sure my crazy brain would go into overdrive with thoughts of "gosh, did I really look so bad before?" Yep, I think comments about weight - gain or loss - are best left unsaid. Except, of course, on here... Elode, you look fantastic!!!

I had a sweet tooth and that is one of the reasons why I had to have the surgery. My sweet tooth led eventually over time to too much weight gain that then that lead to sugar diabetes. Diabetes is a terrible condition. I watched the effect of diabetes on my mother. She developed wounds on her feet. These were not heal because of diabetes. For 10 years before her death, she had to exercise great care to prevent her wounds from becoming infected. Many people with diabetes have their feet amputated. So sugar in a way is a journey down a deep dark death spiral. After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, I lost the weight and I maintained the weight loss and part of the reason why I maintained that loss was because I avoid sugar (in all its many forms) like the plague. I rely on artificial sweeteners and no calorie natural sweeteners. So I guess my question to you is "Have you tried no or low calorie natural sweeteners such as Stevia?"