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Thanx so much Bo, I dont know how you have the will-power cos I have none, thats why I got the band in the first place. I think I would prefer to be too tight like I was last year at least the weight just falls off. I couldnt even eat more than 2 squares of chocolate then, cos it backed up. I just want this 2 stone off and to start leading an almost normal life again. lindsaymel get yourself some Milk Thistle tablets they are marvellous for reducing the toxins from the liver, I have always taken them, well for many years and my surgeon said my liver was very slim with no fat in it at all. I usually have a couple of drinks every night, thats what keeps the weight on me according to my husband. pffft I look forward to a drink at night, keeps me going when the food wont go down, however sometimes I cant tolerate any alcohol as it burns inside my chest, whats that all about? Acid reflux? Anyway be glad when easter has gone, I am loving the easter eggs lol.

1. The federal government made at least $72 billion in improper payments in 2008. 2. Washington spends $92 billion on corporate welfare (excluding TARP) versus $71 billion on homeland security. 3. Washington spends $25 billion annually maintaining unused or vacant federal properties. 4. Government auditors spent the past five years examining all federal programs and found that 22 percent of them–costing taxpayers a total of $123 billion annually–fail to show any positive impact on the populations they serve. 5. The Congressional Budget Office published a “Budget Options” series identifying more than $100 billion in potential spending cuts. 6. Examples from multiple Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports of wasteful duplication include 342 economic development programs; 130 programs serving the disabled; 130 programs serving at-risk youth; 90 early childhood development programs; 75 programs funding international education, cultural, and training exchange activities; and 72 safe water programs. 7. Washington will spend $2.6 million training Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job. 8. A GAO audit classified nearly half of all purchases on government credit cards as improper, fraudulent, or embezzled. Examples of taxpayer-funded purchases include gambling, mortgage payments, liquor, lingerie, iPods, Xboxes, jewelry, Internet dating services, and Hawaiian vacations. In one extraordinary example, the Postal Service spent $13,500 on one dinner at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, including “over 200 appetizers and over $3,000 of alcohol, including more than 40 bottles of wine costing more than $50 each and brand-name liquor such as Courvoisier, Belvedere and Johnny Walker Gold.” The 81 guests consumed an average of $167 worth of food and drink apiece. 9. Federal agencies are delinquent on nearly 20 percent of employee travel charge cards, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 10. The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $3.9 million rearranging desks and offices at its Washington, D.C., headquarters. 11. The Pentagon recently spent $998,798 shipping two 19-cent washers from South Carolina to Texas and $293,451 sending an 89-cent washer from South Carolina to Florida. 12. Over half of all farm subsidies go to commercial farms, which report average household incomes of $200,000. 13. Health care fraud is estimated to cost taxpayers more than $60 billion annually. 14. A GAO audit found that 95 Pentagon weapons systems suffered from a combined $295 billion in cost overruns. 15. The refusal of many federal employees to fly coach costs taxpayers $146 million annually in flight upgrades. 16. Washington will spend $126 million in 2009 to enhance the Kennedy family legacy in Massachusetts. Additionally, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) diverted $20 million from the 2010 defense budget to subsidize a new Edward M. Kennedy Institute. 17. Federal investigators have launched more than 20 criminal fraud investigations related to the TARP financial bailout. 18. Despite trillion-dollar deficits, last year’s 10,160 earmarks included $200,000 for a tattoo removal program in Mission Hills, California; $190,000 for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming; and $75,000 for the Totally Teen Zone in Albany, Georgia. 19. The federal government owns more than 50,000 vacant homes. 20. The Federal Communications Commission spent $350,000 to sponsor NASCAR driver David Gilliland. 21. Members of Congress have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars supplying their offices with popcorn machines, plasma televisions, DVD equipment, ionic air fresheners, camcorders, and signature machines–plus $24,730 leasing a Lexus, $1,434 on a digital camera, and $84,000 on personalized calendars. 22. More than $13 billion in Iraq aid has been classified as wasted or stolen. Another $7.8 billion cannot be accounted for. 23. Fraud related to Hurricane Katrina spending is estimated to top $2 billion. In addition, debit cards provided to hurricane victims were used to pay for Caribbean vacations, NFL tickets, Dom Perignon champagne, “Girls Gone Wild” videos, and at least one sex change operation. 24. Auditors discovered that 900,000 of the 2.5 million recipients of emergency Katrina assistance provided false names, addresses, or Social Security numbers or submitted multiple applications. 25. Congress recently gave Alaska Airlines $500,000 to paint a Chinook salmon on a Boeing 737. 26. The Transportation Department will subsidize up to $2,000 per flight for direct flights between Washington, D.C., and the small hometown of Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY)–but only on Monday mornings and Friday evenings, when lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists usually fly. Rogers is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which writes the Transportation Department’s budget. 27. Washington has spent $3 billion re-sanding beaches–even as this new sand washes back into the ocean. 28. A Department of Agriculture report concedes that much of the $2.5 billion in “stimulus” funding for broadband Internet will be wasted. 29. The Defense Department wasted $100 million on unused flight tickets and never bothered to collect refunds even though the tickets were refundable. 30. Washington spends $60,000 per hour shooting Air Force One photo-ops in front of national landmarks. 31. Over one recent 18-month period, Air Force and Navy personnel used government-funded credit cards to charge at least $102,400 on admission to entertainment events, $48,250 on gambling, $69,300 on cruises, and $73,950 on exotic dance clubs and prostitutes. 32. Members of Congress are set to pay themselves $90 million to increase their franked mailings for the 2010 election year. 33. Congress has ignored efficiency recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services that would save $9 billion annually. 34. Taxpayers are funding paintings of high-ranking government officials at a cost of up to $50,000 apiece. 35. The state of Washington sent $1 food stamp checks to 250,000 households in order to raise state caseload figures and trigger $43 million in additional federal funds. 36. Suburban families are receiving large farm subsidies for the grass in their backyards–subsidies that many of these families never requested and do not want. 37. Congress appropriated $20 million for “commemoration of success” celebrations related to Iraq and Afghanistan. 38. Homeland Security employee purchases include 63-inch plasma TVs, iPods, and $230 for a beer brewing kit. 39. Two drafting errors in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act resulted in a $2 billion taxpayer cost. 40. North Ridgeville, Ohio, received $800,000 in “stimulus” funds for a project that its mayor described as “a long way from the top priority.” 41. The National Institutes of Health spends $1.3 million per month to rent a lab that it cannot use. 42. Congress recently spent $2.4 billion on 10 new jets that the Pentagon insists it does not need and will not use. 43. Lawmakers diverted $13 million from Hurricane Katrina relief spending to build a museum celebrating the Army Corps of Engineers–the agency partially responsible for the failed levees that flooded New Orleans. 44. Medicare officials recently mailed $50 million in erroneous refunds to 230,000 Medicare recipients. 45. Audits showed $34 billion worth of Department of Homeland Security contracts contained significant waste, fraud, and abuse. 46. Washington recently spent $1.8 million to help build a private golf course in Atlanta, Georgia. 47. The Advanced Technology Program spends $150 million annually subsidizing private businesses; 40 percent of this funding goes to Fortune 500 companies. 48. Congressional investigators were able to receive $55,000 in federal student loan funding for a fictional college they created to test the Department of Education. 49. The Conservation Reserve program pays farmers $2 billion annually not to farm their land. 50. The Commerce Department has lost 1,137 computers since 2001, many containing Americans’ personal data

Karla He was saying it's mental not physical - He doesn't get it - he isn't obese or never has been - his theroy is that most obese pple have been abused in some manner. I think there are studies that predispose us to being obese just like alcoholic's or druggies - food is our drug of choice - he is saying we can live without drink or drug but that we can't live without food - so that it's not a physical addiction again he doesn't get it on the level we do.. Candice this is great - going to have to read it when I have more time.. Phyl you were a busy girl yesterday - homeless and all and with this ugly wind - at least this year it hasn't been that bad.. Steph - What color paint did you get - is it all done Karri - You are back - you said you would be here :frown: Well busy at work again - I guess I am never ever going to have time to goof off anymore.. Gym tonite - then stopped at target to get contact stuff - don't know which is the best to get - so got the stuff they gave me. Go tomorrow to get them (contacts) readjusted - he gave me 40 yr old eyes - you know when you need 125 strenght glasses to read the paper --(I use 200 now and could most likely go up to 225) so he's going to have to do something - I have pretty good mid range site - but distant and small isn't perfect - Well that's about it - don't know what I am doing for dinner - chicken or a lean cusine - I don't feel like cooking..

Phyl, I think the serpentine belt is a long belt that runs more than one item in the motor, it's like a fan belt plus, RV won't run without one. I bet you are exhausted. Janet, so was Idrise still trying to convince you that food can't be an addiction? We all know that it is, people that don't have that addiction don't understand. It's like offering a drink to a recovering alcoholic. It is only in our lifetime that alcoholism was considered a disease, eventually food addiction will be also. Our country is proof of that. I bet there are more people with food addiction than there are alcoholics. The huge difference, an alcoholic can avoid alcohol, a food addict doesn't have that choice and THAT is the problem. I can NOT eat very well, have done it many times. I can live on 200 calories a day, for weeks. But eventually the body rebels and has to have food. Ah my kingdom to be able to urinate, sorry TMI. Too much bending yesterday and certain organs are rebelling. Hope you all have a good day, ttfn

So, this got me curious. I went to guinness.com and looked up the brewing process. Under Fermentation it says: Arthur's yeast in action; now the liquid is cooled, our special yeast is added and is allowed to ferment for a number of days. The yeast converts brewing sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas, creating that wondrous flavor. This gas is collected and purified for re-use. Then in Packaging: The beer is now almost ready for packaging, but whatever the variant, GUINNESS® is always crowned with a distinctive head. With GUINNESS® Draught, nitrogen is added in the packaging process , this is what gives the pint the magical beauty. When the beer is served, the nitrogen bubbles will be released, bringing the beer alive and creating that famous surge, settle and wonderfully creamy head. With GUINNESS® Foreign Extra Stout — the depth of character in flavour is matched with the amount of entrained carbon dioxide. When poured from a bottle it releases an eruption of foam, creating the classic, slightly brown, full and creamy head. After packaging, every batch is tasted by the brewer before leaving the brewery, to ensure that it meets our exacting standards - one of the world's greatest jobs! It's the tradition, craft and passion, passed down through generations for 250 years, that makes it GUINNESS® beer, draught, or stout. Finally our creation is offically GUINNESS® beer, draught, or stout and it's ready for the rest of the journey. Whether in keg, bottle or can it's on the move again, bound for pubs and bars around the world (or the local just around the corner). I dunno what it means, but they mention both CO2 and Nitrogen.

I so totally agree. I am a newby as I was banded on 3/24. I found prior to my surgery I was lamenting "all the food" that I would not be able to have. It is way to early in the game to see if those foods even interest me, because right after surgery I have not really been hungry or even wanted to eat. (I know wierd huh) I found that I was using food as a crutch to not feel, to stuff myself with something other than what I was really needing. Therefore committing slow suicide, just like an alcoholic I could not say no to just one. I would eat till sick-stuffed and then 15 minutes later look for more food. I guess we all have to just let ourselves "be" in the moment and experience those feelings that scare us. I have found in the last 4 weeks with the preop diet and now post op that just being able to feel without pushing down food to block it out has been liberating. You can and will do this, and we are all right here beside you. Ruthie

hi everyone, today is my 3 year bandiversary. i was thinking about 3 years ago and what my life was like. to begin i was scared stiff about the surgery itself. i wasnt afraid until i was sitting on the gurney waiting for the actual surgery. i almost stopped it....thank God i didnt. my fill is working. i've lost 9 of the lbs i gained. i'm not digging the up and down restriction but i am digging my clothes starting to fit better. i am working real hard to stay off sugar. last week i started eating a little again and guess what? i let the monster out and i couldnt get enough. luckily (you wont believe what i will say) i got a small stomach virus and couldnt eat anything. so i got off sugar (for the 1 zillionth time). i am going to my nephew's birthday tonight and i am praying all day not to eat any ice cream cake. i spoke with my therapist last week and he suggested to think through what happens when i start the sugar. (headaches, depression, cant get enough and ultimately weigh gain). i am in AA and that is a tool we use for alcohol so i am applying some of these tools to food. it is truly an addiction. jeni: so glad you are on track again. we all seem to be in similar places. a food journal really helps to see reality. i was shocked how much i was eating when i professed "i hardly ate anything" one day. happy bday and good luck on your goal for vacation. i like having a focus like your family vacation. it seems to motivate. demsvmejm: glad your band didnt slip and doctor helped to get everything sorted out. we are lucky to have these second chances and i do believe we are in the process of learning how to live. good luck and keep on keepin' on hi momlambert, carol, tammy, thickchick, whitepants have a super day and lets keep holding hands to help each other josie

Sometimes I wonder what miscellaneous people see when they look at me. Are they disgusted by my appearence as much as I am lately? Like, admittedly, when I see someone fat (my size on upwards of 4 or 500lbs): I wonder if there sturggles w/food have been like mine, I wonder how they feel about themselves, and wonder if they are as uncomfortable as I have been (physically, in terms of knee/hip/foot pain, exhaustion, etc) But most of all, I wonder if they have ever reached the end of their rope w/their weight/health or if they are content with being that way. I ask, b/c I know that some folks enjoy being overweight (ie: the lady recenty who aiming at trying to be 1200 lbs or something so assinine) I’m not judging. And this is not intended to sound/read as such – I’m just curious about peoples lives…and if, like me, they too are just as fed up with being (so) fat & out of shape…but don’t know what to do about it. I know people probably look at me on the Metro when I’m about to take a seat next to them thinking “noooooooo, I don’t want that fat broad squeezing me into the seat!!”. I’m very aware of peoples reactions…and it hurts. I just wonder if it affects anyone like it has affected me. And further – at what point do you decide to do something about your health?? Being fat I could care lass about. IF I could be fat (morbidly obese is a less pretty term for the truth) AND healthy at this size…ok. But I think it’s physically impossible to be over a certain weight and not have any health issues (present & future) associated with it. Some folks are just riding down the river called denial. I know for me I wasn’t particularly in denial – its just that everything I tried never lasted long term, and I grew sick of feeling like crap about myself – especially over the past year. I don’t want to become one of those folks that acts (seems to act) like I’m so much more enlightened because I’ve decided to do something about my health – because that’s ALL this is about for me. But I wonder if people really know where they stand in terms of mortality. I’ll put it this way – there is NO food good enough, no alcoholic beverage tasty enough…for me to remain in my current state. I need help trying to shave some years off the death sentance I’ve given myself over the past 2 decades, and pray that the Insurance “Mayor” makes the LAP-BAND® surgery an easy pardon. I’m at my wits end. Add to it married life, motherhood, 9-5 job, jewelry biz…I’m damn near ready to throw myself (and a few other select ppl) off the Woodrow Wilson bridge. But its only a matter of time. Change come soon – I bring it! P.s. Need a unique and custom-made mother's day gift? I can help! http://ggxjewels.com/Parents_Pride_ZET1.php

Sometimes I wonder what miscellaneous people see when they look at me. Are they disgusted by my appearence as much as I am lately? Like, admittedly, when I see someone fat (my size on upwards of 4 or 500lbs): I wonder if there sturggles w/food have been like mine, I wonder how they feel about themselves, and wonder if they are as uncomfortable as I have been (physically, in terms of knee/hip/foot pain, exhaustion, etc) But most of all, I wonder if they have ever reached the end of their rope w/their weight/health or if they are content with being that way. I ask, b/c I know that some folks enjoy being overweight (ie: the lady recenty who aiming at trying to be 1200 lbs or something so assinine) I’m not judging. And this is not intended to sound/read as such – I’m just curious about peoples lives…and if, like me, they too are just as fed up with being (so) fat & out of shape…but don’t know what to do about it. I know people probably look at me on the Metro when I’m about to take a seat next to them thinking “noooooooo, I don’t want that fat broad squeezing me into the seat!!”. I’m very aware of peoples reactions…and it hurts. I just wonder if it affects anyone like it has affected me. And further – at what point do you decide to do something about your health?? Being fat I could care lass about. IF I could be fat (morbidly obese is a less pretty term for the truth) AND healthy at this size…ok. But I think it’s physically impossible to be over a certain weight and not have any health issues (present & future) associated with it. Some folks are just riding down the river called denial. I know for me I wasn’t particularly in denial – its just that everything I tried never lasted long term, and I grew sick of feeling like crap about myself – especially over the past year. I don’t want to become one of those folks that acts (seems to act) like I’m so much more enlightened because I’ve decided to do something about my health – because that’s ALL this is about for me. But I wonder if people really know where they stand in terms of mortality. I’ll put it this way – there is NO food good enough, no alcoholic beverage tasty enough…for me to remain in my current state. I need help trying to shave some years off the death sentance I’ve given myself over the past 2 decades, and pray that the Insurance “Mayor” makes the LAP-BAND® surgery an easy pardon. I’m at my wits end. Add to it married life, motherhood, 9-5 job, jewelry biz…I’m damn near ready to throw myself (and a few other select ppl) off the Woodrow Wilson bridge. But its only a matter of time. Change come soon – I bring it! P.s. Need a unique and custom-made mother's day gift? I can help! http://ggxjewels.com/Parents_Pride_ZET1.php

There's no C02 in guiness... they use nitrogen to charge and express it. I've been curious if the lower carbonation will make it easier to drink? I know I didn't burp drinking it before I got banded.... but I haven't had any alcohol in a couple of months, so I don't know that I'm even that worried about it.

The hyprocrisy in the Catholic Church has always been a problem. Now that the Pope himself has been shown to have put the church before its' parishoners health and well being is almost unthinkable! If any of these priests had been teachers in a public school, the uproar and anger would have been played out in the news media and in our communities to the point that Americans would be calling for public lynchings. There's nothing much worse than for someone who has influence over a child, for them to sexually abuse those children. Children look to adults for guidance. They consider adults the ones who are there to teach them to do the right thing in all ways. We have a friend whose son attended a Baptist Church elementary school in Tampa, Florida. They didn't find out about their son's sexual abuse by one of the male teachers until after he was grown and had been in the Army (in a bomb disposal unit) for several years. He came home from the desert a wreck. It took many nights of drinking alcohol, hand wringing and support by his parents before he could unburden himself of the horrific things that happened to him when he was a child at the hands of that teacher. Can you imagine that scenario? Can imagine that happening to your child? They did their research and learned that the same teacher who abused their son was still a teacher at that school. How many years did that vile human being commit disgusting acts on boys who relied on him? How many other parents learned what that man did to their own sons over the years? Anyone who didn't report it and anyone who swept it under the rug is just as culpable as the pedophile himself as far as I'm concerned. John is still in therapy - too many years after his first discussion with his parents about the sexual assault against him when he was a child. The Pope and everyone involved need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Otherwise when will it ever cease?

Michigan Militia Group Preparing for Antichrist, Web Site Says FOXNews.com The Michigan-based Christian militia group raided by the FBI over the weekend is preparing for battle with the Antichrist, according to a Web site purportedly run by the group. Mar. 28: Michigan State Police guard a home in Clayton after the FBI raided the home of a suspected militia leader. The Michigan-based Christian militia group raided by the FBI over the weekend is preparing for battle with the Antichrist, according to a Web site purportedly run by the group. "Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment," Hutaree.com reads. "The only thing on earth to save the testimony and those who follow it, are the members of the testimony, til the return of Christ in the clouds. We, the Hutaree, are prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren't. We will still spread the word, and fight to keep it, up to the time of the great coming." Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that members of the group had planned multiple attacks on police officers or other law enforcement personnel as way to express their hatred for the government. Charges against members of the militia group are expected to be unsealed later Monday when some of the suspects appear in court. The "Doctrine of the Hutaree," which is based on faith, according to the Web site, states that Christians should "stand firm in Christ and believe in him until our uttermost end. The testimony must by no means pass away and we must spread the word believing in Christ's words, even during the end times." A two-minute video on the Web site depicts several camouflaged, armed men firing high-powered rifles as they move throughout open wilderness. At one point, three men can be seen firing weapons from behind a parked vehicle. Several other videos of the militia's training activities, including one that has been viewed more than 21,000 times, can be found on its you tube channel Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, told the Associated Press that one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, which the Web site says means "Christian soldier." The callers said their property in southeast Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lackomar said. "They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," Lackomar said. "My team leader said, 'No thanks."' FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold earlier confirmed that the FBI had been working in two southeast Michigan counties near the Ohio state line, but she declined to indicate whether the raids were connected to Hutaree. A message sent to the militia group by FoxNews.com seeking comment was not immediately returned early Monday. According to the militia's ranking system, members of the group can hold titles such as senior gunner, gold rifleman, "zulif" and "arkon." "Respect the officer above you and obey your commander with dignity," the Web site reads. "Each man holds his place in flesh and spirit, heaven and earth." The Web site also includes links to Hutaree forums, a photograph of a patch for the Colonial Christian Republic and a red banner promoting a training session for April 24. "Preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive," the Web site reads. " … Being Hutaree is to stay the Testimony of Christ alive, and follow a motto, John 15:13, 'Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.'" Hutaree was named in a list of 512 so-called active "patriot" groups in the U.S. last year by the Southern Poverty Law Center in its spring intelligence report on extremist organizations. Of those groups, 127 were militias, including Hutaree. The remaining groups, according to SPLC, engage in "groundless conspiracy theorizing" or advocate anti-government doctrines. Here it is. Another right-wing extremist group using the bible to promote and defend its violent ways against the government and law enforcement.

Hi. My name is Laura. I had my surgery march 25. So far things are going well. I am feeling good with not much pain. So far including insurance mandated dieting I have lost 21 pounds. I have about 98 more to go. The worst thing is that I seem to be a little bit hungery all the time. I'm sure it didn't help that yesterday I was at a conference with lots of food but I was content with my shake for lunch. The waitress even offered to puree something for me. I have 2 small children 4 years and 18 months who I still have to prepare food for. My husband is very proud of my will power. He is a recovering alcoholic so He can relate to how Hard it can be. For me this lifestyle change is a step in the right direction for my whole family. I would never want my girls to be heavy and I can see my oldest adopting some of my old eating habits. I look forward to meeting people here and hope my experience remains posituve

I know most of you probably know this, but I'm going to put it out there in case you forgot. I have not had hardly any reflux since my hiatal hernia was fixed when they put in the band, but when I feel it coming back at all, I go back to what worked before my surgery. I also had an ulcer as a child. When you're stomach and stoma have been irritated and the band is tight, try following the reflux rules as well as the band rules. Sleep with your upper body elevated. Avoid coffee, tea (most teas have acid), fruit juice, pop, flavored drinks of any kind. Almost all of them have acid in them. Avoid things with acid and roughage. Fruit, raw veggies and whole grains irritate (think of sandpaper) and get stuck. Avoid carbs that swell. No bread or cereal (and maybe not rice or pasta). Period. Avoid prolonged bending over and vigorous exercise. Chocolate is one of the worst things you can have. So is anything made from tomatos or oranges. Chocolate relaxes the muscle between the esophagus and stomach and allows food to creep up--especially acid and tomatos, of course, are highly acidic as is orange juice. No alcohol! Period! This is not a good time to be eating peanuts, or any nuts or seeds. Avoid oil and grease and butter and margarine. They float to the top and creep up, carrying acid with them. Check your blood pressure meds. Many of them cause reflux. They cause acid to creep up your esophagus and even your pharynx (vocal cords). Coughing and laryngitis can result. Cut down anti-inflammatories like aspirin and ibuprofen and Celebrex and Naproxyn as much as you can until you are healed. They are major causes of stomach irritation. Too much water also forces acid to creep up. Don't fill your pouch all the way up with food. Milk products coat the stomach but too much, especially combined with acid, is not good. (Think curdled milk.) Prevacid or some other product that stops your body from creating too much acid might be necessary. It works a lot better in the long run than trying to control acid once you've got it. Just saying, guys. I think there'd be a lot less emergency unfills (except for really violent, long-lasting stomach viruses and bacteria), if our disease didn't keep us pushing the envelope with our food choices and quantities. Sip on protein drinks and yoghurt till your body heals. You won't die from doing without these other things. Add them back to your diet very, very slowly. When I first feel reflux, I treat it like an early warning system. It usually means my food choices have been poor and I've been eating and drinking too much and too fast. Just sayin' Cheri

Sugar alcohols or Malitol (sp?) do wreak havoc with many people. I can use one or two pieces of sugar free chocolate and then I have to quit or it will gas me up terribly. The Sugar free Jello puddings use Aspertame, so it is easier to digest. Some are sensitive to Aspertame also. I tend to look for things sweetened with splenda, but it is more expensive so it is hard to find things sweetened with it. You are right to be leary of food labels though. I am diabetic and can tell within 30 minutes if a food label is a lie. Many are, so just listen to your little voice inside. It will tell you if something isn't right!!! Best of luck!!! Hugs!!!!

Sugar alcohols aren't 'bad' in terms of what they can do, weight-wise; your body will not absorb them. BUT--and it's a big but--they can wreak havoc on the gut. Many, many people are very sensitive to them---and even those who are not particularly sensitive generally have to limit their intake of sugar alcohols lest they experience cramping, gas, and diarrhea. Preop, I bought a box of Werther's mini butterscotches--the sugar-free kind. There are 5 in a serving---and eating just one (for a total of <3 mg sugar alcohol) made me so so so sick that I won't even touch the stuff now. Your mileage may vary---many people don't have problems, as long as they are careful with their intake. Hopefully, you'll be among them. But since you're so freshly out of the OR, I think that, in your shoes, I might postpone experimenting until you feel up to ...well, dealing with possible consequences. I'd hate for you to add cramping and diarrhea to the mix at this point. I'm glad you're doing so well postop--have fun at the movies!

Ah, the joys (NOT) of big pills. I'll never forget the last Mucinex DM I took and it stuck. I didn't get it loose until it had burned through the mucus layer into the stoma lining. It was a good week or two later that I could eat normally. Check out the ulcer diet here. Of course, it is the same old same old -- reduce sodium intake, stay away from spicy foods, stop smoking, don't drink alcohol, don't take Nsaid pain killers (i.e., most everything but Tylenol or Advil), and the gastric doctors now say that diet won't heal it. Are you taking Prilosec or another of the acid reducers? If you had a hiatal hernia before surgery, and the doctor didn't fix it, then you could still be having acid reflux, it's just not splashing up to your esophagus anymore. Personally, I found going on the BRATTY BRAT diet for at least a week helped my stomach to heal (i.e., see Mucinex D above). I discovered this during one of my many gastritis flares in 2001-2004. Abnormal stress (even if you "thrive" on stress) can cause peptic sores ==> ulcer. Watch the inside of your mouth. If you are getting "canker" sores in your mouth, most likely your stomach, stoma, and/or esophagus is in an uproar. I've had the hiatal hernia surgery (was fixed when they removed the old 4cc band and replaced with the new "low pressure" 10cc band. By the way, for all you curious folks out there, "low pressure" = no more stuck food BUT if you over eat, it will let it down into the stomach. Sounds great, no? NO. It is much harder to feel a "soft stop" that we are supposed to know that's it for food. You really have to do portion control and eat with a baby spoon. I'm trying the portion control, but the baby spoon just pi$$es me off!

Good question. I don't know exactly what suger alcohols are (I know they act as a sweetner). However, on atkins I learned it doesn't raise your blood suger level like regular sugar does. Low carb is all about keeping your blood sugar nice and steady. I eat sugar free jello- only 10 calories.

Hi all.... I had surgery Wednesday and I'm feeling better each day. I'm still a bit sore and bruised but actually going to go to the movies today....YAY!! My question is about sugar.... My Dr suggests sugar free puddings as a snack. I bought the Hunts sugar free chocolate. But I looked on the nutrition info and even though it said sugar zero and 70 calories it had a lot of sugar alcohol in it? What exactly is sugar alcohol and is that still "bad"? My goal is to not be on sugar and to be low carb but I don't think this pudding is low carb....any suggestions, advice or answers appreciated. Hope all of you are well.... Meg

I have drank Guiness, and other beers, and wine and have been fine. I think the alcohol relaxes the band therefore making it pass through easier. I don't drink pop though, only a few sips here and there. Maybe just try a little at first and see how you feel. High in calories but you gotta enjoy a treat now and then! Enjoy!

Hello I was banded March 2nd, and on my one week post op appt I was down 16 lbs. Since then it has been two weeks and I dont have a scale at home so Im not sure of my progress. I go for my first fill April 14th so I am excited for that. It would be sooner but the Dr is away for Easter. Right now I am doing some intense cardio for 30 minutes and eating two meals a day with a protein supplement for breakfast. I am taking one a day womens vitamin as well. I am at the point where I get frustrated because i cant see the weight coming off fast enough even tho I barely eat. I am on a Full Bariatric diet now, the only things I cant have are breads, pastas, rice, caffine, carbonation, alcohol.

THANK YOU!! i just wish i could sleep and that i would stop having a migraine! thank goodness the nurse called and said my meds for it is OK to take (i was told I wasn't allowed anything more than Tylenol for 2 weeks prior to surgery, including NO ALCOHOL). I should be starting my period any day, which is the cause of the migraine, and i'm happy to get it over with BEFORE surgery, but still....it's been going on 6 days of it and still no sign of TOM! anyone else couldn't sleep this far out? i'm hoping it the migraine and that when it's over, i will sleep better. we just got a new bed and the first night i slept WONDERFUL....the next day is when my head started and it has gotten worse every night! i woke up at least 8 times last night! anyhow....everything is paid for, not backing out now! LOL i had my 2 week pre-op (we did it over the phone so i didn't have to drive 2 1/2 hours just to 'go over' all the paper work i've been having for a few weeks already) I should get my prescriptions in the mail any day now. my next appointment is April 6th, the day before surgery at 3:45. They will schedule all my follow up visits and tell me what time to be at the surgery center. we are staying at a hotel near the office. too bad i can't start the valium the night before! that would help me sleep better! LOL

I am just over a week out, and I would do it again in a red-hot second. My doctor has allowed me to eat whatever I can tolerate as soon as I got home from the hospital on Day Two, and honestly I am just breezing through the whole thing. I think one thing that has really helped me is that I am 51 years old and have had a LOT of time to do diets and exercise and everything known to man to get this weight off, and it is clear as day to me that (a) it is just plain impossible for me to keep up the willpower and time commitment required to stay slim on my own, and (:redface1: I was WAY past the point where I really and truly enjoyed overeating. I was like an alcoholic who drank to get drunk, you know? Not because I particularly liked it, but because it was the only thing I knew how to do. The thing that is almost impossible to describe is that my cravings and appetite really have gone away. I ate 1/3 of a grilled sandwich the other day -- one of my very favorite foods -- and I was as happy as could be with that little bit. I think the hardest thing would be if I still had a lot of active food addiction issues. If food is your main coping mechanism, it'll be very hard to give that up, and you'll need a lot of support. I've been in therapy for a while and it's been a lifesaver for me. But bottom line: No regrets at this point.

I was speaking to my hubby last night about this panic issue, and possibly eating more before the surgery..... at first he really couldn't get his head around it all.... why would we do this when we want to loose the weight. The only thing I could make him understand with was cigarettes - if he knew he had to give up I bet he would sit there and chain smoke his way thru loads before hand.....then he got it. Some of us are probably food addicts.....which makes it even harder, as you need some food to live, you don't need cigarettes or alcohol.... and you can to some extent avoid them, you can't really avoid food... which is why its so difficult for some.

I read Chapter 5 today. I am still working on being honest with myself. I am hopeful but don't know that the 12 steps will work for me. My faith is weak. I know that, now that I am not able use food like a drug, I see the emptiness inside. Over indulgence with food has robbed me in a very real sense. Food has intoxicated me and like an alcoholic has black outs, I've had time outs, time away from real life issues. I suppose food was the tool that enabled avoidance behavior in me. I numbed myself out with it and so it was like being drunk. With each binge, (and my "volume eating" were binges), I suffocated a portion of my abilities. And now I need to sort things out. I'm working on Step 2...And I believe in God! But I have not really surrendered my will and life over to him, (Step 3) because if I really had I would not have obsessed myself in food all these years. But it looks as though I'm going to need to obsess over myself in order to "Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself" (Step 4) at some point soon. And that's about all I am able to comment on at this juncture. I've got work to do and all I can do is try.