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Once there was a woman named Alice who fell down a spiraling hole of guilt and shame while following an elusive White Rabbit of Beauty. She discovered a magical place called One-der-land, though at first it seemed a place of madness and horror. I'll occasionally recount (not in chronological order because this is a place of madness, after all, at least to Alice) some of her adventures. Alice landed at the bottom of the Shame Spiral in tears, her body shattered by so many years of abuse, both from within Alice herself and from others, who felt she didn't deserve anything. She wondered if she'd ever be able to get up, but she managed to heave herself erect and walk, still hoping for another glimpse of the beautiful White Rabbit. Alice had to rest often, and had trouble breathing, but the path seemed familiar somehow, as if she'd traveled upon it or at least seen it many times. Her feet swelled, her knees hurt, and upon occasion she considered just lying down at the side of the path and becoming another one of the many grave markers just visible through the thorny bushes. Still, something inside her refused to allow her to give up. She had to keep fighting. Finally, an angel in a white coat smiled at her. "You've been approved. Step forward. Your new journey can begin. At the end of your time here, you will see the White Rabbit if you are patient and work hard." In a clearing sat a man wearing another white coat, but this man was unlike any other she'd ever seen. In his own charming way, he was handsome, and his eyes were kind. He invited her to sit and rest at his table, where a fascinating array of things were laid out. Some were gruesome body parts in frames or on pedestals. Some were the familiar diet protein shakes she'd starved herself with many times. Other things were not easy to describe and made no sense. Her handsome new friend tried desperately to make himself understood. Alice leaned forward, for he seemed so earnestly trying to explain something important, but though he spoke English soon his words were gibberish, and Alice knew in her heart it was her fault she couldn't understand him anymore. What she had understood was that he would help her, if she would obey the rules of One-der-land. He'd given her a few, and told her she must discover the rest for herself. All would be revealed to her slowly, allowing her to adjust to this new and frightening world. Then the man vanished, and Alice was left alone wondering what to do next. A cheerful fairy peeked in. Her bright eyes and sleek figure made Alice very envious, but she was so sweet and charming, Alice couldn't stay angry with her for long. The fairy danced up to Alice. "Hi! My name is Locarb! I just know we're going to be friends!" Now Alice was very suspicious. She'd heard of Locarb fairies, and they could be very vicious, even expensive, to keep as friends. Alice narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to make me buy ridiculously expensive things I don't know how to use, limit me, and put me in a very narrow box?" Locarb's laugh was the tinkle of bells! "No, no! That's what happens when YOU limit ME!" The fairy reached into her basket and pulled out a white mound of something creamy, covered in a brightly colored sauce, served in a small bowl. "Here, I'll prove myself. This treat is for you. This magical treat will keep you from being naughty and disobeying the Lord and Master, whom you just met. You may only have this once a day, so choose wisely when you have it." Alice looked longingly at the white creamy stuff, served so very prettily. It looked like the evil poisons that had made her addicted and ill. Her body craved those poisons like an alcoholic craved liquor, and so she feared them all. She sniffed it cautiously. "I smell raspberries...and cream." Locarb nodded, her cute blonde curls bobbing. "Yes. I assure you, you can have this. I'll allow you to have this early today, just to show my good intentions." Her fingers shook, but Alice licked her lips and took a tiny taste. Raspberry and something like cheesecake exploded on her tongue and slid down her throat like ambrosia from the gods. Alice's eyes filled with tears. She put the spoon back in the bowl and pushed it all aside. She sobbed. "I can't have things like this! They're poisoning me. Please, take it away before I gulp it all down! I'm already sick from things like this. It's too delicious and wonderful for evil creatures like me." The fairy picked up the spoon and put it back in Alice's hand. "Yes, you can have it. Trust me. It's expensive in calories, but there are only 8 carbs in this treat, and it will keep you from wanting the poisons you have been eating. Now, enjoy your treat. I will help you, if you let me." "Okay, but it's your fault if I get fatter." Alice sniffled, and ate all the contents of the bowl slowly, savoring every drop. When she went too fast, the fairy tugged at her hand until she slowed down. Finally, the bowl was empty. Alice waited for the horrible sugar rush that temporarily gave her energy, then sent her crashing to the earth with less than she'd had before. The rush never came. In fact, she felt...good. "Oh my! What was that?" Locarb leaned close. "The legend of no desserts in One-der-land is false, and always has been. However, like all treasures, it must be sought and enjoyed wisely. This is your first weapon in the war against the addiction that has poisoned you all your life." She pressed a small piece of paper in Alice's hand. "Use it wisely and well, or it will do you no good!" Locarb's Creamy Treat 2 servings 400 calories/ 8 carbs 1 block of cream cheese 2 T. Splenda 2 T. milk, cream, or half-n-half 2 T. any sugar-free syrup such as Torani or daVinci (see links) per serving Open the cream cheese package and drop the cream cheese into the bowl of your food processor. Add the Splenda and cream. Whirl, using a spatula at least once to get the creamy mix off the sides of the bowl if necessary, until the substance is light and fluffy. Place in a small sherbet bowl. Pour sugar-free syrup over each serving, as desired. Eat slowly. Copyright: Lena Austin 2010 Do not distribute without direct written permission from the author. ::NOTE-- the opinions and ideas expressed in this blog are my own, and opinions are like anuses. We all have them and they all stink. Except mine, which smells like roses.

Once there was a woman named Alice who fell down a spiraling hole of guilt and shame while following an elusive White Rabbit of Beauty. She discovered a magical place called One-der-land, though at first it seemed a place of madness and horror. I'll occasionally recount (not in chronological order because this is a place of madness, after all, at least to Alice) some of her adventures. Alice landed at the bottom of the Shame Spiral in tears, her body shattered by so many years of abuse, both from within Alice herself and from others, who felt she didn't deserve anything. She wondered if she'd ever be able to get up, but she managed to heave herself erect and walk, still hoping for another glimpse of the beautiful White Rabbit. Alice had to rest often, and had trouble breathing, but the path seemed familiar somehow, as if she'd traveled upon it or at least seen it many times. Her feet swelled, her knees hurt, and upon occasion she considered just lying down at the side of the path and becoming another one of the many grave markers just visible through the thorny bushes. Still, something inside her refused to allow her to give up. She had to keep fighting. Finally, an angel in a white coat smiled at her. "You've been approved. Step forward. Your new journey can begin. At the end of your time here, you will see the White Rabbit if you are patient and work hard." In a clearing sat a man wearing another white coat, but this man was unlike any other she'd ever seen. In his own charming way, he was handsome, and his eyes were kind. He invited her to sit and rest at his table, where a fascinating array of things were laid out. Some were gruesome body parts in frames or on pedestals. Some were the familiar diet protein shakes she'd starved herself with many times. Other things were not easy to describe and made no sense. Her handsome new friend tried desperately to make himself understood. Alice leaned forward, for he seemed so earnestly trying to explain something important, but though he spoke English soon his words were gibberish, and Alice knew in her heart it was her fault she couldn't understand him anymore. What she had understood was that he would help her, if she would obey the rules of One-der-land. He'd given her a few, and told her she must discover the rest for herself. All would be revealed to her slowly, allowing her to adjust to this new and frightening world. Then the man vanished, and Alice was left alone wondering what to do next. A cheerful fairy peeked in. Her bright eyes and sleek figure made Alice very envious, but she was so sweet and charming, Alice couldn't stay angry with her for long. The fairy danced up to Alice. "Hi! My name is Locarb! I just know we're going to be friends!" Now Alice was very suspicious. She'd heard of Locarb fairies, and they could be very vicious, even expensive, to keep as friends. Alice narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to make me buy ridiculously expensive things I don't know how to use, limit me, and put me in a very narrow box?" Locarb's laugh was the tinkle of bells! "No, no! That's what happens when YOU limit ME!" The fairy reached into her basket and pulled out a white mound of something creamy, covered in a brightly colored sauce, served in a small bowl. "Here, I'll prove myself. This treat is for you. This magical treat will keep you from being naughty and disobeying the Lord and Master, whom you just met. You may only have this once a day, so choose wisely when you have it." Alice looked longingly at the white creamy stuff, served so very prettily. It looked like the evil poisons that had made her addicted and ill. Her body craved those poisons like an alcoholic craved liquor, and so she feared them all. She sniffed it cautiously. "I smell raspberries...and cream." Locarb nodded, her cute blonde curls bobbing. "Yes. I assure you, you can have this. I'll allow you to have this early today, just to show my good intentions." Her fingers shook, but Alice licked her lips and took a tiny taste. Raspberry and something like cheesecake exploded on her tongue and slid down her throat like ambrosia from the gods. Alice's eyes filled with tears. She put the spoon back in the bowl and pushed it all aside. She sobbed. "I can't have things like this! They're poisoning me. Please, take it away before I gulp it all down! I'm already sick from things like this. It's too delicious and wonderful for evil creatures like me." The fairy picked up the spoon and put it back in Alice's hand. "Yes, you can have it. Trust me. It's expensive in calories, but there are only 8 carbs in this treat, and it will keep you from wanting the poisons you have been eating. Now, enjoy your treat. I will help you, if you let me." "Okay, but it's your fault if I get fatter." Alice sniffled, and ate all the contents of the bowl slowly, savoring every drop. When she went too fast, the fairy tugged at her hand until she slowed down. Finally, the bowl was empty. Alice waited for the horrible sugar rush that temporarily gave her energy, then sent her crashing to the earth with less than she'd had before. The rush never came. In fact, she felt...good. "Oh my! What was that?" Locarb leaned close. "The legend of no desserts in One-der-land is false, and always has been. However, like all treasures, it must be sought and enjoyed wisely. This is your first weapon in the war against the addiction that has poisoned you all your life." She pressed a small piece of paper in Alice's hand. "Use it wisely and well, or it will do you no good!" Locarb's Creamy Treat 2 servings 400 calories/ 8 carbs 1 block of cream cheese 2 T. Splenda 2 T. milk, cream, or half-n-half 2 T. any sugar-free syrup such as Torani or daVinci (see links) per serving Open the cream cheese package and drop the cream cheese into the bowl of your food processor. Add the Splenda and cream. Whirl, using a spatula at least once to get the creamy mix off the sides of the bowl if necessary, until the substance is light and fluffy. Place in a small sherbet bowl. Pour sugar-free syrup over each serving, as desired. Eat slowly. Copyright: Lena Austin 2010 Do not distribute without direct written permission from the author. ::NOTE-- the opinions and ideas expressed in this blog are my own, and opinions are like anuses. We all have them and they all stink. Except mine, which smells like roses.

The past 10 days have been kinda rough for me. I stopped losing and had a bunch of water weight come on w/TOM. The truth is I wasn't sure if it was JUST water weight because I haven't been perfect. Still having issues of slacking off on exercise and letting empty calories creep back in. And, yes, I do not have great restriction right now. I already have my 3rd fill scheduled for Monday. But, if I want to keep losing (regardless of where I am w/fills), I need to dig deep and do what I can to facilitate the weightloss. With the very limited experience I have w/the band so far, I would say that the band is giving me 1 pound of weightloss per week if I just minimally work it. But, if I want 2+ pounds per week, I need to minimize those pesky empty calories and maximize my exercise. So, then comes the challenge of what goals to make for myself for changing my behavior. My favorite empty calories come in the form of wine and martinis! :tongue_smilie: I've been good about cutting way back, but its so easy to let one night/week turn into two nights if a friend calls and invites me out. And, when I've made goals for exercise like three times per week, its easy to not exercise on Monday cause you have the rest of the week to get those three times in. And, then its Thursday and you haven't exercised yet, but you never really decided when the week STARTS so do you just start over or exercise three days straight? Well, I finally had an epiphany of sorts. I really really want to lose 10 pounds per month. This is the pace that gets me excited because I can picture what weight I will be in March, April, etc... onto July for my birthday, and August when we go to Hawaii. I just think it would be a perfect amount to lose per month and a challenge, but not unattainable if I put the work in. So, I've made a new goal for myself and that is that I simply do not drink any alcohol until I've lost my 10 pounds for the month and I exercise EVERY day so there is no debate over whether this is an exercise day or not. I need to stop the mind games! So total abstinence and total adherence until I meet my goal for the month is the best I think. And, once I reach goal, I can use the same technique, but make it that I do not drink or skip a day of exercise unless I am at or below my goal weight on that day. Do you think this will finally keep me in line??? :smile: Well, so far I haven't had any drinks since my friend's birthday party last Friday and I've exercised every day since Monday. And, yesterday I got so busy during the day that I realized at 9:30pm that I had not exercised yet. And, guess what I did??? Yes, I actually hopped on the treadmill and walked for 30 minutes while watching TV instead of just laying on the couch. Oh yeah, I am proud of myself! I am gonna stick to this!!! :thumbup:

The past 10 days have been kinda rough for me. I stopped losing and had a bunch of water weight come on w/TOM. The truth is I wasn't sure if it was JUST water weight because I haven't been perfect. Still having issues of slacking off on exercise and letting empty calories creep back in. And, yes, I do not have great restriction right now. I already have my 3rd fill scheduled for Monday. But, if I want to keep losing (regardless of where I am w/fills), I need to dig deep and do what I can to facilitate the weightloss. With the very limited experience I have w/the band so far, I would say that the band is giving me 1 pound of weightloss per week if I just minimally work it. But, if I want 2+ pounds per week, I need to minimize those pesky empty calories and maximize my exercise. So, then comes the challenge of what goals to make for myself for changing my behavior. My favorite empty calories come in the form of wine and martinis! :smile: I've been good about cutting way back, but its so easy to let one night/week turn into two nights if a friend calls and invites me out. And, when I've made goals for exercise like three times per week, its easy to not exercise on Monday cause you have the rest of the week to get those three times in. And, then its Thursday and you haven't exercised yet, but you never really decided when the week STARTS so do you just start over or exercise three days straight? Well, I finally had an epiphany of sorts. I really really want to lose 10 pounds per month. This is the pace that gets me excited because I can picture what weight I will be in March, April, etc... onto July for my birthday, and August when we go to Hawaii. I just think it would be a perfect amount to lose per month and a challenge, but not unattainable if I put the work in. So, I've made a new goal for myself and that is that I simply do not drink any alcohol until I've lost my 10 pounds for the month and I exercise EVERY day so there is no debate over whether this is an exercise day or not. I need to stop the mind games! So total abstinence and total adherence until I meet my goal for the month is the best I think. And, once I reach goal, I can use the same technique, but make it that I do not drink or skip a day of exercise unless I am at or below my goal weight on that day. Do you think this will finally keep me in line??? :smile: Well, so far I haven't had any drinks since my friend's birthday party last Friday and I've exercised every day since Monday. And, yesterday I got so busy during the day that I realized at 9:30pm that I had not exercised yet. And, guess what I did??? Yes, I actually hopped on the treadmill and walked for 30 minutes while watching TV instead of just laying on the couch. Oh yeah, I am proud of myself! I am gonna stick to this!!! :thumbup:

I'm not a big soda fan but I do drink beer pretty much every weekend. It's fine with my Doc, just don't forget to account for the extra calories. There is no "standard procedure". Every doc is different. My theory is that you need to follow the advice of the person you will turn to if you have a problem, as in your doctor. If you think your doc is full of crap, find another one. Reading the forums you will see that there is a WIDE range of doctor's opinions. My doc is at one end of the spectrum, I had no pre-band diet, no comments on smoking, solids after one week, I can eat or drink anything I want (just less than before), no limitations on caffeine, alcohol, carbonation, etc. He does "fill holidays" where he'll unfill you before a vacation and fill you back up afterwards for the price of one fill. His attitude is you still need to live life to the fullest. Your doc may be different. I chose mine carefully after talking to a few docs because he made sense to me. As long as you listen to your doc and don't cheat with sliders, you will lose weight. I hit 100% of my goal in about a year and now at 1.5 years I'm 10 lbs under. No complications and no stress, scale watching or calorie counting. I'm not on a diet, I have permanently changed my behavior. This is what works for me. YMMV.

You aren't being paranoid or anything of the sort. I chose to tell everyone that would listen about my decision to revise from the band to VSG. I only had one friend here at the time so it wasn't a huge ordeal. I ended up losing that friend because of the surgery, and well she's pretty psycho so it wasn't a loss I mourned. Many people are simply ignorant when they hear about WLS. They don't understand because they haven't struggled with it. My husband is naturally thing, and while he supported my journey, he didn't understand why I couldn't keep it off. You may get mixed reactions. With my new found circle of friends through our spouse's club, I have found nothing but support and encouragement. I bowl on our spouse's club league, and my bowling partner is going through the steps to get the sleeve with one of my surgeons. Another of my friends is on Addipexx (legalized speed) to lose weight for the 6th time, and she made kind of harsh comment last week at lunch. She said " well if I gain back the weight this time, I'm going to have make the same drastic decision you did to have my stomach removed." Now, this is coming from a 50 year old woman that has taken prescription diet pills 6 times, loses 60-75lbs, and always gains it back plus some. My reply was " yeah, it seems drastric, but losing and gaining the same 400 pounds over the last year seems like a big waste of time, and I was ready to live my life to the fullest and quit the yo yo'ing up and down." She just looked at me like I was crazy for saying that to her, but it's the truth, that woman has lost and gained over 500 lbs in the last 10 years, and she's trying to tell me what I chose was drastic. My mom was not supportive of my decision to revise. She has a band, and has a bad case of morbid jealousy (google that for a definition), and she no longer comments on my weight loss because I weight 40lbs less than her now. She has a horrible life with the band, but she told me once "I'd rather puke a couple times a week than make a wreckless decision to have my stomach removed." My reply to her was " make sure you remind yourself of that thought process when your band slips, or erodes into your stomach, then we'll talk about wreckless." I don't tolerate bad behavior from people, and I speak my mind quite often. If they don't want to be supportive that's fine, it's my body, my future, and my life. Yes, it's nice to have support, but I have found those that truly care about your well-being, and future will stand by your side through thick and thin. Also, education is power, ignorance is the number 1 reason why people aren't supportive. It was easier for me to explain the procedure, the benefits, the risks, and the overall long-term effects of WLS instead of getting defensive. Once you educate someone, they can form a more solid opinion, and hopefully realize that it's not for everyone, but to give you the best chance at survival with obesity related complications and co-morbidities, WLS is a choice your making to improve your quality of life. Sorry for the ramble. I'm pretty opinionated about WLS and people's reaction and lack of support. It's like someone who has never suffered with alcoholism trying to bash an alcoholic for trying to get clean and relapsing. They just don't understand, and their ignorance clouds their judgement on the subject.

Hi Dawn and Mrs. Rhonda I would love to get in contact with both of you. I havent been doing well lately. I just got out of the hospital after staying there for 5 days for acute pancreatitis- Not fun. The only good thing about it is now I need to be on a low fat diet for the rest of my life and no alcohol... so I guess that gives me a head start on things..lol

My surgeon ran the support group last night. Alcohol was one of the topics included. He says an occasional drink, as Besty stated, is okay...even beer. I thought beer and soda were completely out of the question. He says that the bubbles will not stretch your pouch. He says that what often does happen is it goes through the "funnel" and settles in the lower stomach and can cause cramping. But that the stretching thing is a myth.

Re: the not drinking before eating rule: this is another one where different doctors have different guidelines. Mine says we can drink right up until the first bite of food goes into our mouths. The rationale is that the liquid will move out of the pouch rapidly. If you don't continue to drink with the meal, it won't be "flushed" from the pouch by the liquid you had pre-meal. OTOH, his POST-meal waiting period is longer than most--90 minutes. My point is, I think there is some flexibility to these "requirements," just as there is a great deal of variance among eating plans. I personally choose not to drink alcohol at this point; I have little tolerance, and it totally disinhibits me vis-a-vis making good food choices. It's not a wise thing for ME to do---and besides, I'm early enough postop that it would likely be irritating to my pouch. But I like the advice (Jim's?) that is more matter-of fact: the best thing? not to drink. The realistic thing? If you're going to, make sure you include the alcohol in your plan, so that you are aware of its nutritional impact. None of us got fat from a Saturday night martini. If you know you're taking in those calories, and it doesn't cause you any kind of band-related distress (I'm thinking beer would literally cause my pouch to EXPLODE!), live your life the way that works best for you.

I was banded last June also, got a cold over Christmas and barely ate for days - I thought maybe the cold medication may have made me tighter? I have found some medications, alcohol and other particular foods irritate my pouch and cause swelling which obviously leaves me feeling tight. The other thing is fluid retention - hormones, medication etc leave me retaining fluid and my band feels tight - very strange :-)

I wasn't cleared for any alcohol consumption until around 3.5-4 months. My surgeon warned me against red, dry wines. I didn't ask his reasoning, but I drink white Rieslings now without issue. Some surgeon stress no alcohol until close or at goal due to the wasted calories and dehydration factor of alcohol.

Little birdie toooooo funny!!!!!!!! We are all grown up we make choices and decisions about our lives every day. Working in the treatment field (drug, alcohol, mental health, gambling) I have seen many sad cases of abuse and dependance daily, yet I still drink on occasion. If it does not impact your life in negitive manner then to each his own. LOL

Glad you had fun! Just be weary that alcohol is empty calories...Best wishes!!!

Ok here was my experience today. I ordered a Bahama Mama. I drank about 1/4 of it before our food arrived and during the meal. I drank the rest after I ate my correct portion. No effect from the alcohol and still feel full 3 hours later. Which is how it should be so it was fine. Next time I may try 2 drinks...:thumbup:

LOL! You guys are too funny! I totally agree I would be pissed if my hubby had brought wings into the house also! My honey keeps his "treats" in his man cave away from my eyes....even before I was banded when I was doing weight watchers I ask him to keep his oreos and what not in his man cave! I don't think that's cruel...it's being supportive. If he was an alcoholic and trying to get clean I wouldn't leave bottles of wine in the fridge or drink it right in front of him...I would want to be supportive in any way I could be! So why wouldn't it be the same for us when we are trying to loose weight and get healthy. I don't keep any kind of junk food in my house...I'm sure my 9 year old would love to have chips and ice cream and what not at her disposal but does she really need all that? The way I look at it is she's not deprived I'm trying to teach her how to eat healthy so that she doesn't end up morbidly obese like her mom! I wouldn't wish that on her and she has my genes so why not try to keep her as healthy as possible. That's not to say she doesn't have junk food at times...she had plenty of candy for valentines day that she ate....but as far as what's in the kitchen and in the cupboards it's all healthy! And her and my honey eat the same meals as I do for the most part! I just got off liquids and I know it's torcher....we did eat soups as a family then too...it didn't kill em and they ate a good dinner! For the OP I'm glad your hubby was understanding after you explained it to him!

Not that I recommend this but...I had a alcoholic drink 4 days post op :thumbup: I am slowly losing and I know it would come off faster if I gave up alcohol but I enjoy a glass or 3 on the weekends. When you are single and your social activities revolve around dinner w/ friends it is hard to stay on track. (probably one of the reason I am obese...now, I can eat a reasonable sized portion when dinning out instead of cleanning my plate...thank you band)

Ok so i will be 4 weeks post op on Tues i had my surgery jan 26. Tomorrow I am going out with my hubby and friends for dinner and drinks. Is it too soon to have 1 alcohol beverage? What is safe to have?

I've never been on a cruise so you can skip my suggestion if you'd like. However, what if you eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, then allow yourself a richer dinner? That way, you're having two healthy meals, and one extravagant meal. Keep up with your exercising, maybe add a bit more, and I would imagine you'd be okay. Just watch your alcohol intake so you're not taking in too many empty calories. Most of all, relax and have fun!

As another one of the men on this site, I can confirm that committed men lose fast. I am averaging 3.2 lbs a week since going to the seminar in October. I was banded in Late November. I have lost 62 lbs in 4 months. Committment takes diet, exercise and thought. I tracked everything for the first three months, but stopped and am maintaining my loss. I feel I know the rules now and don't track because the rules are ingrained in my day to day thinking. I travel a lot for work, and eat out often. I also drink alcohol sometimes when out with business associates. I work out 6 days a week for at least 45 minutes. I eat a lot of Protein, and at least 5 days a week rely on Protein shakes in the morning. I eat beef, chicken, fish and shrimp. I eat salads, vegetables and some carbs (one time a day at most). That is what it takes. I have PB's 3 times and slimed twice. I learned my lesson there to slow down and chew. I have had 2 fills. I do not think I am exceptional, just an average band patient, but I am committed. I am a scale addict too. Oh well. Good luck to you. If you want to lose and keep it off, this may be your best chance. TJ

Good Morning Girls !!!! No Candice I am not an alcoholic yet :0) - OMG when I got home last night it was crazy - Melissa's bro is LOUD and doesn't shut the F up - he is freaking motor mouth and kept talking about stupid shit like real men don't were sparkles (ice skating) I said you are teaching your kid the wrong crap yes they do ... I can't tolerate stupid pple.. Yes I had bday the end of January (go go for like 4 days) sister 2/6 - Fl trip last weekend and family here now.. Yes I do need some recharging time - will only have this weekend cuz I think 2/26 I will drive up north as Brooke's bday is 3/1 and I didn't do crap for her last yr cuz I was so busy getting ready for cruise.. Karla - Yes please make sure your Dad get's all the med's he needs so as to not to feel any pain- I know how tough this is - Hugs !!!! Phyl - Tell Earl to lay off - in Dr Janet's opinion you have been doing to much and that's why you can't get over this bug.. ok gang I gotta get back to work Hugs to all

Hey All - just got home from Richmond - got to see John and he's doing well but said the pain is more severe than when he had the band attempts. He should be able to go home tomorrow evening. Woopie!!! Didn't get to see Lee but Bonnie said she's doing well and John got to see her - she was walking the halls so it's lookin good for her too!! Yee Haa! Mo - Love the jeans but they are both too big :thumbdown: The Tommy's I can probably get away with, just a little baggy, but the but is real droopy so my husband veto'd them. Why couldn't I have kept my butt and lost the boobs?? Why did it have to go in the reverse order?? Ok, so I just got home and saw a letter from my ins. company letting me know that I was found to be NOT at fault in the accident last November ----- WHAT ACCIDENT??? apparently my husband has neglected to mention this to me!!! Since it appears that it's not "MY" fault I will let it slide and won't say anything to him bout it but I would have been nice to have known that HE was in a car accident! funny how he didn't know how the little dent got in the Montero??????? Why do you suppose he was afraid to tell me - HMMM??? MEN!!!! (sorry John - LOL) TamTam - glad you're up & walking but I think you really need to come hang and get the support you need!! I think it would help you get past the rough patches. NEXT TIME!! Bee - It was good to see so little of you!!!! You need to post - even if it's just to say hi and rub it in that you've already lost 40lbs since October and have had 2 fills aready and have 6cc's while the rest of us are over here suffering! I see Doc Who has his favorites. JES - time to do a total carb detox - zero carbs and after 3 days you'll be over it with the chocolate - if you must have some get a little bag of sugar free dark chocolate and just kinda suck on one when the craving hits. The sugar free ones are made with alcohol sugars so you won't have the spikes that regular sugar gives you BUT... still alot of carbs so don't overdo it.

I have tried the Quest Protein Bars and they are AMAZING. They taste better than most of the protein bars I've eaten and they're the only ones I've found that don't have an aftertaste. I always try to eat whole foods when possible but protein bars are super convenient. I had pretty much given up on protein bars because they are ALL full of sugar or sugar alcohols, glycerin, brown rice syrups, etc. Quest bars are the first I've seen that are different and I find it interesting that they display their ingredient list right at the top of their homepage because they know that they have managed to do something really different: Quest low carb protein bar They're only available online so I usually place a large order and get free shipping. They're only $1.99 each. I think you'll really like them.

Oh Janet, you've had nothing but visitors and FAMILY the last while (hugs to you) have you started becoming an alcoholic yet!!! :thumbup:

seems like she said splenda was the last ingredient and that theres not a lot in there. but we did talk about the artificial sweeteners and that they cause ppl problems. i just have a problems with sugar alcohols i think. i drink juice made with splenda and it doesnt bother me but sugar free coffee at starbucks and sf pudding did!

In any other addiction, people completely give up the thing that they are addicted to. An alcoholic completely gives up alcohol. With gambling the same thing. Drugs, the same. We can't completely give up food! That being said, yes, I consider myself addicted to food. I hope that someday, with the help of the band and my friends (here on this forum, support groups, and my family), I won't be looking for that next meal and worry about hunger all of the time. I know many on these boards who have overcome this addiction... Best wishes!