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i never really drank soda but when i drink occassionally i like to chase alcohol with a shot lol not the end of the world if i cant have it though

Jack, I agree that drug use CAN disrupt and erode the fabric of society - alcohol abuse to a certain degree has certainly proved that, and it is legal. Obviously, drug cartels do have a history of enforcing means to their own ends thru violence and corruption. Wonder how powerful they would be if their drugs weren't illegal in the U.S., and if we had a proper means of manufacturing, distribution, taxing, and a set of rules governing the use of drugs? Alcohol abuse didn't end with the abolition of prohibition, but lots of bad guys are no long enforcing a means to their own ends through violence and corruption in the U.S. as it relates to the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol here.

ok...a few things... 1. I went and bought some alcohol swabs with Benzocaine that are making these shots so much easier!!! 2. Everytime we get this thread to calm down a little someone else comes in and rattles the chains! lol 3....Love you Beth :thumbup: lol All of you rock...even those of you I don't sgree with :skep:

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

DynomoMini, You are such a cheerleader for all of us. I've read post that you've written and you are so encouraging. I even looked to find your first post on here. Although we were raised different we were so alike in a way. Your association with alcoholism was some different. At least after high school I could get out of the situation. You were in it with 2 small boys. Like you I too wanted to die with Doug or so I thought until the day I was walking to the neighbors house and tripped and knocked out my breath. It was along side a busy road where the kids drove too fast at that time of day, right after school. I told God I wasn't serious or ready to die. Lucky for me a kid I know stopped and helped me. I really knew I would get hit by a car. Unlike your husband mine died suddenly. I was also a teacher and continued to teach another year. My heart wasn't in it and I felt I was not doing the kids any good so retired. I knew I needed a change but the weight just kept going up and up. I've been banded about 3 months now and have yet to regret it. I know I won't . Thank you so much for all they encouragement not only to me but to everyone else on this thread. Linda

I have been overweight most of my life. My childhood was not exactly a great one. My father was an alcoholic and my mom worked a lot so my wonderful maternal grandparents took care of me. I come from an Italian/German/and whatever else that is mixed in family. So I was always taught to have 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, and then some. All through my school years I was tortured by kids. I finally hit junior high and that is when I began losing weight and was down to a size 10/12. I still loved food and I still do. I got pregnant right after highschool graduation. I only gained 24 lbs with that pregnancy. But after I gave birth I still ate like I was still pregnant. I joined Weight Watchers and lost about 30 lbs but could never stick with it. 3 yrs later I was pregnant again. I gained 26 lbs with that pregnancy and then afterwards gained about 100. I am really happy I was banded 8/10 and looking forward to starting fresh. Happier, Healthier, and thinner. Love, Lisa

When you say "alcoholic" do you mean "I liked to drink a lot" or "I really think I need help"? My life has done a complete 180 for the better since I got into AA and quit drinking back in 2008. It was an even better choice than having the VSG. If you need help, all you have to do is reach out. Don't hesitate. There's a whole community of folks who only want to help. Look for an AA chapter near you and just go visit. If you want to talk with me privately, that's fine.

I think most morbidly obese people would agree, on the surface, with the statement "I'm miserable because I'm fat". I also think most morbidly obese people would agree, after reflection, that the truth is, "I'm fat because I'm miserable". Or, optimistically, "I'm fat because I *was* miserable, and I developed eating and lifestyle habits that led me to where I am now." It feels kind of "cheap" telling my "story" in a post on a forum, because it took me over 3 years of therapy and a LOT of soul searching to understand why I am the way I am. And I'm not sure knowing has helped much. (In fact, in OA/AA programs they say, "Self knowledge avails us nothing." But that's a discussion for another post.) My mother abandoned me when I was 11 months old. I was adopted by WONDERFUL parents who gave me a far, far better life than I would have had. But I've come to realize that I developed a severe fear of abandonment, and for some reason, the emotional/physical "high" I got from eating abated that fear. Although I am at an age where fear of abandoment is irrational, I have not been able to overcome the eating habits I learned over the course of my life. Nor have I, as of yet (though I suspect I'm on my way, thanks to the band), been able to break my addiction to whatever physiological response my body goes through when I eat foods in large quantities. As far as your post, DeLarla, I'm with you in every way. My biological father is a non-functional alcoholic and my brother is bi-polar. I can only assume some mental disorder from the woman who left her 2 1/2 year old and 11 month old child and never looked back. And I do my food damage (even now) after 7 PM. I'm great during the day -- controlled, responsible. When night comes, all I want to do from dinner until the time I go to bed is eat. Jonathan

that was me in the dress. i thought that was going to be you across from me. you seemed so quiet. in the pre-op room, i was the one who pulled the curtain closed around me. it was so loud in there. i was really just trying to make my peace with everything. i thought i had already done that, but when i got in there, i was so nervous. i just wanted to meditate and concentrate on everything being ok. i was so tired of "coffee girl" be-bopping around talking loud. i understand her job, but i really contemplated body slamming her and stuffing a sock in her mouth. she was nice, just the wrong time for me to meet her. i am glad you are doing better. my gas was not so bad, my problem was soreness at the port site and soreness at one of the small incisions that was directly over one of my ribs. now i am itchy itchy itchy on my back and belly. plus i have that sticky iodine all over me. i have scrubbed with alcohol swabs, soap, i even tried fingernail polish remover on a small spot to see if it would remove it. nothing works. i am still uncomfortable in a bra, so my boobies stick to my belly where they touch. it is sooo gross. i am fortunate with work in that i can handle my eating schedule however i wish. my office is directly next door to a golden coral. i can go over there and pay by the pound. they have plenty of grilled meats i can choose from once i get past the mushies stage. they also have plenty of mushies that i can add in my diet so that my co-workers arent tipped off to my wls. they have lots of cooked veggies. and paying by the pound, i won't have to order a meal for 5 or 6 bucks that i know i will not be able to finish. a couple of weeks ago, i got a piece of grilled steak, a dab of pototoes and a spoon full of greens, and it only cost 1.36. my kids lunches cost more than that, and they don't even like eating it!! i am drinking the atkins advantage shakes. very tasty, but quite sweet. i wish they made a t-bone flavored one. second thought, t-bone in that consistency might be nasty. i go back to work monday, and i plan to keep plenty of Water handy. i will also make sure that i eat the right things. i have been logging my food in the green journal they gave us. i assumed that is what is was for. i was so thrilled when i got that book. i keep a journal, and i love stuff like that!! i asked my husband if he told them that i had a journal hobby. i am also going to bake an apple to take to work, with some cinnamon. i am going to make it look fattening, and fool everyone, including myself into believing it is completely unhealthy. well, i have company now. kathy, are you still having the gas pains? my neighbor is a nurse, she brought me some NuLev, which dissolves under mytongue, tastes like a mint, and really worked for me. i took them on tuesday and wednesday, one on thursday, and now i think my gas has resolved itself. i just thought i would share that with you in case you are still sufferring with the gas. Chat with ya soon!

On my two month anniversary I wanted to give an update and share some of my experiences. Month 2 was very different than month one. The lesson I learned was that if I want this journey to result in weight loss, I'm going to have to DIET. I might have secretly hoped that this surgery was magical and that the gastric plication gods would bestow upon me a brand new body in a matter of weeks but I knew better. The first month was easy weight loss as i couldn't get over 700 calories a day while only drinking or eating soft food. After 6 weeks I could eat more regular food. The surgeon told me that I would only be able to eat 2-4 oz at a time and he was right. I do feel hungry every 2-3 hours and that requires more calories. I was stuck at 213 for about two weeks so I decided to track my calories with the myfitnesspal app. OMG, mystery solved, I was eating/drinking 1600+ calories a day and more (who knew alcohol was 70 cal an ounce and protein bars can be 300 cal each). When you eat small amounts, they can add up! I moved the scale down 5.5# within 5 days by making better choices and staying under 1200 calories. Do I feel restricted? YES. Do I feel deprived? NO. Do people I eat with know I'm different? NO. Do I feel normal? YES. Do I miss my old stuff-your-face lifestyle? NO. Do I exercise? NO. Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY! I can eat everything but to give you an example of restriction, I can only eat 1/2 to 3/4 of a lean cuisine entree, depending on the density but I can eat almost a whole can of clam chowder soup. I can only eat 3 pieces of a sushi roll and if I wait 20 minutes I can eat a fourth. I can drink as much as I want (just not with food) and a half bottle of water will take away my hunger for 30-45 minutes, sometimes more. When I feel really, really hungry, it usually means I need to burp. 5 hours without food is my limit, so I have to plan accordingly. Watching other people eat large quantities of food does not make me wish for my old stomach back, it makes me ill. So, grand total I've lost 42 pounds, 22 since the surgery two months ago. For me, the plication allows me to DIET comfortably. In the past 1200 calories would have been serious deprivation, today, 1200 calories is comfortable. They say you shouldn't diet, you should make a lifestyle change. I feel this surgery allowed me to make a lasting lifestyle change.

Weight Loss surgery is NOT A MAGIC PILL. You will HAVE to follow the rules, you will not lose 25 lbs a week, you will GAIN and you WILL LOSE, but you have to give your body TIME to HEAL.... Get in your WATER, and AS MUCH PROTEIN as you can.. do not come back in 3 weeks and say when can i drink Alcohol...........etc... you either WANT to do this (lose the weight) OR you Really just THOUGHT you DID....... Holler if I can help you!!!!! DO NOT COME BACK IN 2 4 5 12 weeks and say YOU are GAINING, THERE IS NO WAY.... you are gaining...... you are not drinking your water....... COME BACK in a year and THEN CRY you have gained weight, if SO , YOU are the reason........NOT the surgery!!!!!! Please if I can help ANYONE. Let me know, been there DONE THAT and some!!! ROCKING SIZE 8P... and FEELING & LOOKING WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must remember I was pushing out or Women's 18P

3 month update! 5/4/23 - Start Pre-surgery diet - 324 5/15/23 - Surgery - 307.6 8/15/23 - 3 month - 242.4 Had my 3 month visit with the dietician and have blown past all of the targets (both the 3m and 6m ones). The year target is down 100 pounds (from the 324), and I am only 18 pounds away from that one. Should be able to hit it by 6 months. Have had very little in the way of side effects. I have thrown up twice when I over ate and had 20-30m of pain after eating some pork that I apparently didn't do right (not sure if I didn't chew it enough or what). I have been pretty low energy only when working out (but that is getting a little better), but have been fine the rest of the day. I have occassionally had an alcoholic drink (started on vacation and has crept back into one or two drinks a week), but I am trying to be a little more strict about that. Currently reading a book called Wheat Belly that talks about how evil Wheat is. Pretty interesting stuff, but heavy on the science behind it all. In the past week I have averaged: 975 calories per day, 78g of protein, 64 oz of water. Given that I workout in the Texas heat (Crossfit gym), I need to be drinking more fluids, otherwise I am really happy with where I am at. I don't feel like there is anything that I want to eat that I can't (or haven't been) eating already. I cheat a little bit with tortilla chips, but that is really the only thing. Honestly, I feel like this whole process has been as painless as possible. I feel incredibly lucky, especially after hearing Synlee's story (I hope you are doing better!)

Yesterday Friday, Feb 14 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1.25 yr PO Sleeve / 116.6 lbs ---------------------------------------- Had a blast last night with Mr for V-day. Got him to agree at one point to go to this club at least once a month. I doubt he remembers saying so though, shoulda got it on paper, LOL Also to my surprise, all the chocolate and drink mixers I put IN me, STAYED in me last night (i.e., no dumping, just a little tiredness after dessert, but that may have been the alcohol...) ---------------------------------------- 9:30am - black coffee w/ stevia 1:30pm - salad greens w/ vinaigrette + carrots + cucumber + 1.5 oz tomatoes + 3 chicken wings w/ 2 tbsp hot sauce 4:30pm - skinny tea latte + + 3 chicken wings w/ 2 tbsp hot sauce + 2 Lindor chocolate hearts 9:00pm - 2:00am 2 oz bbq chicken breast + 3/4 cup roasted vegetables w/ feta + 1/4 cup spring mix salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette 1/4 a chocolate raspberry tartufo (i.e., filled ice cream ball dipped in chocolate) w/ 4 tbsp whipped cream and one of the hugest strawberries I have ever seen. 1 mojito 2 martinis 1 dark & stormy 2 Lindor chocolate hearts --------------------------------------- Totals: 1841 cals - 54g Protein 88g NET carbs - 70g fat

Gosh.... that's such a good question! One I've avoided thinking about for way too long. I should probably go to therapy to answer it. I mean the obvious culprits are there -- lack of exercise, love of chocolate and junk food, eating lots of food late at night and not eating all day. I totally do the "night picnic" someone mentioned. I actually get annoyed if my boyfriend comes home before my little food fest is over because I like to binge in privacy. But deep down, I think my weight gain always has to do with MEN. I've never been obsesssed with food in the way some people are talking about. I definitely don't think about it all the time or anything. In fact, the opposite is probably true. I DON'T think about it and then I get starving out of nowhere and eat whatever is in front of me, which ususally means fast food, junk food, processed food-- and the absolute WORST thing for my diet -- TAKE-OUT! I live in NYC and take-out is a way of life here. No one, and I mean no one, COOKS anything. In fact think one of my biggest problems is LAZINESS. I'm very lazy when it comes to food and I just want what's there and what's easy. Even now as I sit at my desk, the thought of going down two flights of stairs to get a salad and some tuna fish just seems like a big mission to me. I put it off and put if off and then the caf is closed and I have to eat something from the candy store instead. Which is really bad with the band and so I need to learn how to take the time to eat the right things or I'll end up losing nothing. But back to MEN -- let's see, there have really been two of them which have caused this gain. My father and my ex-boyfriend. My father died suddenly on vacation when I was 7 years old. My parents were in Italy and I was staying with an aunt who ended up being the person who told me he was dead because my mom was still stuck in Italy trying to get his body back home. It was a total nightmare because she didn't speak Italian and was hysterical and of course, I had no idea what was happening and wast totally terrified. Anyway, the first thing my aunt did is give me a king-sized Butterfinger. She kept giving me and my cousin candy money for the next couple weeks just to go to the candy store and of course, I put on a bunch of weight. I ended up losing most of it though as I grew up, just because -- thank heavens -- I ended up being really tall and lost a lot of the weight in puberty. Still, I don't think I EVER once in my life have not thought of myself as FAT since I was 7 years old. It's so sad, I look at my diary when I was a kid and there's all these "memoirs of a 7-year old", in this really childish handwriting, ranting about how fat and disgusting she was and how she would never, ever eat chocolate again -- and then I realize that's me! So like many of you, yes I guess food become a MAJOR comfort for me. But not just food in general, JUNK FOOD. And not even chips or fried stuff or anything like that, but CANDY. Yup, that fabled afternoon when I found out about my daddy dying -- just created one of the biggest sweet tooths imaginable. Fast forward a bit and then take-out food and alcohol became the big culprit --- that was always my problem in college and even when I moved to NYC. Take out is just so fattening, especially when you eat it late at night like I did (and still do unfortunately). Plus all the beer and booze you drink in college and as a single-girl in NYC.... EEK!!! Still, it was fairly under control until STEVEN. That's the evil ex. It's probably not appropriate to discuss but basically he had absolutely ZERO sexual interest in me and this would make me completely depressed and the bastard would SENSE this and bring home a pint of Ben & Jerry's. He basically placated my need for sex and intimacy with chocolate and sweets. I think he also WANTED me to get big in a way... the psychotic jerk. :angry So ultimately, sexual rejection = eating candy, and abandonment = eating candy. But here we are NOW. No sexual REJECTION (the new BF is wonderful and worships me just the way I am -- he's probably more concerned with me losing weight and finding some other guy or something ridiculous like that), and no ABANDONMENT (although I guess that always sticks with you, doesn't it?). So why am I fat now?? Last year I lost about 20 pounds through hard, hard work at the gym and in about 2 months, I gained it all back plus 10. Why?? Well, laziness is part of it -- I really don't like to exercise, although once I'm there, I enjoy it. Plus, I "hide my weight well" as they say, being 5'8 and all so gaining weight didn't really affect my confidence or social skills that much -- until recently of course, which is when I decided to have the surgery. But also, I think I JUST DIDN'T CARE ANYMORE. Strange really, but it was like I just gave up on the thought of ever being skinny. Even now with the band, part of me just can't imagine being skinny ever, ever again..... I simply don't believe that it's a possibility. I read everyone's success stories on here-- which are so inspiring -- but I have this deep down terror that the band just WILL NOT WORK FOR ME. I don't know, I guess I'm totally crazy. Anyway, sorry for the "book" guys. It just feels good to get all this stuff out though, doesn't it? Funny, I never thought I'd be exploring my internal struggles with perfect strangers, but there you go! Good luck and God Bless to all of you! Suzanne

Crosby: Man a cure for addiction would be fantastic. I was watching a movie on TV the other night and one of the female characters walked in the door from rehab, glanced over at a bottle of alcohol and the look she got on her face, that look of wanting that drink, needing that drink and how it made her feel, was exactly how I feel when I see or think about ice cream. Man, it was scary for me. She left the room and gave herself a chance to think about it, but rushed back over and poured herself drink within a few minutes. My behavior to a T! I'd like to believe all the hype that binge eating is something we can overcome by understanding that it's just calories in and calories out and if we like ourselves enough and wish to be thin, we will burn more than we eat. Well, it isn't that simple and if it were, people wouldn't be overweight if they didn't want to be. Millions of us don't want to be overweight anymore than alcoholics want to be dysfunctional because of drinking or anorexics do because of not eating. If some researcher can figure that part of the equation out, maybe there would be a chance for a cure.

Mom that's awesome! Congrats Say Hello to sipping Water again! Good morning all! For those that didn't catch it the first time check out http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/what-have-you-lost-44347/ this threads has a list of things and what they weigh. I have lost an ELEPHANTS PENIS no joke.. Jeez I bet their backs hurt alot Sounds like the chat room here now jk On a serious note i do have a question and will probably spend time looking it up today. It's not secret that I like to have a glass of wine. Well even knowing the horrible amount of salt and calories in a margarita I have tired to have them a few times at my favorite restaurant... What happens immediately after taking the first sip its like the band instantly tightens up. Sometimes I can have the glass and sometimes it makes me slime and I have to put it away. Even when I was open enough and was eating breads and stuff it would instantly lock me up.. Sounds weird but I have experimented a few times to see if it was the time of day the situation the drink etc. It seems to me most alcohols. Any idea?

Al-Anon was a huge help for me. They said, "come to 6 meetings, then decide if this is for you" so I went to 6 meetings, and the last one I walked out and said "I'll never go back" I was cured. Alcoholism was not a part of my life in any area except a boyfriend. He was optional. I wasn't married to him, no kids, no ties, just the choice to continue dating. We broke up, we moved on. I never could have done that without the knowledge I gained at those meetings. I learned ALOT more about ME than him, too. I can't recommend AL-Anon more. Put that pretty high up on your list.

I've been through a divorce with an alcoholic and it is so tough. My ex was great at paying support, but that was it. Please consider a few things: - going to Alanon meetings - this is support for people that have relationships with alcoholics. You'll get support and tools that will help you in all aspects of your life. - keep a written record of your interactions, especially if alcohol is involved. You mentioned that he is going through recovery - I hope for all of you that he's able to stick with it. - I never forced my daughter to see her dad, and there was only one time that I told him couldn't have her because he showed up drunk (she was a teenager at that point). I realize that your son has special needs, but he does need to spend time with his dad, supervised or not, good, bad or ugly. A third party would be good to get involved so that he does interact with dad. I wish nothing but the best for you and your son during this time. I lived with my mom when I split with my ex, so can relate to what you are going through.

I personally have no issues with the sugar alcohol in popsicles, but when its in chocolate not a good comboe. Like everyone posted above just watch out for sugar alcohols, we all react differently, my wife does not do well with more than a piece or two. I might recommend trying new products at home just in case.

Hi all, I celebrated my 6 months surgiversary last Thursday. I made the goal I wanted: 70 lbs. lost post-surgery in 6 months. The six-month checkup went well. I've been trying hard to stick to Kaiser's guidelines and they are working for me. I'm now cleared for 1-2 alcoholic drinks per week. Yahoo! I'm going to start out with a small glass of port, probably this weekend. I'm planning on enjoying Thanksgiving this coming week, but I hope not so much that I dont' lose. I've lost every week since surgery and I don't want to break that streak yet! Lynda My Christmas Goal also includes reaching the following goals: 154 lbs.: I'm a NORMAL BMI!!!! and I have 19 lbs. to goal 154: I've lost 100 lbs total - 32 pre-op and 68 post-op. I'm in the Century Club! 152: I've lost 70 lbs. post-op 149: My number starts with 14. I haven't weighed this since the mid-90s. 146: I've lost 10% of my total body weight for the fourth time since the operation. I have less than 10% of my body weight to go to goal, so it will be my last 10% loss. 145: 10 lbs. to go to my final goal! 144: My Christmas goal and I've lost 110 lbs. (32 pre-op and 78 post op). 9 lbs. to my final goal!!! Christmas Goal: SW-157.9.............CW-150.4...............Christmas Goal-144 Oct 28: 157.9 Nov. 4: 155 Nov. 11: 152.8 Nov. 18: 150.4 Nov. 25: Dec. 2: Dec. 9: Dec. 16: Dec. 23: Christmas:

Hey all, back from my 2+ week vacation and wanted to give an update: First, you look awesome Lindsay! Second, the update (2 weeks traveling around Germany and Italy): Protein was VERY hard to hit. The "on the go" protein mixes that I brought got real tiresome real quick. I wasn't able to do them everyday. Thankfully, I got approved to have protein bars the day before I left, so I made use of those pretty heavily. Water was also VERY hard to hit. I wasn't keeping exact track, but based on the color of my urine, I wasn't doing great. I was also sweating a substantial amount too, so I needed even more water. The 30m no-drink after eating restriction was a killer. We would stop for some food, I would grab a nice cold bottled water, then have to wait 30m for it to warm up to 80 degrees before I could drink it (I never realized how spoiled I was with cold water) Exercise was easy. Nothing specific, but we averaged 15000 steps a day so I counted that There was a significant amount of cheating: I would usually order a meat based meal, but then try a bunch of different pastas from my family (tiny bites, but 3 or 4 different ones usually). I also occasionally had a bite or two of bread, and ate a piece or two of pizza. I drank wine...quite a bit. We had a couple of wine tastings booked, but I would also do wine before dinner with all my family. I had a grand total of 3 bites of gelato (which I am pretty proud of). The kids got gelato pretty much every night, and I only stole 3 bites as I wanted to try the flavors (coconut, stratiacello, and milk???) In addition to wine, I did have a glass+ of champagne (so double dip of alcohol and carbonation) I had unapproved meats. I didn't always have good options for meat, so there was a couple of nights I shared steak with somebody, or had some other non-approved meat. That being said, I only ever had one stomach issue on the whole trip. I ordered a plate of various meats (ribs, bacon, sausage). I am not sure what the problem was, if I ate too fast, didn't chew enough, or it was too fatty, but I had a pretty quick reaction and didn't feel good at all. There was pain in my stomach area for about 15 minutes. After getting up, walking around, and burping a WHOLE lot, the pain passed. Overall, I was very happy with how it all went. While I have a decent list of cheats above, other than the wine, I really only had a bite or two of non approved stuff each meal. My stomach felt great 98% of the time, and....I lost 9 pounds!!!

Nor should we condone it either and let the cycle continue. One would assume the kids would want to better themselves so they don't end up like their parents! My grandfather was an ironworker drank up a storm. My dad is one of the most anti alcohol people I know and their family never got any hand outs or anything "special". They were dirt poor and managed to survive somehow. It can be done, come from absolutely NOTHING and make something of yourself to have a better life for themselves and their family w/o all this gov't "assistance".

I read about one lawsuit where a paroled drug or alcohol offender had his parole revoked because he did not complete the terms of the required substance abuse program he was in. Apparently, he was Catholic and the center was Protestant-based. He was told that his religion was witchcraft and that he should convert. When he refused to convert, they said he did not finish the program.

I'm three months out and meat just ain't my thing at present. I can eat shrimp, fish, hummus, and ground meat so I think that's plenty good. I'm keeping balance with veggies, protein shakes, nuts, seeds, yogurt, fruit, water. I've never eaten this healthy in my life!! So little alcohol I could join the convent. Maybe one cup of coffee a day with lots of nondairy creamer...It's crazy! I did have an endoscopy procedure about a month or so ago and that helped greatly. I have trouble with water and exercise which are now my goals. I had my three month check up today with bloodwork so I hope my schedules have been working. We will see in a week with the results. I'm on my fitness pal and have a nice group of people supporting each other that helps! Best to everyone!

If I may... Skip the Slim fast, althogh less sugar than regular slim fast, it is still loaded with sugar! try Atkins shakes, or sugar-free Carnation instant breakfast mixed with skim, or better yet, Carb-countdown Skim milk. Is this specifically what the doc ordered? Protein bars are not liquids, and many have ingredients like glycerol, or sugar alcohol that are not really as carb-free as they claim. If he says liquids, then stay that way, if your list is as he requested, then ignore everything that I just said. Always do what the doc says!!