Search the Community

No I ain't had nothing to drink I knew that’s probably what you'd think If I dropped by this time of night Remember way back when I promised you I'd drop in At one of those meetings down at the Y Well, they started talkin bout steps you take Mistakes you make The hearts you break And the price you pay I almost walked away You could hear a pin drop When this old man Stood up and said I'm gonna' say it again Like I do every week For those who don't know me (Chorus) It's the simple things in life Like the kids at home and a loving wife That you miss the most, when you lose control And everything you love starts to disappear The devil takes your hand and says no fear Have another shot, just one more beer Yah, I've been there, that's why I'm here This ole boy stood up in the aisle Said he'd been living a life of denial And he cried as he talked about wasted years I couldn't believe what I heard It was my life word for word And all of the sudden it was clear (Repeat Chorus) That’s one of my favorite songs. It’s written and performed by Kenny Chesney, and for a long time I couldn’t hear it without crying; sometimes, I still can’t. I know it’s about alcoholism, but it’s also about me and my eating disorder. So many times, I thought, “I got this. I’m in control. I’m NOT an addict. I’m not ill.” Then there was the time when I lost 71 lbs. on Weight Watchers, and I was convinced that I was “fixed.” I was cured. I wasn’t “that” person anymore, and I was never going back; ever…but, I did. The devil definitely took my hand and I thought, “Just this once.” “Just this once” led to a downhill slide and a massive weight gain. I spent years beating myself up over that. I could not believe that after all that hard work that I blew it, like that. And then, my darkest days began. I felt as though my eating was so much bigger than me. It was something separate from me, that I couldn’t control. I hated life. Every day was a struggle of when do I eat/how much do I get to eat/when will I get to eat again/ what is there to eat? Worst of all, I knew that if I ever did get it together, that it wouldn’t stay together. And I hated everyone; but no one as much as myself...I really hated me. I think that everyone has to have their “moment of truth.” Mine came for me at 3:00 in the morning, watching a show on WLS. I remember thinking, “Life doesn’t have to be this hard.” I pretty much decided right then, that I was going to do this thing. You know, I would have NEVER thought that anything positive could have came from that 71 lb. weight gain, but I was wrong; several positive life lessons came from that. I learned that just when you think you’ve got your demon under control, and you get so high and mighty and complacent that it will rear its ugly head and kick your ass. I learned what to look out for, and what foods that I can’t handle; foods that are “triggers” for overeating. I learned that I am WAY stronger than I ever imagined. Lastly, I learned that the weight loss is secondary for me. The main thing is that I’m free. I’m free from the prison known as my eating disorder. And life is good. Life is very good.

No I ain't had nothing to drink I knew that’s probably what you'd think If I dropped by this time of night Remember way back when I promised you I'd drop in At one of those meetings down at the Y Well, they started talkin bout steps you take Mistakes you make The hearts you break And the price you pay I almost walked away You could hear a pin drop When this old man Stood up and said I'm gonna' say it again Like I do every week For those who don't know me (Chorus) It's the simple things in life Like the kids at home and a loving wife That you miss the most, when you lose control And everything you love starts to disappear The devil takes your hand and says no fear Have another shot, just one more beer Yah, I've been there, that's why I'm here This ole boy stood up in the aisle Said he'd been living a life of denial And he cried as he talked about wasted years I couldn't believe what I heard It was my life word for word And all of the sudden it was clear (Repeat Chorus) That’s one of my favorite songs. It’s written and performed by Kenny Chesney, and for a long time I couldn’t hear it without crying; sometimes, I still can’t. I know it’s about alcoholism, but it’s also about me and my eating disorder. So many times, I thought, “I got this. I’m in control. I’m NOT an addict. I’m not ill.” Then there was the time when I lost 71 lbs. on Weight Watchers, and I was convinced that I was “fixed.” I was cured. I wasn’t “that” person anymore, and I was never going back; ever…but, I did. The devil definitely took my hand and I thought, “Just this once.” “Just this once” led to a downhill slide and a massive weight gain. I spent years beating myself up over that. I could not believe that after all that hard work that I blew it, like that. And then, my darkest days began. I felt as though my eating was so much bigger than me. It was something separate from me, that I couldn’t control. I hated life. Every day was a struggle of when do I eat/how much do I get to eat/when will I get to eat again/ what is there to eat? Worst of all, I knew that if I ever did get it together, that it wouldn’t stay together. And I hated everyone; but no one as much as myself...I really hated me. I think that everyone has to have their “moment of truth.” Mine came for me at 3:00 in the morning, watching a show on WLS. I remember thinking, “Life doesn’t have to be this hard.” I pretty much decided right then, that I was going to do this thing. You know, I would have NEVER thought that anything positive could have came from that 71 lb. weight gain, but I was wrong; several positive life lessons came from that. I learned that just when you think you’ve got your demon under control, and you get so high and mighty and complacent that it will rear its ugly head and kick your ass. I learned what to look out for, and what foods that I can’t handle; foods that are “triggers” for overeating. I learned that I am WAY stronger than I ever imagined. Lastly, I learned that the weight loss is secondary for me. The main thing is that I’m free. I’m free from the prison known as my eating disorder. And life is good. Life is very good.

I try and stay away from splenda, Ive heard bad things about it. anything with sugar alcohols make my ass explode!!! cannot tolerate that stuff. I knoe fiber one bars don't have sugar alcohols in it, but it does have sugar. Im going to try experimenting with stevia, its a natural sweeter that is made from a plant. it has something like 10x's the sweetness as sugar. I bought it at Trader Joes. I like it because it is not a chemical, it is a plant. good luck, amy

It's everywhere! That stuff gives me the worse gas, and I don't need any help in that department. I have gas all the time, no matter what I eat. I just looked at the SF puddings, and it said splenda on the outside of the package, but sure enough if you read the label, it said 9 grams ( or whatever it comes in) of sugar alchohol. It's in most the Protein bars and I like Protein Bars. Does anyone have any suggestions of good things that don't have the sugar alcohol in them. When Malitol is the first ingredient, I know for sure if I ate it, I would have to be home alone for the next several hours.

Same here moonbeam, I told my boss I was having girly stuff done, and same as one other chick at work. Our company are BIG Drinkers and very social, so I am going to have a tough time, especially since my alcohol tolerance will be RUBBISH after this! I think we can get away with "smaller portions" or ordering the Soup so we can at least eat most of it!! if we do it under the guise of "being healthy, trying to eat 6 portions a day, and I am saying I have a personal trainer who works me to the core every morning before work - they'll never know!! muhuhuhahahahha!!:smile2:

chazpbg, you should follow the food stages that YOUR doctor has given you, every doc is different but why chance stretching your pouch, It's not about choking it's about letting yourself heal and they don't not want your stomach to churn during this phase. Like I said every doc is different but I was told no alcohol for 6 weeks The best thing for the gas is to walk, walk, walk, some say that heating pads are useful as well, as far as the sour feeling call your doc if you experience nausea because it's important not to throw up. And as far as the reflux my doc said to take a prilosec if I had this problem, so call and ask them what is best. No scolding. It's good that you come here and ask questions, but I was banded a week before you and when I reflect back at all the months of dealing with paperwork, insurance, and doc appts the last thing I want to do is chance having to start over because I decided to jump the gun and caused damage. The stages will pass quickly and next thing we know we are on regular diet.... Good Luck!!!!!!! and congrats on the weight loss!

I'm trying to loose weight pre operatively I think I am looking at a May Surgery..... Since I've been having such a hard time I have come to realize that I think much like an alcoholic is addicted to alcoholic, we are all addicted to food. I honestly feel like it's very similar. We talk constantly about quitting, but we can't. I feel like I am constantly fighting internally to make myself stop. You should find an over eater anonymous class. People say they are great.

Hi guys, As a newly registered user I like to say hi to everyone who uses this forum. I am a newbie to this forum. I am NYK from Canada. I am glad to join your wonderful forum. Thanks NYK alcoholism treatment

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, at least 20 percent of cancer deaths are linked to a poor diet, including the consumption of alcohol. The Canadian Cancer Society says that 30 to 35 percent of all cancers could be prevented by a combination of eating well, being active, and watching our weight. “Eat your veggies and your fruits, because the antioxidants they contain may protect you,” Chernoff says, pointing to kiwi fruit, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, papaya, sweet potatoes, pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon, carrots, spinach,and oranges. Also crucial are whole grains, which are high in fibre. They’re a source of selenium, which protects cells from oxidation and helps boost the immune system. Think beyond whole wheat bread, Chernoff notes, and explore ancient grains such as spelt, quinoa, bulgur, and millet. “Skip the alcohol, or at least cut back to a few per week and not on the same day,” she adds.Leslie Beck links diet to the prevention of illness in Foods That Fight Disease: A Nutrition Guide to Staying Healthy for Life (Penguin, 2008). Along with sharing recipes, the Toronto nutritionist gives advice on Vitamins and minerals that could protect against cancer. Vitamins A and C may protect against lung cancer, for instance, and folate might guard against colon cancer. Vitamin D could reduce the risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancers,while vitamin E might help prevent prostate cancer. ------------- Unlike most supplements, these products are made from organic foods, not synthetics. Visit the Naturally Nova Scotia website for more information. ----------- mukesh11 Natural Vitamins - Natural Vitamins

Well guys I started a challenge with my sister last week. It includes no weighing (I was weighing 3-4 times a day and the scale was having a big negative impact on my behavior:mad:); counting (& writing down) calories:tongue_smilie:; exercise 4-5 times a week :w00t:(Love & Julie - you'll be so proud of me - went to the gym twice and used the treadmill and eliptical. I sweated real sweat!! I'm going again today); and no alcohol until the weekend (Is Friday night a week night or the weekend???:confused: That being said, I don't know what my weight is -- and I'm not going to weigh until my next fill on April 16. One other thing -- I did try on some of my old "thin" clothes this a.m. I'd given most of them away years ago because I believed I'd never get into them again. Anyway, I was able to get into a couple size 18's. No more 2X's for me:lol:.

I start with a nice clean wallet or purse and after 2 days none of my credit cards are in the wallet they are loose in my purse. I get carded for alcohol and it takes 2 minutes to find it... I am a mess with stuff like that. I guess it's a good thing I don't pay the bills. Lulu.... I am jealous it's 38 degrees and rainy here.

I don't believe that driving drunk is a largely accepted social crime. I don't need or want to drink to be social, and I have no sympathy for anyone who gets a DWI. My own adult son got one once and I hoped they would throw the book at him! Don't get me wrong, I love him with all my heart, but how do you correct a wrong behavior? With discipline. Alcohol consumers have no business getting behind a wheel, and that goes for pot smokers as well. Anytime you are impaired mentally or emotionally (like right after the news of the death of a loved one, or a fight or intense argument with someone, after drug use, etc.)you should walk, not drive.

I recently attended a LB support group. I listened as I heard stories of how many still have just a shake for breakfast/lunch. I got out of that habit some time ago. I then questioned those that did this if they were the cooks or the caretakers in their households. Well the ones that were shakes only with one meal per day were all single. Those of us that tired of the shakes eventually had mouths to feed, groceries to buy, sandwiches to cut.... etc. Frankly, IT IS MORE difficult no matter what anyone sez. I'm not using it as an excuse, but I would love some kind of support group or help. I mean if an alcoholic had to touch, handle liquor all day long... would he be able to stay sober? In my dream world, I would wake up, have a shake, do my day, have a proti-Protein Soup for lunch. Throw in a healthy snack or two, go to the gym, and make a healthy dinner, and go to bed. My friend, a father of 5, leaves all of the above to his lovely wife. He agrees that if he had to touch, shop for, cook, taste, etc, ... food all day he'd not have gone quite so far. NOT an EXCUSE... but @%#! :wink:... man I'd love a break from all this food handling. LOVE my dh and kids and wouldn't change my life for all the pounds in the world, but really would like a clue... any ideas ? Gotta go make the lunches. <sigh> Anyone else go through this?

You got that right! I grew up with an alcoholic and it was horrible!

Paul Simon’s, aptly names anthology of solo hits is called “Negotiations and Love Songs.” He does a great job of capturing the often bizarre and illogical discussions and negotiations we have with ourselves. I think he has done a better job than most in capturing the 5 Stages of the Mourning (Denial, Sadness, Anger, Bargaining, and Acceptance). Well…last night I found myself locked in a mortal battle of wills with Denial. Obviously, I have spent years denying that I had a real problem and that I could overcome it with “will power” or the other great line “…I’ll just stop eating…” I have a friend, that is a recovered alcoholic, and he always said giving up booze was easier than food. Because, you CAN just stop drinking, stopping food eventually kills you… he always said that recovery rate would be zero, if every AA member had to take three shots a day, but was still required to stop all other drinking. So how did Denial sink it’s claws into me? I have been doing much better than I thought I would with the liquid diet, and the Queen of Denial was whispering to me last night…If you have done this good so far, just keep it up, skip the surgery and save the money…maybe your will power will hold out this time…ARRRRGGHHH. Denial is one seductive bitch! So how do you combat Denial? I use the mirror test. I taped a picture of me from high school/college times (about 190LBS), and one of a friend of mine who has the look I want when I get to the other side, then I stand naked in front of the mirror and ask myself do I look like the picture? Obviously the answer is No. Denial, I abjure you, I reject you and I will overcome you. The sweet siren song of Denial will not lead me to the rocky shores to find myself, again wrecked and wondering how it all went wrong. I know the Lapband is only a tool, but, it is also a weapon in a lifelong battle that I will win this time.

Paul Simon’s, aptly names anthology of solo hits is called “Negotiations and Love Songs.” He does a great job of capturing the often bizarre and illogical discussions and negotiations we have with ourselves. I think he has done a better job than most in capturing the 5 Stages of the Mourning (Denial, Sadness, Anger, Bargaining, and Acceptance). Well…last night I found myself locked in a mortal battle of wills with Denial. Obviously, I have spent years denying that I had a real problem and that I could overcome it with “will power” or the other great line “…I’ll just stop eating…” I have a friend, that is a recovered alcoholic, and he always said giving up booze was easier than food. Because, you CAN just stop drinking, stopping food eventually kills you… he always said that recovery rate would be zero, if every AA member had to take three shots a day, but was still required to stop all other drinking. So how did Denial sink it’s claws into me? I have been doing much better than I thought I would with the liquid diet, and the Queen of Denial was whispering to me last night…If you have done this good so far, just keep it up, skip the surgery and save the money…maybe your will power will hold out this time…ARRRRGGHHH. Denial is one seductive bitch! So how do you combat Denial? I use the mirror test. I taped a picture of me from high school/college times (about 190LBS), and one of a friend of mine who has the look I want when I get to the other side, then I stand naked in front of the mirror and ask myself do I look like the picture? Obviously the answer is No. Denial, I abjure you, I reject you and I will overcome you. The sweet siren song of Denial will not lead me to the rocky shores to find myself, again wrecked and wondering how it all went wrong. I know the Lapband is only a tool, but, it is also a weapon in a lifelong battle that I will win this time.

I wrote a lengthy post and lost it . . . aargh!!! So I will have to rewrite an abbreviated version, lol. I am not a member of the SCA but have attended many events similar in nature. You should be fine going to events banded as long as you are prepared. I would suggest bringing a cooler and other items to help with our post-banding diet. Lots of Protein options, Jello cups, sugar-free pudding cups, cottage cheese, string cheese, some low fat crackers and other band friendly items willl help. If you are still in a liquid stage, you can buy pre-mixed Isopure drinks in a case (maybe $30-$40) that can supplement your protein. Just make sure you have plenty of stuff that you know you can eat with you. If you are purchasing any meals from a vendor, be careful about trying new things that you haven't tried after banding. You want to go really slow and carefully just in case. Also remember that one meal may now be several meals post banding, your food expenses may go way down if you have a means to keep things fresh. Be careful about breads. If you drink alcohol, you want to stay away from beer or other carbonated beverages . . . but wines or mead might be OK in limited quantities depending on what your doctor says (although you want to watch the calories). This might seem gross, but you also want to keep a container, perhaps a big plastic cup, in your tent/yurt/or whatever you are sleeping in for emergencies. If something gets stuck and has to come back up it is best to be prepared. Also, if you are stuck or need to PB, it can take a while to work its way through or out. You don't want to be holed up in a restroom or port-a-port for an extended period. This may never happen, especially if you are careful, but it is best to be prepared. If you get yourself involved in any war related activities, you would want to make sure that you are completely healed from surgery. Also, if you bump your port with any force, it is going to hurt no matter how far out you are from surgery. One good thing to consider is that you will need to think about making, buying or modifying your clothes for the 2010 season. I am sure that whatever you are wearing this year is not going to work for next year . . . and that is the most fun of all the banding dilemmas you may experience :0) Good luck with banding!!!

Average rate of loss is 10% of your total body weight at the six month mark. Most of you are on target. I have had moments of struggling too since being banded. It was in my case completely due to my own poor choices. Are you drinking alcohol? Tracking what you eat? Cutting out refined foods? Exercising? If you can't honestly answer the above questions as they ought to be answered, then you have some work to do still. There ARE, however, people for whom the band is not effective. Everyone who feels discouraged by lack of loss needs to be talking to their surgeon.

I just read over some of my blogs and posts. I don't even remember what its like to feel like that anymore. Today I feel good. I actually just broke up with this recent boyfriend and I feel good about having some me time. He was just drunk and said some stupid things to me. But I'm just not going to settle or put up with it. Why? Hell no am I going to be my mom. No way! Alcoholism is a serious issue. When you don't know when to stop drinking every time you drink, you shouldn't even waste your time. Since he isn't smart enough to not waste time, I'm not going to waste mine. I'm a freshman in college. Your high if you think I can't move on. :]

I just read over some of my blogs and posts. I don't even remember what its like to feel like that anymore. Today I feel good. I actually just broke up with this recent boyfriend and I feel good about having some me time. He was just drunk and said some stupid things to me. But I'm just not going to settle or put up with it. Why? Hell no am I going to be my mom. No way! Alcoholism is a serious issue. When you don't know when to stop drinking every time you drink, you shouldn't even waste your time. Since he isn't smart enough to not waste time, I'm not going to waste mine. I'm a freshman in college. Your high if you think I can't move on. :]

LOL, yeah me too (laxative). I still adore some of the SF chocolates with Sugar Alcohols...they're still lower in calories than real chocolate even when counting all the carbs, but if I eat more than one or two in a day......instant colon cleanse.

Hey Friends of Bill W, I am very new to all this and what a relief to see that not only can I talk to people who have experanice in having the Lap Band surg, but also who are in recovery!! Love how God works!!! As you can see I am looking into talking to my doc about the surgery but I wanted to get more info, especially from people who have had the surgery. But as an Alcoholic, my commitee is running crazy. Im in fear and have come to the realization that not only was alcohol my best friend, but so was food. And it's still around to comfort me in times of fear and crazyness. If anyone has any words of encougement, advise, "suggestions", Big Book pages, ANYTHING, that will help please feel free to post a comment, reply, or even email at cvar75@aol.com. Thanks so much to all!:thumbup:

That's true! I had something called "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," so for me it was cutting out alcohol AND carbs. I say, enjoy your pasta! And have a couple bites for me please!!! With parmesean . . . . .YUM!!! Riley

I want to have pasta for dinner tonight... and was thining of canceling then i read what causes a fatty liver and its mainly alcohol.. and just being fat lol im already fat and im not drinking. So i will have my last bit of pasta:D My husband is driving me nuts today!

I have my mom's baby set-silver. My son has a set of our flatware someone gave him in a baby set (but it's packed away so I can't borrow it). If you want to spend a little more I would check some of the major flatware stainless/silver companies. Here's a link to the Oneida set he received (I don't have an idea for a travel case...hard eyeglasses case?). Click HERE Good luck DB with the doc appt. More than you probably want to know but I do count these, and I'm no expert. Sugar alcohols are not sugars or alcohols but are carbohydrates called polyols. They don't impact blood sugar significantly "in most people", so most diebetics can tolerate these. As far as how they should be counted...When products started arriving with these in them low carb dieters were told by many diet plans that they could deduct these off the carb total (when Atkins started making their own products they changed from not allowing these to allowing them). The urban ledgend when I was on Atkins (several successful times) was that these just passed through your body. Not true, they are metabolized just like other carbs, well not exactly as once absorbed they are converted to energy by processes that require little or no insulin. Some of the sugar alcohol is not absorbed into the blood but passes through the small intestine and are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine (so they are metabolized). Overconsumption may produce abdominal gas and a laxative effect. Just because they don't effect blood sugar doesn't mean they shouldn't count like other carbs that have little effect on blood sugar like green vegetables. There's been a lot of controversy lately on whether or not these should be counted as carbs or not, but most agree they should have a limited use and are mainly a benefit for diabetics needing to control blood sugars. The commonly used sugar alcohols include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, maltitol syrup, lactitol, erythritol, isomalt and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Their calorie content ranges from zero to three calories per gram compared to four calories per gram for sucrose or other sugars (most have a little over half the calories per gram as sugar). Most sugar alcohols are less sweet than sucrose; maltitol and xylitol are about as sweet as sucrose. So the pros are they contain less calories than sugar, but beware that these are not 'free' foods and they usually contain a lot of carbs. There is a big misconception that these carbs shouldn't count. They are not the same as zero calorie sugar substitues like saccharine.