IcanMakeit

I was served some Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea and was surprised to find that it is sweet before you add any type of sweetener. I read the label and found the ingredients include cinnamon, roasted chicory, roasted carob, natural spice and vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg. Now I know that many of those things have a little bit of sweetness to them, but not enough to make the tea as sweet as it tastes. But the label also lists the carb/calorie count as zero. What gives? Is this tea weight loss friendly or do the "other natural flavors" include something I should beware of?

Thanks. I asked to try the coconut one (along with chocolate peanut butter, which is one I eat all the time). They also have a variety pack so you can check out new flavors.

@@Keeper, I've heard of Whole 30, but never looked into it. Perhaps it could help my sister who is struggling with a sweet tooth and a worrisome regain. Maybe (after investigation) I'll offer to do it with her.

@CapeCodder: I remember the first time I wrapped my bathtowel around myself after the shower. I did it without thinking and then looked down and nearly jumped for joy.

She sounds pretty ignorant to be working for a bariatric surgeon. I think I would have said, "Bless your heart."

@@VSGAnn2014, When I started out, I could not conceive of a BMI under 22, either. Never say never! Follow your program and let your body do its thing. You might be surprised where you end up. I'm coming up right behind you, at 61.

I definitely watch my carbs as closely as I watch my calories. I have noticed that my weight goes up in direct proportion to my increase in carb intake. While following a long term low carb diet, I have never been found to be malnourished and my diabetes stays in remission. I will probably never be able to eat carbs freely, but at this point, I'm ok with that.

I reached my surgeon's goal in 7 months and my personal goal in 8 months. I'm still not ready to call myself in maintenance, however. I want to be a few pounds under my goal since it seems that most people bounce back a few pounds when they adjust their caloric intake upward.

@@nprcowboy, I am so sorry that you are going through all of this. Your surgical team does not sound extremely competent. I agree with the above comments. Get a lawyer. But when you do, make sure he/she has handled cases in the past where the diagnosis is uncertain. It's going to be a battle to prove that the surgeon is at fault. You'll need someone who has been successful at this in the past.

@esskay77: What I should be eating for breakfast, but am not: Protein pancakes; home made low carb protein muffins, scrambled eggs with veggies. These are examples of the foods that I aspire to be organized and motivated enough to eat for breakfast. But since they require more effort than opening a package, they don't get eaten often. Eggs are easy, of course and you don't need to keep a bunch of ingredients on hand, but I find them boring if eaten more than once a week. Also, for some reason, eggs are super filling and I can only eat one at a time and one is not enough protein for a meal.

@@esskay77, Quest bars are only bad if you abuse them like I do. I let them take the place of a non-processed natural breakfast or snack pretty much every day. They haven't interfered with my weight loss, but I believe my digestive issues might be improved if I was eating more "cleanly." That being said, I'm still planning to have another one for breakfast this morning. They're really my favorite breakfast.

123 today, I'm almost there. I just need to stay the course.

Avatars seem to be randomly disappearing or switching from one member to another. Sometimes it's quite amusing. Is this a known issue that's being addressed?

I sent you a friend request.

I think we're better off if we stay off the scale for the first six weeks after surgery. The scale is a big ol' liar until our bodies adjust. This is not a plateau. Stick with your program and prepare to be amazed at your progress six months from now.

@@amponder You state my feelings precisely.

But if we don't speak up when offended, all of the other people who were offended might believe they are alone. The protest isn't only aimed at the offender. It's also aimed at the general public.

Quest bars. I eat one almost every day. They aren't really that bad once in a while, but I need to eat more real food and less processed, artificially sweetened insta-food. They are now my standard weekday breakfast.

Congratulations! Enjoy your victory.

You could set a goal that you think is healthy (perhaps based on BMI) and then change it once you reach it, if you want to. That's what I did.

@@CowgirlJane your post tells me that I need to work out more. Even though I weigh less than many women of my height, I look larger (and wear a larger clothing size) than women who weigh more. That's probably because I'm not as fit as they are. Note to self: It's not only about the loose skin, it's also lack of muscle tone.

I think that the perception that WLS is the "wrong" way to lose weight comes from the fact that most people who haven't had it, think it's easy. And since lots of people believe that obese people are lazier or more self indulgent than others or lack self control, they don't want us to be able to lose weight easily. We should have to work hard to overcome our character flaws. I don't think these feelings are at the forefront of most people's thought processes, but I do believe they are there.

I voted "other" but at this point my complications seem too minor to mention. They discovered h pylori during the gastric sleeve surgery that did not show up during pre-op testing. My surgeon ordered me to take two different antibiotics to treat the h pylori and that resulted in a pretty bad case of nausea. I couldn't drink much for over a week (I was in the full liquid phase) and became very dehydrated. After I put my foot down and stopped taking the antibiotics, things got better. (I was able to restart the antibiotic treatment at four months post surgery with no problem.) The other problem is not really from the surgery but from the change in diet -- I am chronically constipated.

Although per the BMI chart I am at a good weight for my height, I have a lot a loose skin on my middle and a little on my thighs that looks a lot like fat to me. I have discussed plastic surgery, but I'm not sure if I can (or should) afford it. Since I'm over 60, depleting my savings seems risky.

How did you get your insurance company to pony up for a gym membership? Is this common? I need to look into that!