4LgrLife_53

I do volunteer work at our VFW's Bingo. We have a candy dish on the table with the bingo cards, and it's empty by the time our bingo patrons hit the table. Not a big draw for me except I always loved those little packages of milk chocolate "Whoppers" and had to resist the urge to grab one. I actually enjoy watching the bingo patrons get their sugar fix out of our candy bowl. Halloween is great in that you can get those big bags of candy more reasonable than any other time of the year--I just make sure when I get a bag for Bingo that I don't get one with the Whoppers . On a side note, I started my pre-op diet two days ago, and doing OK. Had my pre-op surgeon visit yesterday with the lab work and all went smooth. I've lost 11 lbs to date!

I asked my dietitian about the aspartame in the sugar-free popsicles and Jello. Can't find sugar-free of either without aspartame. Seems like the companies that make these products would look to make these products with the safer sweeteners. I have a friend who suffers from severe migraine headaches if she has any foods, including chewing gum, with aspartame in it. I'm writing to these companies to ask if they can make their products with a different artificial sweetener. Meanwhile, I'm going to be taking some of your advice and make my own with those plastic molds you can get at the store for popsicles.