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My mom always used to make these no-bake peanut butter/chocolate Cookies at home, and they were one of my favorites. I just switched the recipe up a little bit to make it LB friendly. The recipe is half of the "normal" and makes about 16 cookies, feel free to double it. Use no-sugar added cocoa (Hershey's makes it or look for baking cocoa). Also, I used reduced fat Peanut Butter and instead of butter I used Brumblen Brown (spelling?) yogurt butter spread (1/2 the cals of butter). All in all, these are pretty tasty and not terrible for you. Ingredient/Cals/Prot: 24 pckts Truvia/0 /0 1/4 c skim milk/22.5/2 4 tbsp cocoa/80/4 1/4 c PB/760/28 1/4 c yougurt butter/180/0 1 1/2 c oats/450/15 Total/1492.5/49 Per cookie (16): 93 calories and 3 grams of Protein Boil sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and oats and vanilla. Use a tablespoon to place dough out on waxed paper. **If you want, you can go ahead and add the PB and the vanilla before you boil it, it doesn't make a lot of difference. Tip: 24 pckts of Truvia = 1 cup of sugar (For those that don't know, Truvia is a zero-calorie natural sweetner derived from the Stevia plant, I like it better that Splenda. Tip 2: Instead of cocoa powder, you could try choco Protein Powder to make these a little more guilt-free.

i had my first fill last saturday, but i'm not sure if it's enough. i still feel hungry between meals some days, and i can eat 2 cups of foods at dinner. on the flip side, i'm tight in the morning and usually am only able to have a protein drink or some yogurt. and lunch is usually half a sandwich or some tuna and veggies. i find myself grazing all afternoon and some evenings too. should go in and get more?

Hi Ailbhe, I didn't go on a pre-op diet I was just told no alcahol for 48hrs before the op. It would depend on your bmi if you are above 45 it might be useful to go on the milk diet for a couple of weeks before surgery, what this does is it reduces your liver size and makes it easier for the surgeon to access your stomach. As for the last supper, there is no such thing, for the first week it will be difficult to eat (in my case the first three days:redface:), you will be able to eat fairly normally once the swelling starts to come down, and thats within the first week. I was told to eat a lot of protein in the first week post surgery, to aid healing. This was achieved by eating yogurts, low fat custard, rice puddings and slim fast or any good protein drink. It wasn't difficult to do this as I didn't really feel like proper food although as I said earlier I did have a few sneaky dips into my hubby's plate from about day three. This is the week when you will have your optimum weight loss. And in most cases it stays off and some people will even lose a little bit more before their first post op app. For most people and you just have to look back on this thread, we are begging for a fill by the first appointment. So don't worry about "the last supper" there is'nt one.:tongue: Stock up on some low fat custard and rice pudding portions and some soup and protein drinks and also yogurts. Make things easy for yourself for the first week post op by having little or nothing to do. Accept any help thats offered and take it easy. The best of luck and do keep posting.:smile:

Silry, if it helps, even with the pain and discomfort I'm experiencing, I would still have gone through with it, knowing that it will all be worth it. I'm even thinking that maybe since I didn't have it so easy, like some do, that I'll remember that when I'm struggling to make a better food choice later on. Instead of having ice cream, maybe I'll go for the yogurt, you know?:decision:

thank you so much for the concern and compassion. it means alot. they did do round the clock fluids. they were putting anti-nausea meds, antibiotics, electrolytes, and morphine thru the iv round the clock for 4 days. the thing of it is, i was in the e.r. 12 days earlier for the same thing and they rehydrated me and sent me home. i just ate a very lightly scrambled egg and am having some yogurt and not having any problems at all which is a blessing. i live in arizona, i am sure there are other band docs around but it's not the band that's the issue - at least according to the hospital. somehow...somewhere...i picked up a heinous bacterial infection and it has wreaked havoc on my system. i can't even imagine eating not only what i used to eat before band but eating just a proper meal like a meat, a veg and a fruit like i did after the band. i am just so thrilled a scrambled egg is sitting well, i am beside myself, lol. i am wondering if there is a possibility of some issues w/ my uterus that could have caused this nausea. they did a ct scan 2 weeks ago when i was in the e.r. and found some problems in the ovaries and i went to an ob and they found problems in the uterus and they did a test and found that i had a high cancer cell count. i am scheduled for a biopsy next week but the medication they have to put me on for that causes...you guessed it.....severe nausea so they can't do that until my stomach calms down. you guys are so great and i love this forum just so i have the chance to vent w/ my soul sisters and brothers who truly understand what it's like to have this little alien inside of us :biggrin:

Hello everyone. I'm a band to sleeve revision scheduled for May 16th! Getting here has been a long and often miserable road. I am so excited to be beginning this new journey. I really messed up by not being prepared when I had my band put in and that is not going to happen again. So, I spent some time today compiling of list of things to get in the next month. It's suited to my tast so there is no pudding and only vanilla flavors (no chocolate or strawberry). Also, everything is pre-packaged (making it more expensive) because I have two kids who keep me extremely busy and a husband who works all the time. I quit drinking carbonated beverages and caffeine a couple of months ago and gave up alcohol (almost completely ) in January. I never though I would be able to do that (of course I am really fightin replacing with eating)! Anyway, just in case this may help someone here it is: For Day of Surgery Ear plugs Eye mask Chapstick Warm blanket Ear buds for TV Gas X (couple of different forms) Slippers or Socks Belly Binder Nightgown Belly bear or pillow Phone charger Milk of Magnesia For Weeks 1 and 2 May 16th – May 31st 21 Carnation Instant Breakfast Vanilla (Pre-made) 28 Fat free or low fat cream Soups (strained before eating)(see list at end) 28 No sugar added Greek Yogurts 3 Cartons chicken broth 3 Cartons beef broth 1 Carton skim milk 14 Jello snack cups 6 Cans crushed pineapples in Water or light syrup (for smoothies) 7 Bananas (for smoothies) 1 Carton OJ (for smoothies) 6 Mangos for smoothies For Weeks 3 and 4 June 1st – June 14th 1 Large box of quick Quaker Oats 14 Fat free cream soups (see list at end) 21 No sugar added Greek Yogurts 14 HMR or Healthy Choice etc. frozen dinners (to put in blender) 1 Spinach (to put in blender w/ frozen meals) 1 Broccoli to put in blender (to put in blender w/ frozen meals) 1 Box of instant mashed potatoes 14 Prepackaged snack cups of unsweetened apple sauce 4 Cans of chicken for chicken salad 1 Jar of Hellman’s low fat mayo Vitamins and supplements Mulit-Vitamin – Bariatric Advantage Convenient Daily Packs (30 day supply) Biotin – Nature’s Bounty 5,000 iu Protein – unjury unflavored, Unjury strawberry sorbet, and Unjury chicken Soup Vitamin D – highest dosage (I'm African -American (so my Vit D is always low) but with enough other stuff mixed in that my mom has osteporosis. Go Figure!) I also already have every heartburn medicine (both OTC and prescription) at home but if you do not probably good to have it on hand. Tylenol - liquid or chewables if I can find them. I get migraines so I am sure one will hit me. Cream soups may include from Campbell’s Brand – FF Cream of Celery, FF Cream of Chicken, FF Cream of Mushroom, FF Broccoli cheese, Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese Soup, Cream of Potato Soup (sparingly)

Try plain ff Greek yogurt mixed with extract and Splenda, Lime juice and Splenda, (like key lime pie) Fresh strawberries are AWESOME in it, Unsweetened cocoa powder and Splenda (tastes like chocolate mousse!) Haven't tried, but I hear that sugar free jams are good, Torani sugar free syrups, Crystal Light powder, You would just have to play around with amounts to suit your taste. I also use the ff plain Greek yogurt as sour cream, add chives, s & p, and a drop of lemon juice to top a potato. Mix with salsa for a dip Add ranch dressing powder for a dip for veggies or thin it out with water for salad dressing. I even made a creamy honey mustard last night, ff plain Greek yogurt, yellow mustard, lemon juice, pinch of dry mustard, s & p and Splenda. Let me know how you like these recipes. BTW, I didn't like Fage, Oikos, etc...either, I actually like the Shoprite brand best, and Yoplait, love the key lime, but I don't eat it too often because of the carbs.

My NUT has my full liquids as Clear Liquids (unsweetened tea with splenda no milk or creamerish stuff, SF Jello, clear broths, SF popsicles, G2 Gatorade, Crystal Light, Diet Snapple, Water, and clear Protein shakes such as Isopure, Protein Blitz, and New whey Protein shots. She said if I mix 1 bottle of G2 with 1 bottle of Protein Blitz = almost full day's liquids). For FULL liquids, its all of that ++ Light & Fit yogurt, SF pudding, Cream of (mushroom, chicken, potato, etc) Soup with LACTAID milk (as we may have a problem with milk right after), SF Carnation Instant Breakfast, Egg Drop Soup, Wanton Soup (no wantons), Miso Soup (no seaweed), V8 juice, and any SF shakes.

I had mine done the same day! The gas pressure has gone down but today was though. Yogurt is not agreeing with me and I was able to walk about a mile today. How are you doing today?

I go on August 5th t set up surgery and the group I use the pre-diet is FULL liquid for 7 days-- you can have all the Soups you want minus the meat, noddles, veggies..just the broth.. All the sugar free popsicles..yogurt..pudding..ect.. The. Last 3 days clear liquid only

Thanks all for your suggestions everyone. I actually shop at Kroger but never looked for a lower carb yogurt. I will look for it this weekend when I go shopping. When I think about what I lost I am proud of myself but I guess since I have a cold right now and feel crappy all my old way of thinking is coming back to me. The stinking thinking has kicked in big time

I am two weeks post op tomorrow. I feel fantastic until I forget and take a big gulp of something or think I can eat a bit more than I can. It isn't that I try to force food in, it's just that when I get full, (which I always am) but I need to try to get some food in, I get really full and it hurts. There is no way I am getting in enough protein or fluids. However, when I eat yogurt, I can eat the entire container, although it does take me at least 40 minutes. I eat 90% of the food I eat each day at my office at my desk. I went back to work on day six. I have felt great since two days after I surgery. I have looked for protein powder and I can't find it locally. The only I nes they have are either vanilla or chocolate flavored. I usually make protein shakes with it, almond milk and frozen strawberries. I will have to do it again and freeze half of it for "ice cream" and drink the other half. My goal this week is to make plenty of good pureed foods. I am just so sick of pureed. I want to eat food. I've only had two instances of dumping, one caused diarrhea and the other just lots of pain. I got a tiny piece of crab stuck and that I had to bend way over and force it to come back out. I tried a rolo today (sucked it so it dissolved) just to see if sweets would not sit right with me like most people. Unfortunately it was just fine. I don't go back to the doc until the 23rd. That is when I get to go to soft foods. Then I am on those for six weeks. I just want to be able to eat small amounts of normal food and drink my water the way I normally do. The

I'm home now and the abdominal pain is pretty extreme.....I have a hard time standing up straight. I also have a lot of gas pain in my chest.....I'm having an awful time getting in my water and protein.....We got home yesterday about 3:00 and while I was home I was only able to drink about 10 oz of water and only 4 oz of a protein drink.....the heartburn is what kept be from being able to drink more. I hope today will be better.......they gave me Omeprazole to take but the instructions say to open the capsule and sprinkle it over pudding or yogurt........I'm on clear liquids until tomorrow! But I did take a small spoon ful of yogurt and sprinkled the pill over it and took it like that......also having a hard time sleeping, hense me posting on here before 3 am EST/

Hi July Bandsters - I thought I would share a somewhat humorous event from last night. First, I'm still on liquids until this weekend when I transition to mushies. Anyway last evening I had to take my elderly dad to the hospital (he's ok). We were there for 6 hours and I hadn't put anything in me. So while he was being tested I went to the cafeteria for something to eat. Of course since I can't eat solids yet my choices were extremely limited. In fact the only liquid option was the gravy from the fried chicken meal! Yes, I was so hungry I almost got just a cup of gravy. But, I perservered and found some yogurt instead. If I was in a different place (pre-band) I may have ordered the gravy for my dinner. I guess I am making progress. Hope everyone is doing well. Kathy

Hi everyone, I am home! I am 4 days post op and feeling Great. My Dr has me on a complete clear liquid diet for 7 days. I'm not even hungry. I have been drinking, water, Propel (for vitamins etc,) broth, and now that I am home some SF jello and SF popcicles. I finally lost 2 lbs. I think it is because I retained water after surgery. With being in the car for 8 hrs straight 2 days in a row and in hot weather (up to 112) and just what surgery can do to you, my body has just been in shock. On day 8 I can add 3, 1/2 cup servings of LF yogurt, with no chunks. Then on day 10 I add protein drinks, at least 30g. Then starting day 22 SOLIDS, and NO more protein drinks ever. Of course with this I am supposed to be taking my vitamins, walking and always staying hydrated. So far this has been easy. I was also told NEVER to drink anything carbonated as this can cause the band to slip. Was anyone afraid to take the first bite of solid food? I have absolutely no restriction when it comes to drinkink clear liquids so I don't know if I have much restriction at all. Leila, thank you so much for reminding us that all those little calories add up, and that the band is a tool, not a guarantee to weight loss. Barbara, thank you again for keeping us posted with those being banded each week! You are awesome! Congrats to all those being banded this week! We have such an awesome support group here. Please don't leave just because you are banded...stay and share and continue to support. We all have a long journey ahead of us!

Being newly banded since March 12th and maintaining a liquid diet for the next couple weeks my, fiber intake as expected is low. Also being a hobbyist cook I've been coming up with recipes to go with my new lifestyle. I was wondering this. If I were to take 1/2 cup of fiber one which has 14gr. of fiber and only 60 calories and put it in my coffee grinder and turn it to powder and say mix it with a cup of applesauce (100cal) or mix it with my yogurt, would I still get the full 14 gr. of fiber in it's new altered state? I'm assuming so, but wanted to know others' thoughts. I would think this highly rich fiber would be ideal to mix with soups, and other liquids that it wouldn't be an issue downing it.

Rugman, thank you for taking the time to post for me. I admit, I know better, I know mostly what works and what doesn't; it's pretty basic overall. But, as I said before, just when I think I have a grasp... bam! 80-120g carbs in one day. I can't seem to break it. I thought did OK over the holiday weekend, especially on a mini vacation... but really, it just OK. What did me in was not so much the food, but the Sangria by the pool. Ugh, as often as I tell people, "If you know it's bad, don't do it," I was doing the same damn thing. THUR, 73 carbs: Hopped off the plane and went out to Chili's with my friends in Phoenix. Had the Guiltless Grill Salmon (about a quarter of the actual fish portion) plus half of the steamed broccoli with a touch of parmesan and half the black Beans. FRI, 152 carbs: Seared tuna and squid for lunch, no sauces. Veal and prosciutto wraps with spinach and mozzerella and a touch of marsala sauce. Roasted veggies. KILLER - Sangria and mixed fruit dipped in Cool Whip, being fed by whomever was holding the bowl. LOL Fun, but a low-carb assassin. SAT, 83 carbs: Dannon 0%plus yogurt. dinner out to Olive Garden and half an order of the Apricot chicken. Even the name is carb-heavy. TDP shows 0 carbs, but I know that's not right; there has to be something from the apricot sauce, even if I ate very little of it. Oh, and more Sangria as we talked into the night. SUN, 72 carbs: Much better, or so I thought. Dannon 0%plus yogurt for B and L. Dinner was baked chicken with a canned Pasta sauce and spinach salad and lowfat, low sugar dressing. Maybe you don't want or need to see all that, but I use that and go back to compare, thinking I am usually so good, and then see that I am averaging 85 carbs a day for the past 30 days. Ugh! Frustrating. So, I have printed an Induction Phase list from Atkins.com and intend to use that when I go shopping tonight. I know that the yogurt is a lot and that I will have to find something else. I am also a big fan of fresh fruit. What do people do instead? The alcohol is a problem for carbs, yes, but not to cut out; that's easy because I don't regularly have it. I am really concerned about Calcium, D, and K; I don't metabolize most supplements very well and I do not like milk. Hence, my yogurt fascination. I would appreciate ideas there. Another somewhat difficult part for me is that I am also a low saturated fat person; I don't eat much cheese, bacon, beef, etc. and instead focus on fish, chicken, and some leaner game when the mood strikes. Maybe this should have been a PM. Sorry for the length. I want to do this, and I appreciate your input. Thanks, again, all of you.

jerseygirl I'm in a similar situation...I've started eating yogurt with Protein Powder for Breakfast, today I'm going to try premade tuna salad in a cup I've been eating Soups at lunch the meat and soft veggies and dinner I made some meat with condensed mushroom Soup (don't add water) in the crockpot cooks it very tender. I've been adding sugar free popcicles of some sort in the evening or a Protein Shake. I also eat low fat piminto (sp) spread or cream cheese on Triscuts, I can only eat a couple of these but they go down ok and don't get stuck. I find the rules they've been telling us about all this time really have to be stuck to at this point that's why I was feeling so bad a few weeks ago eating to much, to big, not chewing... I still can't get a lot of Water and my milk consumption is down but a small meal last me a long time. The whole thing makes Kirk feel bad cause when he's home and we go out I order a side of mashed potatoes and eat a quarter of it.

Hi all - banded 11/3 - and doing very well. I am planning on going back to work tomorrow. Down about 8 pounds so far, yea! I am on liquids + yogurt/puddings without any chuncks for 3 weeks, so I am already finding that challenging. I add sugar free vanilla starbucks syrup in my vanilla Protein shakes, they are wonderful. Had a little bit of a challenge yesterday, was spending the day with DH and friends and we wound up going to Carabbas... I ordered Mama's chicken Soup, and tried to eat just the broth, but it was really hard with them all eating that wonderful bread, big salads and pizza. I brought the soup home and will strain for dinner tonight. DH and I used to eat out all the time, fortunately he is very sensitive to me not being able to eat anything right now. Although I do look forward to going out and ordering great salmon! Little worried about heading back to work. I think I will feel ok, but I didn't tell anyone I was having this done. I will have to cover the bruise from the IV with makeup, and worried about lack of energy. Did you guys tell everyone? Anyone else secretive here? I joined a Christmas challenge on this website too. Hopefully another way to keep motivated! Soph

Best answer Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction? By Meghan Vivo Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night. Jane is a food addict. In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction. What Is Food Addiction? Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects. Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better. Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions. Addiction or Bad Habit? Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit? Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food. In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive. Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off. Are You a Food Addict? Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating. If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions: Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't? Do you think about food or your weight constantly? Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success? Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging? Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people? Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight? Do you eat large quantities of food at one time? Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long? Do you eat to escape from your feelings? Do you eat when you're not hungry? Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later? Do you eat in secret? Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake? Have you ever stolen other people's food? Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?" Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight? Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten? Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten? Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?" Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life. Treating Food Addiction Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time. Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds. Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings. Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten. Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it. Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch. Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips. Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks. Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat. Other resources and articles:

@ -- definitely happy to share the FULL story!! almost 3 weeks post op and i have to say that i think i've been VERY lucky so far, so i'm not really the best person to give the full scope of what recovery can be like. a lot of other people who got sleeved the same time as me are having a much harder time, so i'd recommend reading the different forums (for example there's one for people sleeved 10/14, 10/19, etc.) to get a sense of how people progress in their recovery. for me, the 2 days in the hospital were pretty tough. i had a lot of pain the first day and was CRAZY thirsty, the second day i had nausea and struggled to drink the required amount. the first week i felt generally ok but just very very tired - lots of naps. around 1 week post op i had a crazy allergic reaction -- big red circles around each of my incision sites that itched like CRAZY. i felt like i was going to claw my skin off!!! no consensus on what the allergen was - maybe the surgical glue, maybe the dried blood inside, but in any case it made for a rough, sleepless couple days. i haven't had really any problems getting down Protein or Water or (just this week) cottage cheese/yogurt/apple sauce so that's good. and the weight has been coming off fast and steady. i know there is a long road ahead still -- i will have stalls and maintenance is something i have never once succeeded at, so i know that will be a whole separate adjustment. but i already feel amazing. truly. my sleep apnea has clearly gone away since i am WIDE AWAKE at work for the first time in years. i can feel the lost weight when i walk, there's just a lightness that feels awesome. and the depression that pushed me to do the surgery in the first place is easing up in a major major way. life just seems very bright! one thing i keep reminding myself of is that i have lost all the weight in the past (with doctor-supervised Protein shake diets) and as soon as i was "done" (met goal), i just stopped with the program. didn't continue getting support from the doctors or keeping up with group sessions or therapy. and so i gained it all back and then some both times. so while i am totally basking in my current success, i'm trying to remind myself that this is a different game -- a PERMANENT change, vs. a couple months of shakes. ok that was a very long-winded rant. i will definitely keep you all updated - its nice to be able to share progress here. i haven't had any negative experiences in other forums but i would hesitate to talk numbers given where other people are at and where they started.

she did say plain yogurt thinned with milk, i would imagine same holds true for pudding, and yes you can have sugar free jello, i just didn't, even though i do have it, just jello'd out...i did have v8 juice today and orange juice yummmmm, and coffee YAY. got downstairs in the lobby and smelled that coffe and forgot to ask, so i called back up there and told melissa to ask someone and she asked barb and she said decaf.....:eek: ive heard alot of people on the vst.com talk about going straight to chinese rest. and getting wonton and drinking the broth, it does sound goooood....:rolleyes2: Now, whats this about nerves, your the one who told me not to worry about anything, so whats your beef. hmmmm, beef.

Hormone dump is rough. It happens because fat stores hormones, estrogen in particular, and that gets released when you are losing quickly. I was crying the other day because my son's poopy diaper made me lose my appetite in the middle of a meal. And later the same day I called my husband crying so hard he could only understand about a third of what I was saying because I felt bad at snapping at the kids. Think mega-PMS. The worst thing for me post-op is the bad taste in my mouth and certain foods taste -terrible-. I can't eat flavored yogurt or real lemonade right now. It has a nasty, nasty flavor to me. I'm hoping that will go away when the bad taste in my mouth clears up. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Day 2 was my worst day. But today (day 3) I'm feeling so much better. Fluids are going down much easier. I'm down almost 20 pounds from my highest weight on 9/18/12. My husband told a friend of ours that he could tell I was losing before my surgery. The best position for me was propped up on my bed. I even slept slightly propped up. I'm ready for Monday when I can start yogurt and sugar free pudding!

Could you do jello the first 10 days or was that too solid? What did she say about yogurt and pudding? Are you able to do those? Orange juice and bananas sound yummy to me! Blend them up like a smoothie and a little vanilla yogurt to it to make it taste more like a creme cycle:tongue_smilie: Why not buy the chicken soup and beef soups with the clear broth...strain them and just have the broth. Even go to the Chinese resturaunt and other the egg drop soup and strain it.. Or that dumpling soup and remove the dumplings.