I am 11 weeks out, 50 lbs lost, 26 to go! I feel awesome. My knees hardly bother me anymore, no more BP issues, I've had no nausea, vomiting, intolerances, etc. I have had no regrets!

But....

I spend most of my spring weekends, then my summer at a beach camping (glam ping) resort. The people I hang out with are the ones I have been friends with for many, many years. I gave told no one but my hubby and kids about my surgery. The hard partis that on our weekends away, we normally all hang out and have a few adult cocktails while playing cards, having a campfire and going to dinner. We have gotten together for the last 4 weekends now and I find it hard not yo accept a frozen margarita or a cold beer or nice glass of wine. I show up with my crystal light in a nice glass but do admit I miss cocktail hour. (It's not the alcohol I miss, it's the shared comradery)

Any suggestions on getting through this or alternatives? A virgin cocktail still has way too much sugar snd carbs. I just hate feeling like the one left out

Why does it bother you that you are the only one not drinking?? If anyone questions you just merely say that giving up a few drinks has helped you to lose weight.....I dont know with you but with me if I have a few drinks, then I get the munchies. You are doing an OUTSTANDING JOB....keep up the good hard work!!!

Hello,

You are not kidding about old habits being hard to break! That being said, you have to replace old habits with healthier ones. I am forced to admit however that I am no paragon of virtue in that arena. I still sometimes eat things I shouldn't BUT not on a daily basis, multiple times a day, as I did prior to surgery.

My problem is if I drink alcohol--I want to smoke cigarettes. Smoking is a terrible, detrimental unhealthy thing to do. Especially since I had approximately 85% of my stomach removed to become HEALTHIER.

Change is a difficult thing but without changing our habits--we can so easily slide back towards the reason we had the surgery to begin with. I started looking up sugar free/alcohol free Mojito recipes. Love the flavor of a Mojito just not all the sugar in it and I don't need the empty alcohol calories either. If Mojitos aren't your drink of choice, maybe you could find or come up with a sugar free/alcohol free recipe that is close to your drink of choice.

Here's a recipe I got off of the internet:

• 1 oz. (2 tablespoons) lime juice or lime wedges from about a third of a lime
• 8 mint leaves
• 1 heaping tablespoon erythritol or other sugar substitute equaling a tablespoon or sugar
• Club soda

I have not tried it. I understand the sugar in Mojitos helps the mint release it's flavor so I don't know how well a sugar substitute will work.

Good luck,

Kathleen

Bring some vodka. Use your Crystal Light to make Frozen Lemonade with the Vodka. It's a low calorie drink and you can tell your friends that you just want something healthier

I like the idea of the frozen vodka. I'm OK with saying, "it's not allowed on my diet that is working so well". We can buy frozen margaritas in a bucket (without the alcohol). Who would know the difference but you?

The habit that is hard for me to break is leaving food on my plate. My parents always preached "clean your plate" "think of all those children starving in China." Now, although I put much less on my plate I still tend to want to clean it. Even a bite or two is enough to cause discomfort. But I'm learning to stop.