I am going to meet with my doc on Monday to see if I am eligible for WLS. I am so tired of being fat, and in pain and ugly, and not able to wear anything but shapeless MOOMOOs.

I totally understand all that everyone has said, and get that this is so not the easy way to lose weight. My only problem is the sugar thing. I see all of you talking about sugar free and artificial sweetners and that. I am okay with NO sugar but I can't eat anything with fake sugar in it. It is so nasty I just can't stand it. So, are all these protein drinks filled with artificial sweetners? Do you have to drink them? I used to be able to drink Ensure, is that the same thing? This probably sounds like a lame thing to focus on, but I don't wanna have most of my gut cut off, and then not be able to follow the diet because I can't stand the taste of something. Also, my husband wanted to know, does the no sugar thing mean nothing of the kind, or only refined...he wants to know about honey and other natural sweet stuff.


AND..if I just didn't like the taste of soemthing I could force myself to eat it...but when I taste artificial sweetners I gag and try to get sick. I just can't stand the taste that much.
Thanks so much.

I haven't had WLS, but why not try the diet your doctor would have you follow post-surgery for a week or so before you decide to go ahead with the surgery. You'd get a sense of what it was like and whether you could handle it.

Good luck to you whatever you choose!

hi milkQ!!!! congrats on making a decision.

let's discuss the sweetener thing - the issue is the CARBS. and sweet things are extremely high in carbs, and they're easily absorbed. this causes dumping, which makes you MISERABLE [really and truly miserable]. and makes weight loss post-surgery HARDER than it has to be.

most low-carb protein shakes/mixes use artificial sweeteners - there ARE a couple that are unsweetened, but i don't know off the top of my head what they are [i'm sure someone else around here knows].

Ya gotta keep your carbs below 15 grams at a sitting especially in the beginning - anything over that increases the risk of dumping - and those 15 grams also include the carbs in yogurt, as well as honey, sugar, molasses, and other forms of sugar that your DH is hoping might work.

Now, having said ALL THAT, the key things to remember are: from the beginning and forever, DO NOT DRINK YOUR CALORIES. if you love unsweetened iced tea - then you're good. but if you want sugar in your tea or coffee and drink several cups a day, you'll have to stop that.

the other thing is that life gets easier - the first 3 months are VERY difficult, but it's only 3 months. as time goes on, you generally get most things back, in moderation. and that's just fine.

oh. one more thing - your tastes change DRAMATICALLY after surgery - so while trying the eating plan before surgery to see if you like it is no guarantee that you'll enjoy the same things afterwards.

keep us posted!!!