Hi my name is Bridget and I joined up yesterday. I would have posted earlier but I've been too busy reading posts on this forum lol. How did I end up here? How much time have you got? Not much, okay the short version - I'm 45 and for the last 30 years I have been on every diet know to mankind yet I was just getting fatter and fatter. So being led to believe the reason for this was I just ate too much I went all out and in late 2008 I had lap band surgery and for the grand sum of $15k I lost 12kgs (I was 118kgs when I had it done). I should point out that for years leading up to the surgery I had been seeing my doctor for a series of minor but persistent ailments and he put all of them down to my weight but earlier this year in total frustration I asked him to refer me to an endocrinologist. It was here that I first heard that my health issues, and subsequently weight problems, were most likely attributed to the amount of sugar I was consuming. When he told me to give up eating any kind of fruit, yoghurt, breakfast cereals and anything with the word DIET/SKIM/LOW FAT on it I thought he was nuts - these were my "healthy" diet staples but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and in 4 months I dropped 8kgs and more importantly I regained some of my lost energy and vitality. But the very best thing is I'm slowly learning to drop the "I'm on a diet" mentality and enjoy my food free from guilt and remorse. It's still early days and I think it's going to take awhile for my body/mind/spirit/wallet to repair and recalibrate but I feel this is a good place to continue my sugar free education.

Hi Bridget.

It's not that difficult despite the paucity of detailed information on the Nutritional Information Panels.

Lisa wrote:

Thanks for your story, Bridget.  I contemplated lap band surgery - but know so many people who have the same story as you - they did it and lost around 10kg - and then just stayed the same.  I really think this might be the answer - and isn't it great not to "be on another diet"....its so much easier to just say with confidence "oh, no thanks, I don't eat sugar"   :-)

 

Hi Lisa - I would be the last person to tell someone not to have lap band surgery done because I know first hand how desperate you get to even contemplate something like this. What I can say after reading David's books and reflecting on my eating habits is MY lap band actually increased my sugar consumption. The reason for this is the level of restriction I had made it very difficult to eat proper servings of protein, carbohydrates and fibre so I was always starving and relied on things like diet yoghurts and puddings, meal replacement shakes, diet ice cream, chocolate, etc to get me through major energy slumps. I never even contemplated the consequences of eating so much sugar. Needless to say I wished I had paid a visit to the endocrinologist and read David's book before I had it done. I haven't had a band fill for a very long time and now that I can eat more sustaining servings of "good" food I don't ever plan to. But no regrets and like you I'm just very happy that I have given dieting away for good :-)

Hi Bridget welcome to the forum.  Congrats on becoming sugar free.  I too have a lap band and only lost 6 kg in 5 years but realise a lot of that is because I cannot keep proteins down and if I only eat a little too fast I get sick and have to bring it up and have been doing that for the whole time.  Got to the stage that I had all the liquid out and hoped that woud help but didn't.  When I couldn't keep anything down I would look for anything that would stay down and that was usually sugary, chocolatey carbs etc.  Theerfore have not lost anymore weight.  I am having band out at the end of the year and hope that helps as I am sugar free but cannot eat enough protein to make me full.  Look forwardt o hear your journey.