To put it in quick terms...aspartam is a chemical supplement for sugar. I think Equal has aspartame...on the other hand Splenda is a supplement made from sugar. By the way my nutrionist told me Stevia may cause diarrhea...so don't eat too much at first. You now what I haven't been taking much sweetners this week and I too have been extremely tired and depressed.   I am back logged on my work and have already slept 14 hours!  Mind you there are days when I only sleep 3 hours in two days...I had back surgery and sometimes I can't lie down in my own bed or recliner, because I can't get up lol  It's always funny and painful..I have to laugh otherwise I'd be crying my little heart out.

Thanks Jeannie I would like to take a look at it. You can email me separately at: [email protected]. Thanks again

I am thinking on the same side as you. My situation is similar to yours. I had my surgery in June, lost 50lbs and have not lost another pound. It is very frustrating when you are doing everything you are suppose to and don't see the weight come off. I exercise 6 days a week, watch what I eat. drink plenty of water, the whole works and I am not loosing. People keep telling me it is muscle mass, I don't want to hear that I want to loose weight. I am not even loosing inches. I feel just like you do and I would even consider a revision if my doctor would let me. If I don't loose any more weight between now and june that is my one year anniversary I will consider a revision and see what my doctor tells me.  Good luck to you but I do feel your pain.

Your BMR, or basal metabolic rate (metabolism), is the energy (measured in calories) expended by the body at rest to maintain normal bodily functions.  This continual work makes up about 60-70% of the calories we use ("burn" or expend) and includes the beating of our heart, respiration, and the maintenance of body temperature.  Your BMR is influenced by a number of factors, including age, weight, height, gender, environmental temperature, diet, and exercise habits.

Because of the increased activity of cells undergoing division, the younger the person, the higher (faster) the metabolism.  And the taller and heavier a person is, the faster their metabolism.  The good news is that when you are heavier you burn more calories, and thus it is easier to lose weight -- however, one reason weight loss becomes more difficult as you lose weight is your BMR decreases.  Because of the greater percentage of lean muscle tissue in the male body, men generally have a 10-15% faster BMR than women - so it is generally faster for men to lose weight.  And when you go on restrictive, traditional diets, your BMR can drop, and that makes it important to increase activity levels during that time.  In general, depending on the intensity and duration, consistent exercise can also increase your BMR.

To lose 1 pound per week means that you have to consume 500 less calories daily than you burn.  To lose two pounds per week you have to consume 1000 less calories daily than you burn.  Beyond this amount of weight loss you can develop loss of muscle mass, which makes you feel tired and is not a healthy way to lose weight. http://www.drsimpson.net/06_weight_loss/BMR_calculator.htm

hey sarah, it seems that we have a lot in common i'm also 25 well i will be in march and i just posted a topic just like this on the reg board and even tho i know it's all about health and wellness i'm just 24/25!! and i want to look good.... i to have been heavy all my life and as i said on my post i'm comfortable in my fat body i'm comfortable with my boyfriend naked in this body hell it's the only body i've ever known!! that said the thought of saggy skin all over my body freaks me the heck out!! seriously i made my mind up that i wouldn't even get my lap rny unless i was prepaird to take it that extra mile and save for plastics because even though we're young and our skin will prolly bounce back pretty well...the twins will need some help at any age! and well honestly this is the first time in 24 years that i've even entertained the thought of being able to put myself in a 2 piece swim suit so with all that being said i think that if this bothers you that it is something that you need to think about pre op and make sure that you can live with the saggy skin that you may or may not have until you can pay for plastics....i know that everyone is different and of course this is just my opion...by the way my surgery is next tuesday and i've already started research on plastic surgeons in my area...i did 3 years of research for my lap rny so i figured i should start early on this new surgeon