2 points about eating and drinking

Ronnie, I especially appreciate your comments.  You write with care, support, and caution.  I am willing to show myself as a "bad apple" so that others can learn from my mistakes.  When I first had the surgery 7 years ago, it was thought to be a magic bullet.  People were on ridiculous waiting lists ( I only had to wait 3 months, but I know many people were waiting 18-24 monts) to get the surgery.  The problem then was that there weren't many surgeons doing it.  However, as it became more acceptable, more surgeons joined up (not all of them were that good) and nutritional counseling as well as better psychological standards were required by the insurance companies.   Do I know the surgery alone is Not a magic bullet?  Yeah, I do now.  The surgery couldn't cure me of my carb addiction nor my compulsive behaviors.  I don't think anything short of brain surgery sometime in the future may be able to do that.  Plus, I am bi-polar and make poor judgements even while on medication.  But, I dare not stop taking those meds.  I really do try, but I just can't overcome my mental defects.   A lot of my problems don't make sense to me.  So, I pray for God's help.  I do believe that God sends us crosses to bear in this life primarily so we'll realize that we are too weak to carry them ourselves.  We need to be humble and ask for His help.  So, I do but I don't do so confidently.  I hardly do anything confidently.  But, just going to the gym and swimming for exercise is helping to change my attitude. Thanks for your input.  You are a true locker room friend.  Bob

Hey Bob,  I know exactly how devastating being bi-polar or being manic depressive can be. My older brother is bi-polar and it has ruined his life. He is 45, has lost 100s of jobs, been married 8 times (currently single), has 6 kids (that he claims, I know of 2 more that he doesn't; didn't raise any of them). To make matters worse, he's an alcoholic. No matter how bad his life is, he can always find a way to make it worse. It is still hard for me to believe that being bi-polar is to blame for everything bad in his life. He doesn't even try to take responsibility for anything. He will just say "I do ??? because I'm bi-polar". At one point he was being treated and the doc had him on Lithium and some downer. He stayed on those for a year, but couldn't drink alcohol while taking the meds. I personally think he either weined himself off the meds or said he was taking them when in fact he wasn't because one day the manic phase kicked in high gear and he flushed all his meds, and bought a 5th of whiskey and never looked back. That happened in 1989. So I understand what you're having to deal with. Even though James and you have the same disorder, you both have very different demons. One thing I did notice is that you don't seem to blame the disorder. I guess that is the difference treatment makes. I wish James would look into being treated again.  Bob, I'm pulling for you to do well. Keep fighting the good fight. You've lost 200 lbs., and that's an awesome accomplishment. Keep trying to make good decisions and you are surely to lose much more.  Ronnie

Greetings Gents -==- Good conversations here. I can only offer that after 4 months when it is time to eat, I try and get some cottage cheese or wet fruit with my meal and eat those items when I'm thirsty. The cottage cheese gives the taste of drinking milk and the fruit gives you a taste of juice.  Just my way around the dilemma ... From the gold coast KIM

Is it truly a gold coast?  I've only ever been in LA for a couple hours during a jet transfer on my way to Hawaii back in 1982.  I think that's the last time I was on a jet.  My brother, on the other hand, travels all over the world giving instructions on the handling and processing of meat.  He's a food microbiologist specializing in botulism and anthrax (how'd you like that on your resume?).  Anyway, he rides his bicycle for charity functions and last summer he took part in the big one that takes a week and goes from San Francisco to LA.  It's an Aids awareness ride and brings in huge donations for Aids research.  Unfortunately, almost all of us know someone who has been touched or killed by HIV-AIDS.  In his case, his ex-wife's sister and baby daughter died.  She contracted it from using shared needles while shooting heroin.  I know I'm rambling and this is an off subject reply, but I'm proud of my little Bro.   The cottage cheese won't work for me because it ilicits an immediate gag reflex.  Low fat yogurt does help.  Also, I continue to endorse cooking using the Nu-Wave oven.  You can find out more about it at www.thane.com .  I use it almost every day to cook for myself and my wife.  It cooks meat, poultry and fish well and leaves them incredibly moist.  I especially like cooking my steaks in it where they are medium-rare and brown on the outside and pink and juicy and oh, so flavorful.  I'm glad my wife taught me the basic elements of cooking in Nov.  Now I have a new hobby at age 56+.  I can be creative and helpful.