the month before my surgery me and the mrs ended up buying some Monk fruit. And it sweetens really well as a sugar substitute. i hanvt tried putting it in anything yet as im only just starting my 3rd week post op and still limiting my self. But i remember they made great cookies or lemonade prior though i didn't indulge hardly at all due to diet restrictions. so my experience is limited but that's what i have tried =P GL finding what works for you ^_^

For your water,have you tried the flavored powders you can get at Dollar Tree stores,or even Crystal Light.Another good thing are sugar free Popsicles,though they are small,its still a way of getting water in

Yes,I too had water issues and I still do,you are not alone. Even if you can have tea,that counts. Everyone who has had this surgery needs to stay hydrated. You dont want to get dehydrated and wind up in the hospital, otherwise you will need hydration infusions,yes,I have had them. Who wants to sit in a room at the hospital getting water dripped into you. Hang in there kiddo,it gets better,one day at abtime

It was challenging in a first year. After that - not so much. Year 2-3 as my poouch matured, it was more challenging what to order and how much to eat. But overtime it's not a problem.

At the same time, just because I can eat something, it doesn't mean I should eat it. I know people IRL, that go out often and don't deny themselves anything. Unfortunately the same people regained a lot of weight. They believe that because of the surgery they should be able to eat regular food in moderation, but not regain. It's not working for them. Every time I had a period of time I did that, and allowed myself to have some alcohol, I regained and had to work hard to lose it.

Some people can do that, but for some - our metabolism is broken, and we can't do that and not gain. After you reach the goal, you would need to find for yourself what works, and what doesn't.

Even 11 years post OP, I eat much less that a typical portions served in US. I can eat a burger, no bun, and a few fries (if I chose to).

But I still have days that a few bites and I am full. I often end up getting "to go box".

There is also inulin (not insulin!), which is extracted from chicory root or other plants. It has a natural sweetness and can be used in baking to substitute for sugar and/or fat. I've never used it directly; I've only used products that contained it. However you can buy inulin in bulk. Apparently if you are allergic to ragweed, you're likely to be allergic to inulin, so try a small amount first and see how it agrees with you.

Xylitol and Erithrytol are sugar alcohols, you might see how well you tolerate them.

that's awesome i glad it worked out for you! if i wouldn't have ended up in the hospital with chest/heart problems and maxed out my insurance. i dunno if i would have been able to get mine done. Then again a bunch of people that my mother works with in mining almost all of them are Hispanic decent no saying as a racial just saying they had a good lay of the land and better communication with Spanish speaking facilities they had theirs done in Mexico and probably 9/10 of them had no problems what so ever. and the price difference is astronomical! so that was a consideration in my mind as well. you hear so many horror stories about getting different care in other countries being American and sometimes its rough to dig thru the facts and the fear mongering.