*Triggers, binging & dumping, OH BOY!*

Here's a bunch of random questions, answer as you please.... What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? _____________________________________________________________ beth

Great questions! What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? Chips and crackers. Those kill me. I love to snack on them and they go down so easy especially when nothing else will go down. Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? I give myself a "bite" of anything I want except sugar (b/c I dump so bad). One of the most liberating things about this surgery was losing my obsession with food (more at the beginning than now) but I'm trying to regain that equilibrium. B/c it was soooo freeing. I eat what I want now - like yesterday, I wanted to eat french fries for lunch so I did. Not the best choice but I wanted them so I ate about 1/2 of a kid's fry at the Johnny Bucelli's. Ate them and then it was over. I felt guilty about eating them but I want to get over that. It wasn't over the top and to me this is about real life. And my real life is that I want a few fries every now and then. Yesterday, I also ran 5 miles and had a great protein and veggie dinner. I just try to make it about balance and I'm trying not to get obessesed. I think it's worse than being fat. Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? I don't but only because I dump so bad. I stay away from sugar and I'm pretty careful with sugar alcohols b/c they make me sick sometimes as well. What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? Binge to me is eating way too much for the wrong reasons. It's eating when I'm not hungry and eating junk I don't need. If I had ate a sandwhich yesterday when I ate the fries - I would have called that a binge. The fries were enough to satisfy my taste and fill me up. Sometimes I get cravings and I want chips or crackers and something sweet like a protein bar. So, I stop and get everything i want. I eat about 2 bites off of each bag/thing and throw everything else away. Some people might call that a binge but I look at it as much more control than I ever had before. i could tell you about some binges ... i try not to let myself get into a situation where a binge could happen (don't stop at the gas station often, carry my own food, don't keep chips and crackers at home). Best, Tandi 246-148- might be there

What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? *potato chips Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? * No control I won't stop until I eat the whole darn bag !!!! Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? * I DON"T DUMP What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? *Another chance to get it right..................................

What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? I am not much of a candy person but I love chocolate covered pretzels, strawberries, and bananas. I do not avoid them I just do not buy them, or if I do I buy a small handful. It helps that I do not depreive myself yet don't over indulge. Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? Yes, I do not deny myself any treat only because it is rare and if I am craving sweets it is because my body is telling me I am missing something. I know if I do not give in that I may end up falling harder later. Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? Once I learned I dump I stay clear. Really the only things that make me dump is pasta, rice, and anything with miracle whip in it. What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? Binging is when you overeat. I have done it and I have paid the price then again maybe what I think is binging really is not.

Oh Boy is right! Actually, having the surgery has allowed me to learn to pick and choose better. Some things like ice cream make me so sick I cannot even think about it anymore. An occasional no added sugar fudge bar has to be good enough. Now Chips are another story. I can eat a small portion and usually about once every week or two I indulge in a cereal bowl of something crunchy and salty. No more whole bags of chips for me. For awhile I would try something that makes me sick several times before I gave up but now I am just not willing to do it since life is so good and I feel so much better I do not feel the need. Binging... well it is just not worth it. I have done it but again it makes me so miserable both physically and mentally I just do not have too much trouble. Lately I have a touchy stomach. Seems to cycle for me. Every day is still an experiment even as I approach one year. I will never complain tho. 107# gone, I stopped routinely counting inches but it is a lot!!!! And no diabetes or high BP. Laurie

What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? Trigger foods. . . .hmmm. . .I'm more of a situationally triggered girl. If everyone else is enjoying something and I don't get to - TRIGGERED! Otherwise, it seems to be anytime I am in a self-percieved "deficit" feeling. If I haven't been taken care of well enough - not feeding self enough, not getting in my water, missing out on an opportunity, didn't get my way. . . .(noticing I'm like a 4-year-old much yet?) Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? Depends on what we're talking about. Sugar - No. No how, no way. Period. Deep fried food - sometimes. . . and sometimes it turns into more than a bite. Sometimes the single bite causes me to dump. Sometimes the more than a bite works. . . I RARELY pu**** like this tho. Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? I once tried to eat a dinner of deep fried breaded popcorn cajun shrimp. I KNEW DAMN WELL that it was a majorly DUMB idea. I ate it anyway. I got to puke my guts out for about an hour. Generally. . .I remember this incident, and decide if I want to repeat it. It usually is effective as a deterrent. What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? Binging to me now is eating when its not about hunger. When I'm eating with emotion at the core of my reason for putting the food in my mouth, that's my new version of binging. I also consider it binging when I eat after I have satiety - Its not a "full blown" binge. . .but it ain't healthy eating either. I try damn hard not to allow either of these behaviors exist in my new life. Old binges were ungodly food festivals that would bring INTENSE psychological numbing. . .I don't have the artillery to accomplish anything like that anymore. Intense questions Bethy, ~Lara

You questions really make me look at what I've been doing for the last couple of months. I'd like to lose more weight, but I'm now clinging to the old foods that I can now tolerate for emotional eating purposes. So, my trigger foods are popcorn and the plastic tubs of icing. I go out and deliberately buy these foods, so it's my doing that brings them into the house. With popcorn, I eat the whole bag ALWAYS. Sometimes 2-3 bags a day. With the icing, I take a big spoonful and work at it (it only takes a couple of minutes for me to devour it). Sometimes I sit down with the tub in front of the TV and go through about 1/4-1/3 of the can. It's shameful, I know. Sometimes I get a little nauseus from the icing, but not enough to dump. I never get sick from popcorn. I definitely consider this type of eating that I'm back to, an out of control action and guess it's a binge as well. Every day I try not to do it - some days I succeed, some days I don't. Haven't lost any weight in about 2-3 months now and would like to take at least 20 more off, but apparently not bad enough yet, to stop buying and consuming the junk food. How about you? Thanks. Linda. 334/204

Linda- Those icing tubs used to be one of those things I'd buy (pre-op)- and say I was gonna cook with, but then you'd find me dipping a cookie into the tub late at night, or a spoon. Frosting makes me terribly sick now, but if it didn't I'd have to really think about it and make myself aware of it. Of course, I know it makes me sick because I've tried it- not so much canned frosting, since my house is a frosting-free zone, but at parties, etc. The idea that comes to mind about getting yourself away from the icing is the ingredient list. Read the package, note the ingredients, and go make yourself some real whipped cream with splenda, no need to worry about that, it's relatively good for you. I even found a splenda buttercream icing mix at the health food store the other day... Popcorn, I can't allow in my house. I can't control myself. Not any form. Popcorn metabolizes to sugar in the intestines, so that's what I remind myself when challenged. It's hard. When we go to the movies, I have the insane urge to gorge on the oily stuff, but it makes me sick, (I know, I tried!)... so I actually don't have the urge to go to the movies anymore... Guess I figured out it was a food-fest for me?! Now to the questions: What are YOUR trigger foods? You know, those items you just CANNOT be trusted around? What do you do to avoid them? Trigger foods: Popcorn, pretzels, chips (in any form), snacky crispy foods, cookies, sugared nuts, cereals, granola, actually, most anything I shouldn't have. Do you allow yourself a "bite" now and then to get it out of your system? Does that turn into more than a bite- or can you successfully stop? Yes. If I feel I truly NEED a bite of something, I'll go ahead and have it. This is mainly for the "real" sugar foods, aka dark chocolate, a cookie, etc. I do dump, so it's limited, which means most of the time I can stop myself from doing too much damage. Sometimes I fail miserably and make myself sick, otherwise known as homemade rice krispies treats... Have you found yourself eating foods that you KNOW will make you dump? What do you do to avoid this? Yes, but I've noticed that I only do it with sweet foods. Meaning, I might sneak in the kitchen and snarf down a handful of the kids animal crackers/grahams/coupla chocolate pieces full well knowing they'll make me sick, but it's time to sleep, so I avoid feeling a dumping. AWFUL, isn't it!? But, this pattern has been altered, and I am utilizing protein bars instead for that pre-bed noshing, and it's working. What does binging mean to you? They say one bite of food can be a binge if it's done with a loss of control. What do you think about that? Binging in the sense of a gastric bypass patient TO ME really IS ONE bite of anything taken in for needs other than nutrition.... with a loss of control... like me and the rice krispy treats. They're NOT on my plan, I don't NEED them for anything. They don't have the nutrition I NEED. I wasn't ever hungry when I had some. It was that old demon coming out that made me feel like I HAD TO HAVE IT. I don't feel denied, I was emotionally driven. I FEEL the "binge" coming on... always... it always follows some stress... learning how to deal with it now... it's mainly through having the right foods available and NOT HAVING ANYTHING inappropriate in my house. Today in particular, a good day, because if I did feel the urge to have a grazefest, there isn't anything naughty to graze on, so I didn't really have anything. Novel idea, eh? Nobody binges on celery sticks more than a coupla times, it ain't worth it. That's the point. -beth 313/298/147/130