This is a TOOL only a TOOL

OH man today was my first test. I went to the Dollar Tree Store looking for angles for my grandsons school project. They had people in there stocking food on every aisle. They must have brought them in because only two people work that store. They had DOLLAR CHOCOLATE every where. And I am talking about the GOOD stuff. Chocolate and sugar is what put me in this mess. Every where I turned there was cases of chocolates stacked on top of each other. Googles 24 to case. I have 24 dollars in my pocket. Turtles next to them. Hersheys case hadn't been cut open yet!!!! I said you will dump you will die. I had to hurry pay for the angles and leave. I sat in the car taking deep breaths. This is the first time since surgery I saw that much chocolate for such a cheap price and I couldn't handle it. I don't want to be a dumper but I have a feeling if I don't I may not have enough will power to walk away every time.

i pray for your will power.. i was a big chocolate lover before WLS and thank God i havent had the cravings.. but i havent been put in your situation yet, when i go shopping like the grocery store, i stay in the "safe" isles, haha. but yeah, i am proud of you for walking away.. good job

Thanks but I ran......

Good Job PK ! ! ! I, too, am fighting the chocolate demons. Avoidance is my best friend. I'm already the slowest loser and have myself convinced I'll be the biggest dumper if I try anything with sugar. I watched everyone share a huge chocolate dessert the other night at dinner and wasn't about to take a taste just because of the dumping thing. I'm too chicken to try. (smile and sigh) Shar

I am such a chocaholic!!! I can totally understand your delimma! I do have a suggestion that has worked for me. I don't know if your doc says you have to take Tums or not for your Calcium, but mine does---2 a day- 1 at breakfast, 1 at lunch. Well, they have these awsome tasting Cocoa & Creme Smoothies Tums. Whenever I crave chocolate I just eat one of those that I am supposed to have anyway. It does the trick for me. Also, I have tried the Creme Savers SF hard candies- Chocloate & Caramel - they taste great too, but I can only have 1 every once in a while because they have 13g of sugar alcohol. Hope this helps. Keep on losin'! Alison

My nutritionist says the most per serving I should have of any type of sugar product is 6 grams or less. Sugar free Cocoa might be good. You need to speak to a nutritionist about your calcium... there is not enough in Tums to help us, and we need Calcium Citrate not other forms of calcium because of the way our body breaks it down, and because of the change in our intestinal system now. That is the same reason we need sublingual B12 not other sources. We have absorption challenges we did not have before the surgery.Bluebonnet liquid Calcium Citrate is available at super supplements and other nutrition stores, or on line.... look at ASK Jeeves.

I forgot to mention it is 1000-1500 Calcium Citrate needed per day.

Hi I just thought I'd add that I found a really yummy protein ball cookie from Kirk T.'s webiste that is really good and helps with that chocolate sweet tooth fix. I made some with the Krispy Rice but next time I'm making them with the Oatmeal because the Krispy rice doesn't stay Krispy. I hope this helps. Best Wishes! Carol G. Very Yummy Protein Ball No Bake Type Cookie Recipe by Kirk T. Nutritional info added by Carol G. 1 ½ cups Nonfat Powdered Milk 5 scoops protein powder-chocolate flavored 8 to 10 packets Splenda 2 cups Rice Krispies or 1 ½ cups quick oatmeal 1 cup No sugar added Peanut Butter ¾ to 1 cup of cold water No sugar added cocoa (optional) How to Make: In large bowl, mix dry ingredients (milk, protein, Splenda, and cereal OR oats). Mix with spoon. Stir in the peanut butter. Slowly add cold water a little at a time until you have a little less than a cup of water in the mixture. Stir together until it has consistency of a thick paste (you may have to use your hands to mix). Form balls into golf ball size balls or cookie shapes. If you want a really strong chocolate flavor then sprinkle cocoa on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and roll cookies lightly on sheet. Let cookies set in fridge six hours and keep cookies stored in fridge. This recipe makes approximately 25 golf ball size cookies. Nutrition Information Per Cookie: (Note: I did not add the calories of the cocoa into these figures.) Krispy Rice:119 Calories; 6.06 grams fat; 9.05grams Carbs; 8.288 grams protein Oatmeal:134.8 Calories; 6.46 grams fat; 11.52 grams carbs; 8.96 grams protein

Carol I am or WAS a baker from scratch. I went and made your protein balls using the oatmeal. I was walking back and forth from the computer following the recipe. Just got back and read the carbs. So I really better be careful. The dough tasted really good so now I have to wait for the cookies to sat. I made them smaller than golf balls and didn't count. There are a lot. I put a lot of cocoa powder about 1/4 cup. I had unflavored protein powder. I am not going to tell my grandson they are good for him. I wonder how long will they keep if I only eat one a day?

I used a low carb and low fat peanut butter and quaker oats for my calculations. It's gonna vary a little based on your ingredients. I just took each ingredients calories, added it all up and divided by how many cookies I had made. I think they keep two weeks in the fridge. I didn't use cocoa because the chocolate protien powder (I used EAS Soy-Chocolate) and it was rich enough without the cocoa. It does meet nutritional quidelines but it probably is a good idea to limit them to once a day. One of mine fills me up for a meal and my hubby and son have even stolen a few......lol. Hope this helps.