Carbs are evil!!!

I am having a hard time w/ carbs lately! I did good for so long, then I started letting a few carbs here and there. A cracker or two, some mashed potatos etc. Now I am totally addicted again! This sucks!!! I am going to try to avoid carbs and really stick to protein this weekend and hope I break this habit quick. The scale has stopped moving and I am sure this is why! Anyone else dealing w/ this? Thanks, Carmen

It is amazing what happens when we start carbs! Its happened to all of us Carmen-me in particular. Its so hard to stop--once you start! Good luck..you can do this!! I am going to bug you-- until you put a new picture up...have you sent it in? Hugs, Joanie

Thanks Joanie! It's amazing what a couple of nibbles can start! It is too early to be falling into bad habits! As for the pic, I sent it in so hopefully it will be up soon..... Carmen

Carmen, we all make that mistake. When it happens to me, I just go back to soft foods and liquids for a day to get back on track. Once those evil carbs get into our system, it's like an amusement park from them. You can beat them. Hugs, Maggie

Kinda "start from the beginning". I will give it a try. Thanks for the input! Let me know when you can start exercising, I can't wait! Carmen

Yes Carmen, they are evil! You just have to keep in the back of your brain that you want this to work as quickly as possible for you. I find that I have a hard time with carbs.. so I try and make a menu ahead of time so I don't eat them and if I do eat them, its when I go out. I feel so horrible after eating them and they just make me feel like I am failing.. and that's just something I'm NOT going to do! So, keep at it.. it is rough.. we've got a lot of issues to overcome, but you're not alone in the "carb fight". Take care, Michelle

Thanks Michelle, That is one reason I usually try to post on Joanie's food log. It does help me plan ahead a bit. Something that has always been a downfall of mine! "Just go with whatever sounds good at the time".... If ya know what I mean. So many bad habits to change during this proccess! Carmen

Carmen, I too was a vicious carb-a-holic pre-op. One of the things I have thought about a great deal is how to handle this problem post-op. I may be doing some wishful thinking here since I am still in the honeymoon phase of things, but I have decided that I am not going to deny myself carbs as long as I can have a bite or 2 to satisfy the urge and walk away from it. I did this with the Halloween candy. I started to deny myself until I was thinking about those luscious Reese's 24/7. Then I figured, heck, I am just going to have a bite of one and throw the rest away. I did and guess what? I found that I could walk by the bowl and not feel tempted. In the 3 weeks that the candy was in the house, I ended up having 3 pieces. Last year, the bowl wouldn't have made it 3 weeks, 1st of all, and I would have had more like 30 pieces rather than 3. So far this is working for me. When I serve bread, I cut a very small slice and even have a little butter on it. I let myself have a couple of bites of pasta (whole wheat) or brown rice or mashed potatoes-- and I feel satisfied without feeling constantly deprived or denied and I am able to move on from it. I also figure this into my daily calories and with the small amounts, it really doesn't add up to much. I know that I am going to have some bad moments in the future, I already have had some, but that is normal --- I just dont want to beat myself up about it and get back on track -- maybe following a stage of early post op meal plans for a week will help with this in the future. In the past, the constant denial of "evil carbs" would eventually result in my downfalls, so I figure why not try this approach? Your scale may have stopped temporarily, but you are probably plateauing. I find that happens about every 3-4 weeks for me and then the scale starts to move again. I know you will do fine with the carb thing. It is very scary at this point when we are getting to where we can eat more variety and the old habits start haunting us. I found myself grazing the other day and it really frightened me. But the great thing about having a bad day, is that there is another fresh new day right around the corner to get back on track. You will do it Carmen! terri

Thanks for the encouragement Terri! I'm sure it is another plateau (which is hard to accept!) but I really have noticed how it started w/ a cracker, then a couple, then mashed potatoes for dinner (no protein except a little shredded cheese), then some more mashed potatoes for lunch and dinner again. Last night I tried a little bite of cake, then another! Cake is what scared me. I have not really tried anything w/ more than 2-3g of sugar for fear of dumping. I am glad you can stop after a bite, for me 1 bite makes me want to try another, then it's why not 1 more........ Oh the struggles we face..... Carmen

okay Carmen, picture the soup nazi from Seinfeld: no carbs for you!! Hang in there! terri