how do you do it

I was just thinking this morning about how good some old fashioned fried potatos and onions would be. Then it hit me, here I am yearning to get this surgery and I'm thinking about fried foods? When I get this surgery I have to give all of them (fried foods) up. I'm fine with that, but my question to you all is how do you do it? How do you fight the cravings for things,not even necessarily fried foods, that you know will make you sick?

Amanda, this is a very good topic to bring up. It is hard to break bad habits, isn't it?? If you have ever tried the Adkins diet, you know about cravings (carbs). But it seems like the longer I go without these things, the less I miss them. Before surgery I was a Diet Mt. Dew junkie . I drank a 2liter every day. It was a very hard vice to give up in preparation for surgery. But now I haven't had so much as a sip in 7 weeks (2 weeks preop and 5 postop) and I really do not miss it. There is also a package of oreos in the kitchen that my husband and kids are working on. I haven't even considered they were possibly there for me. I can't explain it. Maybe it is a magical transformation. Maybe I want to be healthy so much that I refuse to let those darn cookies sabotage my effort. I know that I find myself saying, "Come on Nicole, you have gone so long without it, why go back to your old way?" Here is a little verse I learned when I was in Weigh****cher's: Nothing tastes as good as skinny looks. You can say that to yourself whenever you feel tempted. The other thing that keeps me going is the fear of dumping. Two weeks out I had some cappocino that earned me my first and only dumping experience. Believe me once you feel this crappy, you are very careful not to feel that way again. I don't even want to take the chance. Amanda, I am sure you are a strong woman and can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. Plus you have a great support network here at OH to lean on in times of weakness. Take care, Nicole T.

I think fried taters with onions early out would not be good ......probably make ya or hurt like heck. But they sound so good I just might make some for supper YOU CAN EAT things you enjoy again. I wouldn't reccomend like the fake tatertot things stuffed with cheese and deep fried at gas stations.... But cube up a nice red potatoe (lowest glycemic index of potatoes) fry it with the onions in a GOOD for you oil like olive or canola....(we do need healthy fats in our diet) or if your making a little serving you could even use pam spray stuff. There is no harm eating things you enjoy as long as it is a healthy part of your diet. I LOVE PIZZA and mexican food.....I don't eat it like I used too (all the time and WAY TOO MUCH) But I do eat it on occasion! If you find you have trigger/red light foods....then you will need to avoid them, but other than that you can eat what you want really. I can't control myself with some certain stuff.....I've learned which foods I cannot have in the house, and I don't buy them anymore. If I have chips or tortillas in the house I would eat nachos or quesadillas for every meal So I just don't keep the stuff in the house. If I am planning (needing) mexican I buy it, cook it, eat it, then get it out of the house!! Well anyways I went on and on about nothing But there is life after WLS....and it is good Take Care Jesi

VERY nice answer Jesi... for myself, being preop yet, I tend to get into that sort of thinking too...like OMG, what am I doing, I will never be able to eat again, only protein drinks and water forever.....nice to have you people on the other side to help us through....Thanks... Hang in there Amanda, we can do this... Cindy ~ surgery 1-18-06

I'm almost 2 years out and I eat everything. The key is I don't eat much of it. And like Jesi, there are some foods I just can't have in the house. I love chips. If I really get to craving chips, I go buy a small bag from vendo land and then that's that. My pyscho pyschologist was just so sure I would never be able to enjoy Thanksgiving ever again. What a bunch of horse pucky. I enjoy it more because I don't stuff myself. And I do eat a bite of everything, including pumpkin pie. You just have to be very careful to try one new food at a time to be sure you know what gives you problems. Especially if you try sugar. I know how much I can eat and not get sick. Unfortunately, it's a whole small bag of M & M's. I'm not proud of doing that but it doesn't happen very often. But the whole goal of this surgery is to eat less, weight less and lead a normal life. As for fried foods, I ate deep fried shrimp last night at Applebee's and boy was it good! Everything in moderation. Find a thin friend and ask them what they think about food and how they determine how much to eat. You may be surprised. My dietician told me to relax and not get so hung up about eating things I think I shouldn't. If I'm really craving something, I eat it. Otherwise I will eat the house down trying to get rid of the craving. The real key here is to work your tool for all your worth in the first year. Don't cheat. The honeymoon period is remarkable short. Lose as much as you can as fast as you can by sticking to your doctor's program. Once you get close to goal, you can relax and eat normally. Don't cheat early on because you really need to learn new habits while you can lose easily. It does get much harder after a year as any of us "oldies" can tell you.

I agree with what the other gals are saying. It's funny to see the faces of people when they ask me what I am able to eat. Most people are under the impression that we will forever be limited in what we can eat. Some are, if they are lucky enough to dump. Yes, I did say lucky. It would be so much easier if I knew that candy or cake or, whatever woud make me sick. But, no, unfortunately, almost nothing makes me dump. I am still tempted by certain foods, chips probably being the worse, & I also limit them in my house. I am able to pass up ice cream but only because it is the one food I used to love that I just cannot eat. So, Amanda, most likely, eventually you'll be eating the foods you love, and even though you can't eat as much, you'll still have to use self control & restraint. It's a daily battle for me. Something that I noticed recently is that eating isn't very fun anymore. Even though I can now eat most everything, it just isn't fun to stop eating something that you love even though you are feeling full, especially when there is more sitting on your plate. I almost never eat pizza anymore. Why? I love thick crust pizza but I can't handle that much crust anymore & I sorta feel cheated that I can't eat more. I know it's all mental & something I am working on. I look at it as a trade off. I'd rather look & feel the way I do than be able to eat more pizza anyday. Dixie