CARBOHYDRATES - BAD BAD BAD

I have never posted here on the Mississippi Board. I am always just lurking and posting on the main board. Hey, Christine, here I am finally. I was on the main board just a few minutes ago and someone posted a carb challenge. I accepted it and started today. I don't know how many of you are/were carb addicts before surgery but I sure was. I had completely stayed away from pasta, rice, chips, bread and all of that after surgery, but recently during all of the holidays and family reunions we have had I rediscovered them. Not good. Because when I eat simple carbohydrates I just crave more carbs and then the sweet cravings start and not of the sugar free persuasion either. I have been fighting the cravings something fierce. So I decided to go back to basics and give up all the carbohydrates. I did this the week before Thanksgiving and I learned that without the carbs I don't get hungry, it takes less of high protein stuff to fill me up, and the cravings pretty much go away. But I got off track with the two Thanksgiving dinners, and then the company Christmas parties, one more of those to go. Wish me luck because I plan to stay on the wagon for this one. So if any of you out there want to give up the carbs with me and help me, please feel free. I need the support. I wonder why, knowing the carbs trigger a monster in my head to stir up old habits and cravings, do I always go back and eat them. I guess that goes back to the old food addictions and obsessive compulsive eating behaviors i had that got me here to start with. Plan on fixing that too. I have finally ordered the book and work book I have been wanting for the last two months now on ending compulsive eating for good. They are by Geneen Roth. I should get them today or tomorrow and plan to get started immediately. Hugs, Melissa Taylor LAP RNY 1/15/04 down 138 pounds 277 to 139 (almost half of me gone, yeah) My husband said I kept the better half. Now wasn't that sweet. Wonder what he wants (LOL).

Hi Melissa!! I am so glad you came here.... My weight loss stalled and I decided to go back to the shakes and water and protein only and I have lost 8 more pounds in the past week. I had been eating softer foods which were carbs and I was eating more and I was scared. Now that I have cut out the carbs I am starting to lose more. I got carried away at Thanksgiving cause I ate alot of the softer foods (potato salad, cornbread dressing, and rice) and I continued to eat on the leftovers for days to follow--naturally, I stalled..... I feel much better now and am gonna stick to shakes and protein first. For those who dont know Melissa---she is absolutly gorgeous and is an inspiration... she is in my support group and I cant "weight" to be as tiny as she is. I never ever would have guessed she was ever overweight. I am so glad she found her way to the Mississippi board. Christine 275/266/218/160 58 Pounds til my goal and 43 pounds to my doctors goal!!!

Thanks, Christine. You are such a nice person so upbeat and motivating. I am so glad you are doing well. Your weight loss sounds like it is going great. YOu will be at your goal in no time. I read through all of your post and you really are an asset to this board and I am glad to be in the same support group and look forward to getting to know you better. Good luck and congrats on doing so well. See you soon. Melissa

Hey girlie! I am so happy for you and your weight loss! You are doing wonderful. I have lost 50 lbs so far, but I had my surgery long before you, lol. I need to get up to your pace! I am curious about what shakes you are drinking. My main problem is that I can't seem to get enough of my proteins in. I am eating too many carbs too and I would like to cut them out. I am hoping that you have a shake that doesnt taste horrible so I can start on them! Let me know! Kristi AKA Moo Moo Gilr

Protein shakes are hard to find that taste good, anyway. If you haven't tried the pro pure, try it. They have them at GNC. You could by them already cold individually at one time. That way you get to try it before spending alot of money. They taste more like a milk shake and not so whey proteinish if you know what I mean. Good luck! Melissa Taylor

Hey Moo Moo.... I drink the Slim Fast Low Carb shakes and that AES or whatever it is (its like coffee or cappucino)--- THey dont taste good but I grin and bear it. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PROTEIN. Also, another thing I drink alot of is Carb Countdown Choc Milk. It has 100 calories per 8 ounces and is 12g of protein. Its really good (to me anyway) and I can drink about 16 ounces a day. On and off. I DO NOT recommend the carb countdown WHITE milk...Its like very gross! I have not found 1 shake that I LOVE but I drink them because I need them. I am happy for you losing 50... thats so good. I know you are probably feeling like me right now--WHY ARE WE SO SLOW! Lets take Melissa's challenge and get rid of those nasty carbs and try just protein for a while. And she is so right about wanting to eat more when we up the carbs...Since I have been back to protein it has been easier for me. I havent really wanted to eat like before.We can do it. Lets lose another 10-15 before Christmas.... wanna??? I miss chatting with you... I wish you would come more often. How have you been? You missed a good game Saturday. I didnt go either. I wasted those 4 tickets but I was too sick and it was kinda chilly.

138 lbs, WOW!!!! My heroine!!!! Welcome to the MS Board. We are a good group and can tell you that if you are a buddy of CC's then the rest of us love you too!!! I am STILL pre-op, and am finished with all my testing, but no longer have a doc. I have an appt at Keesler on Thursday. What is the name of this book and work book? Sounds like something I really need.... Thanks for joining us! Smoochers, Arlies

Hello Arlies, good luck with your appointment on Thursday. I hope it goes well and you can proceed along. The books I ordered were suggested to be used together so I ordered both. They are by Geneen Roth. One is "Why Weight?: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating" and the other is "Breaking Free from Emotional Eating". Several people suggested her books to me so I decided to give it a whirl. I thought they may be good for me because I often ate for reasons other than hunger before surgery. I'll keep you posted once I get them. I appreciate the welcome to the board. Can't help but love Christine, that is for sure. She is a doll. Melissa

Melissa..Those sound like very good books. When you get them and if they look good let me know---I need help too from the Emotional eating..I just cant understand why I am a compulsive eater and why eating is such a big issue for me. Its not just me though--its my WHOLE family (parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts--we are all big). We have always been eaters. I need to break it too cause my daughter is falling into the trap too. SHe is not overweight YET but I fear it is coming. She says she is hungry all the time--sometimes less than an hour after dinner. Let me know what you think about them if you dont mind.

I know what you mean. My Dad's family falls into the food addiction, compulsive eating category. Everyone has issues with food. I think on some level we learn from generation to generation and pass the problem along to our children, but the tendency to have addictions is somewhat hereditary as well. My son too has a tendency to want to eat all the time too. I have been buying only healthy things for the whole household and changed the way we all eat, and my son who was not noticeably overweight but overweight according to the weight charts has lost 19 pounds since my surgery just by changing to light chips and sugar free sweets. He was also eating breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria at school. I checked out all the menu items and thought there's the problem right there. They serve nothing but high fat high carbohydrate stuff. So I started fixing his breakfast at home and packing his lunch every day. I guess his body has found its weight because he is managing to stay the same week to week for several months now. Like you, I want to end this cycle in our family. I will keep you posted on the books. I still don't have them but I tracked them last night and they have shipped. I really hope they are good and what I need. Melissa Taylor