"BAD" Snack-Free end of Day 1 xpost

Addictions are unique.  Diverse and comprehensive creatures they cover a broad spectrum of our lives.  I'm not talking, necessarily, about the things that will put you in jail i.e. drugs.  I'm talking about sugar, food, carbs, shopping, sex, and everything else that takes over our thought process and won't let us function until we "have it".  I have resigned myself to the fact that I am an addict.  My vice of choice is sugar and carbs.  Don't laugh...I'm serious.  I have been in bondage for a very long time and my masters are cookies, cake, candy, and everything else that turned me into a very unhealthy man.  Is there any way to get rid of addictions once and for all?  I don't know.  How many times has that friend that we all have quit smoking only to pick it up again when stressed?  How many times does the alcholic husband tell his wife he's done with the whiskey?  Don't we ALL inherently WANT to be "good" people?  Good people are free from additions, in control, and happy.  I can't say, at this point, that I am one of those.  I "look forward" to going to the gas station because they have drinks and candy, cookies, etc that I love.  I can't concentrate if I go somewhere where refreshements are UNTIL I get something.  My kids are driving me nuts (not thier fault) eating snacks after school while I sit in the corner and stare at the delicious looking "goodies" they are chomping down on.  I CRAVE, to put it very mildly, sweets after meals.  I do ok with meals, but afterwards I HAVE TO have a candy bar, a cookie, ice cream, or SOMETHING.  I get irratable, skaky, sometimes even sweaty...serious stuff.

Well, I didn't come this far to fail.  I decided yesterday that I had/have to STOP with the constant snacking.  I'm scared to death I'm gonna wake up one moring and realize that I'm 300+ pounds again.  So:

As of today...I am "bad" SNACK-FREE!  This morning I DID crave something sweet as soon as I awoke but I supressed it and had a good breakfast instead.  I got a craving around mid-morning so I had a small cup of sugar free pudding.  I then was fine until around 2pm when I had an appropriate lunch.  I now have had supper about 7pm and feel just fine.  I'm hoping and praying that I can make it through to midnight (when I get off of work).  I'm gonna try to go directly to bed, late nights are always a killer for me. 

The best part of it is:  I feel better today than I have in a long while.  I had been telling the wife that I feel groggy and weak alot and I think I've figured it out.  I had been subjecting myself to sugrar spikes and valleys and carb crashes!  No wonder I felt bad all of the time!  DUH?!  I read somewhere online that it takes about 3 weeks to "break free" from carb/sugar addiction so that will be my goal for now.  After that, who knows?  Hopefully forever. 

Thanks for listening

Jason
320-299-202-200
highest-surgery-current-goal

Jason I can so relate to the carb thing, I'm only 5 months out but have been snacking on peanut butter crackers, sf ff lattes and things like that, that I know isn't going to make me sick, because I have a problem with eating meats. Well I had to see the nut yesterday and she made me realize the reason my weight has slowed down was because of eating these things and they really do make you hungry. So I decided today to do the LPT (Liquid Protein Train) for 3 days to decarb myself and get back on track. Today was day 1 and all I've had is protein drinks made with water and no food and so far so good. I sure don't want to gain any weight back from letting food win me over again like it did before, so maybe you might want to try the LPT and get decarbed, you've came to far to let the evil carb master win! Good luck!

" Good people are free from additions, in control, and happy. " I know what you mean by this but I'm not sure that I completely agree - how about we say "well balanced"?  The fact that you've identified your triggers makes you a very committed person. You've proven on the boards time and again that not only are you committed to this WLS way of life but that you're strong and determined.It's time to use these traits to the utmost.

It sounds like you've devised a plan to combat the snacking. Go back through the South Beach & Atkins diet plans and see what they recommended for snack foods and balanced eating plans. It's amazing how much we've forgotten about those plans - and they fit so well with our post-op eating plans.

Thank you for sharing your struggles. I know it's not easy to admit when you have a problem but sharing it seems to take some of the power away from the demon. Good Luck my friend and I hope you have a wonderful day.

- Iris

Iris,

Yeah, I suppose "well balanced" would be a better choice of words.  I guess I'm sometimes a little hard on myself.  "You're BAD JASON!!!...BADDDD!!!!  LOL

I believe I will look into South Beach again.  My wife is in love with thier "meal replacement" bars and the plan looks like something WLS'ers could use.

Thanks for the replies!


Jason

Jason, I'm right there with ya.  Since about Halloween I have been much more inclined to snack on carbs and it keeps getting more and more of a hold on me.  I've been able to maintain my weight loss but I really want to get another 3-5 pounds off.  I know I can't do it if I keep snacking on the carbs, so I'm making a committment today to do better.  I actually just threw a cookie in the trash can that has been wrapped up on my desk since Monday.  I WILL NOT dig it out of the trash can no matter how LOUD IT SCREAMS at me today or how bad the day is.  This is a very busy and stressful time of year for me at work and I know that if I don't get it under control, IT (the carb monster) could do me in.

thanks for the post and helping me get my head back in the game!

Alice

Jason,

I'm right there with you! Although I think Iris has a really good point. I have found that if I 'have' to have a carbs, I do much better and much less 'damage' if I have 2 to 3 ounces of lean protien first. Often, I can forgo the carbs if I have the protien. This has been a BIG issue for me.

Thanks for sharing,

Stay clear of the simple carbs man...  they are EVIL!!!!!

I too share your pain.  I don't think we can ever truly get rid of them from our lives.  They eventually find a way to sneak back in all be it so slowly and deviously.  Then before you know it, your cruising for a chocolate bar and sneaking the white stuff.  The trick is to recognize when its becoming a problem and get back on track.  Sounds like you are doing that quite successfully. 

Fortunately we also have Super Pouch to help us along the way.  I find that if I go liquid protein for a day then dry firm proteins the following day, the carb craves go ahead, and Mr. Pouch usually follows up with a nice little drop in weight.  Eventually they find there way back into my diet, then the cycle just repeats and off we go again.  

Hang in their bud....  I'm sure you will learn to manage your cravings just fine.

Dalton