Out of control

I am with Grim - we all have different foods that put us over the edge. I recently packed up any food in my house that I realized I can't control myself around and gave them away to someone in my neighborhood who is less fortunate. And I am eating much better not being around that stuff!

If you let us know what your "trigger" foods are, perhaps we can suggest alternatives. For example, I eat shirataki (soy) noodles that have no carbs instead of pasta, cucumber salad and pickles for crunch, cheese crisps instead of crackers - I find that if I just deprive myself of every single thing I want, I can easily crack and eat a box of Cheez-its :) So it helps me to find high protein/low carb foods I enjoy, and work them into my daily menu.

I also log all of my food in MyFitnessPal on my iPhone. I am totally honest with my posting and it helps me see when my daily calories are too high or when my carbs are too high. Sometimes it's a matter of making concessions, or making sure two meals are super high protein and low calorie if I know one meal is going to be higher in calories/carbs.

Good luck - don't let your mind get the best of you. You had surgery to get healthy and you can keep on track with that - come here for support and you will find it!

My trigger foods are sweets and coffee. I really have a problem with dunkin doniuts and the like. I also am stuck on the portions thing where I always try to get a large helping of something even though I can't eat it. I really feel embarrassed eating out due to how pretty much everything makes me throw up.

I know some doctors say no to coffee, but I have coffee every single day. I use Land O Lakes low fat half and half at home, regular half and half at a cafe. I also use Splenda to sweeten it.

I know many people make recipes using ricotta cheese and splenda or stevia along with fruit to have sweet things. Also, try DIET swiss miss hot chocolate with sugar-free Torani syrups.

The truth is, the sugar and simple carbs in donuts and sweets will contribute to continued obesity. In many cases it's finding a substitute (like sweetened ricotta) but in all cases, it's a matter of willpower. I know how difficult that is - I am (like most people here) a food addict. I also like sweets, I also like crunchy and salty good, I also like large portions (they seem comforting to me). For this reason, i don't keep trigger foods at home, and I use a kitchen scale to weigh my food. Weighing 3 or 4 ounces of chicken salad still, two years out, looks like SUCH a small portion (since I used to be able to eat a pound of noodles). But I know that my body doesn't need more than that portion to fuel myself, so I make myself eat that amount.

I am definitely not a therapist, so I can't help you there, but I can only share my own tips. Try to stick to dense protein and you will lose - find delicious proteins that you like. I love gouda and carmelized chicken burgers from Amy Lu (Costco) and the onions give them a sweet flavor. Or have a turkey burger with a bit of ketchup (gives you some sweetness). Or try some chicken or shrimp with a little bit of a green Thai curry (has a little sweetness). If you put in the effort, you have a tool to help you, and you can do great! We are all rooting for you.

PS And stay out of Dunkin Donuts :) Those smells are hard for anyone to resist!

I love diet swiss miss. It is my special treat when I want something sweet.

James - I would suggest Overeater's Anonymous as a great resource for dealing with your sugar addiction. OA is a vitally important tool in my tool belt. Without OA my weight loss surgery wouldn't have been successful.

Check out oa.org online. They have online meetings, telephone meetings and in person meetings in most decent-sized towns in the U.S. It's not therapy and it's not a support group - it's a recovery program for people with disordered eating. And it's FREE!

I am a food addict in recovery right now. I am so sorry that you are going through this rough time right now.

I am not a counselor -- and I can't give you mental health advice. However, I do drink a ****ton of coffee -- and frankly, I have no intentions of stopping. I use half and half or whole milk with splenda and sweet and low. I also use sugar free milk flavorings at times -- like chocolate or cookies and cream milk splash -- to make it taste like a coffee house coffee. I make most of mine at home in my Keurig -- and I have a ridiculously expensive insulated mug that I take EVERYWHERE.

I also go to Starbucks a lot. I still only get regular coffee and add half and half etc. No fancy drinks === they are calorie bombs.

One thing about Dunkin Donuts is that the use FAKE cream... and it's full of fats and sugar. In a large coffee, it adds 120 calories, 12 g fat and 6 carbs. That's a lot for a coffee. Ask for MILK instead.

Good luck to you. You can get back on track friend.

I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling. I know it's not easy.

I have a compulsive binge eating disorder. I recently started seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. I know that you can't afford counseling at this time, but she recommended a work book that seems to be helping me really look into my feelings and behaviors. I bought it from Amazon for around $17.00.

Checking out this book right now

try ordering it from the library... I look up all my books throughout the state -- they ship free to my local library.

What book is this? I can't see the image.

Best,

Layla