Sweet Foods

In just a year post op, and i have an eating disorder.  What I'm trying to do,  as many people in my situation,  is find a healthy way of eating that i can maintain long term. Personally, if i restrict too much, i will send myself into a binge cycle. This is something that I'm just learning  about myself.  

Ideally, I'd love to be able to eat a paleo diet, because in my opinion, is the healthiest way to live. But I have failed at that,  and now mitigate the damage of my eating disorder by adding in artificial sweeteners and the occasional real sugar item.  

I think for me,  staying mindful of my weight and my diet will be the key to my success or failure.  

Sorry to hear that. How are you managing your eating disorder? Do you have a clinic or therapist/dietician you are working with? 

I think this is much more common than people in our community talk about.

I see a therapist, and right now I'm just struggling through.  Finding ways to avoid binging is tops on my list.  I have a tendency to hide when i binge, so trying to make sure that I don't eat alone is important.  that brings a feeling of shame.  So, logging all my food and talking about what I eat publicly here and with my friends who have weight loss surgery really helps me a lot.

I also use artificial sweeteners because I dump on fruit and real sugar. I use Splenda in my coffee and eat a nightly snack of a protein bar sweetened with Stevia. I sometimes want that sweet taste and had to find options I can maintain long term. I lost all my excess weight,over 150 pounds and have maintained my weight loss with no regain for over 3 years. Just because I can't eat sugar is no reason to drink black coffee as far as I can see. Each of us has to pick our own path and what works for us and find something we can live with successfully for the long haul. Things look much different 4 years out than they do before surgery and even in the weight loss period. You will learn what works for you just like I have and you travel through life post surgery and most likely your journey will be much different but as long as we both lose the weight and keep it ofg--it's all good!

At the same time I can ask anyone who is MO why the eat so much food or carbs knowing it will make them gain weight? 

Or ask any person who dumps or get RH why the heck do they still eat the carby - sugary stuff know it make make them sick  ???? (i dump and I can very severe RH but my sugar cravings - carbs cravings got better of me a way too many times...in my 8+ years post op RNY)

Some of us know that artificial sweeteners may not be good for us...I know that most of them are bad for me (i get headache, or itch,..etc)

At the same time - I have days that I am just tired of just proteins and veggies...limited fruits...and I want something yummy.  Or I have days that I have no appetite at all and I know I need to eat something. Anything... Doctoring my "food" so it taste good for me is a way I can trick my taste buds. 

Then there is drinking... If I have a few days that I just can't get enough liquids - I know I need to find something that taste good to push that into me...or I may end up with severe muscle cramps, headache and constiptation. 

Long term post op - it can be challenging to ge****er and food in me. Whatever works... One day you will understand. 

Thank you for all of your replies and I have learned a great deal especially from "the experts"!  But at the end of the day, I am a sugar addict so like an alcoholic needs to stay away from alcohol I have full intentions of cutting sugars out of my life. 

You should probably say you are cutting out refined sugar because if you eat dairy or fruit you are eating sugar(lactose in dairy and fructose in fruit). We each have to do what works for us and find our own way on our individual journey. If my artificially sweetened drink mixes start to cause me to crave carbs they will be gone in a flash too!

You are right - it is refined sugars.

And this is how we are all different.  I have never been a sugar junkie, my problems have been with starchy carbs or crackers.  I can't keep them around, and I surely can't have just a few, so I have to stay away.

Your issue is with sweets, so you need to stay away from them.  We're all different in how we got to be obese, but we are the same in that we need to learn how to control our trigger foods.

I wish you good luck, and I hope that you can be successful in your journey.

God created a portion of our tongue to have taste buds that like sweet.  If it triggers you to overeat or eat something you don't think you should have....stay away from it, but an occasional sweet taste works for me...