bad habits

Help!!!! I can't stop eating sweets,especially ice cream.I want to stop eating it so bad,but when the craving hits it like takes over my mind and thats all I think of until I give in because I have NO WILLPOWER AT ALL!!!!! Afterwards I feel such guilt. I know what I went through for the lap band.The pain after surgery and yet here I am asking for help or words of wisdom..HELP ME.....Thank You....

Amy,
I knew that the band would be no defense against sweets -- they melt in the mouth and pretty much so straight through the band.

Personally, I used OA (www.oa.org or www.therecoverygroup.org ) to help me work on identifying foods that I cannot eat moderately -- and eliminating them.

You might be able to limit yourself to not buying ice cream and treating yourself once a week to a scoop at an ice cream place -- or you may have to just swear off it.

For me, if there are sweets in my home or environment, I will eat them and not even try to eat anything else.  One cookie today becomes a bag of cookies tomorrow and then only cookies the next day.

It is easier for me to just not have any, than it is to have the mental anquish of trying to eat a lmiited amount.  Only you know what is true for you -- and what you need to do.

It speaks volumes to the power of addiction to some things, that even after surgery and everything else you have gone through to be healthy, that this still has power over you.

I hope you find peace about this.

Thank You so much for the words of encouragement. I feel as though I have tried everything and I'm at my wits end.It is so crazy that food can be so powerful over a food addict,such as myself...I have tried saving ice cream for only once a week,but of course isn't working so well...To bad I can't have money like Oprah then I could afford to have a personal chef and someone to follow me around 24/7 kicking my butt in gear...Anyways since that isn't do-able then I will somehow have to  work through this nonsense..  Well if you have any food suggestions that helps you I would love to hear them..Well Thanks again,Amy.. I look forward to your reply...

Actually, I think that Oprah is a shining example that all of the money I the world cannot stop us from our addictions.

She has spent years hiring trainers and chefs and she remains obese.

It is written all over her that she hates her weight.

I think she has surrendered to being fat.

She won't do the real work of surrendering in my opinion.

Unfortunately that is the mental part of the issue and only some counceling to learn different ways to deal with the craving will help. I agree OA is a great source of help. Myself I can control what I eat only if I don't have it around. I grocery shope for the week on Fri and buy a small pint of ice cream and that's it. I can either eat it all at once or spread it out but that is the only one that will be in the house and it's too far to the store to just run get another one. I wish you luck and know you aren't alone, we all have to "trick" ourselves sometimes.

The other two just told you my story Kathy, especially. I just came away from an ice cream binge and am not completely steady on my feet yet. Like Kathy said, if I eat one of my problem foods it will quickly become me eating only the carbs I crave, I won't even bother trying to eat anything else. I become obsessed. Once in a while I will be ok, but mostly not.

If getting off all processed carbs doesn't do it then you should look into counseling from someone familiar with eating disorders or at the least look into OA, as Kathy said. If we had will power we would have not needed wls. We don't have control and unless we (I) abstain completely we will remain prisoners of our cravings. Some are able to allow themselves the occasional treat, some can eat things like these in moderation. The only way I can allow any of it and still be ok is to eat it away from home and not have anything else in the house.

Good luck to you, Sue.

Very simple.  Sugar free fat free fudgsicles.  40 calories each.  I eat two every night.  Wait until they're tacky to the touch and then they're very smooth and creamy.  If things are really bad, you could have 4 and still only consume 160 calories and get 6 grams of protein in the bargain.

These have saved my life.

Thank You everyone for all of your advice.I am definitley going to try the fudgsicles...

I really like sugar-free, fat-free pudding made with skim milk. Top with some Lite Cool Whip and you can fool yourself into thinking you had a decadent dessert.  I use graham cracker crumbs sometimes, too, to make fake cheesecake with the cheesecake flavored pudding and some cherries.

Luigi's Italian ices are pretty good, too and a lot less "guilty" than ice cream, at least.

...Thanks