What plan are you on ?

greetings non-ops. Im currently pre-op. I am currently going to the gym and trying to eat right most days in anticipation for the lap band surgery. Recently I have friends and family suggest that I keep on going to the gym and eating right without trying to get the surgery. I've had a small degree of success having lost about 20 lbs give or take. My problem is sweets. Does anybody have any suggestions for a plan that allows me to eat the snacks I like and still lose the weight. I have over 150 lbs to lose...and it just seems so impossible without the help of the band. Im open to any suggestions, and or comments. thanks !

Hey girl, I want to welcome you over here at non-op land............ I am still working it the old fashion way. I was schedule to have the band done back on 2-1-05. It was my wls of choice. I decided to try the old fashion way one more time. I snack on low calories snack such as popcorn, preztels, smart beat cheese. I am working out 5 or 6 days weekly-- hi intense. I have to make it work now. I wgt. 155 pounds now --from 300 pounds so surgery is no longer an option. If I can do it sis, it can be done !!!!!!!!! Hang out here with us, you can get some support and advice....... Your girl Phyllis from BAF

Hi Pretty Plum, Welcome! I battle wanting sweets everyday!! I find it easier to deal with these cravings in the summer, as nothing helps my sweet tooth more than fresh fruit. Especially watermelon. I would suggest any kind of low fat ice cream. The low fat, low carb Fudiscle are great! And since they take awhile to eat, one will usually do the trick. But I gotta say....that eating candy, especially chocolate is my downfall. Everytime I "Blow" my diet, it is because of candy. And as a type 2 diabetic, that ain't so good. Good luck! and be sure to keep us posted on how you are doing. Ann 306/214/130 Non-op

Hi Pretty Plum, welcome to the non-ops board. You can read profiles to get an idea of who we are, no sense in boring you with details!! I don't know particularly which snacks you like so I'm afraid I can't answer your question. For myself I choose not to eat a lot of "fake" sweets because to me they are still calorie laden and really not helping me to get control over that aspect of my eating issues. However, I do enjoy sugar free chocolate pudding and light whipped cream as well as sugar free fudgesicles. That is all I eat that is "sugar" type foods. It is possible to do it, just read some profiles and you will see!!! Good luck, and congrats on the 20 lost already! Donna

Plum, welcome to the nonop board. I have the most demanding sweet tooth on the planet. I will stop craving sweets about a month after I'm dead. You wrote, "I have over 150 lbs to lose...and it just seems so impossible without the help of the band." As you can see from my sig, I have lost that much, and Phyllis has lost that much, so it's not impossible. You asked, "Does anybody have any suggestions for a plan that allows me to eat the snacks I like and still lose the weight." Plum, you'll have to find your own way on that. Some people claim they "must" have a certain food every day. Others fear triggering a binge, and therefore ban certain foods. With few exceptions (fast food is one), I don't have "forbidden foods." For me, part of my success comes from being able to indulge once in a while. My plan is simple. I'm in maintainence now, so I consume an average of 1,750 calories daily. When I was losing, it was about 1,500 daily. I exercise one hour to two hours most days. If there are some foods you just must have, counting calories offers some flexibility. But you still must exercise portion control. Best of luck. Kasey 365/210 (nonop)

Thanks for the "shout out" Kasey !!!!!!!!! And yes it can be done !!!!!!!! Phyllis

I recommend Weigh****chers, the flex point system. On Weigh****chers, you can eat anything that you like as long as you stay within your points allowance. They recommend you choose mostly healthy foods. Denise Phares

Hi, I'm on LA Weight Loss. It is a great plan. I've tried all the diets, and this is my favorite. You can loose 150 on this plan; I've lost 165. I get to eat fruit everyday and also 2 LA Lite Bars everyday. The LA Lite Bars are just like candy. Some of my favorite flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter, chocolate crunch, and lemon. I don't feel deprived of sweets. I've never been hungry on this plan. Lynette

Hi, I'm fairly new on the non-op board, but I've lost 180 pounds and did the majority of that on Weigh****chers. 40 of it I lost by myself watching my diet moderately and walking after I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Kept that off for about 4 years and started putting a bit of it back on. As for sweet tooth - I eat anything I want just not everytime I want or as much as I want. I have to negotiate with myself and make sure that I am making a decision and not just eating. I find that if I have some protein instead of a sweet that I no longer "crave" the sweet. I think that any plan will work as long as you plan to succeed and not just give it a try. It's when I don't plan for myself that I get in trouble and I can eat until I burst without feeling satisfied. I don't have that button. I use a lot of single portioned kind of foods which helps me keep to that single portion. I know that you can accomplish your goals. I'm so thankful that I didn't have WLS after reading a lot of postings from the other board. Life long changes have to happen either way to keep the weight off and be healthy. Make smaller goals for yourself rather than look at the entire 150 more to lose. Celebrate your successes with something other than food and pretty soon you'll be dancing down the street! Good luck to you! Mary

Try to "trick" your brain into beleiving you've had the surgery already. Put yourself on the post-op diet, and really psych yourself out to thinking you've just had surgery. I've been doing something similar to it -- eating 5-6 times a day, but I really only eat 2 oz of food. HIGH protein, very few carbs. Good carbs, and earlier in the day the better. Protein with every meal/snack. Lots and lots of water. It really works. But the really cool thing is that I'm at the point where if I even THINK about food that isn't good for me (ie, sweets, sugar, bad fatty foods) I get sick. Literally, my stomach churns with disgust at even the THOUGHT of eating it. So, I don't have much of a problem staying away from bad foods nowawdays! If you want a more specific outline of my diet/excersize plan, e-mail me and let me know!!! [email protected] --CJ 250/174/140 non-op