Better late than never?

Okay, so I wanted to bring this up at last night's meeting, but I got sidetracked talking to people about the 5K.  Oh well, at least I have this forum to discuss it.  Anyway, following surgery, I really was happy with the comfort of knowing that if I were to do something stupid, like endulging myself in some really bad no-no's, like a couple of my favorite weaknesses, that I'd pay the price and not try it again.  First, it was my problem with giving up swedish fish.  I'd eat 'em like they were going out of style.  Problem was, I didn't have a price to pay.  I didn't gain weight because of my workout regimen and I wasn't feeling any affects physically.  After I finally got over the swedish fish kick, I began endulging in my all-time favorite summer treat - DAIRY QUEEN!!!  It was always a hit or miss thing.  I'd either be able to eat it and not feel any after-affects or eat it and feel a litte queezy but I'd get over it rather quickly.   This has all changed rather drastically.   A couple weeks ago, Beth Malinowski (yes, for those of you that were wondering at last night's meeting she is the new woman in my life) and I went to DQ (she is a lapbander and for some reason able to tolerate sugars much better than me) and she had a small cotton candy blizzard and I had some ridiculious fudge something or another in a waffle bowl.  We came back to my place and I was lying down and started sweating profuciously. I scared Beth to death.  I promised I wouldn't do it again.  Sorry, but I still have my weak moments and broke my promise. I went for a jog the other day and, along my way, passed that same DQ.  Being the jackass that I am, I gave into temptation and stopped in for a "harmless" strawberry milkshake.  So, I did two things.  I wound up having to walk home since I would've looked really stupid jogging with a Dairy Queen milk shake in my hand.  And I lost out to temptation.  All I can say is it's a good thing I work out like a mad man and don't gain weight.  Anyway, I start walking home, absolutely loving the milkshake.  That is, until it hit me hard.  I doubled over in MAJOR PAIN and barely made it home. Now, this morning.  I go to Wawa to get my newspapers and decide, what the hell.  Needed breakfast and couldn't decide.  So, what does Marathon Man decide.  Lets go for a box of those mini chocolate donuts.  So, falling into old habits, I eat about 4 or 5 with my coffee. Once again, I felt like I was going to pass out.  I think my biggest assett has become my biggest downfall.  Because I burn around 1500 calories a day at the gym, I sometimes get this ridiculously stupid moronic idea that that gives me the green light to eat anything I want.  I know better. Anyway, there is some good out of this.  My body seems to have finally rebelled and, after 28 months, finally not allowing me to eat sugary, fatty foods.  What I don't understand is - WHAT THE HELL TOOK SO LONG?  My question is this.  Has anybody else ever experienced anything similar to this as far as your body all of a sudden rejecting certain foods this late out?  Have you heard of anyone that has?  Why now?  Why at almost 2 1/2 years out has my tolerance level changed so suddenly?  I sure hope to get some answers. If there is a moral to all of this it is the following:  Don't eat swedish fish.  Don't eat chocolate donuts.  And, by all means, don't even think about being stupid enough to walk into a Dairy Queen.  Learn from my mistake.  I sure hope I'm big enough to learn from them myself.

Andy, It certainly was a great meeting last night and while I have no answers being less than a year out from surgery, but having tested the waters in small ways and finding out that I can get away with small indulgences, only made my life more difficult, so I mostly restrict myself from indulging, besides when I was in Florida I found out, sort of like you, that I cannot always get away with it. . .  took my grandson for ice cream while his Mom and sis rode the waverunners, well I thought, ok, I can probably handle the sugar free scoop of butter pecan, what I didn't take into account was the fat content, needless to say it was an embarassing lesson learned the hard way.  Though on the other board I hang out on, the over fifty forum, there are quite few folks 4+ years out and they have also experienced changes within what can and cannot be tolerated, so I think this process is one that can change from time to time and that is a good thing, it may just help me stay away from the indulgences of the past, since I really don't, well at this point anyway, wish to experience the problems associated with them, not to mention as we well know, we can gain weight back, so did I do this as something I really want to fail at, nope, I don't think so.   Thanks, as always, for your honesty and helping remind us what this journey is all about. Hugs, Laureen

Obviously I can't answer these questions for you - considering how new I am in comparison to you.  And also that I haven't tested those waters quite yet, nor do I want to. Thanks for being open and honest as always - it does help us. Pam

Hi Andy, I can't give you any specific answers other than your tendency to be moronic about  eating the crap. Perhaps it's happening more often than before, you be the jugde, and your body is more stable and has become smarter than you are. lol.  But seriously buddy your addictions are still there and everytime you experiment with them you come away learning something. What's last learned you retain more easily. Take it as a sign to leave the crap alone or, more likely, experiment with less of it. Can you do that? If not we can start up a Swedish Fish/DQ/Carvel/Root Beer Float/Andy Can't Help Himself and he's just like all of us/Anonymous Group. I'm sure it will be well attended. Like Heidi said last night, let's not beat ourselves up too much. We've all done that plenty. We've also learned that we're capable of doing more good than harm to ourselves. On a physical and emotional level. We can learn and we have. The learning can never stop. The successing can never end. See ya soon, Dennis

What is it with those frickin swedish fish?  I had not eaten any high sugar foods for over 18 months.  Then I started with the dunkin donut latte's, or the wawa donut. I ate them and nothing happened.  I even had 3 glasses of wine one night and felt nothing.  When I had my hernias repaired and panni removed, I had a craving for...swedish fish.  Being sick from the surgery I only had one or two but once I was feeling better I was eating a half of a container.  I started to feel that feeling that we do when we overeat.  No sweats, just like I overate.  I now at 2 years can't eat the wawa donut. The pouch let me get away (like I am fooling anyone) with some of my bad habits for a few months.  I am so grateful that I didn't gain any major weight.   I say hurray (for me) to getting sick when I eat the contraband.  If that is the only way that I will stay away from the empty calories then I am glad for it.    I don't know what the surgeons did when they had me on the table but it seems I am getting back some of the feelings that I had post op.   Jeanne