I can't stop snacking!

I can NOT stop eating. I do not know what is wrong with me. Its not exactly eating but snacking. I recently learned about sugar free candy and since then, I have stocked up on it - mostly chocolates and cookies. Now, I eat them all of the time. I still do ok with meals - primarily yogurt for breakfast and turkey for lunch and a little variety for dinner but I have done ok with that. But when it comes to snacking I just can not stop! I eat pretzels at 3 o'clock for a snack which isn't to bad. But when I am at home (like the weekends and evenings) I just eat and eat and eat the sugar free candy and cookies. I actually ate two packages of cookies in one day this past weekend! It is easier said than done to say to get them out of the house and not buy them but they just taste so good! And I really miss really good tasting food. I have done sooo good over this past year with self control. I always weighed my food so I didn't eat to much. I never eat Bread or pasta or sugar. But now, over the past month, I just can not stop snacking. I feel like it is really bad and I do not know how to get control. I have actually convinced myself it is a treat for being so good this past year and that since it is sugar free, that I am not doing that bad. I have a goal I want to meet by my one year (next month) and it does not look like I am going to get there. I am still losing 1 pound a week but I know if I cut these snacking out, I could lose more. The bad thing is, I have no idea if I am looking for from admitting it on this post. I do not know if I want people to tell me that it is ok to snack with sugar free items once in a while and not to beat myself up about it or if I want people to make me be accountable and tell me how to stop doing it. I am just so confused and it is getting to me. Do you have any experience with this that you could share with me to help me out on how I should feel and what I should do? Is it fairly normal to go through this "treat myself for being good" stage? Thanks! Misty

I think it is normal to feel like we deserve to "treat" ourselves for being good. However, I know that I was a binge eater before surgery and have found myself grazing at times since. My husband even pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago that I was binging. I had been grazing all evening...on healthy foods. I know that at some level I was aware of my behavior but until he said something I was denying it. That was a wake up call for me. I realize that the most common cause of "failure" for RNY patients is grazing. It doesn't matter if it's healthy choices like yogurt, cheese, soy chips, etc. or less healthy choices like sugar free candies, cookies and such. (I only refer to these as less healthy because they tend to have no real nutritional value) It really made me step back and take stock of what I was doing and remind myself of just WHY I had the surgery. I must say that I am doing much better and as a result have broken through the stall I have been on for the past 2 months. I had to ask myself..."Am I really treating myself if I outeat my surgery and put weight back on?" I decided the better treat was fitting into smaller clothes and liking what I see when I look in the mirror. I know, for me anyway, all of this still feels a bit surreal. I have trouble recognizing this new person I see in the mirror. I just have to keep reminding myself that "she" is the reason I have gone through everything. You have come a long way in a short time. It is hard to break those habits we have had for so many years. Admitting to yourself that there is a problem is the first step to breaking free. I would recommend getting the problem foods out of the house. Only buy them when you have planned the treat in to your food plan and only buy what you have planned for. Some day you may have control over those foods. Until you do, why keep temptation so close? Good luck Sweetie! I know that you can overcome this. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

i understand where your coming from... you feel like you've done so well... and now you want to just enjoy foods again. i would cation you, because to some degree we are all food adicts ( you have to be to become as heavy as we once were ) and sugar free treat can become like crack to us... i never keep them in the house. because i know i dont have the self control... when i want a treat i will drive to walmart and buy the 50 cent pack of the 100 calorie chips ahoys... or go to starbucks and have an iced sugar free latee... but i dont buy the boxes, and i dont do the coffee every day... i think the world of snacking and sugar free products are why some of us dont get down to our full protentional. i mean a size 12 ( for example ) is thin and great and healthy and if you feel comfortable with that awesome, but if you could leave out the treats you might get down to a 4... idk... i eat what i want either it be bread or fryed or take out... but not everyday. i know that sugar was my crack... and i can't buy it or go back... but thats just me!!!

Misty, I can so relate. It seems like I do so well during the week at work but when I am home and the kids have or want junk food, I catach myself nibbling here and there which is something I need to avaoid. It is VERy hard to say hey just don't buy it. I agree with susan and try to remind myself of how far I have come and question which i want more the food or to be a better weight? Being smaller and feeling good about myself wins every time. Best wishes!!

Misty, I don't think there really is anything wrong with a "treat" every once in a while. It is not good to do this everyday though. I just don't want you to get to the point I did. I gave myself a "treat" of going to The Olive Garden on my 35th birthday. I was celebrating because two years earlier, I had been told without WLS I would not live to be 35. Well this was just the beginning of my lapse. I would treat my self here and there until it got to be treating myself everyday. 60lbs later, I realized where I was headed. If you can control it, that is wonderful, but we have an illness, we are addicted to foods that are not healthy for us. I just hope you get a grip on this before it gets a grip on you. I now have 60lbs that I have lost once since surgery and now I have them to lose again and let me tell you , after the "honeymoon" period, it ain't a walk in the park to lose. I hope you understand that I am not condemning you at all, I just want you to learn from my mistakes and do better than me. Hugs and prayers to you in your struggles with the food demon. Darlene

Misty, You're not alone that is for certain! I too have been grazing and snacking on anything and everything - healthy or otherwise. For me, I think I didn't feel normal...and I wanted to be normal so I ate "normal" food - if that makes sense?? Ever since starting my new job,  I have been so not following what I'm suppose to be doing...but TODAY I've pulled in the reins and even went to the gym (I didn't go at all last week). I want to lose 10 more pounds before July 12th (my next doc appt)... and I'm gonna do it :-) Were the accountability posts helping you any? I liked them :-)

Misty,          I myself have an addiction to sweets therefore, I knew before I had surgery that I will never be able to taste them again, because of this addiction, not even the sugar-free versions.  I know I am no where close to where you are in your WLS, but it may be just like any other addiction, you may just simply may not be able to have them, because you are not able to stop once you start.  I know that I would have the same problem that you are currently going through, that is why I will never try it again, because I am afraid I would not be able to stop. This may not be the best advice, but this is the approach that has worked best for me!!! Shelia

I read or heard some one say if it taste good spit it out and never put it in your mouth again.  I have been on a diet for amost 3 months and I am dying to break lose but my watch dog is always around and will always be here to help me. The best thing for me is to keep the stuff out of the house. It's like my DH says I just have to be strong enough not to bring it in the house.  Good luck gettting it under control again.  Lee Lee