How Do You Deal With......................

the old food issues coming back? I don't know if I'm under stress right now or what? I have been really fighting this old ice cream habit of mine. Before my WLS I had gotten extremely out of hand with my ice cream. That's always been a major fall back to my weight gain. Damn those Blue Bunny people for making peanut butter panic!!!!!!!! I had gotten so grotesque with it that I could consume TWO, yes I said two half gallon containers in less than a 24 hour time frame. I was going to the store daily to buy them and when they were gone I would try to hide them from my family so they wouldn't know what a pig I was. Sometimes I would buy them in the afternoon and finish one before my husband got home from work, so even he didn't know how bad it really was. Anyway right after surgery I had no cravings or any problems walking down the frozen isle and staring straight at them. Now it's getting harder. You'd think with me being almost a year out and not having any in a year would make it easier to forget. Nope. I think about it. The taste. How good it is. See for me I'm not much of a dumper. I've had a few bites of ice cream here and there and been okay. It just seems to make my pouch a little noisy. I've found that the surgar free, carb free and fat free ones are worse. The sugar alcohols are what really get me. So I steer way clear of sugar alcohols. I've knowingly had up to 40 grams of sugar in a drink I had over Thanksgiving and been okay. I just mostly get sleepy, dizzy and really tired. Oh my, listen to me babble. I've never confessed my ice cream addiction before. Not even in my profile. Thank God I live in the middle of nowhere and it takes 30 minutes one way to get to a store. Otherwise I'm afraid I'd have gotten me a peanut butter panic by now. I've done really well with ice cream since surgery. Almost never have it and when I do it's really just a few bites. I'm afraid of how it would make me feel if I ate more. Now I'm so afraid if I bought one I'd have NO problems. I think that's my biggest fear. Once you try it once and learn it's okay your a goner. I'm finding myself hungry alot now lately. Real my tummy feels empty hunger. Last night we had stuffed pasta shells for dinner (I know not such a great choice), I felt bad that I was able to eat three of them. I thought that two should have been the most I could have eaten. I think I could have been fine at four but didn't go there. So in all my rambling I'm just saying it's getting much harder. Head hunger has been present for at least 2-3 months now. I seem to be snacking alot at night again, and now the thoughts of ice cream again. It's all really scary. I've lost 140 so far and am so thankful for that. I want to lose some more though. Does anyone have any issues like these? Any suggestions? Thanks! amber 296/156/140 -140 (16 more to goal)

Amber, Are there any ice cream shops in your area that sell it where you could get a baby cone or something. I know sometimes if you hold out on a craving when you do give in you go crazy b/c you want it so bad. On the flip side of that having a little might lead you to having more. I don't know how prone you are to that, I am very prone to that and am having a problem with it right now. You would think it would get easier but it doesn't. I have also been snacking alot at night or shall I say in the middle of the night. I wish I had some answers for you and for me. I will say a prayer that we both get back on the wagon. Hugs, Bridget

There's nothing in this town. It's a blue bunny specialty anyway. I wish they sold it in a pint or something, but they don't. It's the whole thing or nothing. So I am thinking I better just not go there at ALL. It's hard for me to stop once I get going. Thanks for the prayer! I seem to be able to go most of the day and hardly eat, but when night time hits I'm always looking for something to eat. Amber

Better to just stay away from it then. I am the same way at night. I was just typing to someone else how right now I feel hungry. How can I feel hungry? I mean really? Grrr...I just don't understand sometimes.

Amber, ice cream is one thing I've never been bad about. Now give me a poptart or cheesecake or chocolate donuts and I'm doomed. Caught myself this week sneaking a chocolate donut hole a couple of times so I threw the box away, heck my kids don't need them either. I am with you on the empty tummy feeling (my hunger) and even the grazing. Just grabbing something to eat without thinking, chew, swallow and go "what the hell did I just do". It doesn't get easier, it's harder now. The first 8-9 months were easy for me, no hunger, then bang it came back. Thank goodness most days I make good choices, today was an exceptionally good day, no snacks at all, 3 meals and my protein shakes only. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, I'm working on some craft projects and will do a little yard work tomorrow, staying busy for me = no grazing. Try not to focus on the ice cream.....find you a S/F treat you can have that will curb the craving. You can do it. Dana

Hi Amber! I'm not sure if I have any suggestions, but I sure can relate to what you're going through! It DEFINITELY gets harder the further out you get. I always heard people talk about fighting "head hunger" the further out they got - like you I'm fighting real, physical hunger, which I wasn't expecting! At a little over a year out I remember fighting with a pretty serious ice cream craving. I was still losing weight at that point, no matter what I ate, so I gave in to the craving several times with no major ill effects. Now, ice cream holds no appeal for me. I'm struggling with different cravings now. I've noticed that I'll crave one thing for a while, and then that craving will go away and be replaced with another craving. I've battled cravings for cheese nips, Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pizza, and chocolate at various points in my journey. Of course, now I can no longer "eat what I want and still lose weight"; I've started gaining again, and it's really scary. Like I said before, I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. I'm not sure if it's better to give in to a craving and "get it out of your system" or just not go there at all. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone! Lelina 298/165 (looking for 145 again!)

I know this idea may be far fetched and hard to do but if you want it that bad....take your scoop of ice cream from the container, take the container and throw out the rest in the garbage. Its a very expensive scoop of ice cream but you did not deprive yourself of the food which is torturing you. Sometimes its just the urge that we can't have something that bothers us. I say no to nothing.....I just limit it. I find doing this for me keeps me in check. Along with the scale that constantly reminds me that I don't need all of that and a bag of chips! You have done a fantastic job...keep up the good work. You will figure this one out I am sure. Debbie

I have 2 suggestions. The first may not be possible if you live in the middle of now where. Have you considered therapy? You could find a therapist who deals with eating disorders. The second, and cheaper, go to Amazon and order the book "Life is Hard, Food is Easy" by Linda Spangle. I'm just getting into it but it talks about head hunger and heart hunger. Head hunger is eating because of stress and wanting to "chew" on someone or something. Heart hunger is because you aren't getting some emotional need met. That's all the farther I am but so far, I've determined I have heart hunger. It goes on to offer suggestions on how to cope with both types of emotional eating. But like I said, I'm not that far yet but so far, it seems to make sense. I think we all have these issues. If we didn't, we wouldn't have needed surgery to lose wt in the first place. Learning how to deal with these isssues is the key. And once you are a year out, you no longer can lose wt without really watching what you eat and getting more exercise. I'm almost 2 years out and have been struggling to get these last few pounds gone. But I think I'm headed in the right direction now. This book and working with a personal trainer. You have done well in less that a year. Now you have to work on your mind and heart.

Amber, I'm sorry about your thing you've got going on with the ice cream. I really don't know what to suggest. I never tested the waters with sugar because I was a sugar and carb addict before. But as for the hunger going on- I've got it... BAD. I want and sometimes do eat all day. I am a carb addict and I've been eating alot of carbs and in my opnion, it's making me even hungier. Those damn carbs go right through me and then I have a carb crash and I need more food. For the last 4 days I've been very good about not eating carbs, and lo and behold.... my hunger isn't so bad!! Throw in some lean protein in there and I feel pretty good for a while and am not looking back into the fridge 10 minutes later. Can this be you too? Michelle

Hi Amber, I just pasted my 4yr post op anniversary and boy I have issues just like this. Ice cream is my addiction too. I wish I had a strategy that would work for us both but I don't. The only way I don't hear the ice cream calling is to not bring it home. I know I have lost control if I bring it into the house. I have tried small portions, Klondike ice cream bars (ate the entire box in 3 days). I simply must abstain from ice cream at home. One bite is too much and one thousand wouldn't be enough. I do occasionally eat ice cream in a resturant but I never allow myself to be alone with it! Best wishes, Elesha LapRNY 2/26/02