Question:
Why am I craving sweets so badly (especially chocolate!)?

This wouldn't be so unusualy for some, but for me... it is. Before surgery, almost all my life, I could take it or leave it when it came to sweets of any kind. If I had "cravings" it would always be something spicy and/or salty, like pizza, chips and salsa, any sort of mexican, etc. NOW, one year post-op (RNY), comes this tremendous craving for sweets, mostly chocolate. I can hardly stand the inner urges for a chocolate chip cookie or a hersheys kiss. Can there be an explanation for this, especially given the fact that this is very new to me - I never used to eat much sweets/chocolate at all?    — Lori B. (posted on April 17, 2001)

April 17, 2001
I'm SOOO glad I'm not alone in this problem. I also was not a sweets eater presurgery.....I mean candy could sit at my house for over a year...never mind desserts. Now, I feel like I'm always searching for something sweet. I had a conversation with my PCP, and she explained that it might have to do with how your body stores hormones, as fat holds on to a lot of estrogen, as you're loosing weight, all that estrogen comes flooding out, which might be causing the cravings. I just hope things level out, and it goes away.
   — tlg6056

April 17, 2001
Try a protein bar...that should satisfy your craving. The best are Ultimate Lo Carb II (many here will agree with me)- my favorites are SMORES and Black Forest Raspberry Swirl. You can order them from here - http://www.juicers.net/ullocar2barf.html. You can also get samples of individual bars from Michelle Curran at www.vitalady.com.
   — [Deactivated Member]

April 17, 2001
You didn't say how much protein supps you are taking? How much sugar you are eating daily, like milk, applesauce, yogurts, stuff you think of as being "healthy"? If you keep getting in sugar, you will keep wanting sugar. Your body is looking for nutrition. It wants what it wants, but it may send a msg to you to "get me calories". The fastest calories we can get are sugar. There is NO malabsorption with sugar, as they start to absorb instantly. Your body hunts through the cookie for some value and finding none, it sends the signal again. And again, turning up the volume each time. When you are sending back something it can process, then it can finally rest and shut off the panic signals. Using real protein, not milk, not beans & cheese, not Ensure or other high sugar drink, will help cut the cravings way down. Like you, I wasn't a sugar eater pre-op. And we did take a protein supplement, BUT not enough.
   — vitalady

April 17, 2001
ohhhhhhhhhhhh my god. i thought i was the only one. i mean i ate a little candy before. but not like this. i have ate up to 3 snickers a day since i had surgery. i need to quit. al though im still losing weight. this is crazy. im going to look into getting those protein bars.
   — ms edwards B.

April 19, 2001
I would like to share a story with you. I lost a lot of weight at one time, I was working at a health resort and we were using a 90% Pritikin Program (this was when they believed in no added salt, sugar or fat) with lots of exercise. I was extremely happy with my weight loss and was an example of what could be achieved if you worked hard enough. I went to a department store one day and found myself in front of the candy counter staring, this really upset me I left the store immediately not purchasing what I went for, I was truly rattled. I knew sugar was poison (what I called anything I wasn't suppose to eat)I wrestled with this for days, so finally in desperation I bought a pound of candy and ate all of it in the hopes it would make me sick and I would lose my craving.....it didn't work. Now I was really upset, there was no one to talk to about this, my boss at the time felt if it wasn't good for you you shouldn't eat it. This was when I became a closet bulimic. I always bought at least a pound would eat it then stick my finger down my throat, the guilt was incredible. I was the working example of this program. I am going to bet your biggest chocolate cravings come around the time of your period, this is in part homones, once I went through the change, chocolate wasn't as much a problem. What I did find out many years later is that sugar cravings can be a chromium deficiency, I went to a seminar on juicing and she said most tablets don't work (I know this for a fact, they use to pass right through me), that you need a liquid form. THIS IS NOT A MINERAL TO FOOL AROUND WITH. I would like to introduce everyone that is interested in a wonderful book I found that has been my health bible for years it's called "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" I was without Health Insurance for years and used this book to get me through some rough time.
   — Kay J.

April 27, 2001
I want to ask a question concerning Kay Jackson's answer to you. My doctor put me on the Pritiken Diet and you're the first one on here to mention it. Are you still on this diet and does it work. I've been worried because the Pritiken Diet doesn't stress eating too much protein, mostly carbohydrates. Has it worked for you?
   — Leewan V.

June 15, 2001
I was so happy to read your post.. I thought I was the only one craving choclate and I am one year post op.. and it is like I have to have a little choclate every day.. It is awful and I wish I could break this habit and not want it anymore or as much.. HELP!! LOL Debbie/Ut
   — Debbie R.