Question:
I ate icecream today did I ruin my ds?

I'm 2 months post op. I ate some vanilla icecream today. I know this is a no no but I just couldnt help myself. What can I do to stop this terrible head hunger. I eat protein but Im still hungry    — Kathleen J. (posted on December 23, 2001)

December 23, 2001
did you eat a whole gallon of ice cream? I am sure you didnt. I personally had the DS so that no food was a no-no. As long as you are eating your protein first, dont worry about. I eat ice cream a cpl of times a week. The difference for me now as opposed to before surgery I eat maybe a 1/4 cup and not 5-6 scoops.
   — [Anonymous]

December 23, 2001
I didn\'t have a DS and this is one of the reasons I didn\'t -- I would kill myself with guilt. All that aside, I\'ve done a lot of research on all procedures and from what I\'ve read, the poster below is right on target. A lot get the DS so they wouldn\'t have to worry about eating the wrong thing. It is great for those who have that mindset. I\'d say you\'re fine with the ice cream as long as you don\'t go to excess (see, me...I\'d get the DS and ice cream would be ALL I would eat -- lol). Post RNY, I\'ve had 1/2 cup of ice cream in 6 months. Do I miss it? Not really...my protein shakes make up for it and taste great. Anyway...hopefully some experienced DSers will check in today and answer your issues about hunger. Hang in there! Good luck and God Bless!
   — Kimberly L.

December 23, 2001
To start with the whole point of the DS is to retain your pyloric valve in your stomach so you don\'t \"dump\" when you eat something that has sugar. Eating ice cream is perfectly OK. In fact, you are likely to find that a half cup now satisfies you, where before it didn\'t. I prefer to eat fat free frozen yogurt as ice cream, which is loaded with fat will give me foamy stools, but I don\'t give myself grief if I really, really wanted it. We are so screwed up by diet mentality of deprivation/excessive indulgence/guilt cycle that we forgot that it is ok to occassionally have something that we enjoy the taste of. Food is meant to sustain us and bring us pleasure. Go ahead and eat like a normal person. My doc says to eat until you are full three times per day, and have vegies or fruit as snacks if necessary. There are NO restrictions on what we can have. Everybody on his program has lost weight, kept it off and, except for a few fretters, have developed a healthy relationship with food. If you are very concerned about \'head hunger\', like I was early on in my post op jhourney, go to an Overeater\'s Anonymous meeting and learn a little bit about the difference between desiring a certain food and being hungry, as versus being compulsed to overeat to satisfy an emotional hunger or fill an emotional emptiness. That hits alot of people too. But don\'t worry...it will all turn out.
   — merri B.

December 23, 2001
Kathleen, I have to tell you something about this also. Just had to give my 2cents. I am almost 3 years out, at goal and have not gained a pound. I also eat whatever I want actually. Head hunger? I never really got over that I dont\' think. I eat when I feel hungry to be honest. Seemed in my case though, the more garbage I seemed to eat, the more weight i lost. Sounds ridiculous I know but it it definately true. I am not condoning eating wrong but please know that ice cream once in awhile will NOT make you gain weight or ruin what you are trying to do. The only real drawback is that you might live in the bathroom the next day like I do if I eat ice cream. Good luck to you and don\'t worry...you are doing fine.
   — Barbara H.

December 24, 2001
I probably eat something sweet every day, and have since about 3 months after surgery. It may very well have compromised my weight loss, but at 18 months I am 8 lbs. from goal, so I can\'t complain too much. What I traded the slower loss for was the freedom to eat what I want, enjoy it, and stop stressing over it. To me, the point of the DS was to be able to eat in moderation successfully. During periods of snacking or eating binge behavior, I did focus on high protein foods, and when I felt out of control ate beef jerkey, soy nuts, or protein drinks and bars. That way, I was getting both the protein jolt and nurturing my own neuroses. You\'ll be okay! -Kate-
   — kateseidel