Question:
PLEASE HELP, I'M AFRAID OF MY CRAVINGS !!!!!!
I am sooooooo happy when i read how this surgery was a "tool" that helped ppl learn how to eat right. But @ the same time i'm a little scared. I'm pre-op , and I have every intention of abiding by the post-op rules. But what if i still find myself atracted to the wrong foods like pastas, pizza, and sweets. What do i do? Does that mean that my operation will be a FAILURE ?!! Again, i assure u that i have every intention of giving it my best....but lack of a strong will-power when it comes to food is what made all my previous diet attempt fail eventually. Can u still eat what u like, post-op, and lose weight (perhaps b/c of the smaller portions)? Is it true that the operation somehow "re-sets" ur like & dislikes when it comes to food...making u crave healthy foods? PLEASE HELP...I'M STARTING TO WORRY THAT THE OPERATION WILL NOT WORK FOR ME !!! :O( — Laura R. (posted on May 13, 2003)
May 12, 2003
I had the same concerns pre-op, but I've been pleanantly surprised. First
of all, I am not even TRYING to push the limits on sugar, and because of
that, I think, I have really stopped craving it. Sure, sometimes I'd like
to have something sweet, but it's not an overwhelming craving anymore, and
is easy to resist. I told someone that the compulsion to overeat is still
there, but it's turned way down, and is therefore so much easier to resist.
And it does also seem to be true that what I DESIRE to eat has changed,
too. If you were to put a plate of cream cheese and chocolate danishes in
front of me, next to a plate of fresh strawberries and melons, the
strawberries and melons would now win hands down. I wouldn't even care
about the danishes. This is a new experience for me, and I certainly
welcome it.
Don't discount your anxieties, but know that this tool makes it easier to
stick to the kind of healthy eating we need to do. Good luck, and let us
know how it goes!
— johanniter
May 12, 2003
Your fears are normal and healthy! I think that you just have to be
brutally honest with yourself post op. I used to be able to convince myself
that what I was eating was always okay based on what I had not eaten before
it or because it was just this once and many other lame excuses. In the
first 4 months post op I have not had the cravings that I had before and
the few that I have had have been so much less in intensity than they used
to be. I am no longer COMPELLED to eat certain things and it is much easier
to say no! I also believe strongly in getting all of the proper post op
support. Therapy if you need it (I go to a post op group therapy weekly)
and a nutritionist (weekly still) as well as your local support groups. I
have found all of these things to be very helpful. I was once a very
private person but now I welcome the support wholeheartedly! With the huge
weight loss that happens initially and the need to drastically change your
eating habits I see this stuff as essential to success. I personally was
totally obsessed with food pre op and I have had to really work through the
feelings behind that and the anxiety that being without the food has
caused. I don't want to paint a grim picture I just know that this stuff
has kept me on the straight and narrow so far with great results. This
surgery was the best thing I have ever done for myself and for my family
too! Good Luck!
— Carol S.
May 12, 2003
I wouldn't say I CRAVE healthy foods, but I DEFINITELY do not crave the
carbs like I used to. THe best way I can put it is to say...the desire for
food goes away and is replaced by a desire (a strong one) to succeed and
lose weight. I'm 8 weeks post op today. The first 6 weeks, I didn't
really see or feel the weight coming off, now...I definitely feel it and
see it in my clothes (wearing stuff I haven't worn in years!) and the
desire to continue losing pushes you forward. I have not tried any
"bad" carbs or sugar, it's just not worth it to fight the
addiction again, ya know...good luck...you'll be fine. View my profile...I
had the same exact fears. best wishes!
— msmaryk
May 13, 2003
At 20 months out, NO!! I can't eat whatever I like and keep my weight down.
What I like is carbs, carbs, carbs. White flour and white sugar (thank
God sugar makes me sick). In the beginning it was easy, but for me, the
farther out I got, the more careful I've had to be. Now I do have to exert
some will power. But with the tool, it's possible! I still struggle, but
am doing so successfully.
— mom2jtx3
May 13, 2003
Well I crave carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Just like before WLS! I was 319
and bounce between 162-169 1/2 pounds. I'm still in the high OVERWEIGHT BMI
range. Need to be around 129 to be in mid range of Normal as I'm short.
This surgery helps us not to eat alot, HOWEVER "WE" have to use
our MIND to eat right. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I don't dumb on sugar, fat or
carbs. Fat I don't worry about. The other two I do. There is no guarantees
in anything in life. You do what you have to do, and try to do as best you
can. Then hope for the best. Thankfully we can't eat much. That is one of
the best things about WLS (except on holidays when I wish I could push a
magic button and gorge- lol).
— Danmark
May 13, 2003
Maybe this isn't the smartest way to think about it but it works for me--
fear is a great motivator, and so is avoidance. I'm 3 months post RNY and
down 73 lbs. I can tell you that, yes, of course, you will still be
"attracted" to your comfort foods but will you eat them? I doubt
it! Sure, I would love a piece of pepperoni pizza (extra cheese, please!)
but I know that if I eat that, I will get sick, do some dumping-- and I
never want to experience that. So I don't even try my fave pre-op foods
(and I had the crappiest eating habits). I don't put myself in situations
where the temptation will be overwhelming. The great thing about this
surgery (besides the fact that our appetites are often diminished or gone
for awhile) is that you often see the results so fast in the beginning. You
lose 20 lbs and you start to see your face changing, then you lose a little
more weight and you suddenly have cheekbones, etc. For me, the faster
weight loss is like a constant positive stroke, a constant reinforcer that
I'm eating in a healthier way and living my life in a healthier way than
ever before, which just makes me want to continue the way I've been going.
Combine that with the fact that not being able to soothe yourself with
comfort food means that you have to find another way to care for
yourself--whether by taking a walk, going to the gym, volunteering
somewhere, going to the library. You will want to live your life
differently after this surgery. You can do this-- it is NOT easy and some
people have more problems with it than others, but it is doable. It is,
ultimately, your choice how and what you choose to eat as a post-op.
— lizinPA
May 13, 2003
I'm almost a year out. You probably *will* have those cravings, or other
cravings that will threaten weight loss and maintenance; most of us do get
them. The further out you are from surgery, the more you have to rely on
the good eating and exercise habits you should be building right after
surgery. For me, I know the pouch is an invaluable tool, because it
doesn't let me eat the amounts I used to be able to eat. So when I get
tempted by heavy carbs and sugars, I can't indulge in too much volume (and
I don't really dump). I have time to really feel disgusted if I overdo it,
and to stop. I think you can be successful if you focus on strategies to
change your eating and exercise habits from the moment you come home from
the hospital after WLS. You can't do much in the beginning, but even in
the beginning, if you find yourself pushing protein supplements away and
reaching for the mashed potatos instead, you know you've got an issue to
work on. If you find you don't exercise even once you're cleared to do it,
you've got another issue. Ask yourself what you'll do differently *this*
time, at every fork in the road that you hit, from the beginning, and it'll
help you use your tool and this surgery to best advantage down the road.
Good luck!
— Suzy C.
May 13, 2003
Aside fro the breeak-in period, I eat what everyone else eats, EXCEPT no
milk, no sugar. For me, I'd rather have kept the pasta, bread, potatoes
with butter than the sugars, so no loss for me. And surprise! Those things
don't hold me in their grasp like they did. I eat normal (for postie)
portions of those with regular food. I eat a piece of pizza. It's not good
to me w/o the crust, so I eat the piece. Doesn't taste as good as it did.
It's OK, but not exciting. Ahhhhh, built in control. Last night for dinenr
& had a buncha veggies about to go south, so I sauteed some with
mushrooms in olive oil AND steamed others. I threw a few scallops in the
sautee for my men, and had a veggies attack. Yummmmmmm. I get my protein
via shake, so no worry about that. I do not eat fish.
— vitalady
May 13, 2003
Laura, there is a diffence between being a new post-op, just a few months
out, and those of us much further out. I had more control during the first
months than I do now (no appetite, many foods didn't appeal to me or taste
the same, didn't want to test the dumping with sugar). Perhaps I should
say, it was easier to control early on than it is now at 15 months post-op.
I can't eat everything I want now without gaining weight, but have learned
what works for me. I love my sugar and carbs so I build these treats into
my day's worth of eating. Some people cannot do it at all and have to go
cold turkey for fear of going overboard and cannot even have the box of
cookies in the house. I'm able to eat a few mini cookies or a bite or two
of that, and for now its working. My tastes have changed some-I no longer
like pizza and don't eat at fast food places or drink soda all the time
like I used to. I still have the occasional soda and fast food burger but
truthfully they don't taste as good anymore. Exercising several times a
week and eating small portions, getting in enough protein and water,
watching the snacking (don't let it get out of control) is what is helping
me to maintain my weight right now. The operation will work for you-it
works for just about everyone, but it is a matter of whether you will use
the tool correctly for the rest of your life. You can regain the weight if
you out eat the pouch. There are support groups and professionals that can
help you deal with emotions/food issues but the ultimate decision is
whether you want to keep the weight off for the rest of your life. Having
the pouch makes it easier to do so.
— Cindy R.
May 13, 2003
I think I'm lucky in that I am not an emotional eater, nor do I eat just to
eat. Never have. I was a VOLUME eater. A typical meal was 2 huge
burgers, super-sized fry and a large shake. Sometimes an extra cheese
burger or a deep fried pie. I could eat FOUR Bismark donuts and a 16
chocolate milk in one sitting. Even the healthy things weren't good for me
because I would eat so much of it. A salad was a chef sized salad for me.
Protein? Oh three chicken breasts - at least! I do get the occasional
craving and frankly I often give in to it in moderation rather than ignore
it hoping it will go away and then go overboard later. If I crave
chocolate I have a mini Reese's peanut butter cup - instead of eating a
king-sized pack. I can't stand sugar-free candies...they're too sweet. If
anyone knows of any dark sugar-free candies that are bitter-sweet I'd be
thrilled to know of them!
— [Deactivated Member]
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