Question:
WHAT KIND OF DIETS ARE YOU DOING HOW MUCH YOU HAVE LOST?

IM 3 MONTHS POST-OP AND I LOST LIKE 75# BUT LATELY IM CRAVING SUGAR, CANDIES, COOKIES ,BREADS EVERYTHING WE ARE NOT SUPOST TO EAT IN NOT EATING ANY HEALTHY FOOD, OR PROTEINS WHAT KIND OF DIETS SHOULD I BE DOING PLEASE HELP ME I WANT TO START LOOSING AGAIN IM AFRAID THAT I HAVE STRECH MY POUCH THERE ANYTHING I SHOULD TAKE BECAUSE I FEEL HUNGRY A LOT. THANK YOU    — mabel S. (posted on September 16, 2002)

September 16, 2002
First of all congrats on your weight loss! 75 pounds is great!!! I have a couple of questions: How often are you eating and how much protein do you get per day? My dr recommends eating every 2-3 hours to keep your metabosism steady and to keep you from eating too much when you DO eat. Also, you need at least 65 g of protein a day. I usually shoot for 100 g but I am further out and have a fairly high amount of lean body mass, so I need more than an average 5'2" woman. www.fitday.com is a free site that lets you list out what you eat and shows you the amount of protein, fat, and carbs in it. If you are having trouble craving sweets/carbs, you might try upping your protein, eating every few hours, and eliminating (or close to it, anyway) "white" carbs (white bread, white flour, pasta, potatoes, etc.). Replace those white carbs with whole foods like fresh fruits/veggies and whole grain products (they should list "100% whole wheat" as the first ingredient). Hope this helps!
   — ctyst

September 16, 2002
First of all I want to say you have lost great so far! I think a lot of us go thru the cravings that you are having. Some more than others. At 3 months, you should be eating anything that you tolerate. Don't deny yourself. If you want a cookie, have ONE or TWO sugar free cookies. I have said it before on here......I did NOT have this surgery so that I could continue to diet for the rest of my life. The key is MODERATION. Before surgery, I would have eaten a dozen cookies. Now, one usually satisfies me. If you deny yourself, you will only want it even more. I do *watch* what I eat and try to consciously make better choices, but I don't diet. You may also find that if you up your protein by maybe one shake a day,( or other forms of protein) the scale will start moving again. The extra protein should help with the cravings also. You said you're not eating healthy. That is probably why you are having such bad cravings. Try some cheese cubes for a snack or even a meal. They always helped me. Sunflower seeds are something else I always like to snack on. Other good protein choices are, cottage cheese, SF/FF yogurt, jerky, seafood, string cheese, Wendy's chili.... There are LOTS of GOOD choices. You have to start making them. Good luck to you, you will be fine.
   — Kim B.

September 16, 2002
Mabel,CONGRATULATIONS on your wonderful loss. 75 lbs in 3 months.....you must be doing something right:) Anyway, I'm sure you haven't streched your pouch, that is pretty hard to do. If you crave something, have it, just have a limited amount of it. I am 10 months post op -135 lbs and I try whatever I want, then if it makes me sick, I pay for it and it breaks me from wanting it again. What I found for me is that, If I DO NOT drink 30 minutes before, with or after my meals then I stay fuller longer and do not have near the cravings as I do if I drink. It's worth a try:)
   — Lynda T.

September 16, 2002
I'm a wimp. I use a crutch. Whatever. I don't have a ton of willpower. I use protein supplement (shakes) to meet my daily requirements & protein to beat back sugar cravings. I use it before meals to limit my volume. By keeping my nutrition steady at a high level, my body doesn't usually go berserk asking for "fast" calories. Oh sure, it isn't like goodies never cross my mind, but I have a little game I play. I can have the _____, just as soon as I finish this protein drink. And that usually gets me out of the danger zone. BTW, congrats on your fabulous loss!
   — vitalady