cravings (sorry I'm posting so much today!)

I have been having terrible craving for bread since 2 days out of surgery. Yesterday while cutting the crusts off my son's sandwich, I ate a tiny bite. I don't want to do **** like that. I know its a slippery slope. I'm surprised this early on the cravings are so bad. I talked to the weight loss program shrink and she said everyone is different but most people she meets with in the beginning don't have strong cravings. We talked about distractions, drinking instead of eating, letting my husband help me through, which I tend not to do. It makes me worry that I am going to fail at this. Just like I have failed at everything else. My mother in law brought a loaf of Italian bread yesterday and left it here. I came so close but ended up burying it in the trash. Did any of you go through this so early on?

I'm sorry to hear about your struggles! I am two weeks post op and I am craving bread but didn't start until like week 2. Is it possible for your husband to take care of packing lunches for a couple weeks? My fiancé and mom have done most of the prep and eaten in a separate room and I think that's been helpful. When it's time for their dinner I just grab a popsicle and my ipad and watch something on Netflix. I know I don't have kids so easier said then done. Hopefully your hubby can lighten your load!! Best of luck!

You're not posting too much so please don't worry about that. Better to come here and vent than to try and deal with strong cravings alone.

If my reading of your recent posts is correct you are about a month out. Glad you tossed that bread. Four weeks is much too soon to be eating things like that. Are you cleared for all foods and in all amounts? (I was barely on soft food at four weeks so I always get everyone's eating plans mixed up). What do you eat on the regular? If you post your last couple of days food intake and what your surgeon's diet progression looks like there are many here that can likely offer some helps.

I see you talked to your program psychiatrist - have you tried checking with your surgeon to see if you can advance to the next stage a bit sooner or add a bit more of your approved foods to your diet? Many times they can and will tweak things if something like this comes up.

My hope for you is that you don't give in. Because we all know that when we feed cravings they get worse. They only really go away when they are ignored.

Good luck to you and keep posting. You're going to be just fine. You've just hit the craving stage slightly earlier than most but you can work through it successfully.

What is it about prepping kids meals that makes it seem so much more appetizing??? I'm sure if I had surgery when my kids were younger I'd have failed miserably with all the bites, licks and tastes I stole from there meals. Hell there were times I'd hope my kids didn't finish their plate so I could.

I say that to say I get it. Its been a mindless habit that you are now suddenly conscious of and you are at a crossroads on whether to give in or push past. Push past it- any way you can. Your success depends on it.

I can eat anything except for fruit, raw veggies. nuts and seeds.

Today I started the day with 20oz of water, then a protein shake. I hate protein shakes and have trouble getting all my water in so I start with those, especially since I don't like to eat solid food until around 11am. I just ate a tuna pouch. Later in the afternoon I'll have a little cottage cheese. Then for dinner around the time I get cravings to snack on bready things, I'll eat my favorite, garden veg patty.

Yesterday I ate 1 egg and 1/2 slice of bacon, 2oz roasted chicken, a protein shake and a triple zero yogurt.

Yes Peach Pie!!!!!! I could never have realized how much mindless tasting went into food prep!! My husband does SO MUCH for the family and me in particular. I hate to have him take over meal prep. I think I have to work through it. Now will be the best time to do it than later I think. When I cook pasta once a week I have almost forgotten I can't taste for doneness. I can't taste for salt amounts, I can finish the leftovers.. I can't sneak even 1 bite when I'm packing the food away or in my son's lunchbox! I did this all before and didn't even get it. Well now I do!

You're not alone! Honestly, I think I struggled with cravings and head hunger most at the very very beginning. I'm only 5 months out so take this with a grain of salt, but for me the cravings and saying no to them has gotten easier. For the most, part I don't crave bread or other super carb loaded things anymore.

When I do crave crap, I've found some surprisingly silly coping tools. One is to watch an episode or even just a few clips of My 600pound life and Fat Doctor- puts the fear of God right on into me.

Another is to look up the nutrional info. I mean I google the heck out of it and really let the reality of just how many carb/calories and just how little nutrion that foods gives.

I also like to watch YouTube videos of other WLS'ers and see their progress. It motivates me so much.

At other times I just have to shut that thought down pronto. I WILL NOT entertain even the idea of it. No. That's pretty new to me and takes a lot of discipline. But it's like working out: the more you do it, the stronger you become.

I feel your pain. I have 2 little ones and when I was on opti, I realized how much of their sandwich crusts and left overs went in my mouth. What I had to do was become mindful of the fact that preparing food was a place that I could slip. As I go through the day, with any food or drinks, I ask myself will this help me towards my goal or will it prevent me from reaching it. The struggle is real but you can do it!

If the WLS shrink told you that, it's quite obvious that she has a lot of patients who feel the need to lie to her -- and that she has never suffered a food addiction/over eating disorder. Goody-goody for her.

The fact that he/she told you that "most people she meets with don't have strong cravings in the beginning" -- may be just the amount of shame someone like us needs to think we are the failure. You aren't failing -- you are struggling. There's a huge difference.

Just know that you are NOT alone. This isn't odd -- and you can overcome this.

I just thought you may need to hear that.

All things bread are my downfall and my family knows now to put the bread in the cupboard because if I see it on the counter I will toss it in the basement freezer, lol.

I had no hunger, no real cravings, but if I see or smell bread products, especially fresh baked, it makes me crazy. I get angry that I can't have it and angry that I still want it. It puts me in a real funk sometimes, lol.

You can get through this. Can you ask your hubby to cut off the crusts from now on. If you're early out, you can do damage to your pouch by eating off plan, so be careful.

Don't forget, the surgery only changed our stomachs, not our brains.

The cravings didn't come for me until much later on. Bad habits die hard. I would and I'm sure many others will back me up on this one, stick to the food you are allowed. It is much easier right now to stay on track, then to try to change your habits later.

I don't know if you have tried this, but is it possible for you to have a healthy snack prior to making the snack so you are not as tempted?