Question:
What happens to the sugar (chocolate) cravings after surgery?

I am a major sweet eater trying to decide between gastric bypass and Duodenal switch procedure. I know there is a dumping symptom with bypass. Does this go away after time? (I actually don't want it to with sugar!) I was told the switch works for sweet eaters also, but why? Would I just end up eating sweets for my food since since there is no dumping syndrome? All help would be appreciated!!!    — Sally B. (posted on October 11, 2002)


October 11, 2002
You can out eat the dumping if you try, yes. BUT why try? It's kinda like playing chieckn with your gas tank, you know? Just how empty can it get before you run out of gas on some deserted road where there's no cell signal? Same thing with playing with sugars. Eventually you can tolerate enough to put every single pound back on. I feed my chocolate cravings chocolate protein. If I need it in solid form, I take a few bites of s/f chocolate. Low protein manifests as sugar cravings. Protein shakes (especially whey) helps beat back sugar cravings HUGELY, as long as you're not adding sugar to the powder. Water works great.
   — vitalady

October 11, 2002
I had the Duodenal Switch on July 24 2002. I have lost 90 pounds so far and before surgery I wasnt too much of a sweet eater. I have had sweets like chocolate bars, suckers, ice cream and some other sugars even though I try and limit them because it slows the weight loss. I have not had a problem. There is no dumping with the DS procedure. I can eat anything I want and that is no joke. I eats things i didnt eat before. With the RNY (i know some people who had that) they can eat sugar but in very tiny quantities so that they can control the dumping. So if you cant live without sweets then try the DS but not just because of the sweets. It is the best procedure and I would encourage anyone and everyone to have it. 6 people at my work have had DS and no problems thus far.
   — Jenna M.

October 11, 2002
I also wanted to answer the question why you dont get dumping with DS. Well, with Ds they leave in your Pyloric valve which helps you assimilate the food. With gastric bypass they remove the pyloric valve. You may want to research DS some more. Pacificsurgery.com is an excellent info sight on the DS. take care
   — Jenna M.

October 11, 2002
Keep in mind that not all RNY's dump on sugar either. I'm two months post-op and I don't (and I was a sweets eater). I kinda wish that I did. Usually I do really well avoiding sugar and it's a lot easier than I thought it would be. I try to drink a protein shake when I have a sugar craving and it usually works. The hard thing is when you're at a party or out for dinner and they are serving dessert. I just have a teaspoon or two and it helps the craving go away... Good luck!
   — mandajuice

October 11, 2002
Open RNY - I don't dump on sugar, but I do on fats (only 3 months out). Thing is, I really don't enjoy sugars anymore and I was a major chocoholic before surgery. I could eat a box of donuts...a box of dove chocolates (the one pound dark chocolate hearts), etc. I could EAT lol. Now, I not only do not crave it, I only mildly enjoy it. When I do "think" I want something sweet and smooth, I have a no-sugar-added fudgecicle. I don't agree the DS is the best form of WLS, but it certainly is one of many good options.
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 11, 2002
I was a major chocoholic before surgery. (I had open RNY though). I bought the sugar free chocolate fudgsicles months ago thinking that would be great for those cravings. And yet, I haven't opened the box yet. I'm just not interested. I also use to love alot of sugar in my coffee or tea. Fortunately, there is Splenda now. It doesn't have the after taste like other sweetners, so I don't feel deprived. And I can enjoy my tea and coffee as much as I did before surgery.
   — LisaTaz

October 11, 2002
After my RNY (Open on May 8-01) I was delighted I could'nt tolerate sugars! I read labels like mad to avoid sugars in products. You know what? Sugar is in almost everything, and it just could'nt be avoided. After around 6 months I can now tolerate alot of sugar. Used to be 12 grams as a new post op. I'm guessing it's around 36 grams now. :( It's funny, sometimes I can't stand something that is just "slightly" sweet, then other times I can eat something "sickning" sweet. In any case, I'm not trying to push the envelope as I'd like to quit sweets altogether. I wish I could and would dump. I do get a slightly nausus feeling many times, but not enough to detour me. :( I'd say your cravings will not go away. At least mine did'nt.
   — Danmark

October 11, 2002
Oh, I forgot. One of the posters mentioned Splenda. I used that "religiously" a month before, and "after WLS all the time". It is great tasting! But it really set my sweet cravings into overtime! Carbs send me in an eating binge, and so did Splenda! Not only did I want to eat everything in site, but I craved more and more "sweet tasting foods" until I finally went back to sugar. (Why pay a fortune for Splenda when it did'nt keep me from sugar cravings anyway). I still use Splenda in cooking, but not in everyday use anymore. For me, Splenda just tastes to much like sugar that I crave sugar. (Yes I know Splenda IS sugar).
   — Danmark

October 11, 2002
I don't think I dump on sugar, but, who knows with time...I love choclate and seem to kill any cravings with SF Jello Choc Pudding. Plus, I eat Zone's Choc Peanut Butter Protein Bar and YUMMY ...love the choclate.
   — heathercross

October 12, 2002
Eat a Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's miniature...they satisfy the craving and you'll get the taste...some of the more expensive chocolate companies out there (Godiva, etc) have sugar free chocolates...that is an option too. Good luck!! ~CAE~
   — Mustang

October 12, 2002
WHOAAAA...Daniel, if you come back here..or anyone else..Splenda IS sugar...I know the package says it is made from sugar, but it does not have the sugar content..like regular sugar...I am using Splenda..I thought because I was avoiding actual sugar and the calories from it???Am I? Also, I try to stick to 12 grams of sugar or less..I dump in various ways, sometimes within a half an hour..sweats, hot flashes, general horrible feeling. Sometimes, diarrhea a few hours later or even the next day. I do not crave sweets all the time, I cycle in what I "crave" right now it is veggies...
   — Patricia R.

October 12, 2002
I had the DS on 6/18/02. I used to love sweets, especially chocolate, but my tastes have completely changed since surgery. Sometimes I still *think* I want something sweet, but then I take a bite and the sweetness is so overwhelming that I end up thowing the rest away. It's bizarre! If you'd told me before surgery that I would someday dislike the taste of Haagen Dazs ice cream, I would have thought you were nuts. :-) On the other hand, I still love high-fat foods like pizza, and now I can eat them without worry. I've lost 56 pounds since surgery day, and my weight loss is holding steady now at about 2 pounds a week. I'm at 193 lbs, wearing size 16s and 18s, and I feel great. I have no doubt I'll get to goal. The DS works for all types of eaters -- the malabsorption is so powerful that almost everyone is successful, and the studies show very little late regain. The downside, of course, is that you have to be super disciplined about post-op vitamins, minerals, and protein supplements, or you could get into serious nutritional trouble. The DS also has higher surgical risks (longer operating time, more cutting). For me, the power and the permanency of the procedure were the biggest selling points, and I'm happy with my decision. Good luck with yours!
   — Tally

October 12, 2002
Patricia.. are you mad??? From reading over Splenda's web site it is sugar but is "chlorinaded". So it is ok for diabetics. Anyway there are lots of sites with warnings about Splenda and anything that is "chlorinaded" that it MAY NOT be safe. I do think that others should be warned of that and also that in "some of us" it CAN (does'nt mean it will) send you into an eating binge and craving even more sweets! I thought I was doing ok with Splenda. But I found out I was better off leaving it alone most of the time. I was doing around 3-4 big boxes a month. Now I use one every two months. I still crave sugar, but my eating binges have stopped.
   — Danmark

October 13, 2002
I just had to respond to this one. I have always been a sugar craver. I thought, after having had the surgery, and after having experienced dumping frequently, that i would no longer crave, nor want, any sugary foods. I was wrong. Before surgery I NEVER ate chocolate. Now, 2 1/2 years after having had rny, I cannot live without it. I do still have a sugar tooth, although not as bad (not nearly as bad)as before, but I do still crave sugar at times(hormones have something to do with this....).
   — twenc

October 13, 2002
I had the DS in June and lost ALL my cravings for sweets and most of my tolerance. Things are just TOO sweet! Right after surgery, juices, icees, slurpees,were too sweet. I had to cut them with water or toss them. I haven't even WANTED a Krispy Kreme doughnut or the ice cream I used to eat almost weekly. I did try a couple chocolate glazed munchkins from Dunkin Donuts last week--tasted great but I only had two before I was tired of the sweetness. BTW...I also had significantly diminished cravings for carbs (potatoes, breads, etc)...just didn't appeal to me...I'd eat the rest of the stuff and barely touch the carbs (before surgery, it was carbs first and whatever else fit!) However, I'm starting to regain my taste for the carbs.... ;)
   — Pamela B.

October 14, 2002
Pre-op I was the queen of the sugar! LOL. When my sugar cravings kicked in, I would go to extreme measures to satisfy them ... I have even gone so far as to make cookie dough just so I could eat it unbaked (I know ... pathetic, but true). I was totally amazed at how my tastes changed post op. I not only did not crave sweets ... many sweet things were repulsive to me. My surgeon requires you to be NPO for 2 days post op ... I couldn't even stand the lemon flavored swabs they give you to moisten your mouth ... they were TOO sweet! Crystal lite tasted way too sweet for me at first. Over time I lost the aversion to sweet tastes, but so far (23 months post op open RNY) the cravings have not returned full force. I do sometimes want something sweet, but I am able to satisy my "cravings" with the many very good SF or NSA products that are available. I sometimes crave chocolate especially at "that time of the month". There are many really good sugar free and even low carb versions of chocolate available (note they are NOT low calorie ... but you can't have everything!). My favs are Carbolite milk chocolate with almond bars. I also love my protein shakes (use Carb Solutions powder ... doctored up to my tastes) and protein bars (I like Atkins Advantage almond brownie and chocolate peanut butter) ... they are like a sweet treat to me. At 23 months out, I have a much harder time avoiding refined carbs (crackers, potatoes, pasta) than staying away from sugar. I dump on sugar and fats (some say this is not true dumping (with fats) ... but it sure feels the same to me!). I think your sugar tolerance increases with time ... especially if you "test the waters" alot. I try to avoid refined sugar as much as I can ... because I am afraid of going back to the way I was pre-op.
   — Lynn T.

October 17, 2002
I'm only 4-1/2 weeks out but I absolutely HATE chocolate and sweets now. Can you believe it? I know at least 120 of my 160 pounds are chocolate related. How can this be? Maybe it won't last forever but right now it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Of course, it's made it really hard to be on the liquid diet and I can't do CIB at all. Can't have everything I guess.....
   — Nell C.




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