DAIRY QUEEN

I have discovered a very, very bad thing.  I had my RNY surgery 6/5/07 and am currently down 60 pounds.  100 pounds to go!  Feeling good, getting compliments, and doing everything right.  I've been afraid to eat refined sugar because of what they tought me in the WLS classes, and they say to stay away from it because it can cause "dumping syndrom".  Well, last week, my husband and son wanted Dairy Queen which is at the end of our street. (I wish they would move.)  So, I said to just get me a small hot fudge sundae with swirled ice-cream. (choc & vanilla mixed).  So they brought it home and I proceeded to eat almost the entire thing!  Am I bad or what!    I kept waiting for the "bomb" to hit me, sickness and all.  Well, I never got sick.  This is very, very bad!  I wish I would have gotten sick so I won't be tempted in the future!  But I was very surprised I never got sick from it.  I'm sure I had way over the limit of fat and refined sugars.   Does any one else have this problem?  And if so, how do you control it so you don't go over board??  Need some encouragement here.    

The best advice I can give is to "not go there again!"...  I've found some sugar free substitutes and have given up sugar!  I think we all have to realize what got us here in the first place and returning to bad habits is a bad precedence and a slippery slope that you don't want to go down.  I've just recently tried real sugar in the form of a BITE of my daughters 21st BDay cake last week and it's the first I've had in 10 mos and don't plan on having any again unless a very special occasion such as that arises and then it's got to be just a BITE to keep myself in check. Good Luck.

I am over 18 months out and have never "tested" the waters.  I told myself before the surgery that I cannot eat sugar because it would make me sick.  I dont want to have the sick feeling so I just stay away.  I figured psychologically I can talk myself into anything, and it has worked so far.  I would suggest staying away from the DQ at least until you are at your  goal and then have it only occasionally in small amounts.  Even with the surgery you still have to have some willpower to eat the proper foods or you will find yourself frustrated that even with the surgery you didnt lose as much as you had hoped.  Be strong. 

I don't have any major issue with sugar or fats.......at least not yet.  I must confess.........I was wanting a treat last week and we went to DQ.  I would have loved to have had a large blizzard with butterfinger or twix.........but, I settled on a child's dish of plain vanilla ice cream.  I did eat it all.  But, that is the first ''treat'' I'd had since surgery (other than 2 bites of MY B-day cake) and I figured if I only do that once a month, it wouldn't be too bad?  We gotta keep on living.  I really don't have a craving for sugars like I did and do not plan to make a habit out of eating sugary stuff.  But, don't feel bad, because you are not alone........  I have decided that I'm going to allow myself one "reasonable'' treat a month.  That will be my reward.  I still make sure that I don't eat between meals, unless it is an occassional glass of milk or a protein shake.  I only do the 3 meals a day and of those I do good foods.  I exercise as much as I can and drink my fluids.  So, I don't think you will ruin your plan unless you make it a frequent deal? Good luck! CHeryl

It's your choice and your life, but rewarding yourself with food is exactly the kind of behavior that leads to obesity. The best part of RNY or any wls is the chance to start from scratch and rebuild healthy eating habits--ice cream and cake two months out doesn't really give you the opportunity to do that.  And this wasn't meant to flame or to harm--merely to suggest. I wish someone had suggested to me when I started putting on weight the first time around-instead they just smiled and nodded as I ate birthday cake, ice cream, whoppers and the like.

Diane, You know that you did wrong so stop beating yourself up and move on.  You are in the very early stages of your weight loss and the "honeymoon" period will be over before you know it.  Some of us, I am one of them, don't dump.  But don't rest assured in that fact.  That one sundae may have not done you in but if you continue to eat the sugar something might.  I know that is it hard, but you had a major surgery to help you lose the weight that you couldn't do on your own.   Much good luck to you.  It is not easy. Jeanne

I agree whole heartedly- BEWARE!!! I lived for the first few months without any sugar either avoiding it totally or finding sugar free alternatives. Slowly I have tried things like DQ and Birthday cake and found I do not get sick or mildly sick if anything-CRAP!! I am very scared as I have recently stopped losing and have been eating more and more carb/sugary foods that brought me to this place. I am 7mo out and have lost 120 lbs and I do not want to go back. I just found out about a sugar buster class as a local night school and plan on attending it to work on ways to fight this addiction. Good Luck and fight it if you can- Jennifer

DQ has a great sugar free chocolate fudge bar, try that instead, it has around 50 calories if I remember correctly and won't make you feel guilty.  Living knowing something can and might make you sick is no fun, you have to keep yourself in check.  Its your life, you choose. Hugs Heidi

Thanks to your all for your encouragement!  I normally will eat my NO SUGAR ADDED ice-cream I get at Kroger's.  They have a cherry cordial which is very tasty.   I think I'll stick with that and avoid DQ all together.  I guess the most disappointing part is knowing I don't have a "dumping" problem.  That sounds strange, doesn't it. LOL   I just have to be alot more careful and keep looking straight to keep my goal in mind.  Like one of you said, this WLS is a tool, not a cure-all! 

suggestion--

cut out all the ice cream--nsa or whatever kind--for the next few months. you're making it much harder on yourself to unlearn bad eating habits if you're substituting 'good' empty calories for bad. yeah, it's tough to walk away from the ice cream or the sweets, but if you truly want this surgery to be a long-term success and change your life, you're going to have to change your habits and really evaluate what you're eating and how that will factor into a long-term weight plan. just say NO to sweets for now-you can eat that stuff later. right now, pump good stuff into your body that will help you break the sweet cycle and help you rebuild in a healthy manner.

i'm really shocked that there are people eating real ice cream and cake the like when they're not even six months out. it just blows my mind--the surgery will not work if you try to figure out ways to eat like you used to.

if i'm coming across as harsh, so be it. i'm just really saddened to see acceptance or complacency about terrible eating choices when those choices are not must-have things.