Craving Strong Flavors

OK, it's been a couple weeks now with no weight loss and I'm feeling a bit concerned. I've noticed that my portions are getting a little bigger then the tablespoons they are supposed to be. While I don't actually feel hungry, I do crave strong flavors such as hot sauces, spicy V-8 juice, chili, BBQ sauce, hot spicy beef jerky, things with vinegar such as pickles, pickeled vegetables, and such. I eat beef jerky or nuts on the commute to work with the excuse that I am getting needed protein. I think I am fooling myself.  While my portions are miniscule compared to what I use to eat, I still feel guilty.

I had these same cravings for the first few months after surgery. My nutritionist told me she had never heard such a thing. She told me that if it didn't upset my stomach that it was okay to eat. I ate lots of peppers, hot sauce, etc.  A great way to keep up with the amount you're eating is to use fitday.com. Make sure to log EVERYTHING you eat and drink, along with all vitamins, and any exercise you do. The website will show you your daily calorie, carbs, etc.  Don't worry so much! You're doing great! Ronnie

Thanks Ronnie, I signed up on fitday.com. What a wonderful tool. I really appreciate you suggesting it.

Mike... I would drink the juice off the pickles...bread and butter pickles the best... some of the nuts are high in fat, but besides that..it looks good...soy nuts have a good crunch you are probabely just haveing your body catch up...it will go and stop Russ

To Quote Bob H. ~ "Spices are proof that God Loves Us!" I love very spicy food. Indian and Thai restaurants. Hot chili, and all sorts of pickles / olives. (pickles are after all 0 calories) Watch out for going overboard on salt, But Spice? It’s Great. Sort of helps force getting in more water as well…. Sounds like you are doing fine. A couple of weeks with no loss? This early out? Just a pause on the way down. The whole trip is more like stairs- down, then forward, then down, etc… Instead of a straight slide to the Goal weight. Keep following docs recommendations and You’ll be headed back down soon. "Can’t push the River." Best Wishes- Dx

Hey, as long as your portions are small and it does cause the foamies or throwing up, its working. My NUT told me it is better to sample stuff than fantize and try to binge later.  Chances are, a taste or two will satisfy, you learn whether it si really as good as you thought it would be, and you learn control.  I had a short phase with bakes tostitos and salsa.  They wer good and I could eat them like munching through a football game.  But I gave it up because of my concern about the carbs and salt in the chips.  The salsa is actually a good thing. Anyways,...the bottom line is you have a conscious, you are being cautious, you care about what your are putting in, and you are paying attention to you portions.  Did you do that before??? Is that mental progress in your attitude about food?? You are listening to see if your body id telling you it is full or had enough? It sounds to me like you are doing a good job there GMox.

i had to think this one through for quite a while. i figured it out......you're pregnant. you might want to tone down the hot stuff when you're breast feeding.........carbonblob

OK carbonbob, I may have "he hooters" but they are getting smaller. As for pregnant, that's how I looked before surgery.

same here and i think i had you beat for the man hooters!

Michael, It was so funny reading your post.  I have also been wanting strong flavors.  For lunch all week I have been eating canned "southern style" turnip greens, to which I added hot peppers and hot sauce. I loved it, but it really smelled up my office. (If you like turnip greens, try the southern style avaliable at Bloom. Good source of Vit. A).  My wife and I have are going to get lamb kabobs tomorrow evening at an Afgani restaurant - very spicy. If you want, grab your wife, drive north, and join us - we are very close to Fair Oaks hospital. Joe