when does the madness stop?

I am going nuts.  I want food.  I want to eat subs, fries, sweets, etc.  I want to go to Lenten fish fries and eat a hunk of deep fried fish.  I am three weeks out on Wednesday.  When does this stop?  I an so afraid I am going to fail.

I am pretty much concentrating on protein at meal time and then 1-2 cups of skim milk in between.  My plan does not list snacks, even protein snacks. Just three meals and milk.   Most days I have added a 4th meal. But with that  I have had no days over 700 calories.  I have added some complex carbs like whole grain crackers and Farina.

Last night my hubby had pizza and I ate the cheese off one piece and frankly that satisfied any craving.

Today someone brought him a piece of my fave oatmeal cake.  I had a 1/2 a teaspoon if even that and did not eat the coconut in it - spit it out.  (sorry - gross)  I was okay with that too.  I got a taste.

Then I read someone's post today where people told her - don't eat anything sweet, don't look for sweet substitutes, etc.  Don't give in to it - remove it from your diet.  Only eat healthy foods. 

I was priding myself on finding ways to subsitute for cravings and looking forward to the day I can have just a little of the things I have loved.  Then I read that kind of stuff from people and all I can think is "holy crap I'm gonna fail at this".

I am fortunate that I have a very happy pouch.  I am to eat up to 4oz per meal and have no trouble with it.  The only thing I have tried I felt "sick" on was hummus.  Maybe if I got more sick it would be better.

idk - sorry so long but needed to get these feelings out.  Thanks!

Every craving I got early postop was a window to my soul.... my eating disordered soul

Try to learn from what you crave....figure out your triggers, and try to fidn ways to create healthy substitutes for the foods you WANT but don't really need.

SOME people are able to do moderation, but not all can do it, and most don't until they are either at or very near goal.

Work the plan, figure yourself out, and feel triumphant with every craving you don't give in to .

I am told it gets better. I am 7 weeks out and still have some cravings, but also found little thing to just taste and feel better. 

*hugs*

Hi Tessie --

To tell the truth, while it is true that my food cravings are SERIOUSLY diminished, the desire for the wrong things has never completely gone away.  If I could live on nothing but sugar, I still would!

However, I find that eating enough protein and fat during the day really helps me curb my desire for carbohydrates. 

You're doing great -- Early out, there are many frustrations!  But stay on your path, and you're going to do just fine!

Right now you're not really getting many calories, and that's sometimes hard to manage.

Maybe if you add 1/2 scoop protein powder with your milk between meals it might keep you sated longer.

For me it is not emotions or the like that trigger food cravings.  I just plain love food.  Taste, texture, etc.  I know Oprah and Dr. Phil would tell me I am denying my inner soul...lol... but trust me - emotions, etc. are not attached. 

I have a genetic predisposition to weight problems plus the shear love of it.  This is going to be a lifetime battle.  I know no one has the answers or can do it for me....  it must be me that makes the choices - but wow, sure would be nice if there was some magic spell that could turn me into a food hater! 

Sometimes just writing it like I did earlier is enough to help me over the hurdle.  Thanks for the replies...  they mean a lot.

I think you will rapidly become a true fan of Bariatric Foodie..... because THEY know what it is like to be a Foodie and have this surgery. personally, my attitude to food is Bleah!

I am a little over three weeks myself and it is hard. I have been trying to analyze it and I think for me its a texture thing as well as just habit - thirty plus years of eating whatever, whenever, however much I wanted.

I resigned myself before surgery to knowing those days were over; but knowing and doing are two different things.

I encourage you to stop when you have those cravings and really think about your long term results; what you are going to do when you "can" eat whatever you want, and how that will affect you. That is what I am trying to do.

I also think its hard right now because we are SOOO limited on foods - but there is a reason for that. The healing is one thing but we are also trying to break an addiction here - it takes 30-60 days to break a habit, to install a new one, to start over and have your body recognize it. I think this initial food plan is a BIG part of that.

That said, I think things will be much easier when we can eat a bigger variety of food. For myself, I am a fan of healthy food, and if could have 4 ounces of grilled salmon and a nice big salad with some low cal dressing right now I would be a happy camper. Or some grilled chicken with fresh veggies. But I can't, and its odd, because in all the times I've dieted before those foods were great for me and kept me sated.

Hang tight. Things will get better over time, and you are doing well. You don't undo a lifetime of bad habits in three weeks, but you can start.

oh and forgot to add... I'm not hungry.  I just miss the darn stuff!  :-)

You are having what my doc calls "head hunger" .your body don't want want or really need to satisfy these cravings, its all about your mind. I struggle with this for about 2-3 days about 2 weeks after I had my RNY, it was terrible, I was craving something crunchy, salty, sugary, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I even broke down and cried about it. My wife who also had RNY before me comforted me and one of my friends on youtube also helped. Check out his videos on youtube, just search for "watchmegetskinny", his name is aj