Cravings?

I'm six months out and I'm having "head hunger" cravings for junk and sweets.  I try so hard to fight the cravings and I keep sugar-free stuff around the house for this very reason.  Does anyone else have this problem and how do you combat it? 

I had a lot of craving for sweets

8 months out, it was halloween

I gave in

One fun-sized candy bar MOUTHgasm

TWO

Three------dumping hell!

THEN.... I realized that a 1/4 serving of dark chocolate was not enough to make me dump, has good antioxidants, and would keep the cravings at bay

KNOWING I could and WOULD have a small piece of chocolate eliminated the craving.... it was allowed and planned for. (but I HAD to keep it to a single serving) ..... for a year or so I had a daily piece of dark chocolate. '

then it got boring because it wasn't forbidden

I still ahve the chocolate, but rarely eat it. No need. Having it, and having it not forbidden, was all it took

But keep in mind that this WORKS for me For some this would be a "trigger" that would result in a chocolate binge.... you must determine what YOU can hhandle it....and that might not be anything at all.

cucumber is another thing I snacked on when I had cravings. sweet, refreshing, chewy, filling, and you really can't get fat eating cucumbers.

I'm getting sort of scared that I'm going to relapse,  I'm hoping that everyone has these thoughts and it's not just me.  I really think i need a support group or therapy because the pathology and urge to eat are still there.  I'm scared of what will happen after my honeymoon phase is over.  I'm going to start hitting this forum every night and get back to my "people".  I find so much support here!  Thanks!

Every individual has their strengths and their weaknesses.

The big HUGE key to this surgery is to NOTE when you have a craving.....write it down.... think about what brought it on.... feed or don't feed it depending on your own strength or weakness and the more you KNOW the issues you personaly have, the less likely they are to WIN.... we are all in a hand-to-hand combat with obesity.... you have to be focused on YOUR battle.... because your neighbor's battle, their strength and weakness.... those things don't matter to your struggle, because the weapons YOU have and the weapons YOUR enemy have are different from those employed in the fight just next to you.

Learn ... grow.... triumph

and one of the biggest and best weapons in the arsenal is a good therapist!

You are definitely not alone!  Although the cravings often go away right after surgery when you aren't hungry at all, they almost always return to one degree or another.  The surgery is not a magic fix for the emotional and psychological components of our obesity... and THOSE are the things that we have to deal with in order to successfully KEEP the weight off.  Unfortunately, many surgeons really downplay the psychological aspect of the process. 

I have a client who did not seek out any counseling before or after she had the surgery even though when she did her psych eval the guy mentioned that she might have been a "borderline binger".  She is now a few years out and has regained over 100 pounds of the weight she lost because she never addressed the psychological issues and her emotional state right now is heartbreaking. I am NOT syaing that I think you are going to go down that road... just that I think it is important to address the issues (how you deal with the cravings is one of those issues), whether that be via support groups or counseling or posting here or whatever.

Lora

I am 3 months out. I have cravings as well. I crave hamburgers and. for some reason. salad. I would love to eat a big big salad with eggs and cottage cheese, the kind that is just unhealthy. When i start to crave things I try to shift My thinking to what it will feel like to be able to do the things I want to do like get remarried and have a normal wonderful life.

I just finished a salad for lunch.  It was organic baby greens, I whole organic free range egg & 1 egg white, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, yellow pepper, cucumber slices, baby cherry tomatoes, and sprouts.  I don't use any dressing.  Very healthy and full of nutrition. 

What do you mean - the kind that is unhealthy???

Fortunately I don't get a lot of cravings. I remember how badly I wanted salad in the first few weeks, then prime rib and shrimp. Most of the time my cravings are healthy and ok to fit into my plan. If I get a craving for something that isn't so healthy I try to figure out a way to make it healthy. If I can add protein to it it's good to go. There are just some things I can't make work, like the other day I was thinking about bagels. Because I don't have bread or anything like bread that was a no go. Even a healthy version could be a trigger to me so I stay away. But most of the time I can make it into a shake or something I can eat.

 The nurse at my pre-op seminar told us: 

DO NOT EAT ANYTHING THAT TASTES SWEET! Even if it's sugar-free! 

She said that if we absolutely have to have it, we can use 1 packet of sweetener per day (in coffee, etc).  But if you eat anything that tastes sweet, it will seriously trigger your appetite.

This is just me - but I don't trust myself yet to bake sugar free substitutes of the real thing.  I'm afraid of getting hooked on them.  I don't want to use white flour and know I can find gluten free substitutes.  For me I just don't thing adding sweet things will be a good "head" choice.  I'm afraid it will "turn on" the sugar addiction in me.

I've omitted white sugar and flour for two years and don't miss them.  I love my protein, fresh veggies and fruit.

I do use protein shakes, protein hot drinks and protein ice cream with SF syrups in them and an occasional protein bar.  But otherwise I stay clear of "sweets".

I think I will always be a sugar and bread addict in recovery.