Sugar Free Candy = The Devil

I know better.  I know that me and sugar alcohols don't get a long well.  But I quit smoking a few months ago and I thought it would help if I sucked on some sugar free hard candy when I got the urge to smoke.  But I was a heavy smoker and I got the urge a lot.  After a day of suffering painful gas I would swear off...for a few days and then I would convince myself that I could handle it, that it wasn't so bad.  I even told myself that my body was getting used to the sugar alcohol.
Well, yesterday I bought to bags of sugar free candy.  Not very smart given how compulsive I am.  I ate one of the bags yesterday and didn't seem to have any adverse affects so I opened the second bag today.  Now I am curled up in the fetal position with awful stomach pains, made worse by my hernia.  I was seriously considering going to the ER.  The only reason I didn't was because of the embarrassment of having to go to the ER for gas pains.  Especially when I have to explain that I brought it on myself.
Once again I have to remind myself that there are some things I am not able to have in moderation and candy, sugar free or not, is one of them.  
This is why I knew that whether or not I dumped it wouldn't help keep me from sugar.  I suffered from bad side effects with my first surgery when I ate badly and it never stopped me a bit.  When I want something I know that I will have it, consequences be damned.  Until those consequences show up and I have to pay the piper.  BTW I do dump and it does help keep me from sugar but I know myself and if I allowed myself to have a small amount before long I would be mainlining it again without regards to the pain that it will bring.  That's just the way I am. 
So I have to stay away from the sugar free candy.  What is funny is I can have sugar alcohol in other things like a protein bar and I am fine.  I don't eat enough to cause problems.  But I think that is because protein bars are portion controlled and the sugar free candy really isn't.  If I was able to buy one or two at a time I would probably be OK but when I buy a bag I just tell myself "one more" until they are all gone.  That is why I am willing to spend more on some things because they are in small portions.  I am not good with portion control myself.  If it's up to me the portions keep getting bigger.  But if I buy, say, peanuts in small bags I can limit myself to just one a day or whatever.  It would be cheaper to buy a big jar of them but I know if I do I will just keep coming back for more.
Thank God the Gas Ex has started working and the pain is gone.  The only problem is, just like the pain of child birth, I forget, and in a few days I will be shopping and I'll pass the sugar free candy and tell myself it really wasn't that bad.  And go through it all over again.  That is why I am writing this.  To help remind myself how much it hurt and to hold myself accountable.
It's too bad that munching on carrots doesn't work for me as a smoking deterrent.  I could try sunflower seeds.  I have heard those work and I don't have to worry about gas and I could get a little protein in at the same time.  They sell those in small bags, don't they?

 I can't eat much of those either. Sometimes the calcium chews will get me too.
I hope you feel better soon.
Deb T.

Thanks!  How are you feeling?

 Some days almost normal!
I can't wait to get back to exercise and not spend most of my day at the doctor's.
Deb T.

I just cannot buy SF candy.  I find myself eating one after the other until they are all gone in no time.  There are just some things off limits to me.

I too eat one after another when I buy sf candy. But I do buy sf HARD candy, they help when I am craving a snack but know I shouldn't eat one.

That is a good alternative.  Maybe one day I can develop the discipline.  I prefer the hard SF candy too, but it presents an even bigger issue for me.  Pre RNY I ate a bag of cinnamon Jolly Ranchers about every other day.  If I would pop one or two, that would be perfectly fine. 

I live in California now, but I'm from NYC. In NYC there are news stands everywhere, and they sell candy, but you can't buy a big bag full, only a small pack. I guess when you see yourself on line at the grocers with a bag of candy think of ways to get smaller portions. But it sounds to me that you are going to never buy candy again. 

I bought 1 slice of red velvet cake on Saturday,  and I ate off of it for 3 days  now (there's still some of that slice left). I just want to be sure that I don't dump from it because it's sweet, while at the same time I vowed not to deprive myself of anything that I can control. I found that when I stay away from things, that's the time that I will binge (ie. I once woofed down 8 slices of costco cake in secret). Had I had enough control to eat small pieces of cake in those days, I would have never felt the need to hoard cake in my belly. LOL. 

Yes sugar free candy is off limits to me as well....it gives me horrible gas.    

Oh no....gas pains are the worst! I'm glad you're feeling better!!
Have you thought about making your own sf 'candy'? You could make small batches with splenda, stevia, or other sweetner of choice. Then you could control the ingredients and still get that sweet fix without having to pay such a high price. With some of them I've even been able to sneak some extra protein in!