Question:
4 months post-op & I am out of control.....HELP
I am 4 months out and have lost 75 lbs. I kept saying, I didnt do this to be on a permantent diet...I wanna be normal and eat normal. Its a great idea for some I suppose..but not for me. I do not dump...the only time I have thrown up is if I dont chew meat well or eat pasta or rice. I can eat chocolate without dumping...The I-will-only-eat-one-tiny-piece-as-a-reward, led to me eating 5 uh-huh 5 pieces and a few hours later a few more. Yeah I know better but I swear it is like I just cannot control myself no matter what I do. I never go over 900 calories a day..but I went to fitday and started keeping track and I have had days when my carbs are in the 70's and my fat runs about 30. I know this is wrong and bad, but I feel so out of control. I have refused myself and noticed I was pacing the house like a caged animal at the zoo. I have waited years for this wls and have finally gotten it and now I feel like such an idiot that, me a grown woman, cannot control what I put into my face. I cant do the shakes they gag me, I am trying to find a bar I can tolerate hoping that it would help with the candy/chocolate/sugar cravings. I for some reason cant stand the taste of crystal light..It tastes like it has ground up aspirin in it. Splenda has a bitter after taste too. I have been trying to force myself to use the splenda to get used to it but I find that I will just nurse the drink for hours getting in only a few oz and I need more liquid than that. How can I get a hold of myself? I want so desperately for this to work. I have just sat and cried thinking about how dumb I am for not being able to get a hold of myself. Nothing works...I still go get the bad foods and stuff them into my mouth. The first few times I thought that since I had just discovered I could tolerate the junk food, I would let myself indulge and get it out of my system..BAD IDEA. Any suggestions would help. Thanks. — cherokey55 (posted on February 20, 2003)
February 20, 2003
I dont really have an answer for you..I am just about 3 mos out...I had
thought like you to eat candy or something that would really make me
dump.and then I would never want it again...I guess that doesnt always
work..You helped me to stay away from trying just in case I could handle
it!! If I crave sweets I grab a popscicle..they even have the sugar free
popscicles with vanilla ice cream inside.only 25 calories..Good Luck..hope
you get some answers because I think I am going to need them!!!
— NANCY P.
February 20, 2003
I'll share my favorites: Try EAS Carb Control Advant Edge - chocolate
fudge - pre-made shakes. They're only 15g of protein, but very drinkable.
All others came right back up for me! Also the Detour Bar truly is good -
32g of protein, but a lot of calories - 290. Worth it to me, though - it's
a treat! Also, Zero-carb Isopure in a bottle - tastes like gatorade, comes
in 7 flavors and has 40g protein. I split in in half and dilute with water
to get two 20-oz., 20g drinks from each bottle. And the Sugar-free
Sportcookie from protocookie.com has 15g protein and is also a treat - I
like peanut butter best, but lemon and banana nut are good too
(surprisingly, choc chip is my least favorite!) Good luck!!!
— jen41766
February 20, 2003
How are you doing with protein foods, if you don't like protein shakes?
Try to snack on protein foods as much as you can, instead of the foods that
give you trouble. Lunchmeat, tuna, cheese, turkey pepperoni, anything
that's protein heavy and carb or sugar light. It's the carbs and sugars
that trigger your addictions. Also, I don't know what shakes you've tried,
but there are TONS of them out there to try. I agree that most are awful,
but it was worth going through all the bad ones to find a good one (for me,
Proscore 100 Chocolate).<P>Also, does your doctor have after-care,
meaning a counselor and/or support groups? Now would be a good time to
explore those things, while you're still a relatively new post-op and still
losing despite your struggles. You CAN get a handle on this, but it will
require you deciding whether and how you want to re-wire your head to go
along with your re-wired stomach. I don't like the word "diet"
either. But on the other hand, we are people with a history of morbid
obesity and a failed history of diets. We will not just come out of
surgery being able to eat "normal" without a heckuva long fight
ahead of us ... unfortunately it won't just *happen* because we had
surgery, and as you are finding out in such a hard way.<P>I'm sorry
it's so difficult, but I'm glad you posted. People need to know that if
you start out with this surgery saying, "I didn't do this to be on a
diet," you HAVE to develop a clear plan on what you're going to do
differently this time, or there can be heartbreak ahead. :( <P>
Please hang in there!! You have come a great distance, and you can make it
if you are determined to kick those carb and sugar demons!
— Suzy C.
February 20, 2003
i am still pre-op so i know the feeling of being out of control. i want you
to know eventhou i don't know you, that you have ALL of my love and
support. when i read all of the bio's on people on this site i really feel
their pain and happiness. and i am NOT a mussy person. it is just that
these things we talk about to each other are sometimes things we haven't
even told our closest friends or sometimes they are things we haven't
really wanted to think about because they are too painful. everyone who is
going on this wls journey and those who still haven't are very much the
same in so many ways. i think that is why i feel so close to people i don't
even know.ok....now i will get to the point..lol i have collected some very
good lowcarb sites. i hope these help you.
http://members.aol.com/alexhaas/
http://www.enteract.com/~jldavid/lowcarb/
http://www.lowcarbcafe.com/
http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/main.html
http://www.ladyrider.com/lrlowcarb.htm
http://www.trulylowcarb.com/MyStory.htm
http://www.whooshfriends.com/
p.s if you need someone to talk to, just email!! good luck
— k K.
February 20, 2003
Hi Terri,
So sorry about your troubles! Whenever I feel myself getting out of
control I switch to all protein, no carbs. I'm not saying you need to do
this indefinitely, just do it for a couple of days, but then really try to
only eat carbs that are in veggies and fruit. It's all the 'white' stuff
that screws us up. Like sugar and flour!!! They are deadly for me. Very
addictive!!! The longer you can stay away from them, the better off you'll
be and feel. I'll bet you anything you can get 'back in control'. Take
care sweetie!
— Stacy L.
February 20, 2003
First and foremost - YOU ARE NOT A BAD OR DUMB PERSON! Please remember
this. Stop beating yourself up. Food is an addiction and this is part of
all of our journeys in one form or another. I would recommend that you seek
counseling or at least attend an OA group. Exercise may also help you get
the stress out. Go out with friends. Write in a journal. Stress or
something is making you feel this way and you need to learn to deal with it
in a healthy way instead of turning to food for comfort. This is the same
for alcoholics, smokers, anyone with an unhealthy addiction. Good luck to
you.
— Yolanda J.
February 20, 2003
I agree the Detour bar is great! That will take care of the
sugar/chocolate cravings and the bar should last 2-3 meals. Also, when you
feel a snacking binge coming on grab a bag of sunflower seeds. You get the
satisfaction of the "crunch" when you break the shell and the
salty taste, and although they have fat it also has protein. It would take
hours to eat 300 calories worth, and let's face it, your tongue would be
too swollen by then anyway. Go with the flow of it, it you are hungry, you
need to eat, but find a happy-medium. Try and get all sugar and white
flour out of the house until you can get past this, we have all been there
at some point in our lives, you will get through this. Beef jerky is
another thing that keeps the jaw chewing for a while. I wish you the best
of luck, don't give up.
Also, try the Propel drink by gatorade. My favorites are black cherry and
strawberry kiwi. I have 1 bottle a day and the rest in the form of plain
ol' water. Also a warm cup of friendship tea is good: 1/2 cup splenda; 2
tubs sugar free tang; 1 cup decaf lemon flavored ice tea; 1/2 tsp cloves;
1/2 tsp cinnamon. mix well. Add 1-2 teaspoons to 1 cup hot water and
enjoy. The warmth and sweet taste help with cravings too.
— Dana B.
February 20, 2003
If I could give you a big hug right now I would.
— Samantha S.
February 21, 2003
Have you tried the sugar free Koolaid? I love it (lots more than Crystal
Lite). This may help with your "sugar" cravings. LOL.
— Lisa S.
February 21, 2003
First off, a big HUG for you. This should not be that difficult for you,
and being in tears and stressed out and thinking your a bad person is not
good for you-its a vicious cycle. Do you have a support group? If not,
try to find one in your area-your surgeon may know of one. You need to go
be around others who have had this surgery and can provide you with a
support system. You are not alone. As for eating "normal", why
are you beating yourself up if you are eating 900 calories a day? If it
was 2000, well, then you would have reason. There is no reason why you
cannot eat some chocolate, some sugar and some carbs. I don't consider 70
grams of carbs as being bad. Some nutritionists advocate 100 or more a
day. Now there are others on here that will disagree with me and think
anything above 20 is bad for you, but my nutritionist and I disagree. I
think if you deny yourself all the goodies, or bad things, as you call
them, you will just crave them more, and over indulge and then start the
vicious cycle of feeling guilty, blaming yourself, eating more etc, etc. I
don't agree that it has to be an all or nothing on the goodies. But if you
are going to do the goodies, then you have to build them into a sensible
program. Heres what I do: I always eat protein first at a meal-and I
don't eat much in the way of carbs at meals (perhaps some wheat bread
-sandwich at lunch), I save my carbs for a good protein bar-the Detour
bars are good but my favorite are the Balance Gold Bars-they rock! They
are like candy bars to me. I also eat little mini-chocolate chip cookies
and buy the little 50 cent snack pack size so that I don't have a big bag
of cookies in the house. I allow myself a couple of treats a day, but like
I said, I build them into the program. I also ensure that I work out at
least 4 times a week and drink tons of water. If you eat all your protein,
exercise, drink tons of water, I don't see why you can't build in your
treats/goodies to your routine. You will still lose weight and keep it
off- I do.
— Cindy R.
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