Question:
Why do I crave sweets and want to eat when I'm not hungry? Anyone else the same?
Hello to everyone! I had my surgery on Feb. 14th 2003, so I just celebrated my 4 mth. post-op. I am eating more since the surgery. I am down about 70-75 lbs. it does fluctuate a little bit. I try not to go on the scale too much. Anyway, I am craving alot of sweets and am very worried that I stretched my stomach pouch. Just this past Monday I was very stressed in the evening and started binging on sugared items. I sure did pay the price with dumping that night and into the next day. I must have eaten about 5 granola bars and several butter cookies. How IN THE HELL WAS I ABLE TO EAT ALL OF THAT WITHIN A PERIOD OF ABOUT A COUPLE HRS? It must have been about 8 oz. of food. I know that granola is light weight, but still I shouldn't eat it. I know I shouldn't be eating certain things but I'm testing the waters here and I need some advice and need to start GETTING ON TRACK AGAIN LIKE I WAS AT THE BEGINNING RIGHT AFTER MY SURGERY. I will go on these binges like yesterday; during the day. I have been at home the past couple of days and I do notice that when I'm at home I get bored sometimes and want to EAT WHEN I'M NOT HUNGRY. It's like my old habits and ways of eating are coming back. Just yesterday I ate 2 nutri-grain bars- the strawberry cheesecake ones. And right along with them I ate 3 granola bars; the maple brown sugar and the oats and honey. I ate all 5 of these granola bars within a period of about 30 min. HOW IN THE HELL AM I ABLE TO DO THIS? I am so upset and hate myself for this and really need advice on getting back on track. I don't understand how with some foods, for example, like a ground turkey meatball that I ate for dinner last night, I can get full from that after a few bites, but with some of these higher sugar foods that are light in weight, I can eat more. I wish I didn't have any appetite or have the desire to eat. I feel like I am regaining my old habits of eating and binging and eating when I'm not hungry. I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE HERE. I really need some advice and some feedback here. I am sure I didn't burst my stomach pouch, but I am being worried and paranoid that I did. I was told that if I did, I would know it. BTW, I forgot to say that I had the laproscopic Roux-En-Y. I also feel that I'm not losing weight fast enough. 70-75 lbs. in 4 mths. I feel like it's not enough. I started out weighing 352 lbs. I know I weigh alot less, but I am still getting worried. My 6 mth. post-op apptmt. with my surgeon is on Aug. 6th, and I really hope to see a big drop from the last time I got weighed in. I just started posting on this website again and could really use some good advice from those of you who have been through all of what I'm talking about. I know I need to exercise more. I live in South Florida and since we are in the rainy season, it rains so much and it's hard to use the outdoor pool. There is no indoor pool here and I can't afford to belong to a gym now with an indoor pool. I love to do aqua aerobics and need to get back on track. It seems as though since I already lost alot of weight I've become cocky, and I need to get back into the frame of mind of taking baby steps again and feeling like I was right after my surgery. I want to feel like I don't want to eat. I don't want to keep thinking about food. I know that alot of these are psychological issues that I will need to discuss with a therapist when I find a new one. I'm sorry for babbling, but I'm just feeling very guilty with myself. Can you relate to having binged on sugared items and then dumping after and feeling guilty? Am I alone here? I hate to say this, but I didn't mind the dumping at all. I didn't have vomiting, but did have the diarreah part. Everytime I have the diarreah- dumping, I like it because my whole body is flushed out and I feel thinner automatically. I just want to get back on track. Sorry for repeating. This is my first time posting on this website. Please SOMEONE respond to me. Good Luck to everyone! I look forward to meeting some people from here and making pen-pals. Bye for now.........Bonnie in Florida — Bonnie R. (posted on June 26, 2003)
June 25, 2003
Bonnie,
First, don't beat yourself up. What you did didn't do irreprable damage.
And you haven't stretched your pouch. If it is at all possible, get the
granola bars and cookies out of the house - in other words, remove
temptation. But if you can't do that, you will have to try some willpower.
I know that's a dirty word. What I try to do when I have the munchies is
eat a few peanuts instead of something sweet. The more starchy carbs you
eat, the more you will want. I keep peanuts (unsalted, roasted in the
shell) in the house at all times. I keep beef jerky at my desk at work so
when I'm tempted I have something healthy to munch on. The peanuts work
well because it takes time to shell them. You can't just pick up a handful
and shove them in and the jerky has to be well chewed. I also keep gum
handy. Sometimes we just need to chew. And, if you are tempted by granola
bars (really very unhealthy for us) keep some protein bars handy and eat
one of them instead. My surgeon allows me to snack (up to three times a
day) but it always has to be protein or a combination of protein with a
cracker or two or fruit. He is a great advocate of peanut butter; I eat it
on well cleaned celery or apple slices. I try to severly limit things like
crackers, bread and potatos. I never eat rice or pasta and I haven't even
touched a cookie since my surgery 19 months ago. I do occasionally have a
sugar free candy bar - Carb Solutions - but never more than once a month.
Another good option is sugar free popsicles. The give you the sweet taste
and very little calores. I keep them in my freezer at all times.
Hope this helps some.
— Patty_Butler
June 25, 2003
Hey Bonnie, you are not alone in this. I'm 9.5 months out and if I allow
myself I to am right back into the old habits. I find myself stress
eatting. I work for psychiatrist and I'm not happy with the work
inviroment and everytime I leave my office and go upstairs where the
secretarial staff is (next to the kitchen) I find myself eatting junk. One
of the girls keeps candy supplied for the office out in a basket on the
kitchen table I have asked her not to do this or at least put it in a
cabinet, but her reply is I''ve done it for 5 years and I'll keep doing it,
(she's obese also and I think it's her way of getting back at me for having
lost weight -115 lbs ) any way, I have decided to avoid upstairs as much as
possible. I haven't any majic words of wisdom other than what Patty said,
remove it from the house if you can, if not once it's all eaten, replace it
with healthier items. I find crunchy peanut butter and apples, works for
me. I can eat alot more than in the beginning and I guess thats part of it.
Good Luck.
— Jeana S.
June 25, 2003
I have to comment on your saying you didn't mind dumping. When folks ask me
if I dump, I say, nothing I can't live through. So, I can relate to it.
Sometimes at the time I feel like OHMYGOD I'm going to die, I'm NEVER doing
that to myself again, but then 20 min later I could be looking for another
sweet treat. I deal with sugar cravings and binge attacks from time to
time. I'm almost 2 years out, and down 150lbs (but my weight fluctuates by
10 lbs) I've developed hypoglycemia so that is another reason (besides
feeling ill right away when I eat something wrong/or fear of gaining
weight) that I have been trying to figure out how to control my
hunger/cravings *with food*. I know it's not shear will power or strength
of character that's going to get me through this, but some bio-chemical
approach..like meds or food chemistry. It seems every few weeks (or days) I
change my mind on how I'm going to attack this problem. But, the most
important thing is, I continue to battle it. My biggest fear is that I will
just give in "to my old ways" and gain it all back...and I know
it's possible. Anywho, I've been using a concept recently, called the
glycemic index. Came across it while researching hypoglycemia. It's been
developed for diabetics but works for other health concerns including
obesity. It seems to be working for me (not perfectly, but I'm hanging in
there)In a nutshell it's a ranking of carb filled foods based on the way
they affect blood sugar. The slower it takes to work through your system
the longer you stay satisfied and the less likely you are to have
cravings/hunger. That's a very simplistic explanation but if you are a
sugar monster like me, it might be worth looking into. Another little thing
I'm doing is, as I notice certain foods send me into eating fits I try to
remember/avoid it. Peanut butter is the devil to me. I can eat it like ice
cream. I don't care if it is better for me...it still is FATTENING in great
volumes. Best wishes to you. Feel free to e-mail me if you want to talk
more about it. We're here to support each other....gawd knows I need it
too. -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -150
— KimBo36
June 25, 2003
First of all let me say, don't beat yourself up. Some of this is a
completely normal way to feel. Remember, our bellies were operated on and
not our brains. Next remember, you went thru a lot to have this tool, Now
work it!!!!!!. Last, sugar and carbs only make our craving much worse.
Good luck on getting back on track.
— Delores S.
June 25, 2003
Bonnie, I, too, know where you are coming from! I can't tell you how to
handle the carb demons, but I can tell you this: In one of my last diet
attempts, I did The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. Somewhere in the book, it
says that the craving for sugars and carbs will go away after 3 days
without them. I tried it, and it is really true! If you can get the bad
stuff out of the house and do without it for 3 days, you may notice the
craving will go away. So. get the bad stuff out of your site (or do what I
hate to admit to - eat it up and get it out of your system!). Hey, you can
do anything for 3 days, right? Good luck!
— koogy
June 26, 2003
Hi Bonnie!!!!
First let me congratulate you on your great success thusfar. You are
absolutley normal. I too am a carb addict!!!! I think the reason you were
able to eat the amount you ate was the fact that once chewed granola bars
weighs practically nothing. I doubt that you stretched your pouch. My
advice to you and myself is I know moderation is the key BUT I believe that
if you are an addict that one should avoid avoid avoid (for as long as
possible) carbs and or sugar. i fyou feel the need for something sweet try
sugar free candy. (still very little) I try to limit my carb intake to no
more than 50 grams a day (and it is hell) but I am 15 months post op and i
have lost 191 lbs thusfar. I still need t lose 35 more for my personal
goal. bonnie it is tough but you can and will do it. ps try reading the
atkins website (you don't necessarily hae to follow the diet but it gives
excellent explanations on carbs) good luck and god bless
— tameaka S.
June 26, 2003
I feel your pain!! Carb addiction is HARD!! It's a constant struggle for
me too. I find the more carbs I eat, the more I want, so I try to avoid
them. I can't EVER touch white sugar or white flour as it will start a
binge. I cannot live in the same house as a loaf of white crusty bread. I
stick with lots of protein. Whole grains can be iffy (for me), veggie
carbs usually OK. Whenever you feel that overwhelming urge, drink a
protein shake (no milk!). It really helps. Tell yourself, "I can eat
the _____ (insert poor choice here) after I drink my shake". Usually
after your shake, you don't want the poor choice anymore. Willpower in a
bottle!! Hang in there. You just have to find what works for you.
— mom2jtx3
June 26, 2003
The further out you go, the more you will find that there are lots of junky
foods you can chew down to nothing and eat quit a bit of over a relatively
short period of time. One reason they tell us to eat "protein
first" is that many proteins are denser foods that fill up the pouch.
Stuff like you're describing (or stuff I've "abused," like teddy
grahams, ReddiWhip, "loaded" nachos, or even popcorn) chews down
to the point where you can keep on noshin' on quite a lot over an hour or
two. That's just how the pouch is; it doesn't mean you overstretched it,
it's a question of food density. One of the scary post-op facts they don't
tell you!<P>I'd suggest that you (1) ban the foods from the house
that you're making yourself sick on (you can always try them later -- much
-- down the road); (2) substitute protein snacks for your carbs and sugars
snacks (if you haven't been doing that, now's the time to re-learn your
snacking habits); and (3) set an exercise goal of some sort to focus on, so
your whole world doesn't revolve around the scale, the scale, the scale.
Try to get yourself focused on habits that will allow you to succeed in the
long run (because if we view WLS only in the short run -- "how fast
can I lose it" -- it's just another diet, and we know how well those
work). The long run question is, "how am I going to keep the weight
off this time?" Time to strategize on that one!
— Suzy C.
June 26, 2003
Those old binge habits just don't want to go away, do they? I think
Kimberly's suggestions about the glycemic index are good, though not
everyone agrees with it. It's rare for people to eat foods in isolation,
but if you remember to combine high-GI foods with low-GI foods, you'll
lower the overall sugar hit. This month's Reader's Digest has a good,
easy-to-understand article about how to diet without inducing the hungries,
based on the glycemic index. I realize that the head hunger cravings are
different from genuine hunger, but it's got to help.
Try to put the emphasis on a variety of whole food. Treat yourself to
healthier sweets like fruit, maybe in combination with cheese. The extra
fat and protein in the cheese will hold you and reduce the sugar hit of the
fruit. If you want something salty/crunch try something like soy nuts and
eat them one at a time. Plain popcorn is also better than other choices,
and can last a long time if you eat it one kernel at a time rather than by
the handful. I use a microwave popper bowl and plain popcorn, then spray
on a little butter-flavored Pam so the salt will stick.
The diarrhea from dumping may make you feel flushed and thin, but it's a
false feeling. If you eat a lot of fruits and veggies and fiber-rich whole
grains it will help keep you regular and your stools bigger, which is a
much healthier in the long run.
My answer to the boredom is to try to get out of the house. Unfortunately,
I'm doing way too much shopping, which gets expensive, but if you walk the
mall without bringing your wallet, at least it would get you out of the
rain and heat. I have so much more energy since losing weight that even
when I veg out in front of the TV, I find myself bounding up during the
commercials to do something. Doing little tasks like straightening out a
drawer or weeding through your coupons or pulling up some weeds will give
you a feeling of accomplishment that might be a good substitute for the
little rush we get from eating junk--at least that's what I keep trying to
convince myself!
— Celia A.
June 26, 2003
Number 1: STOP ALL THE CARBS!!!! Eating bad carbs just makes you crave
more bad carbs. It's a terrible, fattening cycle. They are less dense
than a piece of lean protein (like chicken) and so you can chew them down
and stuff more in your pouch.
Number 2: Start recording your food intake on fitday.com or in a journal.
You need to see on paper exactly how much food you are eating everyday.
How many carbs, calories, protein, fat.
Number 3: Read the "Pouch Rules for Dummies" This observation
stated that it did not matter what size the pouch was, but how the person
used their pouch. Blaming the situation on thinking you stretched your
pouch is no excuse to ruin this tool.
Number 4: It sounds like you have already answered most of your questions.
You need to exercise more and need to speak with a therapist regarding the
reasons why you are sabotaging yourself-AND YOU ARE!
Number 5: We have all felt the way you do. We have all given into those
self-defeating thoughts and we have all eaten too much or eaten the wrong
things. But, we take responsiblity for our actions, we forgive ourselves,
and we get back on the wagon. You hang in there. You can make this tool
work for you. Good luck to you!
— Kristen S.
June 28, 2003
To Everyone who responded to my question why I am craving sweets and
wanting to eat when not hungry. I want to thank those of you who took the
time to respond to me. I really feel alot better and that I'm not alone. I
will respond to all of you individually sometime soon; I am just having
some computer trouble, and it's moving really slow. All of your answers to
my questions have really sunk in and I will certainly take the advice. I
will also try the 3 days without any carbs. One of you posted about doing
this. As I said, I will respond to all of you individually; it's just
quicker to do it this way now, as I want to get my thanks out. Please stay
in touch and good luck to all! Bonnie in Florida. :O)
— Bonnie R.
June 28, 2003
I eat a (sometimes many) pickle(s) when I crave sugar- I have no idea WHY
it works but it does; perhaps because it is the absolute opposite of what I
really want. Try it, it may work for you too.
— Karen R.
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