Will craving junk food stop with sleeve?

[davidblackmisty 0]

I have decided to have the sleeve. I am self pay so I am saving money right now and looking at a February surgery date in Mexico.

My worry is that my eating junk food will sabotage my diet!!

I usually only eat one big meal during the day which is usually dinner. Sometimes I don't even eat that. So my problem is that I eat small Snacks ALL day long. Its anything from Cookies to ice cream to chips. I eat them in small amounts but when I'm eating every 30 minutes it adds up to ALOT of calories. Will the sleeve cause me to stop this or will I still be able to?

Also I do not like the "stuffed" feeling that someone people describe loving so much so I won't eat if it makes me feel that way.

If anyone has the sleeve that had my snacking issues please let me know how and if you overcame it. I want the sleeve but I don't want to pick the wrong surgery since I'm self pay.

[BeenThereWasThat 2]

I was a snacker. I really don't snack at all anymore unless you count a glass of milk between meals a snack. My clinic has a strict no snacking rule and after surgery I wasn't hungry anyways so I have been able to change that habbit.

Some things I did pre-op to get rid of snacking -

*I don't carry any cash vendoland can be so tempting about 2:00

* Pack a lunch and leave a healthy option in there if I am absolutely starving.

* Don't buy sweets or junk at all nothing tempting in my house

I don't like that stuffed feeling either. I portion out my food and then I eat it I don't go back for more bites or try to clean my plate.

Many sleevers do the 6 small meals a day because it works better for them I think the key is to just make sure that you are making really healthy choices.

[davidblackmisty 0]

I wish I could get rid of junk food 100% but unfortunately I have 3 kids. We will def start eating healthier once I get the surgery but I wouldn't feel right about making them cut out all Snacks when I am the one with the problem.

[clk 3,519]

Everyone's different, but for me the craving is gone. I used to love the sweet, sugary Snacks and chips (oh, and french fries). Now none of those things sound good to me at all.

I've found that as my eating habits have changed I feed less of those things to my husband and my kids.

We still have boxes of snack donuts for my husband and individual bags of chips for his lunches, but most of the junk has been cleared out. Nobody misses it.

And while it might change later on, the thought of eating any of those foods makes me feel ill right now.

I feel like all I do most days is eat and drink...there's no way I have room for junk snacking. Though I will say that I wanted a nibble of a cracker the other day when my husband had some Ritz with sliced cheese for a snack...two tiny nibbles off the large cracker and I was done - the urge to eat it was totally gone. I handed him more than 3/4 of a cracker and he just laughed at me.

I find most foods only taste really good for 2 or 3 bites these days, and that's fine by me!

~Cheri

[Globetrotter 1,340]

I wish I could get rid of junk food 100% but unfortunately I have 3 kids. We will def start eating healthier once I get the surgery but I wouldn't feel right about making them cut out all Snacks when I am the one with the problem.

Wow, listen to that sentence. Deconstruct it. That is one self-abusive sentence! You're the one with the problem? Like you're a horrible person? Yeah we make choices in our lives but the majority of severely overweight people are battling genetics and a wide list of things almost completely out of their control. This surgery is how we take control and we are brave and strong for doing so.

You can't get rid of the junk food because you have kids? I'm sorry and please everyone don't flame me for this, but I totally disagree. We inform our childrens decisions on food, we are supposed to show them the way. Leaving those Snacks in the house for them is not doing them any favors. Yes they may complain or tantrum, but they are the children, we are the adults, we lead them. There are super delish yummy brightly colored snacks out there that are also healthy. This is an opportunity at health-overhaul for the entire family.

[Tiffykins 673]

Cravings are mental. Hunger is physical. That being said they operate on our stomachs, not our brains.

Now during my losing stage, I had zero true cravings and was so focused on getting Protein, I didn't have time to think about anything else. Now at goal, things are a little different. I still have cravings, the trick is to make the best decision as to what I put in my mouth. It's not always easy, and sometimes I don't make the best choice, but at the end of the day, I have to move forward with my life.

I didn't snack during my losing stage. I ate 4 meals per day, focused on gettin 15grs of Protein per meal and that allowed me to hit my protein goal. During that time, I didn't have room for anything else. Hunger was gone which helped me stay out of the kitchen.

The thing I think what led to my success was replacing bad habits with good habits. Reach for beef Jerky instead of a cookie, go for a walk, write in my journal, anything that kept my mind occupied and off of the pantry. Not being hungry obviously helps, but it doesn't keep us for wanting certain foods. I know some people say that their cravings have stopped completely. I personally have cravings and think they are normal. I don't know one naturally thin person that doesn't have a crazy craving for Mexican food occasionally. I think the big difference after sleeve is finding the mental control to make the best choice out of what is offered.

I was also a one big meal eater. I would not eat Breakfast (still hate Breakfast foods), eat a light lunch, typically fast food, and then a huge dinner. I changed all that, set a schedule and meal plan. This became a habit, and replaced the old habits of not eating on a regular basis.

I did love that stuffed, button popping feeling after my big meals. Now, I just can't stand it. I get this "food baby belly" if I eat too much, and in a size 4, it isn't attractive ha ha ha. If I overeat, I can physically feel and see it. When I was fat, I didn't "see" any change in my body because literally all of my belly fat hid it. Now, when my "food belly baby" pops out, it pisses me off and I find myself "suckin it in".

This journey is far more mental and emotional than it is physical, and really none of us can tell you how you will react, but I can tell you that I still have cravings, I still want a bag of Funyuns, I still want a Snickers bar occasionally, I still want to stop off at Marble Slab for a scoop of strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a waffle cone, BUT, I've learned with the sleeve's assistance, that I have to make the best choice. If I want some funyuns, I have 5-6 chips and put them away, if I want a Snickers, I have 2 miniatures, and walk away, if I want Marble Slab, I tell myself to suck it up and picture myself at 270lbs again. Ice cream goes down all too easily, I do steer clear of it because I can eat a lot of it without consequence.

I'm by no means perfect. If I were, I'd never had surgery. But, I don't believe in depriving myself of food. I eat it, I own it, and I move forward. It's harder the further out you get. Your stomach relaxes, you can eat more food, you can eat around the sleeve several ways, so at the end of the day, you have to engage your brain before your stomach takes over.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Tiffykins

[seaview 2]

Tiff,

Thanks for your wise words....as I get closer to goal I worry about how to LIVE with this sleeve and with my still ailing brain that wants to eat when it wants to eat....I am probably going to go see someone to work on some specific food triggers which I have....which of course have not gone away with the surgery..

but yeah....thanks for your post...SEAVIEW

[davidblackmisty 0]

Thanks Tiffykins! You sound alot like me. I NEVER eat breakfast. Theres just not much I like as far as breakfast foods go and also I hate cooking that early.

I have been so worried about still eating junk food. I know I will be able to eat considerably less food after surgery. But I already eat small amounts of the Snacks so I am scared that really nothing will change. I know I can do this tho! I am 100% dedicated to it. I think if I had done it 5 years ago I wouldn't have done it right but I am ready now!! I also have my husband's full support. So I know he will help me any way he can.

As far as cleaning out my house of snacks, I don't feel that's fair. My kids have to ask to get a snack so they aren't sitting around all day eating like me. I don't see anything wrong with them eating a sugary snack once a day as long as its done in moderation. I cook very healthy foods. We eat chicken several times a week and I NEVER fry foods, even tho we are from the south. A bottle of vegetable oil lasts 6 months here because I don't use it. If a recipe calls for it I substitute olive oil. I even bake french fries. So if my husband and kids want a cookie I am fine with that and I won't force them to stop eating them. I know I will buy healthier snacks for myself like fruits and hopefully they will follow behind me and eat that instead but until they start abusing food I won't force them to!

[Mary Gordon 3]

yes you definitely have to start buying less junk food, this will help your kids a great deal and they will learn how to eat healthy at an early age. of course they can sometimes have some kind of junk food, but it shouldn't be available for them at all times.

[Ellisa 6]

Tiffy's insight is thorough and accurate. I haven't been sleeved long enough to speak long term. I'm still on soft foods. But my band experience (during the 18 months that it was properly adjusted) is very much what she describes (except I've not reached the goal experience). WLS is a tool to help with portion/hunger control, we still have to decide what those portions will be made of. Surgery has not made me prefer lean grilled chicken to fried any more than weight watchers or low carb or any other diet I followed. But I know I can lose more weight and be healthier if I make the right choice most of the time.

You can lose a certain amount of weight with not so good choices, but if you want to be at goal you have to make the right choices far more often than not. Some people are happier 30 - 40 lbs from an ideal weight but eating pretty much whatever they want. They might be miserable trying to hold to a very strict eating plan. Others want to be like Tiffy and that takes much more effort. But from seeing her posts, I would guess that she and many others would be miserable weighing more. In the end, you basically decide if it's a certain weight or certain foods that make you happy (or miserable). That being said... health is a major factor in being happy I don't think we can sacrifice health for a steady diet of fudge and be happy. LOL

Regarding the 3 kids and Snacks, make better choiced for them too. Now's the time to teach them healthy habits for life.

[Tiffykins 673]

Thanks Tiffykins! You sound alot like me. I NEVER eat Breakfast. Theres just not much I like as far as breakfast foods go and also I hate cooking that early.

I have been so worried about still eating junk food. I know I will be able to eat considerably less food after surgery. But I already eat small amounts of the Snacks so I am scared that really nothing will change. I know I can do this tho! I am 100% dedicated to it. I think if I had done it 5 years ago I wouldn't have done it right but I am ready now!! I also have my husband's full support. So I know he will help me any way he can.

As far as cleaning out my house of Snacks, I don't feel that's fair. My kids have to ask to get a snack so they aren't sitting around all day eating like me. I don't see anything wrong with them eating a sugary snack once a day as long as its done in moderation. I cook very healthy foods. We eat chicken several times a week and I NEVER fry foods, even tho we are from the south. A bottle of vegetable oil lasts 6 months here because I don't use it. If a recipe calls for it I substitute olive oil. I even bake french fries. So if my husband and kids want a cookie I am fine with that and I won't force them to stop eating them. I know I will buy healthier snacks for myself like fruits and hopefully they will follow behind me and eat that instead but until they start abusing food I won't force them to!

Our lives sound very similar. I didn't think it was fair to strip my family of donut sticks, and ice cream just because my fat butt couldn't stop with one scoop of ice cream.

I still buy snacks for my son and husband, I still keep ice cream in the house (it's on my weekly grocery list), I still buy chips and cheez it crackers. For me, I can be satisfied with 5-6 chips and go about my day. Of course, I didn't do this during my losing stage. I really buckled down, fought the food demons, and looked at food differently.

I personally wanted to get to goal quickly, and then worry about maintenance later. Others choose to follow a different guideline. Truly, it's a personal decision on how you want to "work your sleeve". I decided to be strict with the guideline. A lot of people said "it's no different than being on a diet". My argument was and still is " the big difference here is that I'm no longer hungry, I can feed my body what it needs right now, lose weight, and then go about my day." With previous diet attempts and with my band, I was still hungry all the time. I felt deprived, I felt my food was being taken away from me, and that just led to binging. With the first 6 months post-op with the sleeve, I was never hungry, I was so focused on getting in Protein that I truly had no desire to eat off plan. I didn't have room for junk food if I wanted to hit my Protein goals. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I'm a bit of obsessive, and I was pretty obsessed with getting my weight off as fast as I could. With all that being said, you choose which path you want to walk with the sleeve. If you want to have a milkshake once a week, you can have that milkshake. BUT, you can't sit back and eat ho hos, and Snicker bars and expect the sleeve to magically slim your waistline. You're totally in control. I had never felt so in control with my meals, with my food choices, with my desire to stuff to my face, once I was post-op, I was determined to WIN and WIN big. I turned my focus to cooking healthier meals for my family, for finding substitutions for foods that would be more "sleeve friendly".

The best part of this journey has been figuring out that I'm in the driver's seat, and food is idly hanging out in the passenger's seat.

Some options for the snacks that I've switched to are the 100 calorie packs of Cookies and crackers. Also, those Gummy fruit snacks are yummy, and I know they aren't the "best" option, but they are better than a honey bun or another type of snack cake. I also get creative with snacks. Have you ever tried celery with pineapple cream cheese and crushed walnuts? Sounds disgusting, but seriously it's YUMMY. Also, there are some yummy veggie/fruit dips you can make with greek yogurt instead of sour cream or whipped cream. I sneak flax seed into all of the baked yummies I make for my husband and son. My husband loves banana nut muffins, and he has NO IDEA in the world that I drop about 4 tablespoons of flax seed in them. So, what I'm saying with all this rambling is there are lots of options for you that are family-friendly. If you want more ideas, feel free to message me. I've gotten super creative over the last year, and my family is healthier and happier because of it.

[texaschick 0]

Gosh, I wish I didn't have any hunger. I am two months out and I definitely get hungry. That being said, I try to make the right choices; a piece of lowfat cheese wrapped in deli ham, I "nuke" turkey pepperoni when I want a salty crunchy, etc. But, I have broken into the chips a couple of times and the old "muncher" in me came I out. I have found the best compromise for me is to buy Snacks for my kids that I am not that fond of or that I won't binge on, goldfish crackers, etc. I let them have one sweet and one salty snack in the house (unless I am having a gang over), popcorn (because I actually have to cook it, so it gives me that time to decide if I really want it). I also bake most of their sweet Snacks, again so it is not there for the immediate eating. I make a batch of cookie dough and then freeze it in little balls. Then when they want Cookies, I pop them in the oven. Like Tiffy, I sneak flax, wheat germ, etc into most of my baked goods. Another option for their sweet snack is fruit dipped in chocolate; microwave a few choc chips and slice some bananas, strawberries, etc. I buy "healthlier" versions of tortilla chips and make them nachos; spread a little fat free refried Beans on each chip and top with reduced fat cheese and a little taco meat (I will admit to having those a couple of times too :thumbup:.

Like Tiff said, they operated on your tummy not your head. The head you gotta fix yourself.

[Boredoncemore 0]

I am definately a snack food person. The cheez-its did me in for a month or so, finally got over those, now I'm on to popcorn. I have not been able to hold down any actual chips, even in small doses--I'm not sure why, but they just feel like they glob up in my stomach and stick there.

Swiss Miss rolls are another story, those stay down lovely--therefore I avoid purchasing them any longer.

Cravings will not go away long term. 9 months out and I would rather down my aunts homemade cake before I have that grilled chicken skewer, lol.

Discipline & will power is the key--and with this sleeve it is MUCH MUCH easier to keep the weight off. I find it helps loose a certain amount, but you have to work at the rest--but at least it has taken away the gaining factor that always happened before!

[Papillon 7]

"The best part of this journey has been figuring out that I'm in the driver's seat, and food is idly hanging out in the passenger's seat."

Thank you for the quote Tiffy! I refuse to let food rule my life. I am the one in charge.. : D

[emilygrace 5]

You do need to be honest with yourself and your surgeon/dietician. If you are a big snacker and esp of high calorie foods, then you may be more suited to a gastric bypass than a sleeve. A sleeve is more intended for those who eat a lot of volume. You will still be able to defeat the sleeve if you eat chips, icecream, chocolate all day long in small amounts.

Don't get surgery if you aren't prepared to totally change your habits.