Carb Cravings 14 Weeks Post Op Yikes Help

[carol m 7]

Hello all,

The journey has been wonderful. I have learned so much about myself and my body. Now that I have turned the corner and am able to eat almost anything, I find myself eating sugar and carbs again. HELP I need some support and suggestions as I know the carb road is a dirty world. I know that I have slowed down with the weight loss and that is ok I just need to figure out this carb addict thing and it frightens me a bit.

Need to get control back. Thank you all for your comments

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

carol m

You are close/approaching goal

sometimes unintentially people sabatoge themselves, because they are scared of being successful.

you have done so great, don't stop now possibly because your scared about "winning".

you have a ways to go, but you'll get there in time - you do need carbs and sugar, but be careful

I know you want to continue to become a winner, but also to become a big "loser"

good luck

you can do this

[MegInNOLA 531]

Carol, congratulations on your success thus far! I agree with Likasulema--you've come so far and are pretty close to goal, so I'm sure you're wondering what's going on.

A lot of people who are emotional eaters gravitate towards carbs when they need a "fix." I don't know if your issue has ever been emotional or stress eating, but if so, that would explain the carb cravings. Carbs give you a quick hit of sugar and bump your endorphins up, helping you physically feel satisfied, and that substitutes for emotional satisfaction. Some folks can't really eat processed carbs even in moderation because they get these triggers to eat more.

I might suggest these steps:

1. Remove everything that you know to be unhealthy from your home. If you have a mate or kids, let them know what's going on. Just remove it--give it to a food bank, donate to your local church's youth group (they'll eat anything!), or find some other way to get it out of your house.

2. Replace that unhealthy food with beautiful, fresh food that looks and smells good and is healthy for you. Carbs are GOOD for you in the form of veggies and fruit. And once you get them home, prepare them and keep them in the fridge. When the carb cravings strike, fix yourself a big salad or have a sliced apple. Your sleeve will kick in and you will get full, and your body will be healthier for the nutrition.

3. Be kind to yourself. I firmly believe that our entire food production system is geared towards promoting foods that get and keep us fat and sugar addicted. Let's face it--there's no money to be made in simply providing fruit and vegetables. Nope, to make money, they need us to buy processed foods, and wow! those are super easy to get hooked on, both from a chemistry perspective and from a convenience/availability perspective. It really helped me feel more in control when I realized that my body was designed for real food and would eventually respond positively to getting real food--the cravings really do go away. It's not that you're somehow "at fault" for craving carbs--the foods we routinely eat are sort of geared towards us continuing to have those cravings!! (Insert wry smile here) Screw the establishment and eat fresh. :-)

4. Lastly, if you really are having an emotional/stressful time, maybe talk with someone about it who has dealt with these issues before. Seeing a counselor prior to having surgery was a really helpful thing for me, and I know a lot of people on this board have also seen therapists, counselors, and other caring professionals for help with emotional or stress eating issues.

I am 100% sure you can get through this and get to your goal! You are strong enough to do it, and you are worth the doing. Ditch the junk and maybe add a few more minutes on your treadmill--you're going to see goal before you know it!! (HUGS!!!)

[carol m 7]

Thank you both for the inspiration. My first step was recognizing the issue and now I am working on overcoming it. Just like everything else one day at a time. Both of your messages hit rght at home! Sabbatoge and winning. Stress and anxety that you do not realize you have.

You are all the best and I will continue to read these posts!

Thank you Thank you Thank you

[Escape_Pod 358]

Carol,

Carbs started to creep back in to my eating, and I'm learning quickly that if I don't stop it, it quickly leads to weight gain, not just a stall. The further out I am from surgery, the easier such things to down - my smaller stomach does not help me here. Fortunately, I learned during the pre-op diet that getting the carb count VERY low for a few days completely kicks the cravings and makes it much easier for me to stay on track. So, when I get into trouble, I have to white-knuckle it through about three days, and then it tends to be smooth sailing. I'm afraid I'm coming to the conclusion there are some foods I just have to say goodbye to if I want to keep my weight off. I'm not an "everything in moderation" kind of girl. Happily, I'm learning to find substitutes I enjoy, and am discovering a world of low-carb, sugar free baking options for those times I just have to have a treat.

See if you can go "cold turkey" for about 3 days, it might be all you need to get back on track.

[carol m 7]

Thanks for the advise. I know what I need to do life just caught up with me and I have to retrain my mind! blah blah blah etc etc! As long as I keep reading these messages and back to the support groups I will persevere!