Cravings and Old Habits

[amchurch12000 44]

I had surgery March 31 and have been doing fairly well. I am in stall land so that has frustrated me, but my clothing is getting magically bigger. My biggest issue is that I have tons of cravings for sweets (real sweets not the fake Protein drinks). I admit I have caved a few times, sometimes not even noticing it. Also some really yummy bread entered the house and I had a whopping 3 pieces yesterday (I didn't even realize how much I had until the end of the day). How do I break 29 years of old habits now that I can eat. I have made an appointment with the psychologist because I admit that I need help, but I am scared to death that I will mess up all the hard work I have done. I think the only thing saving me now is that I can only eat a tiny bit at a time, but as my stomach heals I can eat more and more (no where what I ate before). Carbs are a HUGE weakness for me, right after surgery I didn't crave them, but it came back, with a vengeance.

[JamieLogical 8,707]

Really really focus on getting your Protein in. You are less than a month out, so bread should NOT be an option right now. If you focus on your protein, you shouldn't have room for carbs at this stage.

[amchurch12000 44]

I have been focusing on Protein. I think it was something new that entered the house and my taste turned into more than a taste. Mom has agreed that no more bread (especially the yummy marathon bread) will enter the house. I am going out to Peri Peri tonight and going to eat my chicken first and maybe have a bite of other things. I also got a steroid shot due to really bad allergies (surgeon wasn't happy with it but said it was okay since I was having a lot of problems) and I think that either mentally or physically gave me a hiccup.

[Teachamy 1,042]

Bravo to you for seeking counseling, I am sure that will give you a lot of strategies and help you turn your attention to what emotional holes you turned to food to fill. My dietician told me to remember that "food is not entertainment". I was at the right emotional place to truly hear that message, and you might not be there yet. I recognize that I used to "treat" myself to food for any reason, a reward for getting through the week, a night out with my husband, a treat to myself for a job well done, a treat when I was tired, a treat when I was bored. Now I have to be very cautious about my thinking. Is my body telling me I need to go to bed? (I used to misread that signal as hunger all the time.)

You've recognized your weaknesses, now look at WHY you are getting the munchies. Are there emotional triggers or times of day that you want to eat more? Try using My Fitness Pal to track your calories, carbs, and Proteins throughout the day. Use it several times a day to write down everything you eat and drink. It helps me pace myself if I don't wait until the end of the day to record everything.

Also, when I need something sweet, I eat Quest chocolate chip cookie dough Protein Bars. OMG! Soo good. (Especially heated for 10 seconds. YUM.) And they provide a Protein boost which seems to fill me up.

Good luck!

Amy