I have had my lap band for about three years now, and I am very pleased with the results. I'm 5'8" and weighed 297 at my highest, and now I'm down to 215. I've gone from a size 22/24 to wearing a size 14 jean (something I haven't done since I was 14), size 16 top. I lose weight super slowly, about a pound a month. And until recently I was ok with that since I have been loosing and it works without gaining.

But recently, I have gotten frustrated. Maybe it is because I'm trying to get pregnant and I am thinking of my health. before the band, I had high blood pressure , I took meds for GERD and a bunch of other stuff. Now I am on much less, no PPIs, no high blood pressure. I am much healthier.. but I still need to lose 30-45 pounds. That is my goal health wise and vanity wise.

I haven't lost weight for a couple of months, and now that I finished student teaching and I'm taking a break this summer from research I am focusing on me.

I think my ice cream addiction is a big problem. I have a good fill level, though I might want a baby fill as in the last couple of weeks I can eat small amounts of bread. But I try to focus on getting in my servings of fruit and veg. I drink plenty of milk. And then I think of healthy Snacks, etc. And I go and eat ice cream instead or later. I cant stand the thought of no ice cream ever, but I would love to limit it to 1 serving every other day, as compared to the 3 servings I had today.

I try to buy less, but then I find myself going to the store or drive through to get more. I chart calories-- I try to eat less of other foods. Not healthy. My husband might be supportive if I really insist (now if I say I want ice cream, he says, ok, pick me up a malt. As I lose weight, he gains a belly).

So what are some strategies to limit this o so addictive food? Cookies I can just not buy and thats ok, but this is different somehow. I need help!

For me, I buy the Skinny Cow or WW ice cream in single servings, like the nutty buddies, the ice cream cookie bars, etc. Then I allow myself one per day as my snack.

I could never be trusted with ice cream in a 1/2 gallon or quart container. How could I stop? ha ha

Are you exercising? I am allowing myself some treats, including ice cream, but I make sure that I exercise to work off the extra calories. I am also denying myself my daily Sonic cups of ice or iced tea because I was finding myself also getting an ice cream cone when I'd go to get my cup of ice (which I would mix with crystal light and water).

I don't have a good answer though because I do struggle with my sweet tooth. Sometimes I think you just have to take it an hour at a time (because even one day is hard to tackle all at once).

Is there something you've been wanting to buy yourself but haven't allowed yourself to buy? Perhaps you can create you a little piggy bank that each time you skip the ice cream, you put the money you would have spent into the bank, and once you've saved up enough, buy what you were wanting, as long as it's not an ice cream! lol

Good luck with it! I feel your pain.

I LOVE ice cream too! So I've limited myself to the Skinny Cows [cones or sandwiches] and only one a day. Every once in a while my husband will make me a sundae. He makes a small sundae in a jelly glass. This way I don't get too close to the quart or half gallon. Oh.... and he hides the bulk ice cream in the freezer. He knows I won't dig through to find it!

Good luck!

thanks for the ideas, so far I a doing well-- no ice cream yesterday, and today I have only had one 100 cal fudgesicle. If I do well the rest of today then I decided tomorrow I am allowed to use the cold stone creamery gift card thats burning a hole in my pocket. But then I need to be good through the weekend.

Maybe you could tie your ice cream eating to your wanting to get pregnant. I do this when I have one thing I want more than another such as, "If I don't eat ice cream daily I will have a better chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby so I will limit my ice cream eating to one day a week" Then when the urge hits ask yourself "Ice cream or baby? Which one do I want more?"

These "mind tricks" help me, maybe they can help you too.

I agree with a previous poster that purchasing single serving ice cream will help to control your serving sizes. I am preband and use protein shakes as a meal replacement. Some of the recipes I use are quite frappe/ice cream shake like. Here's an example: frozen milk cubes; frozen fruit flavored soda water (sweetened with splendra); Davinci suger free syrups, suger free chocolate syrup, fat free/suger free pudding powder, chocolate protein powder, fat free milk, spendra. I use a single serving Hampton Beach blender. Personally I think it tastes pretty good. Calories about 220 calories. Even if you were having it as a snack you would come out better then having ice cream and you would get 30 grams of protein.

If you have a Golden Spoon near you, and If you must have some ice cream, their Peanut Butter Cup is great. I haven't had it since surgery but I had it a lot on weight watchers. It is the best.

Ice cream had always been my downfall as well..my treat was going to be when I had lost 100 lbs I would treat myself. So I made it..hit that marker and found out that my band doesn't like ice cream!! Now how many bandsters do you know that can't handle ice cream???? All I did was slim for 45 minutes off of 3 bites!! Of course I tell my surgeon this and he looks at me and says.. Now Michele I don't want you to be able to eat ice cream! and I reply with...can't I treat myself a little after losing 100 lbs..and he cracks a little smile (a little one) and says Yeah I know you do very well with your "lifestyle change diet plan" but I am happy to hear that you can't eat the ice cream it will help you in the long run! I do love my Dr but he is strict with me and I prefer that!! I guess the only solution I can offer is do not buy the ice cream..replace it with sf products..popsicles. That is only thing I can think of. Sorry.

Two words.. Cool Whip. Low carb curbs cravings.. I am trying to come up with a low carb high protien recipe so staytuned.

I'm not sure that I'd advise finding lower-calorie, lower-fat, lower-sugar alternatives. If you've got an addictive issue, it might be time to seriously consider excising ice cream from your life.

Will it be hard? Sure, at first. But as a former sugarholic who hasn't touched the stuff since December, I can tell you that it is doable, and it gets easier with each passing day.

Don't give something as insignificant as ice cream power over your success. It's not rational. You are an adult. You do have the power to say NO to foods that sabotage your success. Exercise that power.

I just buy single serving ice cream like skinny cow or WW. I am always going to be able to eat ice cream I am not perfect so I allow myself a treat if i went to the gym and have been being good on all other parts of the "plan"

I understand where you are. I certainly agree with everyone else. Try Skinny Cow if you really MUST...but if you can manage, try to take a walk first, or go in your closet and try on clothes first. That usually drives me to change my mind about the ice cream, and makes it less desirable if I can find ONE thing in my closet that fits better than it did. If you can, try a popsicle instead. I like the Dole Fruit Bars or even a sugar free popsicle. Not a yummy as ice cream, but it may help a little bit. I wish I had the answer for you regarding your family support, but I experience the same thing here. Sometimes I wish I could have my hubby tell me that I don't need it, or that he would gently suggest that maybe I could have something else instead if I am truly hungry. Instead, he opts to say nothing. I know it's difficult, but you will make it through this. Keep yourself strong, and everything will fall back into place.

I started buying the Skinny Cow & Weight Watchers small cups so that I can still get my ice cream fix but it's portion controlled.

Ice cream is the DEVIL!

I am an ice cream snob and only like the really good stuff too. I HATE sugar free or fat free or any of that diet crap.

I am going to try the cool whip idea, and maybe the small blue bell single servings.

Let's not let ice cream conquer us!

Wow - I am the exact same way. I have such an addiction to ice-cream! For me, I like to feel like I can have as much as I want, so I buy Kroger no-sugar-added cream pops. They are only 20 calories each, so I can have several and still not have too many calories. I literally have 4 boxes of them in the freezer right now so that I never run low. If I do, then I end up getting real ice-cream and it is disastrous. Good luck!