Hi

I had a lap band done two years ago and had lost over 85lbs, but I now find myself gaining again due to my addiction to ice cream that I just don't seem to be able to give up. Can anyone help with idea's of how to dump the ice cream habit? Please email me at: dkgingras@comcast.net

David

Stop going down the frozen food isle and stop buying it. Sorry, that's all I can say, because thats what I had to do. I gained back 20 pounds because of eating lots of ice cream. Its just not worth it, I've lost fifteen of that now because i got a fill and stopped eating the stuff. If you do buy it go for the fat free, sugar free...whatever, usually it doesnt taste as good so you dont eat as much or you think of that taste when you think of eating ice cream and it slowly loses its apeal.

I'm an addict, and happy to be one! I usually do go for the sugar-free kind, though, and fat-free if I can get it. Frozen yogurt is another good bet. And after so many months of this sort of strategy, the regular kind of ice cream now tastes too rich.

Don't give it up, work it in is my strategy. I have it almost every day. If I have a frozen yogurt after work, though, I don't have any after dinner. If I don't go by TCBY, I'll have it for dessert. Like with any habit you want to break, though, it might be easier to go cold turkey at first. JUST SAY NO!

I am sorry to say I have no words of wisdom. If it makes you feel any better though, this is a problem food for alot of us. I guess Alexandra is right -- try to buy the lites and just wean yourself down. Maybe if it isn't your favorite, you will give it up sooner or later. DH swears by SF popsicles -- doesn't do it for me, but it's worth a try...........

Avoidance all together is usually the best way. I haven't had ice cream in a very long time. I know I am one bite away from a binge on this one. I do have sugar free popsicles. Nothing like ice cream, so doesn't make me want more.

SO, JUST SAY NO TO ICE CREAM

Yep, for me, one serving just leads to another and another and another. The only way I can beat the demon is to steer clear all together. I do have it on occasion, but I can honestly say it's one of the problem foods that has kept me from losing ALL my excess weight so far. It's a trade off, is it worth it to you??

If you give in and buy some, as soon as you get home, open the container and sprinkle salt over the ice cream. I gua-ran-tee you will not eat that ice cream.

Before surgery I would hide the ben and jerrys behind the frozen dinners thinking my husband would not find it! I was eating a pint at least 3 - 4 times per week. I still am addicted to ice cream , but I no longer buy it. I just plain leave it in the store. I buy the "skinney cows" (mint flavor) and have one a few times per week. I miss my dear friends "Ben and Jerry", but I am better off without them!!

I have found that my 1/2 cup of ice cream is much larger than the individual 1/2 cups of the prepackaged kind. You're less likely to get another little cup and tend to eat it much slower. I buy the little cups in a bag of about 10 and only 1 per evening.

I think most of us have that same addiction, ice cream. I have said good bye to Ben & Jerry on several occasions and it's been hard. I have tried the low fat, no sugar and even popcycles but nothing satisfies that sweet tooth for me like my friends Ben & Jerry.

Because Ben & Jerry is so expensive in my area, I will only buy it if it's on sale and then I make that pint last for at least 4 servings. And that's only if I've been good all around the board and can count that in as part of my calories for the day.

I think we got the band because we wanted some discipline but we still wanted to enjoy some of our favorite foods. It's not always easy and I don't always do the right thing but every now and then Ben & Jerry & I are going to get it on!!!

AXE IT! COLD TURKEY BABY, COLD! (lol @ cold)

Hi

Get sugarfree icecream.....nutrasweet makes icecream that has 70 calories per 100 grams and well you can have 200 grams a day which is a lot if you just plan for it...........

Anytime I find myself 'addicted' to anything, especially if it's hindering my weight loss, I cut it out completely. Just for a while. Go like at least a month without it, and then slowly work it back in a little if I feel like I want to have it. I've done this with ice cream, alcohol and candy. My fiance has this HUGE back of reese's peanut butter cups in the fridge, it's been there almost 2 weeks now, and I think I've had all of 5 of them.

I'd recommend finding a frozen yogurt shop in your area. That way you have to go OUT and make it an event to get the sweet stuff. And usually they have options that are like ten calories per serving or something incredibly miniscule like that. If you want to splurge, you can get strawberries or sprinkles on top or something.

But bottom line is, if you want to lose weight, stop buying ice cream. You're shooting yourself in the foot.

Ideas from a fellow Ice cream addict:

1)ADD FRUIT: What i used to do was to add fruit to the ice cream... strawberries or other berries, bananas, etc. That gives you bulk so that you can't fit that much in your pouch. I found that with fruit, I'd be totally stuffed if I had a kiddie sized cup.

2)DON'T HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE: Make yourself go out for it...and when you do, vow to only order the small or kiddie size. AS an added incentive, give yourself some other goal to achieve before you can treat yourself... like xyz minutes of cardio or weights, must have drunk xyz oz of Water, etc.

3)BUY INDIVIDUAL PORTIONS: My biggest problem was the never-ending pint. I'd eat the whole pint. But if I bought some form of ice cream bar or novelty, there was more acknowledgment of what a healthful/normal serving was. I knew I was on my second or third serving when I went back to the fridge...whereas with the pint, before I knew it, my spoon was scraping the bottom.

4)EAT IT CONSCIOUSLY: No Tv, no radio, no distractions. Try using a baby spoon (can buy a gazillion plastic ones for like $2). Savor it. You may find that you don't even like it (really!)... or that you prefer different flavors, lower fat versions, whatever. gaiam.com has a conscious eating set with meditations and cards... might be helpful

4)TRY LOW-FAT: Haagen-Dazs, Edy's/Dreyer's Slow-Churned Low-Fat versions, Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt/Low Fat (Body & Soul?)... all are really yummy. If you combine them with fruit, it's actually a pretty healthful treat. You could have a 1/2 cup of low-fat ice cream/yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries and you'd be out about 160 calories or so.

Skinny Cows...Skinny Cows....LOVE THEM!!!

They absolutely satisfy my ice cream cravings. I do like the mint ones, but the plain old vanilla are sooo yummy!

The other "cow" product that helps with another of my food addictions (cheese) is laughing cow cheese. Give these a try, you won't regret it.