Hi I am in need of some advice I am addicted to sweets! I use sweets as my comfort food and I am not sure how to start now giving it up so it will be easier after surgery.

With any previous dieting prior to surgery once I went 3-4 days without sugar/candy/sweets etc... my cravings would go away. Just getting it out of my system really helped. Happy to say now I've not had those cravings having gone without for a while. Good luck with your journey. (just posted this on your blog post as well)

You pose a great question. How do we go about developing new and healthier habits so that our surgeries and weight loss are successful long term?

I used to get a low blood sugar feeling every few hours and would seek out the closest sugary substance I could find. I was incorrigible. This fed into my food addiction and at some points, gave me the excuse to stuff my face. I started counseling a few years ago for food addiction and it really helped me a lot. My social worker taught me cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and mindfulness. I also changed my diet to higher Protein lower carb. Slowly the low blood sugar feeling started to go away and when I looked at sweets I didn't reach out for them subconsciously like I used to. I think both the CBT and the diet change helped me physically and mentally. I did still like to eat sweet things but the pull wasn't so complete as before.

Then I started the pre-surgery liquid diet. After 2 weeks I really started to detest sweet tasting things since I was drinking [artificially] sweet Protein shakes all day. To this day I will reach for savory over sweet. The spell has been broken. If it happened for me it can happen for you too!

Here's a great book I read when I started therapy. The great thing about CBT and mindfulness is most people can learn to do it themselves:

http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Eating-Rediscovering-Relationship-Food--/dp/1590305310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375367684&sr=8-1&keywords=food+addiction+mindfulness

I wish you best of luck!!

I had the same issue and presurgery goal. I wanted something sweet with every meal, including breakfast, plus sweets in between. I began by replacing my multiple diet mountain dews with crystal light. This was actually easier than I thought it would be because I loved carbonation too. And the crystal light did not leave me with the same sweet craving pop did. I also started buying more fruit to have when a sweet craving hit. My faves were bananas apples and mandarin oranges. And of course stopped buying chocolate 'for my kids' that I ate the majority of. It really worked well for me and I got past the craving faster than I thought I could. I would still have the occasional cupcake or other sweet but was able to be satisfied with just one splurge and am still doing well post surgery. If I crave a sweet now I can have a bite or two and be ok instead of obsessing on sweets the rest of the day.

I'd like to say there is an easy way but we both know the only way to get them out of your body is to completely stop consuming them. The above poster is right, after 3 or 4 days you will be fine. Not going to lie and say it will be easy but during the time you are cleansing yourself, you may want to think about an activity or something else to consume so you know what your game plan is.

Good luck, it will be so worth it!

I agree with Newat52. The only way is to cleanse your body of the sugars so that your body/mind won't crave them. Once you're at that point you won't even miss it. It's hard the first few days, but it's easy after that.

Only thing I have to add is look for something to fill the hole that food leaves. Make a list of soothing things you enjoy that are calorie free. When the urge for a sweet hits, refer to the list and pick something.

Lynda

I gave up all processed sugar and flour on my pre op diet and now that I am almost 5 months out and can eat anything. I still have not had one single bite of a cracker, bread, chip or anything with processed sugar or flour. It is my slippery slope. I made myself a promise not to consume anything of the like until year's end. I think I need that time for me to adapt to my new me. I don't miss it right now and am ok but yesterday, I almost buckled and gave in as to not hurt someone's feelings.

I have a group of friends and we meet for lunch once a month. We Celebrate birthdays, usually with just a card and small gift. My birthday is next week so we were celebrating mine. One of the ladies brought me a fancy cupcake with candles on it. I just cringed inside but thanked her. None of them know about my surgery but they do know that I have changed my diet. She was already annoyed with me because she had chosen the restaurant I commented that I was looking for a Pasta free dish and she asked why? I simply told her that I was not consuming any processed flour or sugar for the remainder of the year. She made a little comment about how it wouldn't hurt. I just said thanks but there is a great looking Cobb salad and changed the subject.

About 5 minutes later it hit her that I may not eat the cupcake. She asked loudly so are you NOT going to eat that cupcake then? It got everyone's attention so now, all eyes were on me. I had to decide at that moment which was more important to me. My promise to myself or cave in and let someone pressure me? I decided in that moment that I was more important and worth keeping my promise to myself and just said, No, since I have made the commitment to not consume processed sugar this year, I would love to share it with you all or I can take it home and freeze it, it was so sweet of you to think of me though.

She snapped at me and said, "well, I think you should eat anything you want, just eat less and you'll be fine." That pissed me off so I told her, "thank you, but I AM eating anything I want, however, I am also NOT eating what I don't want and I am very happy with my decision." That shut her up. A few minutes later I think she realized she was out of line and said, "you know, you should do what's right for you and I didn't mean to sound like I was telling you what to do." This is the place my mouth usually will get me in trouble but I just smiled and said, "thank you for saying that and I am doing what is right for me."

I felt like It was a big victory for me, in realizing that I am worth following through with me! So, does this qualify as NSV??

I agree by the time you drink so many sweet shakes previous to surgery, that sweets are less appealing. Since surgery I hardly ever crave sweets, or anything starchy. I am so grateful.

I gave up all processed sugar and flour on my pre op diet and now that I am almost 5 months out and can eat anything. I still have not had one single bite of a cracker' date=' bread, chip or anything with processed sugar or flour. It is my slippery slope. I made myself a promise not to consume anything of the like until year's end. I think I need that time for me to adapt to my new me. I don't miss it right now and am ok but yesterday, I almost buckled and gave in as to not hurt someone's feelings.

I have a group of friends and we meet for lunch once a month. We celebrate birthdays, usually with just a card and small gift. My birthday is next week so we were celebrating mine. One of the ladies brought me a fancy cupcake with candles on it. I just cringed inside but thanked her. None of them know about my surgery but they do know that I have changed my diet. She was already annoyed with me because she had chosen the restaurant I commented that I was looking for a Pasta free dish and she asked why? I simply told her that I was not consuming any processed flour or sugar for the remainder of the year. She made a little comment about how it wouldn't hurt. I just said thanks but there is a great looking Cobb salad and changed the subject.

About 5 minutes later it hit her that I may not eat the cupcake. She asked loudly so are you NOT going to eat that cupcake then? It got everyone's attention so now, all eyes were on me. I had to decide at that moment which was more important to me. My promise to myself or cave in and let someone pressure me? I decided in that moment that I was more important and worth keeping my promise to myself and just said, No, since I have made the commitment to not consume processed sugar this year, I would love to share it with you all or I can take it home and freeze it, it was so sweet of you to think of me though.

She snapped at me and said, "well, I think you should eat anything you want, just eat less and you'll be fine." That pissed me off so I told her, "thank you, but I AM eating anything I want, however, I am also NOT eating what I don't want and I am very happy with my decision." That shut her up. A few minutes later I think she realized she was out of line and said, "you know, you should do what's right for you and I didn't mean to sound like I was telling you what to do." This is the place my mouth usually will get me in trouble but I just smiled and said, "thank you for saying that and I am doing what is right for me."

I felt like It was a big victory for me, in realizing that I am worth following through with me! So, does this qualify as NSV??[/quote']

Yes!!