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Turning Off The Cravings!



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I will by a week post op tomorrow! I'm doing well and feeling pretty good, however! For those of you that have been successful, how do you get a handle on cravings? The tv commercials, driving past resturants, all my favorites are everywhere!!! I asked the dietician for advice. She stated, the surgery only works on the stomach not the mind... Well duh! She also suggested I turn off the tv! I dont watch a lot but am still recovering and not back to work.

After time does this urge diminish? Does anyone have tips or advice on getting through the 'mental' aspect? Thanks!

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i totally changed my mind! i made the decision to be healthy which means eat healthy! i make treats but healthy versions. look up recipes of things you enjoy that you can eat now. my treat is sugar free peppermint patties, yummy!!! good luck

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I feel they did something to my brain as well as my stomach. I crave good things. I won't lie I had about 4 slice of pizza but not like everytime I pass the pizza pallor I want a slice no. I can live with out it. I bought it for my kids & didn't even have 1 bite. I have mind control. food commercial I think of all the fat sodium calories it's a turn off.

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When I was recovering, I watched a lot of the food Network. I started to notice that I was craving food around week three. I'm about 5 weeks post op now and I have finally come to the realization that I no longer live to eat! I am not in eat to live mode! :blink: Food just doesn't have the same hold on me that it once did. My attitude towards food has changed so much. It just amazes me every day! This surgery has been an incredible blessing! :D

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It's a mind thing. Some days I have cravings, some days I don't. I just remind myself that I don't want to get sick. I've never dumped and don't want to. LOL. If I am having a REAL bad craving for something, I bite of something usually kills it.

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I agree with what everyone has said so far. Its so important to get ahold of that mind!!! We have used food for everything to comfort us when we are sad happy indifferent. Have to find a new friend to be by our side. Its a hard tough battle but one that can be won!!

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I crave food maybe cause i hate this damn liquid diet! I am 6days post op and i can't wait for soft foods! But i have already said good by to the foods i can no longer eat! I've been trying to look on the bright side and find the things i can eat. I looked up the nutrition facts for the restaurants i usually go to so i know what my options are. Some are things i like to eat just minus the bread and what not lol that made me feel better cause now i know i just have one more week before i can enjoy some of those things :-) try that it helped me!

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Thanks all! I understand that overtime my 'mind' will change but like I said I'm a week out. It will be sometime before I can nip my crave in the bud with one bite! With time it will get easier, just have to keep telling myself that.

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Sbsmith! That great advice! Thank you! September 26th?

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Yep we have the same date! I'm allready doing my shopping for next week when I'm on soft foods :-) can't wait! Lol

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I'm supposed to do puréed prior to soft, which would start next Wednesday, my husband is eating garlic breadsticks. It's killing me!

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I don't sit with my kids when they eat i go to my room. I don't know how you do it!

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It was torture! Next time I will go somewhere else! He is 5'10 and 180lbs so of course he can eat what he wants and burns it all off working the next day!

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Commercials drove me insane. It gets better. I'm almost 4 months post op and i still have cravings sometimes... but not nearly as maddening. What you need to do is find food that is good for you that's also delicious. Example, I like to mix meatballs with mozzarella and parmesan and a little Tomato sauce - completely cures my pizza cravings. I also make kale chips which cures my potato chip cravings

- Kaylee Ann ~ Surgiversary: 6/11/12

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Though I refuse to drive my friends to any fast food places, especially taco bell. I'd just die

- Kaylee Ann ~ Surgiversary: 6/11/12

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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