I'm three months out from Gastric Bypass surgery and have discovered, for better or worse, that I do not dump. I absolutely love chocolate, and have mixed feelings now that I know I can eat it with no problem. For the past couple of weeks, I've had a little chocolate almost every day. A Hershey kiss or two. So far, I'm still losing, and much happier that I can still eat chocolate. I feel like I can control myself around chocolate better than before surgery (so far). It seems like I'm the only person on these boards that "cheats" regularly. Am I?

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to post such supportive messages and offer your insight and great advice! I'm going to print this thread out so I can really look at what each of you said. I learned a lot from most of you and so appreciate your support and kindness! So far, eating a little chocolate has saved me from feeling deprived and bingeing. I do log every day, and have been able to fit a little chocolate in after my Protein. I also do cardio 4 days a week til I burn at least 600 calories as well as lifting weights 2-3 times a week. I'm down 50 pounds as of today, almost half way there! Thanks so much to (most of) you for your kind support, you really warmed my heart! Good luck and God Bless!

If doesn't trigger you and you're working out, I can't see it hurting...

I didn't have this surgery so I had to deprive myself, I had it so I could eat normally, like everyone else. So, as long as it isn't a trigger to binge and eat a bag full, there's nothing wrong with a Hershey's kiss or two. If you're sticking with your program, eating well, exercising, it all falls in to place (in my program nothing is forbidden, just eaten in moderation). If you find you are eating more and more of the forbidden fruit, your weight loss is stalling, you're allowing your old eating habits to take control, you may find that you need to kick these foods out completely. But as long as you're controlling them and they aren't controlling you, I don't see a problem.

That said, I do recommend following your doc and program....if you're not supposed to eat cuz until xxx then be very careful and do what is recommended.

You're doing well, keep it up!

I didn't have this surgery so I had to deprive myself, I had it so I could eat normally, like everyone else. So, as long as it isn't a trigger to binge and eat a bag full, there's nothing wrong with a Hershey's kiss or two. If you're sticking with your program, eating well, exercising, it all falls in to place (in my program nothing is forbidden, just eaten in moderation). If you find you are eating more and more of the forbidden fruit, your weight loss is stalling, you're allowing your old eating habits to take control, you may find that you need to kick these foods out completely. But as long as you're controlling them and they aren't controlling you, I don't see a problem.

That said, I do recommend following your doc and program....if you're not supposed to eat cuz until xxx then be very careful and do what is recommended.

You're doing well, keep it up!

This is true. You have to know yourself and your own weaknesses. I know I can't have 'just a little taste' of a trigger food so, knowing my weakness, it's my choice to avoid trigger foods completely. If you can have a little treat and stop, and if you are otherwise following your program (exercising, vitamins, protein, and fluids), then do what works for you. We are all different - I cannot criticize another for doing what I can't do, if it is working for them. Best of luck to everyone and Happy Holidays! :-)

This is true. You have to know yourself and your own weaknesses. I know I can't have 'just a little taste' of a trigger food so, knowing my weakness, it's my choice to avoid trigger foods completely. If you can have a little treat and stop, and if you are otherwise following your program (exercising, Vitamins, Protein, and fluids), then do what works for you. We are all different - I cannot criticize another for doing what I can't do, if it is working for them. Best of luck to everyone and Happy Holidays! :-)

Potato chips and Funyuns are banned from my house. I cannot stop at a portion or two or three. Even with my dumping issues I will continue to eat them and make myself physically ill. On the flip side, I sat inches from a bag of rolos and a bag of Hershey's kisses for 9 hours at work yesterday an ate 2 rolo's all day. We have to discovered and redevelop our relationships with food. What I cannot control (no one can eat just one!!!) I must avoid, what I can control and maintain a healthy relationship with is fair game. I have a similar philosophy in relationships with people, only the healthy relationships are allowed to be part of my life

We're all on a similar journey, but where we came from and the detours and obstacles we meet can be very different. Merry Christmas and happy holidays my friends!

Thanks ladies! You're pretty much echoing my thoughts. I know it's a slippery slope that I need to stay aware of. I truly appreciate your support and thank you for giving me your perspectives and a lot to think about! Merrt Christmas to all of you!

Thanks ladies! You're pretty much echoing my thoughts. I know it's a slippery slope that I need to stay aware of. I truly appreciate your support and thank you for giving me your perspectives and a lot to think about! Merrt Christmas to all of you!

I am approaching 20 months post surgery. I am at 149.6 lbs. I eat chocolate. After I eat my protein, my veggies, and my fruit. I usually stay within my calories. I step on the scale every day. I do not do carbs as a rule. But I do eat a small piece or two of dark chocolate. Deprive yourself and you won't stay on track. The key is moderation.

Potato chips and Funyuns are banned from my house. I cannot stop at a portion or two or three. Even with my dumping issues I will continue to eat them and make myself physically ill. On the flip side, I sat inches from a bag of rolos and a bag of Hershey's kisses for 9 hours at work yesterday an ate 2 rolo's all day. We have to discovered and redevelop our relationships with food. What I cannot control (no one can eat just one!!!) I must avoid, what I can control and maintain a healthy relationship with is fair game. I have a similar philosophy in relationships with people, only the healthy relationships are allowed to be part of my life

We're all on a similar journey, but where we came from and the detours and obstacles we meet can be very different. Merry Christmas and happy holidays my friends!

I have the same philosophy about food. Food is fuel to me. Not something to br feared or banned for life. With that said, I too have trigger foods and have steared clear of them. For example at work on Monday we had birthday cake for a co worker. Birthday cake is definitely a trigger food because I turned a piece down and havent stopped thinking about it since. Im glad I said no thank you because I couldn't have limited it to a bite. I have on the other hand had one small hershey kiss and was perfectly satisfied. I think it is helpful to know ones own weakness. And to say it sgain, this is our life. We need to live it and not think about food as good or bad. Everything in moderation and control.

I'm three months out from Gastric Bypass surgery and have discovered, for better or worse, that I do not dump. I absolutely love chocolate, and have mixed feelings now that I know I can eat it with no problem. For the past couple of weeks, I've had a little chocolate almost every day. A Hershey kiss or two. So far, I'm still losing, and much happier that I can still eat chocolate. I feel like I can control myself around chocolate better than before surgery (so far). It seems like I'm the only person on these boards that "cheats" regularly. Am I?

No, you're not the only one who cheats. I'm 6 months out and sunflower seeds and chips been my weakness, I've been bad and I know it, so I'm checking myself.

In defence of TurnThePage - I've been thinking about this thread a lot today, having read through the posts last night.

It strikes a chord with me as sugary food (including chocolate) is one of my big problems. I'm not an 'eat one or two chocolates and put the rest away' type of person, although I have tried many times. So, I exclude sugar from my diet knowing how addictive it is for me and how it increases insulin which lays down more fat (in layman's terms).

Since seeing my Dietician last week and realising that I really do have NO restriction and I'm not losing weight, I hit the 'oh sod it' button and let sugar back in. Ok, let's get some persepctive, it's only been ten days and I haven't binged on sweet stuff but it's right back in there, when for me, it is a huge contributor to my weight gain.

So, I read the posts and can relate and whilst some people have mentioned that TurnThePage's reply was less than helpful and I do have to agree that tact is perhaps something she could improve upon - it has actually been her words ringing in my ears today.

Regardless of what happens about my lack of restriction, I have just spent £11,500 pounds on a bypass. I was lucky enough to sail through the initial healing period and this isn't only a second chance, it's my last chance to solve this problem - and I do really want to solve it!

I realised she's right, I am sabotaging and once I'd realised that, I relaised why I hit the 'oh sod it' button and let sugar back in. And from there I realised that this behaviour only takes me further away from my goal of losing the weight.

So, it's her post that may have got me back on track and for that I can only be thankful.

Some people can be, well...blunt. And some people are sensitive and take offense. But here is a perfect example of a case where someone 'telling it as they see it' has helped someone. There is a place for everyone here. Different people have different perspectives that can make us see something in a way we might not have before. It may strike a cord with someone who is struggling and needed to hear it put just that way. We are here to support each other and share information. If we don't agree with a comment that's okay, we don't have to take it to heart - but someone else my need to hear it. :-)

In defence of TurnThePage - I've been thinking about this thread a lot today, having read through the posts last night.

It strikes a chord with me as sugary food (including chocolate) is one of my big problems. I'm not an 'eat one or two chocolates and put the rest away' type of person, although I have tried many times. So, I exclude sugar from my diet knowing how addictive it is for me and how it increases insulin which lays down more fat (in layman's terms).

Since seeing my Dietician last week and realising that I really do have NO restriction and I'm not losing weight, I hit the 'oh sod it' button and let sugar back in. Ok, let's get some persepctive, it's only been ten days and I haven't binged on sweet stuff but it's right back in there, when for me, it is a huge contributor to my weight gain.

So, I read the posts and can relate and whilst some people have mentioned that TurnThePage's reply was less than helpful and I do have to agree that tact is perhaps something she could improve upon - it has actually been her words ringing in my ears today.

Regardless of what happens about my lack of restriction, I have just spent £11,500 pounds on a bypass. I was lucky enough to sail through the initial healing period and this isn't only a second chance, it's my last chance to solve this problem - and I do really want to solve it!

I realised she's right, I am sabotaging and once I'd realised that, I relaised why I hit the 'oh sod it' button and let sugar back in. And from there I realised that this behaviour only takes me further away from my goal of losing the weight.

So, it's her post that may have got me back on track and for that I can only be thankful.

I agree with you 100%! The tact could be better but the message was and is accurate! I wish everyone would calm down on the hating and just read the messages cuz they are true and I believe well meaning! Good for you and hope this helps get you back on track and losing that weight!

Some people can be, well...blunt. And some people are sensitive and take offense. But here is a perfect example of a case where someone 'telling it as they see it' has helped someone. There is a place for everyone here. Different people have different perspectives that can make us see something in a way we might not have before. It may strike a cord with someone who is struggling and needed to hear it put just that way. We are here to support each other and share information. If we don't agree with a comment that's okay, we don't have to take it to heart - but someone else my need to hear it. :-)

Very well said!

I am 18 months post op and can eat anything I want. I am at goal weight and have only dumped once. I would say I am a chocolate nut as well!

I eat chocolate when I want to. There are times it gets out of control and I eat a little more than I should. This is usually around the time of the month for me. I usually crave sweets during that lovely time.

I do believe that it is all in how you look at things. I don't consider it cheating. Everything in moderation is normal. I believe if we continue to see it as "cheating" we set ourselves up to fail. We have spent so many years telling ourselves what we must "give up" or "deny" food. It is ingrained in us that we should feel guilty about having a piece of birthday cake on our birthday.

With all that said it can be a slippery slope. You must keep yourself in check and make sure you are eating the "guilty" food in moderation. I was several months post op when I went a little crazy and ate a lot of sweets. It started a spiral of guilty feelings and depressive thoughts. These boards help pull me back to reality. The reality was that I needed to figure out why had I started down that path. I discovered that I ate the sweets mainly when I was driving at work and stopped at a gas station. I would then buy sweets and eat them throughout the day. I counter acted this by logging foods and making sure I had snacks in my truck with me. I also found food that would satisfy my sweet tooth that was low in calories, and had other nutritional benefits.

Finally I would have a little conversation with myself to figure out why I wanted the food. If you deny yourself the food for the rest of your life then you will either go nuts and eat too much or you become obsessed about what you CAN NOT have.

We all paid money to have this surgery, but I mainly paid this money to gain my life back. Make sure you keep yourself in check which since you are posting asking questions means you are. Make sure you don't let anyone make you feel like you are doing everything wrong. Make sure you are following your doctors orders. Finally make sure you stay true to yourself, and remember we are human and not perfect little robots.

Congrats on your new life!

Well said!!!!!! I can relate to everything you said!!!