My cravings have been nuts the past week and a half. They jumped to an uber intensity on Tuesday when I did a shoot where I was surrounded by every possible dessert in the world. I'm almost 8 months out from surgery and I can confidently say that I've never had cravings like this. I feel like I'm PMSing - I have minor cramps, am super irritable, and I'm having serious chocolate cravings - but because my hormones are so out of whack I can't say for sure. I was told that WLS patients may have crazy periods, sometimes twice a month, but my experience has been the exact opposite. I'm two weeks late. Again. But that doesn't seemed to have stopped the PMS. I'm also obsessively craving Peanut Butter, which is new. I've been very lucky in that, for eight months, I haven't really had cravings. I see something that looks tasty, feel a brief pang over not being able to enjoy it, and then move on. This is been entirely different and very unpleasant. Now everything that tastes even mildly good I have to fight with myself not to go back for second helpings. How do you ladies deal with intense cravings? It's mostly peanut butter and chocolate - I know there are good alternatives but I'm already eating 1200 calories a day which I think may be on the high end for 8 months out, so I'm reluctant to add any more. Suggestions? Advice? Witty comments?

Edited September 26, 201510 yr by Indieflickers

Many years ago I had intense pms cravings, for the usual chocolate stuff, but also hot, spicy mexican food, which is strange because I dont like spicy stuff !! Thank goodness thats over with ! If I did have the PB and chocolate cravings, I would look into a healthy alternative if possible. How about a natural food store that sells organic chocolate and PB ? I like the Paul Newman organic chocolates, I think they're made by his daughter Nell Newman .Also look into making your own healthy treats, that way you can control what goes into them. I use a powdered PB in my smoothies called PB2 with premium chocolate ( Target ) 85 % less fat calories, 45 calories per 2 Tbls. Really rich ! Maybe Google some recipes ? Good luck !!!

@@pink dahlia I have PB2, I've just never really used it. I should probably try it in my shake tomorrow! I was furiously googling healthy treats but it was making the cravings worse so I had to take a break.

What would happen if you did have a bit of chocolate and pb ? Would it make the cravings worse ? Or would they settle down ?

@@pink dahlia that's an excellent question. I may tried a controlled test - Sprouts Market sells individual packets of different peanut butters, including a chocolate PB. I figured I'd kill two birds and try it. See what that does.

I like WonderSlim dark chocolate protein pudding made with PB2, it tastes really rich. Have you considered trying chocolate flavored calcium chews. I find that between the calcium supplements, pudding, and chocolate shakes, I don't feel deprived of chocolate.

@InnerSurferGirl I actually became a little too infatuated with the chocolate calcium chews. Once I started including them in my daily calorie count (they definitely have calories and I kept ignoring that because they're vitamins) that helped scale them back. I looked at the WonderSlim but they're made with sucralose and I try really hard to limit my sucralose intake because it gives me headaches. Too bad really, I wanted to try their Irish cream hot chocolate.

Edited September 27, 201510 yr by Indieflickers

If I get that kind of craving, I mix Peanut Butter with chocolate Protein powder and roll it into little balls no bigger than a walnut. One - at the most two - fills me up for a while.

@@MissMac that's a good idea! I hadn't thought of that.

@@pink dahlia I bought a few of the I Love Peanut Butter individual peanut butter packets last night. Weirdly, the act of just buying them kind of satiated the craving. I had one of the this morning when the craving hit and that seemed to help. I'm really hoping these cravings are period related and temporary.

Even now, 9 mo's out of surgery, I still have my times of cravings. I have found that if I'm too strict on myself, not caving to some of those cravings, then that want and need is 100 X's worse. But....if I give in and have say a section of a candy bar, or a bite size any bar...then I don't feel so "forced" to do anything and it's more bearable. I've also found that when I follow my diet to the T and don't lose, if I have some carbs or food that's "forbidden" I lose again. It's our body's way of saying wow....you're not starving me after all.

@@Graciesmom04 that's a good point!