I was totally addicted to carbs. It was so bad that I could eat a pound of jelly Beans in an hour or tackle half a dozen donuts without a problem, except for the weight of course. My carb cravings caused many problems from back pain to acne, from weight gain to shortness of breath, not to leave out embarrassment when I realized that I had just emptied my host's candy dish or cookie tray all by myself. I got lucky and found a solution by changing my lifestyle. I'd like to hear from others about what they have done not to just conquer carb cravings, but to break the addiction. What did you do and how did it work?

Hugh

I too am a recovering carb-addict. I just had to quit cold turkey and avoid them at all cost. I would eat a whole pack of Oreo's in 1 or 2 sittings. I realized thing were getting bad when I was telling my kids not to eat anymore chips, cookies ect. then would leave the room to eat the stash I had in another room. The worst was when I realized at the end of a day that I had only eaten carbs that day (no meats, no fruit and no veggies.) Even now when carbs and snacks are around I have a really hard time.

That's a sugar addiction or an addiction to the sugar fat combo in the case of Oreos.

Carbs are an essential food group, your body needs them. But it only needs the right carbs - low GI wholegrains and the carbs in veges - and fruit in moderation too.

You hear so many people say taht the only way to beat a carb/sugar addiction is cold turkey. Boy that would be hard. I have great admiration for you.

I've a tendency to be like this too, I could easily eat a packet of Oreos in a sitting too - I could STILL do it now, with 2.9ml in my band. But I cant bear the thought of not eating any treats like that at all, I make a deal with myself. Since I know when I eat them I just dont eat them in moderation, I avoid them 99% of the time and when I do decide to indulge, I just really enjoy it, lol.

I find it hard to imagine a junk food addiction - greasy high fat fried stuff, or savoury things like chips. I'll eat them, yeah, but only if its all that's available and only till I"m not hungry, but Cookies, cake, donuts, thank GOODNESS the band makes a lot of those cakey type foods near impossible to eat because I dont think I could have broken my addiction to them any other way.

Jachut, so true, to quit the carb addiction cold turkey is HARD! For me, I didn't play favorites; cakes, Cookies, donuts, chips, crackers, candy, chocolate - I can eat lots of all of them. Luckily, I found out about low GI foods and it's made all the difference since I don't have the physical cravings. Although it's now a head game, I too have to stay away from them. My wife bought a small brownie cake for my birthday last week and I was able to limit myself one little piece, but we got rid of the rest so the temptation was gone!

PS Congrats on getting below your target.

Huggy

Luckily, I found out about low GI foods and it's made all the difference since I don't have the physical cravings.

True, the South Beach Diet is what most bariatric docs suggest. It's sure a whole heck of a lot better than that Usana stuff. That Usana is awful for bandsters. High fat, high sugar carbs, high calorie, and low Protein. Not to mention expensive.

The South Beach Diet allows bandsters to have solid foods which is what the band was designed for.

My "sugar" addiction includes many 'savory' items that just turn to sugar in your body -- Pasta, rice and potatoes, primarily.

But, like a true addiction, the more I eat, the more I crave.

If I were to bring home a case of Coke -- my personal black-tar heroin! -- I'd drink one today, three tomorrow and by the end of the week I'd be polishing off a six pack before lunch!! Therefore, certain things just can't be in the house!

But still, I can at times get so 'sugar' addicted that I have to 'go Atkins' on myself for 3 or 4 days just to break the cycle. Virtually nothing but Protein until I've beaten back the Beast one more time.

My "sugar" addiction includes many 'savory' items that just turn to sugar in your body -- Pasta, rice and potatoes, primarily.

But, like a true addiction, the more I eat, the more I crave.

If I were to bring home a case of Coke -- my personal black-tar heroin! -- I'd drink one today, three tomorrow and by the end of the week I'd be polishing off a six pack before lunch!! Therefore, certain things just can't be in the house!

But still, I can at times get so 'sugar' addicted that I have to 'go Atkins' on myself for 3 or 4 days just to break the cycle. Virtually nothing but Protein until I've beaten back the Beast one more time.

I'm the same way. I think one of the reasons the band has worked so well for me is that it happens to be that my addictions are the very foods the "Spawn Of Satan" (my band) refuses. White carbs. They don't go down no matter how hard I try. Needless to say, I learned early on not to try anymore.

I'm with you, if I don't eat them I don't crave them in the least.

Hey, question for you, I know you are getting banded Tuesday and it WILL happen this time. Are you being admitted or will your procedure be outpatient?

The reason I ask is if you are going to be admitted can you have hubby or someone come on line and tell us you actually GOT your band and you are doing well? If you will not be admitted, you will tell us on Tuesday that everything went as planned this time, right?

I didn't think I had a sugar addiction until I got the band. Then I was craving ice cream all the time. So I think mine was more about getting easy calories through..... Anyway, I certainly do much better with zero sugar.

Hey, question for you, I know you are getting banded Tuesday and it WILL happen this time. Are you being admitted or will your procedure be outpatient?

The reason I ask is if you are going to be admitted can you have hubby or someone come on line and tell us you actually GOT your band and you are doing well? If you will not be admitted, you will tell us on Tuesday that everything went as planned this time, right?

They told me to expect a night or two in the hospital. That's all I know to go by. And my hubby is SO not a forum type guy -- he could mount an expedition up Everest more readily than he could follow instructs to get here.

How about I PM you with his cell # -- you can call him or text message him tomorrow evening??? If the Houston Police answer his phone, you'll know the surgery didn't happen, cause he's prewarned the kids how to get their hands on bail money if this surgery does NOT happen AGAIN!!!

It's funny/sweet -- cause he's such a mellow, laid-back, diplomatic kind of guy. But he's SO sick of seeing all the hassle I've had to go through just to get approved, and then two surgery dates come and go with nothing but tears and sobbing. **sigh** just shows how sick he gets seeing me suffer.

Pam<----off to PM that info

I know full well the sugar thing. And the carb thing, I used to eat a cup of sugar and kool aid mixed together when i was young. I hi it from my parents. I remember still being in grade school and doing this, and also eating frosting by the jar. I'm sure there are many many other things as well. I know how ice cream can be too, SO easy to eat. Since I have good restriction, I do pretty well getting my protein an very small amount of carbs in every day, but to not drive myself crazy, I get a Ben and Jerry Creme' Brulee on the weekend. I don't do it everytime, but I feel so satisfied and strong when I have that and it oesn't turn into days of binging, just that one small container. (even though there are over 600 calories in it). It is really a treat for me, and it keeps me from blending or grinding up other high calorie stuff to overeat. Before I got the band, I read an incrediable book called "Sugar Blues", by William Duffy that really opened my eyes. The back cover reads..." Like opium, morphine and heroin, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet Americans consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread. If you are overweight, or suffer from migraine, hypoglycemia, or acne, the plague of sugar blues has hit you. In fact, by accepted diagnostic standards, our entire society is prediabetic..." It is a great book, but has some real contraversial stuff in too. I liked it. Anyways, I feel great and have a lot more energy and feel better now that my primary calories are protein, but I o allow sugar in occasionally, just because I know my own limits, and I have managed (with the band, of course) to be reasonable, but, it did take my band to get there, thank God for it.

Hey, read that book if sugar drives you crazy, you'll see why.

They told me to expect a night or two in the hospital. That's all I know to go by. And my hubby is SO not a forum type guy -- he could mount an expedition up Everest more readily than he could follow instructs to get here.

How about I PM you with his cell # -- you can call him or text message him tomorrow evening??? If the Houston Police answer his phone, you'll know the surgery didn't happen, cause he's prewarned the kids how to get their hands on bail money if this surgery does NOT happen AGAIN!!!

It's funny/sweet -- cause he's such a mellow, laid-back, diplomatic kind of guy. But he's SO sick of seeing all the hassle I've had to go through just to get approved, and then two surgery dates come and go with nothing but tears and sobbing. **sigh** just shows how sick he gets seeing me suffer.

Pam<----off to PM that info

Pam...

Got the PM! Thank you, I will be calling him tomorrow to see how you are doing.

I know a Houston Police Officer, I'll tell him to avoid the hospital tomorrow around your surgery time.

Remember! Third time is a charm!! It will happen this time or all of us are coming after your doc and hospital!

hi, I live in Parma; also a carb addict. I can eat 12 oz of chocolate covered raisins in one day! Had banding in July, doing high protein and really watching carbs because I am diabetic. I must avoid them or I will gorge on them. Brought my A1C down from 8.2 to 6.2 in 3 months and am grateful for the band.

Jugazi

This is one of my concerns, i know i am a carb addict, i am a type 2 diabetic, i know what i am not suppose to eat but still do... it would be so easy for me to eat a whole big bag of chips, or a whole package of cookies, i baked some no sugar no bakes, which of course still have sugar in them and at the whole batch in one day... bags of candies, all in one day, so on good days when i manage my carb attacks my blood sugars stay pretty good, but on those days of pure munchin... look out! it is the one thing i am concerned with after getting the band...