So every once in a while, my therapist says something that really hits home with me and she said something yesterday that has been rumbling around in my head since then and thought I would share.

I have a food addiction. Specifically to crunchy salty treats - Cheezits, Cheetos, Ruffles Potato chips, etc. I still on occasion binge on these items (and yes it is possible because these things crunch up in to tiny pieces). I lie to myself and say I will portion them out and eat them in reasonable portions and I always start that way, but in the end, I always grab the bag/box and finish them off. Sometimes I feel sick from it. Sometimes I don't. I don't want to do this, but yet probably once every 2 or 3 weeks, I do this. (I am 11 months post-op for those curious.) (Please don't post and lecture me about this. I know it is an issue and I am working on it. That is not the purpose of this post.)

Anyway, as my therapist and I were talking about this, she asked me to describe how I felt when I am approaching the snack aisle at the grocery store or the snack aisle at the gas station (when I am on a road trip for example) and after thinking about it, I answered "anxiety". What I mean is, I start feeling how much I want those Snacks and yet how much I don't need them and how I am going to be strong enough to avoid them.

She said "Think of the addiction as an outside force. This is something coming from outside of you and you need a strategy to overcome that voice. Some people come to me who have worked for months and months on just sheer willpower and come in completely exhausted. They just cannot fight with sheer willpower anymore." The exhaustion part of that statement is something I keep thinking about. How many of us did Weight Watchers or Atkins or South Beach or whatever diet and we did SO well but one day, we were just so exhausted with counting our points or our carbs and just gave in to the exhaustion and grabbed what we wanted, and then the next day and the next day and the next thing we knew we couldn't get back on track?

All along in this journey, I have feared maintenance. I mean I have lost weight before only to gain it back and then some. But she said to me I needed a mind shift. Don't live in this sheer willpower stage. It won't work. Understand that I have an addiction which comes from outside of me and figure out how to defeat it. My specific plan we came up with - when I am approaching that aisle and hear (or feel) that desire for the food, OUTLOUD say NO! (Ok, not so loud that others stare at me, but you see what I am saying) And then replace the thoughts with music - something to drown out the voice until the urge passes. She said to turn around and leave if I had to. I said "leave the grocery store if I am not through shopping?" and she said "absolutely - if you just cannot deal with it at that time, then leave. Leave your cart there or just checkout with what you have. You can come back later."

I haven't had to put this in to practice yet, but I have been thinking about music to put on my phone to get me through that (or that I can sing in my head). A theme song if you will to get me past it. Eventually this will all become a little easier - a little farther between the cravings. It already has - otherwise I wouldn't be down 141 pounds. I hope I defeat him completely someday. I am not sure if I will. For now the addict monster is still there and I am learning how to defeat him and wear him down a little at a time....

Early on after my surgery I learned from some of the posters here to avoid certain aisles when grocery shopping as @@gowalking stated above. It has helped tremendously. I also like the idea you shared of the audible "no" when really tempted. I will try that the next time I am sorely tempted to eat something that I really don't need.

For those of us who avoid the inner aisles of factory made crap, it would be manageable enough, but most stores (like Aldi's for example) line the entrance aisle with crap and you have to run the gauntlet to get to the real food. I just have to tell myself "Walk away from the chocolate....walk away from the chocolate....walk away from the chocolate.

My main weakness, however, was drive through's. It got to where I had to think of them as McPoison's, Poison King, Poison Bell, Poison Castle, etc.

I can't change the cravings, so I just had to change my perception of the product.

Mine is Cappuccino and it's sugar free but I drink more that one cup so I decided tonight no more so here's hoping

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I'm a firm believer that it's impossible to eat something at home that never leaves the grocery store, so I buy into that philosophy and I do avoid that aisle as much as possible.

That said, we all need to develop new habits that work over the long term and I find painful abstinence almost always fails during our weaker moments.

So here's another strategy that might work -- earn your carbs...

Basically, you're not fighting the carbs, you're fighting the "green light mindlessly consuming the entire bag". To me the key is not avoiding the potato chips like kryptonite, but rather removing the taboo by inserting consequences I can manage and live with.

1. I can eat as much as I want of anything, but if I'm over my goal weight, I MUST log it so I don't forget that I ate it. Yes, I have logged 7 ounces of potato chips and the 1200 calories that went with them.

2. If I do this, then I'm unlikely to eat anything bad when I'm near or over my goal weight, the risk comes when I'm down a few pounds.
3. If I'm 5-7 pounds below my goal weight, I might allow myself one of these evil indulgences, but do so deliberately, not mindlessly.
4. Understand that while I can have some anytime, I CAN NOT have as many as I want all the time unless I want to be obese all over again.
5. Mentally associate the consumption of these bad foods with the painful work that's required to consume them responsibly (working out an extra 30 minutes, counting calories for 2-3 days, etc).

Essentially, it's a mental exercise that teaches your brain to avoid these bad foods...

So far so good, but I'm only on month 3 of maintenance.

I am on Day 2 of the 5-day Pouch Test for the first time! I am doing this in hopes of getting my discipline back. I'm surprised at how well Day 1 went, though I did have a headache by the end of today and still have it now. and when I thought I was hungry, i knew it was mostly head hunger. I'm going to power through today knowing that I can have pureed foods tomorrow! Boy does this bring back memories!! lol

I say this because I used some of what you were all saying when I was at the grocery stores on SUnday, buying foods for this week. I was able to say NO out loud to most foods that seemed to be beckoning me. I did buy sugar free popsicles and sugar free fudgicles but that was in the book as something to do. And it really saved me! I even made Jello. I never do that and was surprised at how tickled I was to make it and then eat some because it brought back a lot of cool memories of my childhood. The pre-made jello never did that for me.

Anyway, thanks for the advice on some of this stuff!!

I love it. When I quit smoking, we called our addiction the nicodemon. What should we call this one?

I have the same problem with salty foods. There is a particular type of tortilla chip that I literally haven't eaten in 10 years because it isn't sold in small servings and the last time I bought one of those big bags I ate the entire thing in one day....yeah...I avoid the chip aisle like it is radioactive now.

I'm a store perimeter (with quick visits to the spices, tea aisle, and frozen foods) girl these days.

Edited May 10, 201610 yr by Katrinakit

What a great thread!!! I especially love the pretending elevators are invisible, (I have a very vivid I imagination so I've got this one) keeping the ice cream so you can say "I have that at home" and buying a magazine as a treat. Ladies.... You so rock. Protein shakes or smoothies for everyone!!!!! ;)

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@@Katrinakit Mmmmm Salty.... (in Homer Simpson's voice! lol)

Heheeee! And I see him in his mumu he wore when he hatched the scheme to get out of work by being overweight. I loved his doctors tips to gain weight... If you rub a food on a piece of paper and the paper is clear from the grease, it's a winner food! Hahaha!!!! Too bad life isn't just one long cartoon. Gosh I miss pita chips.

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@@jaxmom Bwah!!! That is too funny!

Great advice and feedback. I am afraid I completely gave in and didn't even bother trying any of these practices today. It is that darn road trip. I had to stop to go to the bathroom and promised myself I wouldn't get anything - but of course I did - even though I had healthier Snacks in the car! I logged it all and have already hit 1400 calories for the day by 4 p.m. and I have a charity event to go to tonight with a fixed menu (not buffet) so not many choices (and had lunch out with a client at a steakhouse where there were limited choices - I got grilled porkchops but they were covered in butter so likely I am actually over my calories because I have to just guess). Sad thing is, I am not even FULL! Of course I'm not - it is crunchy crap that grinds up really small! I have met my Protein goal for the day so I can try to completely avoid dinner, but that is unlikely. And I have no time for exercise as I left the house at 7 a.m. and won't be back home until 10 p.m. (I am actually home now but didn't have time to exercise and shower and get ready all over again.... I guess I could do a slow walk on the treadmill and try not to get sweaty). Anyway, severely disappointed in myself. Oh and not to mention I did this same snacking thing on Mother's Day! I have no self-control which is how this post started in the first place - willpower isn't the way I will do this obviously but I sure wish I could defeat this demon! The good news is, I am not going to wallow in it and continue to make bad choices today. I just have to make good choices for dinner and not just figure "I have already ruined the day - might as well keep going"....

Sorry I know this is more rambling. Just disappointed in myself...

OK. I'm on the treadmill now. It won't undo what I did but it's better than sitting on the couch pouting about it!

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Great advice and feedback. I am afraid I completely gave in and didn't even bother trying any of these practices today. It is that darn road trip. I had to stop to go to the bathroom and promised myself I wouldn't get anything - but of course I did - even though I had healthier Snacks in the car! I logged it all and have already hit 1400 calories for the day by 4 p.m. and I have a charity event to go to tonight with a fixed menu (not buffet) so not many choices (and had lunch out with a client at a steakhouse where there were limited choices - I got grilled porkchops but they were covered in butter so likely I am actually over my calories because I have to just guess). Sad thing is, I am not even FULL! Of course I'm not - it is crunchy crap that grinds up really small! I have met my Protein goal for the day so I can try to completely avoid dinner, but that is unlikely. And I have no time for exercise as I left the house at 7 a.m. and won't be back home until 10 p.m. (I am actually home now but didn't have time to exercise and shower and get ready all over again.... I guess I could do a slow walk on the treadmill and try not to get sweaty). Anyway, severely disappointed in myself. Oh and not to mention I did this same snacking thing on Mother's Day! I have no self-control which is how this post started in the first place - willpower isn't the way I will do this obviously but I sure wish I could defeat this demon! The good news is, I am not going to wallow in it and continue to make bad choices today. I just have to make good choices for dinner and not just figure "I have already ruined the day - might as well keep going"....

Sorry I know this is more rambling. Just disappointed in myself...

Are you seeing a counselor or therapist? You might want to consider a 12-step recovery meeting like OA (www.oa.org).

Willpower alone cannot help me overcome compulsive eating. I need help.

Well, look at it this way -- you learned / relearned some things today that don't work well.

Protein and healthy veggies (not "crunchy things") are much more filling and satisfying.

Those who are "perfect" after WLS don't post on this forum often. But those who succeed with WLS do learn from their "experiments" and go on not to repeat them very often. I certainly have -- and do. All the time.