I'm a bit over 2 months out, and moved to college a few weeks ago. This means I have a lot easier access to unhealthy foods, including some of the foods I used to binge on (pizza, hero subs, cake and ice cream, burgers, etc). I'm not doing too bad with eating protein and resisting, but it's starting to wear on me. I want a burger! With a big fluffy bun! and i want cheese pizza! warm and gooey. I want barbeque chips and breakfast sandwiches!

How do I handle these cravings? I feel like if I go and have some I might eat all of it. I'm scared if i eat any of this it'll make me sick and I'll dump. HELP

I'm a bit over 2 months out, and moved to college a few weeks ago. This means I have a lot easier access to unhealthy foods, including some of the foods I used to binge on (pizza, hero subs, cake and ice cream, burgers, etc). I'm not doing too bad with eating Protein and resisting, but it's starting to wear on me. I want a burger! With a big fluffy bun! and i want cheese pizza! warm and gooey. I want barbeque chips and Breakfast sandwiches!

How do I handle these cravings? I feel like if I go and have some I might eat all of it. I'm scared if i eat any of this it'll make me sick and I'll dump. HELP

Counseling will help, breathe and journal. Remember why you had WLS. Are there any groups in the area? Before a crisis starts prepare. Don't give up.

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You have chosen a new, healthy life. You need to embrace the healthy, good foods you can eat. Enjoy them, love them! Look at the old foods as enemies, not friends. Remember where they got you. You will have a burger again, just not now (and probably not with the bun.) You will have a piece of pizza again - just not now. Give up the sugar for good. No more cake or ice cream. It's just not worth it. Period. 5 minutes of pleasure and then hours of discomfort and guilt. Just not worth it. This is hard work. It's called CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and you have to start building new thought patterns and neuro pathways to re-wire your brain into finding pleasure in the healthy, wonderful foods instead of the foods that have nearly destroyed your life.

There's a lot of healthy delicious food out there. No matter where you go keep your eye out for healthy options if you need a burger just have the meat but make it turkey....well not yet when you're further out because you're still early stages...

Hmmm could you make the ricotta bake so that you are getting pizza flavours without the pizza?

Or if you can tolerate meats have a little with pizza sauce, a little cheese a tiny bit of the toppings you crave?

For me, I always enjoyed the works on pizza so if I was making a little bite or 2 now (if I could and was craving) I would do pizza sauce finely chopped green pepper, some diced ham and some cheese zapped in the microwave so it is gooey. Just enough for say 2 small mouthfuls so you can savour the flavour?

I know for myself it is the flavours I miss (big Indian food junkie), perhaps this would work for you? In a very small amount? Then again this may well make the cravings worse.

As far as sweet stuff goes, really have to work on avoiding the sugar or you definitely will dump.

For me, the fear of dumping is enough to make me avoid anything that might trigger it, I even check how many carbs are in everything that is passing my lips so I don't dump because I can't stand all the drooling/vomiting/abdo pain.

As already suggested do you get any kind of counselling from your bariatric team?

When you deny craving it can make you want them more. Keep healthy options for sweet and salty cravings on hand. Real food stage You can make old favorites in a healthy way. No need to add extra calories and gain weight.

Make sure my examples fit your food plan and stay within your weight loss calories/macros for the day. (log your food) Try to satify cravings with real whole foods first.

Pizza

mushroom cap pizza bites or cauliflower crust pizza – add lots of veggies use the meats allowed on your plan. Limit or omit cheese depending on your plan.

turkey meatballs dipped in pizza sauce

Hamburgers –

Turkey burgers – You can buy butter ball frozen patties for convenience or make your own. I place them on a bed of salad add pickles, tomato and onion. Optional olive oil mayo and mustard.

Or a lettuce wrapped burger -

Chips – Salty cravings

crisp veggies dipped in hummus or any low calorie dip – to cut the calories in hummus I add plain yogurt

quest protein chips. They are made from protein powder. The flavor is better if you dip them in salsa. I like the BBQ or nacho. I try not to make these a habit. (processed food) I use them as a snack to kick a craving.

beef or chicken Jerkey

chicken fajitas no tortilla

Sweet –

Dannon light n fit Greek yogurt - option freeze to make popsicle

Protein bar or shake

Small amount of strawberries – option dip in hersheys sugar free cholate syrup

You'll find that you won't be able to eat some of these things now, even though you crave them, your body will reject them. If you can't handle taking only a bite or two, then steer away from them because it could lead you down that slippery slope.

Find Bariatric friendly pizza. The cauliflower pizza was disgusting lol I threw it away. But I found pizza that is actually good. Realgood Pizza Co. is gluten free and only has 4 carbs 25g of protein. You can find it at most major stores. When my family gets pizza for dinner which is maybe once every 2 weeks I'll pop this into the oven and enjoy eating my pizza while they eat theirs. I don't feel left out or like I'm doing anything bad. Find healthy alternatives to what you normally like so you don't feel so deprived. Of course some things we loved won't have a healthy alt like soda for example so you gotta say goodbye and leave it at that. If you're dying for chips try to find a kettle chip they have way less calories, carbs, and sugar, but don't make them a habit or try them if it will be a slippery slop for you. A burger you can have, but the healthy way with no bun and limit your portion.

Oops this is the one I had not the 8 snack bites lol.