I am just about 3 1/2 weeks post op from gastric bypass and I am struggling so hard with food cravings. I can’t think of anything besides how great food used to taste. I haven’t been able to act on any of my cravings, but it’s borderline obsession with thinking about food all the time. Any advice?

Not sure if this will help you, but if it were me I be looking for things to do that occupies me so that I am distracted from the cravings.

Visit or call friends and family, you can't exercise much at the moment I imagine - but short walks listing to music, knitting or crocheting, a good puzzle whether a jigsaw, crossword or suduko, cleaning a cupboard or wardrobe.

Does your medical team have any suggestions?

Transfer the addiction into something you are passionate about. Just as long as it isn't drinking, smoking, gambling, or shopping! As stated, walking, hand crafts, sewing, puzzle, or even sipping warm tea. It's best if you do something that keeps your hands busy so you can't eat at the same time. TV is not a good idea if you are a muncher. I found that researching and adapting recipes was helpful. I was thinking about food, but in a good way. I made up lots of recipe cards and figured out the macros for each. This also helped me plan some "less boring" meals.

Do a search here on Head Games! It is not easy especially in the beginning - You need to finds something else to do, you are not hungry, it is in your head - Once you whip the head games the rest is easy, ok maybe not easy but it will pass - Stop reading adds on signs, commercials, boxes, etc. Take up a hobby, Watch Movies, Hell I bought a puppy to be my past time, would not advise that He is alot of work.

You have changed your lifestyle and are getting healthy, F#$ck FOOD!

Two Options

1. Be Fat, tired and unhealthy and DIE quickly

2. F#$ck Food and be happy, healthy and live longer

Up to you

Hi,

It's not easy. Here's a few tips I've heard from my in person support meetings:

Speak with your Team for a referral to a professional who can help/guide you (therapist, counselor, etc)

Join /return to in-person support groups

Journal as a written reminder/promise

Have a heart to heart with yourself often (sounds silly now but works amazingly - look yourself in the mirror & list out loud why you wanted surgery, why you should be compliant and what your plans are when cravings happen)

Good Luck ?

3 hours ago, mediocreoblongata said:

I haven’t been able to act on any of my cravings, but it’s borderline obsession with thinking about food all the time. Any advice?

Since you're only 3.5 weeks out I guess you're on a pretty low calorie diet? Maybe not even on food you can chew on?

If you're not one of the people who've lost hunger and/or appetite it's quite normal to think about food all the time when on a low calorie diet (or any diet, lol).

Advice? If you don't want to act on your urges, don't act on them. Part of your brain might tell you, that you absolutely have to act on these cravings but you don't have to.

TV is a good distraction, but only if you are watching a DVR'ed program so you can fast forward over all the food commercials. I'm on my pre-op liquid diet and the food commercials are killing me. Even the dog food ones look yummy...?

If you are watching TV and used to eat now do something else like color in a coloring book, do Sudoku or knit. If you keep your hands busy it replaces the habit of eating while sitting to watch TV. If you feel you have control over you can try flavored water, sugar free jello for a sweet craving or Hershey sugar free syrup in Fairlife milk. Even a teaspoon of some peanut butter was enough to distract me from old habits.