Hi everyone, I'm still adjusting to VSG surgery and will be one month post op this week. I've been having major sugar cravings since doing the low carb high protein lifestyle. I've even had slip ups since graduating to phase 2 where I can have soft mushy foods and I've eaten sweets. Does anyone have suggestions for fighting these sugar cravings? I don't want to set myself back after coming this far on this journey. The cravings have only gotten worse since it's almost my time of the month and have been hitting the gym more often. They hit at night when it's time to rest.

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2 hours ago, dee0128 said:

Hi everyone, I'm still adjusting to VSG surgery and will be one month post op this week. I've been having major sugar cravings since doing the low carb high Protein lifestyle. I've even had slip ups since graduating to phase 2 where I can have soft mushy foods and I've eaten sweets. Does anyone have suggestions for fighting these sugar cravings? I don't want to set myself back after coming this far on this journey. The cravings have only gotten worse since it's almost my time of the month and have been hitting the gym more often. They hit at night when it's time to rest.

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I think you can have sugar free sweets like Atkins . They have sugar free m&ms and peanut butter cups.Most stores have sugar free pastries.And there is also protein bars just read the sugar content

I buy meal replacement bars, just so that I can get some sweets every once in a while. My favorite is Nutrilett's chocolate and sea salt. Keep in mind though that these do have "almost" the same calories as real chocolate bars, but I dont tend to get the sugar high from them.

Sugar free ice pops are great. Um most protein drinks have sweet taste. I use like equal or Stevia capsules in my tea or coffee with no issues at all.. I sometimes drink sugar free cordial.. Plenty of safe ways to get a sugar hit..

There is a high protein version of almost everything now - so that's what I try and go for. I have protein donuts, brownies, cookies, cake - everything!

Omg yum yum!!! What brands do you use and do that satisfy your hunger?

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7 minutes ago, dee0128 said:

Omg yum yum!!! What brands do you use and do that satisfy your hunger?

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I just go to amazon or the store here at bariatric pal and buy what I want and what has good reviews.

I'm sorry you are struggling with this. I think it's fairly common?

And I'm gonna (of course) take the other angle on this one. You had this surgery to give you an opportunity to REFRAME how you deal with food and to learn new behaviors and relationships with food. Right?

You didn't get this surgery just so you could take yet, ANOTHER scenic route, meandering towards weight loss. Did you?

Cuz I know I didn't.

When you feed a craving you do a couple things...the biggest one is you behaviorally hard wire that action into your brain through repetition. That makes it even harder to break. And then actually using the substance like sugar makes it even worse. But also, using sugar free stuff STILL lights up your pleasure center and activates insulin (fat storing hormone). So....

My advice would be to break up with it. Get an action plan together. You are in WLM (weight loss mode right now). You need to be lean, mean, and green! Don't cheat. Eat meat! Right? So when you're hungry behaviorally, do something else. Get busy. Make sure you aren't thirsty. Deep breathe. Do relaxation practices. Change things up. Do a puzzle. Color. Do something that engages you creatively rather than passively. Exercise. Take a walk. Drink water!!! Pound the water down til you can't take another sip. Brush your teeth. Or drink black decaff coffee or decaff black tea unsweetened. NO sweets. Avoid sweets!!! Avoid sweet water, sweet vitamins, fruit, ANYTHING sweet for now.

If you are wanting to eat at night, then consider adding a small mini meal. Make it only protein and a tiny bit of healthy fat. Or do a protein drink (yes, sigh, they're sweet. that's a b***h.) Eat a hard boiled egg. My rule during WLM was if I wanted to eat I got to eat a hard boiled egg, or a tuna pouch in water, or an ounce of turkey lunch meat rolled up, or a light string cheese. And if I didn't want any of those, then it was head hunger, not real hunger. And my rule was: I don't feed head hunger, that's what got me to the Obesity Ball.

Hope this helps. Nip it in the bud.

Once you hit maintenance you can set up a whole new set of rules to work with your pouch!

[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️[emoji173]️ Awesome advice!!! Thanks so much!! Yes it was definitely about to become the same pattern and you're so right this surgery was suppose bro be life changing for me so I need to break up with bad habits of feeding sugar cravings. I give into my unbalanced hormones and appear especially week near my monthly but your words are so empowering I haven't thought of it like that until now. That's the very root of the problem!!

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9 minutes ago, dee0128 said:

️️️️️️️️ Awesome advice!!! Thanks so much!! Yes it was definitely about to become the same pattern and you're so right this surgery was suppose bro be life changing for me so I need to break up with bad habits of feeding sugar cravings. I give into my unbalanced hormones and appear especially week near my monthly but your words are so empowering I haven't thought of it like that until now. That's the very root of the problem!!

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You should check out a group I'm in on Facebook called Resetters with Dr. Mindy Pelz. She talks about progesterone loading the week before your period in order to help balance your hormones. You won't want to do the IF portion of it right now. Only work on getting WHAT you eat and when you eat settled. Right now your tool needs to do the heavy lifting.

And, it's not a personality defect. It's being a woman. And have WLS on top of it all! You're releasing fat at a very fast pace. That fat contains wicked bad estrogens that cause your hormones and insulin to whack out. You bloat. You crave. You get cranky. You binge. You set up a repeating cycle.

Break it.

Weight loss will NEVER EVER be as easy as it is right now in this instant. It's like your one golden shot at WLS virginity. You can do this!!

Edited December 4, 20196 yr by FluffyChix

17 hours ago, dee0128 said:

Hi everyone, I'm still adjusting to VSG surgery and will be one month post op this week. I've been having major sugar cravings since doing the low carb high Protein lifestyle. I've even had slip ups since graduating to phase 2 where I can have soft mushy foods and I've eaten sweets. Does anyone have suggestions for fighting these sugar cravings? I don't want to set myself back after coming this far on this journey. The cravings have only gotten worse since it's almost my time of the month and have been hitting the gym more often. They hit at night when it's time to rest.

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Hi Dee,

One month out and its hard to navigate your new food world. It will get better with real food stage. Practice becomes habit. Hang in there.

Some suggestions and things to think about.

Make sure the options any of us give you fit your plan and food stage: Read the back of food labels. log your food in an app and stay within your weight loss calories/macros

Most instructions are to eliminate real sugar. For many of us, when you consume real sugar, processed food, and extra carbs you crave them more (they cause hunger) detox off them and buy healthy options for sweet and salty. (get temptation out of the house)

• Dannon lite and fit Greek yogurt
• Small amount of fresh fruit.
• Strawberries dipped in sugar free chocolate syrup.
• Sugar free protein products are a good solution. (more bang for your buck) Just because it’s a sugar free product. It does not mean its calorie and carbohydrate free. Not all protein bars/shakes/cookies etc. are created equal. Some are glorified candy bars. Read food label’s. I personally like quest bars because of the calories/macros.
• Sugar free candy has sugar alcohols. Test them on your new stomach. They can cause you to dump.
• Protein powder added to sugar free pudding