Re: Desperate Plea for Help

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon in Fairfax: The first thing you need to do is see your surgeon.

Perhaps it is possible that you had a staple line disruption that needs to be

fixed. It happens sometimes. If that is not the problem then you need to get

right with food . I adore chocolates and simply will not put one in my mouth

because lately I do not seem to dump like I used to from sweets. I know that

one only leads to another to another and to another. So don't start!

Alice

LAP RNY Sept 1, 1998 Dr. Champion, Atlanta

[Guest guest]

You aren't alone . . . at my live support group on Mondays, there

always seems to be people coming in for revisions of ALL KINDS of WLS, not

just VBG's. Most admit to thinking of the surgery as a panacea, most dieted

again after surgery to get to their low weight. All regained a significant

portion (though not all) of their weight back . . . their doctors never told

them this could happen. DIETS DON'T WORK! Actually diets do work, they

cause weight gain! Read last weeks People the article about Ann Murray and

her daughter with Anorexia . . . at recovery facilities they put them on high

protein diets cause they know they will slow the metabolism and cause

uncontrollable cravings to eat. Do you think they would put anorexics on

high protein diets if they final result was going to be weight loss? So,

throw away all your diet books! Having surgery doesn't magically make diets

suddenly work. If you diet, you will always get the same end result, down

the road regain and additional pounds. It is the nature of the beast . . .

it is human nature . . . we always want what we think we cannot or should not

have! That is what propels the uncontrollable cravings!

What is wonderful for us that have had WLS, is that we have a tool

that keeps our food limits reasonable while we learn a healthy relationship

with food. Some people get to a healthy relationship with food quite easily

post op . . . others have to cultivate the new relationship (me). The more

you dieted pre op the harder it is post op. (My humble opinion, my personal

experience.) My procedure has very little or no malabsorption, so every

calorie I eat counts . . . therefore I had to " get right with food, " or be

doomed to only a temporary weight loss and the inevitable regain. I am now

happy that every calorie counts and that I don't have to eat so much to be

healthy . . . Many people restrict foods and concentrate on protein ala

dieting after WLS, and while they will lose their excess weight faster, they

are also setting themselves up for metabolic problems, depravation cravings

and rebound weight gain. I am losing slow and steady, I eat what ever I

what, there are no bad foods . . . The best part is, I can and will eat this

way for the rest of my life . . . Yes, I love chocolate, but only Godiva and

Dove . . . the rest you can have. I love cookies, but only fresh and hot out

of the oven. Because I allow myself anything, I now eat like a picky normal

person . . .I have walked through a huge food court and allowed myself

ANYTHING and choose a small green salad with chicken . . . I choose to feel

light and energetic after eating . . . not stuffed and listless.

Anyhow you can do this too . . . it just takes time and effort . . .

There is a choice you have to make,

In everything you do.

And you must always keep in mind,

The choice you make, makes you.

Author Unknown

Vicki in CA

In a message dated 11/10/1999 6:23:41 AM Pacific Standard Time,

sharon1188@... writes:

> ANYWAY, my writing all of that was just therapy for me, and I thank

> you for indulging me if you've gotten this far.

>

> My plea for help is for what is my true Achilles heel--sweets. Sugar.

> I am truly a sugar addict. You know, that

> I-want-some-chocolate-and-NOTHING-else-will-do kind of episodes. I am

> asking you all if you have any suggestions for overcoming these sweet

> cravings? I've tried Atkins and it never decreased my cravings for

> sweets. I'm trying to work the Potatoes Not Prozac book. I'm

> wondering if there is some vitamin/mineral/supplement that will

> specifically curb sugar cravings? I asked my dietician and surgeon,

> and they said there was nothing. But I bet ya'll have some ideas.

>

> Thanks for reading, and thanks for any suggestions ya'll have.

>

> Love,

> Fairfax Sharon

> RNY 4/7/98

> 275 4/98

> 159 12/98

> 181 11/99

> (How depressing to have to type that...)

[Guest guest]

For several months I've written about developing a sweet tooth after

surgery. In the past I was able to do periods of Weight Watchers where

I pigged out on vegetables or fish and could let candy sit around for

months. But since surgery this has been really difficult.

I don't think I am addicted to sugar per se, but I'm definitely addicted

to eating -- kind of like a locust, haha...

It seems to me that my sweet tooth developed as a need to find some kind

of sensory comfort and satisfaction in food -- the surgery makes it

difficult to eat the stuff we're really supposed to rely on -- dense

protein -- and leaves me unsatisfied in some way besides whatever is

related to real physical hunger. So I crave something sweet -- usually

hot mocha latte, or a little chocolate candy. And then I need something

salty - like air crisps or popcorn, or Vermont cheddar cheese.

A couple of things help, but they're " tricks " , not real solutions:

I use chocolate Viactiv chews for calcium; I do strength training with

free weights -- it builds up muscle mass, which elevates my metabolism,

and it keeps my hands busy for awhile -- plus it's kind of fun, I feel

(but don't look) like GI Jane; I make mocha with Dutch cocoa powder,

sweetener, milk and coffee -- it's very sweet and chocolatey and low

calorie, gives me a " fix. " Or sautéed half banana with a little

chocolate sauce drizzled over it -- again, sweet and satisfying but not

enough to kill me.

I make crunchy salads with jicama and fruit salsa -- filling and

sweet-salty. I keep pastries out of the house and try to make something

sweet with sweet potatoes or pumpkin or apples and dried fruit -- and

sometimes i just go out and buy a small amount of decent chocolate

candy. The real stuff. Nothing can beat it :-)

And eating really slowly -- if I can remember to do that, which is

almost never -- honestly does help me get more satisfaction from food.

Also eating something with fat, like hard cheese. Or a quarter-pounder

without the bun.

The protein drinks and health store supplements people have suggested

haven't helped me personally, they just waste my money. Chewing gum

with peroxide or baking soda, or brushing my teeth often, has been

cheaper and more effective -- but not permanently.

I'm open to any other suggestions, really, because I have not found

anything that really " solves " the problem.

Peggy

[Guest guest]

Hi Sharon, Sorry you're having such a hard time. I did Atkins for 8 months

(only lost about 30 lbs but was able to maintain and really enjoy what I

was eating. It takes at least 2 weeks for the cravings to stop but after

that time I could really say that I no longer craved sugar which felt like

a miracle. Atkins recommends L Glutamine (you can find it in thje vitamin

section) to help with the sugar cravings in the first few weeks. 2 pills

whenever you start to crave sugar. I thought it helped...Good Luck! Ellen

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

You're absolutely right about ephedrine. Listen everyone - our friend

Cates that passed away a few months ago was taking an herbal supplement to

assist with her weight loss and low energy - it contained ephedrine. She had

weight loss surgery in October of 98. The autopsy has confirmed that the

drug in the " herbal " supplement contributed to her death, that and many years

of taking phen-fen.

Thank you for reminding everyone just how dangerous this drug can be.

Some of you may recall my post about CRA. That's why I go to this doctor.

These are " whole food supplements " . You can read the ingredients. No herbs

or " unknown " ingredients.

Ephedrine is also in the now famous " METABOLIFE " . I tell everyone I see

about it. struggled for years with her weight, then was never able to

get her insurance company to pay. Finally, her grandmother paid for the

surgery. She was really enjoying life, going to college and excelling as a

medical student! How tragic her death at such a young, young age. Again, it

had nothing to do with the WLS, the ephedrine was the culprit.

Just my .02

Tina

[Guest guest]

Dear Dave,

I agree with you and the herbal stuff that I take I checked out pretty

carefully to make sure it didn't have ephedrine. It didn't have the ma

huong stuff either. The particular one I take is designed to raise the

body temp just a bit. I was so cold for a long time after surgery and

this has helped that beside the weight loss affect. I spent years

raising herbs and reading herbals so I hadn't given much thought to the

safety.

That brings up another issue. I really think we all have to be informed

about our own health issue and find what works for us. I was amazed at

how well ginger works to replace motion sickness pills and to stop

migraines in their tracks and my regular MD primary care physician

suggested it. He read about it in a magazine!!!!

Hugs, Bev

[Guest guest]

Bev:

A nurse friend was telling me last night how conditions like MS and

allergies are the bodies over-reaction to conditions are sometimes stopped

when the body encounters something that it perceives as a greater threat.

The body stops over-reacting to the allergy and starts reacting to the other

trauma. It just goes to show that for all medicine knows, there's a

universe of what is not known.

Bandas

Austin, TX

RNY 4-28-98, Dr. Selinkoff, San , TX

Then: 305 Now: 180

125 pounds gone forever!

Re: Desperate Plea for Help

>

>

> Dear Dave,

> I agree with you and the herbal stuff that I take I checked out pretty

> carefully to make sure it didn't have ephedrine. It didn't have the ma

> huong stuff either. The particular one I take is designed to raise the

> body temp just a bit. I was so cold for a long time after surgery and

> this has helped that beside the weight loss affect. I spent years

> raising herbs and reading herbals so I hadn't given much thought to the

> safety.

>

> That brings up another issue. I really think we all have to be informed

> about our own health issue and find what works for us. I was amazed at

> how well ginger works to replace motion sickness pills and to stop

> migraines in their tracks and my regular MD primary care physician

> suggested it. He read about it in a magazine!!!!

>

> Hugs, Bev

>

> >