Detour Bars. Protein Cake and other 'goodies'

[Guest guest]

Please forgive the cross posting for some of you.

There have been numerous discussions lately online about the pros and cons of

some of the newer protein bars especially the ones that effectively simulate

real candy bars. They travel into our pantries under the guise of safety

because their manufacturers CLAIM they are high in protein. What could be

better than an almost 'candy bar' that's low in calories and high in

protein....?

Those of you who watched the fall from grace recently of The Original Protein

Cake " will recall the disapointment and anger many felt when we learned that

the product's labeling was not accurate. In reality it was not particularly

low in calories and was not as high in protein as originally claimed. It

was a great piece of pound cake with a healthy dab of protein but.... that's

not what we though we were buying.

The Detour bar makes a very high claim for protein content (32)and is also

VERY high in calories (290). I wonder if it can stand up to its claim.

But more importantly I wonder if we need to think harder about our wishes to

have and eat our 'cake'. I read a lot of them and not many surgeons have

that particular item on their protocols! No brownies, fudge or Snickers

either. I believe that most patients can eat a wide variety of normal foods

following surgery if they are careful and if they practice establishing

stable habits over the first two years afterwards. But I think it is very

difficult to incorporate Detour bars or foods like it into a stable pattern

without triggering longtime habits of overeating and sweet snacking, the type

that fueled many patient's morbid obesity before surgery. The following

journal entry from a patient in my aftercare program says it better than I

ever could. She gave me her permission to share it. I thought some of you

might find it useful.

" Those new bars are out of control for me. I knew the brownies at work were a

mistake but I thought these would be OK. I wish I never started eating them.

I never even missed my old Snickers bars until I tried these things. Now I

notice myself thinking about having a couple bites of one several times a

day. I nearly bit my daughter's head off last week when I discovered she had

eaten a couple of them with her friends. I felt like someone had stolen my

secret stash.

This is getting me very depressed. It's been a whole year. I was doing

really good. I was telling people over the holidays I was CURED. I wasn't

hungry or even tempted over Christmas. Now I suddenly seem to be tempted all

the time. ^#@* & ^%!! Funny thing is I had this feeling before I started

fooling around with (the protein 'candy' bars) I shouldn't eat these suckers.

Maybe nobody should eat them but I definitely shouldn't. Maybe some people

can control them but not me. I have to stay away. Gotta get off this new

drug food. I went cold turkey on my smokes. I'm gonna go back to fruit,

veggies and lighter snacks. I've just got to. This is no joke. Hope it's

not too late. "

I don't think it's too late for this person to get back on track with fewer

sweets and sugar substitutes. This wls 'tool' really works when we use it

right. It's definitely a POWER tool. But it's worrisome to read online

about so many newly recovering people 'experimenting' casually and routinely

with foods that are dangerous to long term maintenance.

Be careful out there. After 5 years of my own recovery and 2 yrs of working

with other reovering Bariatric patients I have come to the firm belief that

" Goodies " should be reintroduced after surgery only with the greatest

caution and care..especially the goodies that were hard to control

pre-surgery.

So..... What could be better than an almost 'candy bar' that's low in

calories and high in protein....? Three small square (high protein, low

carb) meals that satisfy and a heaping helping of health for the future.

Just my .02

Carol

Shrinkin' in Philly

RNY-HUP -1998-135 lbs.

Carol Signore, MAT, MS, LMFT

Private Practice: Ambler, PA

Clinical Memberships:

American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy

Academy For Eating Disorders

Chairman AED Weight Loss Surgery SIG

Director: My Self Design

A cognitive behavorial treatment program for Bariatric surgery patients

see www.myselfdesign.com

[Guest guest]

Please forgive the cross posting for some of you.

There have been numerous discussions lately online about the pros and cons of

some of the newer protein bars especially the ones that effectively simulate

real candy bars. They travel into our pantries under the guise of safety

because their manufacturers CLAIM they are high in protein. What could be

better than an almost 'candy bar' that's low in calories and high in

protein....?

Those of you who watched the fall from grace recently of The Original Protein

Cake " will recall the disapointment and anger many felt when we learned that

the product's labeling was not accurate. In reality it was not particularly

low in calories and was not as high in protein as originally claimed. It

was a great piece of pound cake with a healthy dab of protein but.... that's

not what we though we were buying.

The Detour bar makes a very high claim for protein content (32)and is also

VERY high in calories (290). I wonder if it can stand up to its claim.

But more importantly I wonder if we need to think harder about our wishes to

have and eat our 'cake'. I read a lot of them and not many surgeons have

that particular item on their protocols! No brownies, fudge or Snickers

either. I believe that most patients can eat a wide variety of normal foods

following surgery if they are careful and if they practice establishing

stable habits over the first two years afterwards. But I think it is very

difficult to incorporate Detour bars or foods like it into a stable pattern

without triggering longtime habits of overeating and sweet snacking, the type

that fueled many patient's morbid obesity before surgery. The following

journal entry from a patient in my aftercare program says it better than I

ever could. She gave me her permission to share it. I thought some of you

might find it useful.

" Those new bars are out of control for me. I knew the brownies at work were a

mistake but I thought these would be OK. I wish I never started eating them.

I never even missed my old Snickers bars until I tried these things. Now I

notice myself thinking about having a couple bites of one several times a

day. I nearly bit my daughter's head off last week when I discovered she had

eaten a couple of them with her friends. I felt like someone had stolen my

secret stash.

This is getting me very depressed. It's been a whole year. I was doing

really good. I was telling people over the holidays I was CURED. I wasn't

hungry or even tempted over Christmas. Now I suddenly seem to be tempted all

the time. ^#@* & ^%!! Funny thing is I had this feeling before I started

fooling around with (the protein 'candy' bars) I shouldn't eat these suckers.

Maybe nobody should eat them but I definitely shouldn't. Maybe some people

can control them but not me. I have to stay away. Gotta get off this new

drug food. I went cold turkey on my smokes. I'm gonna go back to fruit,

veggies and lighter snacks. I've just got to. This is no joke. Hope it's

not too late. "

I don't think it's too late for this person to get back on track with fewer

sweets and sugar substitutes. This wls 'tool' really works when we use it

right. It's definitely a POWER tool. But it's worrisome to read online

about so many newly recovering people 'experimenting' casually and routinely

with foods that are dangerous to long term maintenance.

Be careful out there. After 5 years of my own recovery and 2 yrs of working

with other reovering Bariatric patients I have come to the firm belief that

" Goodies " should be reintroduced after surgery only with the greatest

caution and care..especially the goodies that were hard to control

pre-surgery.

So..... What could be better than an almost 'candy bar' that's low in

calories and high in protein....? Three small square (high protein, low

carb) meals that satisfy and a heaping helping of health for the future.

Just my .02

Carol

Shrinkin' in Philly

RNY-HUP -1998-135 lbs.

Carol Signore, MAT, MS, LMFT

Private Practice: Ambler, PA

Clinical Memberships:

American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy

Academy For Eating Disorders

Chairman AED Weight Loss Surgery SIG

Director: My Self Design

A cognitive behavorial treatment program for Bariatric surgery patients

see www.myselfdesign.com