Sugar Cravings Are Undermining My Lap-Band Diet

by Stephen
(Chicago, IL)

I had Lap-Band surgery about 6 months ago and I was hoping it would take away my sugar cravings. Unfortunately it didn't! Help! How do I stick with my Lap-Band diet when I have such terrible cravings for sweets?

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Lap-Band^® surgery doesn't take away "cravings" for sweets unfortunately! The surgery takes place on your stomach after all...not your head!

The desire to eat sweets may never go away (although wouldn't it be nice if a dentist could just pull out your "sweet tooth?"), but the Lap-Band^® can help you manage the amount of high sugar food you eat if you opt for "solid" sweets vs. "mushy" ones.

Manage Your Sugar Cravings with Solids vs Mushy Foods

Choosing a chocolate chip granola bar is a smarter choice than having ice cream or a milkshake when you have a sugar craving because the granola bar is more solid.

Remember, liquidy or mushy foods slip right past the band while solid foods sit above the band and keep your pouch full. The band won't be very effective in helping you eat less ice cream but it will help you eat fewer granola bars!

Here are a few quick, easy, "solid" treats to try:

• Cover the top half of 1 Carmel Flavored Rice Cake with 1/4 cup Fat Free Cool Whip. Place a second rice cake on top, making a sandwich. Freeze 1 hour.


• Top 1/2 cup apple slices with cinnamon and Splenda. Heat, then top with 1/4 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt.


• Top a bowl of berries with Fat Free Cool Whip.


• 1-2 Barbara's Fig Bars


• 1-2 Health Valley Jammers


• 1-2 Newman's Own Cookies

Limit Your Options

Decide ahead of time on 1-2 sweet treats to choose from so when the sugar craving arises, you'll know to satisfy the craving with either "choice A" or "choice B."

Manage Your Sugar Cravings: Establish Your "Rules"

If you absolutely can't live without your favorite sweets, set up some "rules" for yourself so that you learn to live with the foods you love vs. trying to live without them:

1. Make a list of the top 1-3 foods you think you can't live without.


2. Define a number of times per week you'll allow yourself these foods.


3. Define a limited portion size that you can live with eating.

Example:

1. I can't live without chocolate chip cookies and brownies.


2. I'll allow myself to have one OR the other every week.


3. I'll go to the bakery to purchase a single cookie or a single brownie when the craving arises during the week. (I will not keep boxes of cookies and brownies in the house.) I will allow myself to eat the entire cookie or brownie at one time, or I will stretch it out over a few days....whatever I feel like at the moment.

Now isn't that better than trying to convince yourself you won't ever have any cookies or brownies again and then caving in and eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner?