Dealing with Cravings

We all have them... those foods that our minds tell us we just can't live without. It may be something good for you like chicken breasts or steak, or it may be that, like me, you always seem to crave something that the world tells us is "bad".

Now, I don't believe in good or bad foods, but I know there are some foods that help us reach our goals and some foods that don't help us reach our goals. I tend to crave the latter.

Those who "know" me from VST, Bariatric Pal, and Facebook know that I have a major addiction to Cheetos. Early post-op, eating a few Cheetos here and there wasn't a problem. I could have a handful and move on, mostly because I had too much restriction to eat more than a handful. The problem with that is that the restriction eases up as you get further and further out from surgery, so you can eat more of any food. Add that Cheetos are a slider food, meaning that they don't truly fill you up, and I could do some serious damage to a family size bag, even with my little sleeve!

Today there was a discussion about whether post-WLS patients are Abstainers or Moderators. Sadly enough, I'm neither.  I crave certain foods fiercely, even 2.5 years out. What works best FOR ME is to allow myself one serving of my craving food per month. I will buy one serving size package of whatever the food is... used to be Cheetos, now it's Hershey's bar with almonds. Then I will sit down and eat that one serving size package with all the pomp and circumstance I can muster, enjoying every single morsel. Then I will not allow myself to have another serving for a month. It's a weird head game that I play with myself, but I cannot tell myself that I can't have something forever and ever or I will crave that food until I end up binging on it. This works for me. Your mileage may vary.

So, what are you? Are you an Abstainer or a Moderator? Or do you use some other method to handle your food cravings?