If you’re like many of us, you may find yourself battling the urge to eat sugary snacks from time to time.  Many people who’ve had bariatric surgery craved sweets before surgery.  Because tastes can change after weight loss surgery, some patients find that they do not crave sweets any longer.  Others report that once they gave up sugar after surgery, they found that the cravings subsided.  Unfortunately, some still get the urge to reach for candy, cakes, cookies, and more.  If you’re one of the folks out there fighting the urge to treat yourself to a “sweet thang,” then this blog article is for YOU.

If you’ve had the gastric bypass surgery, you may find that eating sugar leads to dumping syndrome – a quite unpleasant side-effect that can occur.  Not all bypass patients experience dumping…but when they do, they have sweats, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  Dumping occurs because the bypass operation changes the way you absorb food, and once pure sugar hits the intestinal tract it causes a sudden rush of fluid and leaves you feeling ill.  Believe it or not, many bypass patients are THANKFUL if they experience dumping because it prevents them from eating sugar so that they do not experience these unwanted side effects.

We all know that sugary foods are full of empty, meaningless calories that won’t do a thing for your weight loss.  There are many actions you can take to avoid sugar.  When you have a craving, drink a full glass of water or another sugar-free beverage.  Your body may have fooled you into thinking that it is hungry when, in reality, it is thirsty.  Ensuring that you are getting in your recommended 60-70 grams of protein each day and eating protein first at each meal will keep you from becoming hungry (and craving sugar) between meals.  Keep yourself healthy by getting plenty of sleep and avoiding stress.  Also, don’t set yourself up for failure…avoid walking past the person at work with the candy dish and do something productive during television commercials so that you aren’t tempted by sugary advertisements. 

Lastly, if all else fails, reach for a piece of fruit.  Known as nature’s dessert, fruit also contains sugar (known as fructose) and may satisfy your sweet tooth without going “full throttle” and digging into the candy jar.  Halloween and the upcoming holidays can be a dangerous time for weight loss goals because candy and sweets become more abundant during this time of year.  Stay strong, stay goal-focused, and avoid the urge…we believe you can do it, you sweet thang!