Question:
Has anyone NOT been able to stop eating?
I am sure that I am not alone in being a bona fide food addict. When I am not binging I am thinking about food, or thinking about how fat I am. On Wednesday I start Optifast as a requirement of my insurance company, then will be able to have the surgery probably in spring sometime. I am so scared that I won't make it without my food. I use food when tired, stressed, sad, bored. I am panicked about the thought of not eating. What's worse is that I have a two year old, and I can't deprive her of what she likes -- the occasional cookie or pudding. How am I gonna do this? I made an appointment with a therpapist to help me (which is ironic, since I AM a therapist! I can tell you hundreds of things to do instead of eat, and help you with an addiction, but I apparently can't help myself.) I'd love to hear from anyone that has been through this. — [Deactivated Member] (posted on October 4, 2002)
October 4, 2002
Before I had my surgery, i read alot of posts from people about how they
"cant even think about food sometimes" or "i dont crave the
things I used to". I was silly to think that this surgery was magic
and that my food problems would be behind me forever. This is just not
true. Yes, I dont eat as much as I used to and it helps "control"
binging. However, I still think alot about food, when and what I can eat
next and still choose eating over other things. I was and always be a food
addict. This surgery is a tool..nothing more and certainly not magic.
— Julie D.
October 4, 2002
However, I AM very greatful to have this surgery and would not be able to
have gotten where I am without it.
— Julie D.
October 4, 2002
I haven't needed to binge since surgery two weeks ago. However I am still
a new post-op. One thing I did make sure to have in place was a counselor
to see post-op. I know that I have issues with food and eating. I wanted
to be prepared to deal with them as they came up. So far, I haven't really
had anything to deal with, but I'm sure that will change as time goes by.
Good luck and God bless.
— Jenni K.
October 4, 2002
Hi, I haven't had the surgery yet but I can totally relate to how you're
feeling about food. I was denied on my first letter from mplan and was
required to take this Weight Management class before they would reconsider
the surgery again. Anyway, long story short..this program is actually very
good because it helps..no forces you to look inward to see what makes you
eat. I highly recommend it and you can check it out online
www.flexweightloss.com..no, I don't work for them! The lady who started
this whole program, Debra Mitchell is fasinating.. my group leader, Diane
Bryant, has had the ring surgery(sorry don't know the technical term) and
she still has issues about what makes her eat..it's not just hunger..it's
your C.O.R.E. -Center of the Reason You Eat. Anyway, this program is all
about helping you undercover what your C.O.R.E. Sorry for being so
longwinded..but the part in your email about being stressed and tired
etc..really leaped out at me! Godd Luck!
— kathleen-Joan piper
October 4, 2002
I had my surgery June 17- down 58 pounds. Right after surgery I craved so
many different things. But as the months have passed, I find that I crave
less and less. Also, I have learned to listen to my body more than I used
to. I was eating until my body was miserable, but my mind still not
satisfied. Now I find that after I eat 5-6 bites of something, I get sick
of it (which is what my skinny friends tell me happens to them, so this
must be the normal thing that happens if we don't ignore the signals). I am
a bona fide carb addict- before surgery I would have rather had a piece of
bread than meat any day. The carb addiction has to do with the serotonin
imbalance that I've inherited. Carbs increase the level of serotonin, which
in turn helps us feel better. Many people have gotten some relief with the
SSRI's- Zoloft, Paxil, etc. Additionally, it is REALLY TRUE that if we eat
the protein we're supposed to, we are NOT HUNGRY most of the time. I've
had had to learn all this the hard way since my surgery,since I was never
not hungry before surgery. I've had times when I get on a carb jag and
that hungry all the time feeling rears its ugly head again. I don't think
I'll ever be "normal" but I feel like I have much more control
than I ever did. It doesn't rule my life anymore. I still love food, love
to eat, and always will, but I don't have to finish everything and look
around for more. Good luck to you. I absolutely know the hell you are going
through, and hope, hope, hope it is better for you on the other side.
— Loretta E.
October 4, 2002
Having to keep junk in the house for children is not necessary. We use it
as an excuse to keep it around. The children can have their treats when
they are out. I think Wellbutrin is successful in for these anxiety
eating.
— faybay
October 4, 2002
I got a kick out of your statement "I can help others but not
myself". It's kind of the same thing here in that people tell you to
exercise, up protein, drink your water or whatever. I've often wondered if
these people can or do follow there own advice. ;) Like one of the other
posters, I AM and EVIDENTLY ALWAYS WILL BE A CARB ADDICT. :( I'm slowly
going back to it and I'm terrified. But the one great thing about WLS is
that we do get filled faster. That in itself will help us "if" we
can make wise choices. My problem is I often don't have the time to take
food with me (on the run) to eat properly. So I'll take some cookies or
something lik it as they are not perishable. NO GOOD! Anywho, once you get
WLS you will better be able to control those urges. (BUT WLS OR ANYTHING IS
NOT FOOL PROFF- OUR WILLS ARE STILL INVOLVED). If you have to eat
something bad (your mind tells you to) then you can't eat so much of it.
Then it would help to... NOT HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE. As far as not depriving
your child of the "occasional" treat that makes sence. However
keep the child's goodie(s) somewhere where you are "not likely to see
it unless you go there to get it for her". Also one other thing to
think about is this. AS KIDS WE LEARN OR AQUIRE CERTAIN TASTES. So give
your girl good treats now while she is young" such as fruits so she
aquires the taste for healthy foods NOW. Perhaps she won't grow up with a
food problem like we did where we crave all this fattning stuff that makes
us want to over eat. Just a thought. ;)
— Danmark
October 4, 2002
I am 4.5 months post op and down 78 lbs (278 to 200)
I don't deprive my kids anything, instead of the full fat, sugary pudding
and cookies they used to get, now I only allow low sugar low fat pudding
& cookies in my house. They can't even tell the difference! What's
more, I'm not leading them down that road of obesity with sugar & fat
laden treats.
— KCAllen77
October 5, 2002
I am 8 wks post-op and down 45 lbs. Before surgery I ate all the time,
almost constantly it seemed I had something in my mouth. Now I eat 3 times
a day, I do sneak in a few carbs here and there but I don't get hungry
otherwise. I make sure I get all my fluids in. I was a 'comfort' eater. I
ate when I was sad, mad, depressed (look out) even when I was happy..It was
a cure for everything. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy food but I cherish
the idea of being off my meds and weighing half of what I did when I
started all this. I fully believe that this is one of the best decisions I
ever made for myself..I wish you the best of luck!!
— Sharon1964
October 5, 2002
Hi...I am a therapist too, so I know what you mean about the frustration of
being able to help others and not yourself. But being a therapist doesn't
mean we are not allowed to have our own "issues"!! Although I
don't binge, per se, I am definately addicted to high fat, high carb foods.
It has been helpful for me to reframe the 12-step ideas to fit my food
addiction. Please continue to work with your therapist post-op; A huge part
of wls success is developing non-food related coping strategies and dealing
with issues related to "emotional obesity". You are heading in
the right direction with wls- I'm sure anyone beginning recovery for
another type of addiction would love to be provided with a "surgical
tool" that can get them started. In other words, wls is our methadone!
A start....but that's it. The rest is up to us. Best of luck to you on your
journey. You can do it! Charree (rny scheduled 11-5-02)
— Charree K.
October 5, 2002
I agree with Faye. I think one thing that helps me is that I live alone
and I don't have to normally bring junk food type snacks in the house. You
can bring fruits and other healthy snacks like mini rice cakes for your
kids to snack on. I don't totally deny myself these foods, I have them on
special occasions like when I'm out for dinner or visiting others. I just
don't keep it in the house, because I know I'll eat it. Good luck!
— Lisa N M.
October 5, 2002
Inga, I, too, was scared before WLS. What would I do without my fat and
sugar foods, which I was totally addicted to? Would I ever be able to eat
them again? How would I cope? Anxiety set in...well, let me tell you, the
emotional dependence on food does not go away but your new tool helps you
to cope better. Food no longer controls me, I control it. And along with
the weight loss, comes back your self-esteem (I too always thought about
how fat I was and hated myself and of course, would get depressed and then
eat, then get fatter, hate myself more etc...). Because your pouch is
small, it takes so much less to fill you up. I still munch when tired,
stressed, bored...but now I have a few handfuls of popcorn instead of the
entire bag, or I'll have 1/2 of a jr. cheese whopper instead of the big
whopper itself. You get satisfied on so much less and that alone helps you
to cope. As for your 2 year old, stock the house with healthy snacks, they
will not know any better if they are raised with healthy foods in the
house, and for those not so healthy snacks, get her the kind that you do
NOT like so you won't be tempted!
— Cindy R.
Click Here to Return