Pelekania

Personally, I don't see it as getting "The Magical Sleeve Surgery"... I just see it as not living on a constant diet... Maybe I am one of the few lucky ones who doesnt have food issues... 1 cheese burger is not going to send me into a tailspin of overeatting... I can only speak for myself and I was giving my opinon on food to the OP... This is one of the things that has really started to annoy me and make me not frequent this site as much as I use to... People seem to think they know more then others and think they know about every single person's situation... And I am sure they may think they do, but stop being all judgey... Just bc the OP ate a Wendy's cheeseburger doesnt mean she is a going to eat one or one hundred every day of the rest of her life. Maybe she can eat a cheese burger every once in a while and live a perfectly normal life... I know I can...

I can honestly say that my outlook on food and free food is definitely changing! They have fundraisers frequently at my job and this lady bought cupcakes and was giving them out. I wasn't tempted (eventhough they looked delicious), but like I explained to my coworker... I just bust my behind in a gym to burn 4-500 calories and I am not about to waste it on a cupcake and plus I didn't want it. Lol now maybe had that been sone shoyu chicken or lau lau...I probably would have taken it :-). Lol

You definitely need to go out and buy yourself some nice church clothes! No more breakdowns in your closet, ok?
I am slowly redesigning my "look" . I have never been a girly fashionista type - jeans & t-shirt or black slacks & non-tailored top (i.e. baggy). For right now I am sticking with the black slacks but the tops are getting more feminine. I have found that I really like the cardigan over tank top look - two or three nice cardigans or jackets and lots of bright colored tank tops or camisoles aren't too expensive and you can wear them through a lot of "down sizing".

Seriously your mourning your clothes? Skinny clothes are better than fat clothes any day.. Go shopping.. A little retail therapy will cheer you right up

City of bones series. Ok I'm a recovering food addict but ill always be a book junkie

Vampire Academy is series. I liked it. I loved the Hunger Games. I thought 50 Shades sucked! Horrible writing.
Stephen King's 11/22/63 was AMAZING!

This was a very good post and you have hit some key points. When we deprive ourselves of something, sometimes that can lead to us over eating or eating off plan. I believe so many people who have there surgery are in a rush to get to goal weight that they don't learn how to live or maintain that weight because of deprivation of certain foods.
I haven't eaten anything "bad" and I do have craving but they are false because the only reason I want it is because I can't have it.
My surgeon is in MX and when I read some threads a lot of people are quick to say ask your NUT/ DOC don't listen to person A, B, or C. Well some of us don't have that and some of us are not looking for permission to eat whatever. So this was an excellent post IMO for those individuals that don't see a NUT.

You are looking amazing...keep up the great work!

Eye candy. Yep, I saw Magic Mike...

I can honestly say that my outlook on food and free food is definitely changing! They have fundraisers frequently at my job and this lady bought cupcakes and was giving them out. I wasn't tempted (eventhough they looked delicious), but like I explained to my coworker... I just bust my behind in a gym to burn 4-500 calories and I am not about to waste it on a cupcake and plus I didn't want it. Lol now maybe had that been sone shoyu chicken or lau lau...I probably would have taken it :-). Lol

I definitely agree with you and my condition is definitely my fault and no one else. Some of my colleagues and friends know that I am a big believer in the behaviorist perspective when it comes to learning and conditioning. It saddens me when I see a parent that's morbidly obese and they have a toddler that probably weighs 50+ pounds. Sometimes as adults some of us pass our unhealthy eating habits down to our kids.... do I think those individuals are addicted, not really but luke butterbean said some people don't know what healthy eating looks like and some people are victims before they are really able to make decisions for themselves. And like you stated we have to take responsibility for what we put into our mouth.

I love this post! Am I addicted to food no, do I have inappropriate learned and conditioned behaviors when it comes to food yes. I didn't have a box of donuts or twinkie in my hand every time you seen me. My culture and where I was raised believe in serving HUGE portions (if you have every been to HI and eaten at a local restaurant you understand what I mean) add that to the fact that my guardians made us eat or finish our plates when we werent hungry on top of being lazy and you get someone like me! I gained around 25 pds alone last year because my partners diet consist primarily of rice. His culture can eat huge bowls of rice and not gain...me I can't. So, while I do believe I had an unhealthy relationship with food, I would not classify myself as an addict. Call it self denial or believe that I will have issues with regain...but I don't think so. Since my surgery, I don't feel guilty about wasting food by not finishing my plate, I do cardio and strength training 5x a week, and I am feeling great!

I can honestly say that my outlook on food and free food is definitely changing! They have fundraisers frequently at my job and this lady bought cupcakes and was giving them out. I wasn't tempted (eventhough they looked delicious), but like I explained to my coworker... I just bust my behind in a gym to burn 4-500 calories and I am not about to waste it on a cupcake and plus I didn't want it. Lol now maybe had that been sone shoyu chicken or lau lau...I probably would have taken it :-). Lol

I just want to say upon reading the new posts this morning. That i really appreciate everyone's thoughtful responses... I'm finding this thread to be very eye opening in many ways,
Not just because we have different views on why we personally over eat. but because it has really made me think more deeply this week about my own battle.. Today at this moment I feel a bit stronger than I have all week. I had now idea when I started this thread that it would impact me in this way... It was made out of curiosity about differences!
So addiction... It is a scary thing and for me it is an addiction. This passage from the post I made above, is me;
Their obsession is demonstrated in that they spend excessive amounts of time and thought devoted to food, and secretly plan or fantasize about eating alone.
Addiction runs in my family.. My mother has been an alcoholic my entire life, she was a single mom.
She was all we had.
My brother was an alcoholic and a functioning drug addict he held a high powered job and was a much respected person in his industry.
But he was a drug addict...
He was just as addicted to his AA program and exercise when he quit.. and that is what scared me it was the same all consuming obsession but put into something healthy. But I found it fanatical. When he fell of the wagon it was gradual with "well when I entertain clients I'm ok to have a social drink" "I can handle a little now"
Then he would fall...
The last time he went back to AA it was with a vengeance and it worked for him. Side note he was always very judgmental of me and others when he was working his program, I think it was because he was desperately holding on to his recovery (program) for dear life.
He fell of the wagon one last time five years ago,
And killed himself with an overdose, the day after spending the day with his best friend (sponsor) training for a road biking event.
I will never know if it was suicide or accidental.
But it impacts me on a daily basis, in to many ways to explain here.
He was my only sibling and I was his. we knew each others demons intimately...
My mother quit drinking 4 years ago, she called last week and she fell of the wagon for the first time two weeks ago. She's back in her program now though....
When I write on this forum that this surgery is my last hope, it is! I operate daily coming from a place of thankfulness (for this surgery, my husband and children) but I also operate from a place of fear..
My name is Laura. I am a flawed human being.

I'm addicted to caffeine. If I don't have it, I get headaches and feel nauseous. I don't commit felonies, lie, or steal. I just need my coffee! I guess we should determine the difference between obsession and addiction. Does the difference really matter? With food, it all leads to the same results. I LOVE doritos, I don't care about them if they aren't around but if they are, I will think about them until I have one. Maybe that's an obsession because I don't have any other physical affects from being deprived of doritos other than thinking about them and not being able to refrain from eating one. Funny, but true and somewhat embarrassing as well. Maybe instead of using the word addiction, we can just say we have a lack of control over food. I don't think one can get to be morbidly obese with or without medical conditions if they have complete control over food. Overweight definitely with medical conditions, but morbidly obese? I don't think so. I could be wrong though. Great post, Laura!

Should we stop using the word addiction then for our food issues?
I do not think any of us had the common traits of drug addiction as applied to food. That is, to lie, steal, commit felonies etc for food. No, I cannot really associate it in this way. The reason may be that we had a psychological or mental issue with food whereas drug addiction is more of a physical addiction. Now that I put it this way, I agree with bean that perhaps it is an obsession instead of an addiction.
Oh Dr Laura? Please straighten this out for us. Lol.

Since Laura posted this yesterday, I’ve been thinking about a response. It has made me think a lot about addiction and food in terms that I hadn't bisected. I personally don’t feel that I had a food addiction. The main reason I say this is I was chemically dependent for about 15 years. I literally missed the entire decade of the 80’s. I don’t think that I am a food addict because I never have stolen to eat, I’ve never cheated to eat, and I’ve never committed class 1 felonies to eat. I never sat in a room alone, eating hoping that the next cheeseburger would kill me. In my state of dependency I went through all of that. I really don’t have an answer for my obesity other than so many bad choices. I took a look at some pictures when I was a kid; I was skinny then until about the 3rd grade. I don’t know what changed in my world, but from then on I lived my life as the fat kid. I dropped the weight between my Jr. and Sr. year of High School, but then discovered something different, something way more powerful than food. While my weight was pretty good, because I worked some pretty physical jobs, I chased other demons. My addictions had nothing at all to do with food. As the years went by that fat 3rd grader re-appeared and got bigger and bigger. A couple of failed attempts at rehab came in went before I finally was able to get the demons under control. That was 21 years ago, but there isn’t a day that doesn’t go by that I don’t think that I couldn’t go back to that life with a snap of finger. It is something that I live with every day, but am able to keep the demon in its box. When I got my daughters, I decided to again drop the weight. I did it the blunt force way, I ate less and exercised more. I dropped about 60 lbs. and took up running, I also got my diabetes diagnosis the very day I hit my goal weight. Unfortunately going to culinary school and trying to launch a business without any type of support net, brought the weight back. Tapping into my vast knowledge of pharmaceuticals, I discovered Ephedra, specifically a cocktail of Ephedra, Yohimbe and Caffeine, known as the ECY stack. Did I know that it was dangerous? Absolutely, but I also knew it wasn’t the worst thing that I had put in my body and I lived through that so why not this. I dropped 70 pound in about 4 months. It’s kind of ironic that people actually thought that I had surgery. The only person that guessed was my Tae Kwan Do instructor. He was an Iron head and pretty much knew the drill. The stress of running a busy café (again without any significant help), working on a master’s degree and a couple of other personal issues along with being a parent and keeping up a house, just flat out took its tool. I didn’t binge it, didn’t sneak food, and didn’t sit at home with a bag of Oreos and a 2 liter. But I ate badly and ate a lot. Portions got out of control, choices sucked. I drank more booze and ate more crap and kept the cycle going. It was only when it started to take a toll on my health that I really started paying attention to what I was doing. That path led me to the sleeve and where I am today. Hopefully, I’m chasing the last of the demons….
I’m John and I AM an addict, but not necessarily a food addict…..

Keep up the great work!

I have to say its especially nice to see my 16 year old daughter live a life that is healthy and not have to go through the misery that weight issues cause!

In regards to Pelekania's second post should of quoted her...
We do! The one thing I'm happy about is that as a parent I do everything opposite with my children than what was done with me! The one easy thing about a crappy childhood, you know what not to do
My children are healthy and active and eat for the most part what I make and are aware of labels and know that junk food is just that " junk" food.< /p>
I have a friend who is morbidly obese (she was not happy with me doing this) and I've always felt so sad for her daughter because she has grown up on her mothers believes that it's ok..
I never thought being morbidly obese was ok.
And it's been my battle not my children's thank god!

I can honestly say that my outlook on food and free food is definitely changing! They have fundraisers frequently at my job and this lady bought cupcakes and was giving them out. I wasn't tempted (eventhough they looked delicious), but like I explained to my coworker... I just bust my behind in a gym to burn 4-500 calories and I am not about to waste it on a cupcake and plus I didn't want it. Lol now maybe had that been sone shoyu chicken or lau lau...I probably would have taken it :-). Lol

I guess it's just how we all approach our "journey" or our "recovery" I certainly did not have a big box of donuts or twinkles sitting in my hand every time someone saw (seen) me...
I can even say, I too, was raised in a culture where mass amounts of food were the norm...
When I was younger there would be epic battles with my mom about me not leaving the table until I was done... I would win sometimes (sit for an hour or so). My family loves to feed people, it makes my mother really happy to feed people....
Conditioned? Maybe... But it's on me as an adult to come to terms with my eating not the person next to me thats eating everything in sight.
I have "thyroid"issues.. "Metabolism" issues..
But I'm fat because I did not have the control to stop. All that food filled a hole and it was put in my mouth by me...

Definitely a food addict here....and still am. I feel the urge to pull into any convenience store I pass and buy a candy bar or 2 every other day. Leave me alone in a room with a box of donuts? Some of those donuts are going to end up missing. I hate it....but there it is.
But it's not just addiction for me and many others. I've seen it over and over again. So many people really have no idea HOW to eat healthy. We see naturally skinny people eating burgers and fries and we feel like we ought to be able to eat that way. Well, for some reason, my body takes every french fry I eat and packs it away somewhere. It's not about metabolism or my thyroid. It's about blood sugar and insulin response. I suspect way more people here are insulin resistant than are aware of it. Being insulin resistant makes you way more likely to store carbs as fat rather than burn them. And if you eat a high carb diet guess what? Just look at the nutritional information on a Lean Cuisine sometime. It's advertised as healthy food, but it's really a big box of microwaveable starch that promotes fat storage and literally blocks our ability to burn fat for fuel....ESPECIALLY in insulin resistant people.
But I'm getting off subject here. The point is, we have no idea how to eat properly, but we think we do. We eat stuff that we think is diet food (like lean cuisines, life Cereal and wheat bread) and we wonder why we can't lose any weight. Metabolically we're broken and nutritionally we're ignorant (and by we I certainly include my former self).