Mrs. Reid

Before I gained my weight, I used to clean or organize stuff in our house, go for a long country walk, workout on my elliptical, etc. Since we can't just binge anymore, I have taken up my old de-stressors back up again. You just have to get into the habit of doing something else, but make it something that is productive and keeps you busy.

What has helped me...
I have made a commitment to myself for my future health and fulfillment of my dreams. Nothing, certainly not a bite of pizza or a potato chip, is going to stop me. I have it set in my mind that I have changed for my positive future. There is no going back for me. Period. I was sleeved 10/24 and I have a long way to go. But, I will get there! And, I will enjoy the journey.
I hope that my perspective is helpful to you and that you find the right resources for you since each of us have different situations and perspectives.

@cynthiarm2000 I too was in the same boat as you being an emotional/stress eater. I had to figure out something before I went crazy because sweets are my nemesis.
I started slowly moving myself to sugar-free items. It's amazing how good the taste is of some of the artificial sweeteners. It took a little getting used to, but now I can't stand the taste of really sugary stuff. I would rather have just a little bit of sweetness that artificial sweeteners offer.
You might want to consider trying it. I know it worked wonders for me and I cut out a TON of sugar and carbs from my diet. Every now and then I'll get that "itch" again and have a little something too sweet, and I immediately remember why I wanted to get away from the sugar in the first place.
Just something to think about...

You need to stay busy and focused on the final result. I am a stress eater, had the surgery a week ago and have been on liquids for over 3 weeks. I do get cranky at times but I made a decision to do this. I read a lot of others stories on these wen sites, see the successes and want to be one of them. The food stays out of my mouth. Find a new hobby, find a new friend about to go thru this but focus on the end result.

I'm in the same boat - I've put on 6lbs in the past month - and I've had the surgery - I'm over 2 years out Stress - eating has always been my go to also... and with all the Halloween goodies and the Christmas sweets about to appear - this isn't good... i'm a crafter - going to try and work on my knitting and take my stress and also boredom... hope you find something to help you too

So I recently got my first manicure in, like, 20 years. I decided to do something pampering for myself that didn't involve eating or buying clothes. I don't like to draw attention to my hands because I have vitiligo, which is a loss of pigment, and my hands are quite blotchy. But I did the manicure anyway. I started getting compliments on my nails from coworkers and friends. So I've been polishing them regularly myself now. Feeling all girly for the first time in ages.
So of course I develop a new skin problem. Why not. Flaky, dry, red, burning eyelids. Day after day after day. I google this. The apparent diagnosis says get to the eye doctor.
So I go to the eye doctor and he says nope, your eyes are fine. Get to the dermatologist.
So today I see my dermatologist. She hasn't seen me since oh, about sixty pounds ago. She asks how much I've lost. I tell her 101 pounds. Congrats and compliments ensue. Very nice.
So, Doc, what's going on? Did I develop yet another autoimmune disorder to add to my arthritis and vitiligo? My stress levels have been through the roof over the last four months. I filled her in on my crazy life situation.
Oh, no. It's your nail polish.
What?
Yes, you have contact dermatitis of the eyelids and almost all of the cases I see are an allergic reaction to nail polish or artificial nails.
I'M ALLERGIC TO MY ONE CALORIE FREE AFFORDABLE LUXURY?!
Yes, yes I am. Fortunately, there's a doctor approved polish I can use. Pricey, but not as pricey as a weekly foot massage.
So that is my rant for the day.

Standing outside this morning I looked about and all was quiet. Moments later a light breeze started to affect one of the Maples we planted thirty years ago. It drew my attention because it was a soft rustling noise that came from no where and sounded peaceful and pleasant. Suddenly in the distance I could hear the rumbling of thunder and it felt ominous. Approaching my peaceful moment with the ability to give me cause to worry. It hit me that the entire experience of a few moments was comparable to the journey of weight loss surgery.


We get to a point where we give in and think that we have reached the bottom of our life. There is nothing left and we think there is nothing for us out there to help or offer us an option to turn our lives around. But through gentle words and in the form of encouragement by family, friends and the medical field we learn about Bariatric Surgery. We are offered a tool that can assist us to find a new path to good health and well being. A fear builds deep within us but we know inside that this is the only option left. This is make or break it time and we have no where else to go. We see our mortality and the future looks dim. We are willing to do what it takes to find ourselves on the other side which offers a new life without food addiction.
We can't even imagine how that would feel to be thin and in good health. Finally having the real control of our future and our lives. Not being the object of well intentioned or intentional comments or opinions that hurt so deep we feel wounded and or scarred for the rest of our days. But it is not to be. We have an option. A gentle breeze overcomes us as we realize we do have an option. We do have a future. One that will keep us around long enough to enjoy the rest of our lives as the person we always wanted to be. Being able to watch our children grow up and then the grandchildren. Not to mention doing all the things you thought you would never do. Making a bucket list of experiences you want to have and places you want to go. Not to mention the effects this new and improved you will have in a positive way with your family and friends, work acquaintances and yes even strangers. This is the gentle breeze of realization that is engulfing your spirit and giving you hope for a better life ahead.
When does the thunder roll in the distance to threaten this new found peace you are experiencing? When you realize that it will take real effort on your part to accomplish this. When you take the time to really start changing how you view food and figure out why you used food as a comfort in good times and in bad. We are conditioned to believe that food plays a much bigger roll in our lives then simply giving us the proper nutrients to keep our bodies in good working order. By well meaning parents who told us how it was so important to clean our plates to the diet industry that makes millions off of failed diets. The false comfort in the form of food related slogans that advertising companies use to make us think that food equals happiness. That food is the backbone of our lives. Here are a few.
Help yourself to happiness – Golden Coral
Come hungry, leave happy – IHOP
Unwrap a smile – Little Debbie's
Comfort in every bite – Mars Bar
Life tastes better with KFC – Kentucky Fried chicken
Little nuggets of joy- McDonald's Chicken McNuggets
Double your flavor,double your fun – Double Mint Gum
Feels like home – Sarah Lee
Get your smile on – Lay's
And on and on, teaching us that food is the answer to all our woes and will bring us happiness. But we know from our own personal experiences that this is not the case. And yet we battle these feelings of needing food as the drug of choice to fulfill in us an emptiness every single day. We find ourselves reverting back to the habits that has brought us momentary relief only to find that it did not help at all.
This is the thunder that we all experience in our journey. The fight to stay on course and not give into the heavy winds and booming sounds of habit or the artificial comfort of using food to make us feel better. We are in a war. We will win a battle at a time. We will get there. Maybe not today or tomorrow but we will control this disease. Weight loss surgery is our tool to learn new life long habits and choices that will once again bring the gentle breeze of hope and then success.

I'm not in a relationship (thankfully) but I am losing my best friend. She has turned into a painfully polite person at work, but doesn't talk to me like she once did. She had the bypass a decade ago but gained back a lot of weight. She has been working out for the past year and has lost a bit, but when she found out I was going for the surgery she has since started distancing herself from me. It was hurtful at first but now I feel like she was not a real friend in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see that there were problems in the friendship that I glossed over because she was my BFF. After the surgery, my life is going to change, and how I pick my friends is also going to change.

Time to get a new job?

I'm not in a relationship (thankfully) but I am losing my best friend. She has turned into a painfully polite person at work, but doesn't talk to me like she once did. She had the bypass a decade ago but gained back a lot of weight. She has been working out for the past year and has lost a bit, but when she found out I was going for the surgery she has since started distancing herself from me. It was hurtful at first but now I feel like she was not a real friend in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see that there were problems in the friendship that I glossed over because she was my BFF. After the surgery, my life is going to change, and how I pick my friends is also going to change.

I'm not in a relationship (thankfully) but I am losing my best friend. She has turned into a painfully polite person at work, but doesn't talk to me like she once did. She had the bypass a decade ago but gained back a lot of weight. She has been working out for the past year and has lost a bit, but when she found out I was going for the surgery she has since started distancing herself from me. It was hurtful at first but now I feel like she was not a real friend in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see that there were problems in the friendship that I glossed over because she was my BFF. After the surgery, my life is going to change, and how I pick my friends is also going to change.

I'm not in a relationship (thankfully) but I am losing my best friend. She has turned into a painfully polite person at work, but doesn't talk to me like she once did. She had the bypass a decade ago but gained back a lot of weight. She has been working out for the past year and has lost a bit, but when she found out I was going for the surgery she has since started distancing herself from me. It was hurtful at first but now I feel like she was not a real friend in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see that there were problems in the friendship that I glossed over because she was my BFF. After the surgery, my life is going to change, and how I pick my friends is also going to change.

I'm not in a relationship (thankfully) but I am losing my best friend. She has turned into a painfully polite person at work, but doesn't talk to me like she once did. She had the bypass a decade ago but gained back a lot of weight. She has been working out for the past year and has lost a bit, but when she found out I was going for the surgery she has since started distancing herself from me. It was hurtful at first but now I feel like she was not a real friend in the first place. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see that there were problems in the friendship that I glossed over because she was my BFF. After the surgery, my life is going to change, and how I pick my friends is also going to change.

@@pinkbunies, Hi there... My answer to your question is yes. I am recently seperated from my husband due to my choice of having the surgery and the effects it makes on our daily lives. Hopefully you will not find your self in an unfortunate circumstance such as mine, but in the end the weight loss is worth all the change that comes with it. Even if it is sacraficing someone you love, somtimes you have to make a choice for yourself. The important people will grow with you and support you unconditionally. Best wishes to you.

Hi I'm new and i am planning to go to Mexico 2015, Because my ins do not cover WLS

You can get a passport really fast, but you will have to pay extra for it. The information is on the web. You should get started on that right away if you're not going to pay the extra for fast service. It does take time to get a passport and you do need one to travel to Mexico.

After reading this forum, I have decided not to weigh myself at all. I will just find out when I go for my followup visits with the doctor. Other than that I am going to wait until around the 3rd or 4th month to pull out the scale.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

After reading this forum, I have decided not to weigh myself at all. I will just find out when I go for my followup visits with the doctor. Other than that I am going to wait until around the 3rd or 4th month to pull out the scale.

when your ready to take charge and get it out of the way, its so cheap. Forgot trying to get it done in the US. Go to Mexico. You could have it done as early as next week.
I'm sitting at home after having my surgery done this past Wednesday. I walked 3 miles today. I was going to do it in the states but didn't see a need to wait 3 months and gain more weight only so they can do the operation here for 3 times the price.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

I see a lot of people saying not to let this impact your relationship with your mom, but maybe letting that relationship fall to the way side might help you feel stronger. You say that you don't want your son to be a 4th generation heavy kid, and it doesn't seem that your mom understands that. I mean really, you are not alone, you have supports, and you have these forums and I'm sure everyone here would agree that we like you and think you made the right decision for you and understand the turmoil and craziness that WLS brings. But additional stress isn't likely to be helpful to you at all. You need to set the boundaries with your mom, tell her no more food stuff, ever, period, for you or your son, and let her know that she needs to find another way to express her affections that won't have such a strong impact on you. I sincerely hope you find the support you need here, and I know family drama is never fun. Maybe a general counselor might also be able to help you sort out how you're feeling, and make a plan for advocating for yourself with your family.