Mine's in 8 days too, Leslie, and likewise, my nerves are starting to kick in. I'm also not afraid of the surgery, I think it's the life change after. A big life change and a big change being made to my body itself. It's no small thing! The food-addict bit of my brain is having a little last-gasp flail knowing things won't be the same ever again, but it's thankfully being drowned out by the rest of mind that's so very ready for this.
I'm picking triumphant, upbeat songs on spotify and playing them on repeat. Along with keeping busy, it helps!
I've come to realize that I am also a sugar/food addict. I've read a ton of books, some of which I will share with you. OA, a 12-step program, is an excellent support group. I haven't joined OA but I know its out there and available to me.
I had WLS in 1990, received no nutrition guidance, and was pretty much left to my own devices. I lost weight during the post-op honeymoon, but as time passed I could eat more...and I did! I regained every pound I had lost and returned to my original set point, where it stayed for the next 25 years despite a variety of weight loss program. I could never keep lost weight off.
I only recently learned that my RNY can be revised. I wasted a lot of time, but I'm going to give it another shot. This time I have lots more information at my fingertips.
Pre-operatively I have sworn off sugar, flour, wheat, rice, starchy vegetables, and processed foods. The first couple of weeks were hard but now I rarely get cravings or head hunger. I've lost 43 lbs. since the first of April. I know that abstention is the only way to prevail over addiction. I intend to continue with this post-operatively also.
Since you already know you are a food addict, I recommend the following:
Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction, by Vera Talman
Weight Loss Surgery Does Not Treat Food Addiction, by Connie Stapleton
Why Diets Fail (because youʼre addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbott
Baratric Surgery & Food Addiction, by Philip Werdell (written for the clinician, but I found it valuable}
You might find Kay Sheppard's books relevant, since she advocates 12-step programs: Food Addiction: The Body Knows and From The First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery
One more book that I highly recommend is The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, by Colleen Cook. I've also discovered that there a plethora of Bariatric Cookbooks now. My favorite is The Bariatric Guide and Cookbook, by Matthew Weiner.
