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I guess I'm a stress eater.....



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Well, I finally figured out what MY food demon is, STRESS. I wasn't sure if I was the emotional eater or what, but now I figured it out. For the past 2 months since being banded, I've been very good and made some good lifestyle changes. A week ago we got some upsetting news about my brother and within a day I saw the correlation. It was as if I someone took my band out. I found I was making bad food choices, snacking when I wasn't hungry and eating too much! I knew instantly that I've been using food to cope with stress my whole life. Stressed out? Have a cookie. Worried about that deadline? Have some nachos and get to work....You get the picture. Now that I have this knowledge, I'm just not sure what to do with it or how to avoid letting stressful times ruin my progress going forward :(

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I personally think that identifying it is the hardest and biggest step. You just need to acquire that moment between the stress and the eating where you can recognize the "why" part. You are more than half way there.

Sorry to hear you had some sad news about your brother.

Best wishes.

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Ahh stress happens so you know you can't change that part. Why not just find healthier go-to foods? Sounds silly but I've been making Protein ice cream and topping it with sugar-free, no carb, no calorie chocolate Syrup with whipped cream. Sounds unhealthy but 38g Protein, 200g calories and 8 carbs I believe. Talk about a nice treat when you need a stress reliever.

I'd try to figure out what your go to foods are and then replace them with something healthier. Buy sugar free Cookies or make a Cookies and cream Protein shake. Nachos find flax seed crackers and melt your own cheese on them. Or do a low carb tortilla, cut it up, toast it in the oven, and dip it with salsa/cheese.

Just some ideas. :)

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They're great ideas :) Actually last night I cooked up a bunch of healthy stuff and stocked up on the greek yogurt hoping that I'll run for the Protein if I get weak :)

Ahh stress happens so you know you can't change that part. Why not just find healthier go-to foods? Sounds silly but I've been making Protein ice cream and topping it with sugar-free, no carb, no calorie chocolate Syrup with whipped cream. Sounds unhealthy but 38g protein, 200g calories and 8 carbs I believe. Talk about a nice treat when you need a stress reliever.

I'd try to figure out what your go to foods are and then replace them with something healthier. Buy sugar free Cookies or make a Cookies and cream protein shake. Nachos find flax seed crackers and melt your own cheese on them. Or do a low carb tortilla, cut it up, toast it in the oven, and dip it with salsa/cheese.

Just some ideas. :)

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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    • KimBaxleyWilson

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