Substitutes for eating? What to do now....?

[filodough 1]

I am having my sleeve done on Friday, and one of the things I am trying to prepare is a list of things that I can do to substitute my 'habit'. Everything that I enjoy doing has always revolved around food. I love to cook, I love to entertain, I love restaurant week, I love watching Top Chef, I love going on food dates with my beau, and with my friends, I love my supper club, I Celebrate by eating, when I am pissed I eat, I love food-related gifts... you get my drift.

So since a large part of my social/emotional/bored life is going to be out the door after surgery, I would really like to know what people 'DO' now- socially/emotionally etc

Mostly- the good things (I know there are also destructive things that we all do, but that might be a whole different thread)

[Tiffykins 673]

I could of written that myself, seriously. My life revolved around food. In the morning, I woke up and was planning "hmmm, what can I eat today."

But, the interest in food kind of went away for awhile. I know a lot of people enjoy social events after the sleeve, they just drink water/tea/juice while out, or they order Soup. It can still be a good time, you just won't be able to focus on food, it'll be more socializing, and gabbing. That is what I have found to be the most fun now when I am out socially.

I don't have an emotional tie to food anymore. I simply eat to live, not live to eat. It was a weird adjustment, but I just kind of rolled with it.

Distraction of some sort definitely helps. I came on here A LOT when I was newly post-op. I played a lot of online games, and wrote a bunch to distract me.

You'll also love to clothes for gifts instead of foody gifts.

I know it's a difficult concept to grasp until you're on the post-op side, but seriously you won't be truly hungry, and food will not be a primary focus.