Today for the first time, it really hit me that food isn't that important anymore. It's so strange. It used to be all I focused on. Everyday there was JOY in trying to figure out what and where to go to eat. Not anymore.

It makes me happy and sad in a sense. Our relationship with food defintely does change.

I bet this is how normal people feel. :thumbup1: lol

It's so true. I had a really difficult time grasping talking to some of the veterans on OH, but they kept telling, 'you'll just have to see for yourself.'

It's extremely liberating isn't it?

It's so true. I had a really difficult time grasping talking to some of the veterans on OH, but they kept telling, 'you'll just have to see for yourself.'

It's extremely liberating isn't it?

It is Tiffy. It's the strangest feeling. It's so hard to put into words where others can understand it. It's just one of those things we all have to experience ourselves.

It is liberating, but strange at the same time. After being addicted to food for so many years, it's just "different". It's nice not to focus on food constantly. When I think of how many hours, days I wasted thinking about and consuming food, it makes me sad.

I just wish I had done this years ago.

:thumbup1:

Barbara

Isn't that just the greatest feeling! I never thought I would feel this way either. Now if hubby and I go out, I eat maybe 1/3 of my meal and bring the rest home. I don't sit around thinking about what to eat next, sure make life easier!!

Take care!

Today for the first time, it really hit me that food isn't that important anymore. It's so strange. It used to be all I focused on. Everyday there was JOY in trying to figure out what and where to go to eat. Not anymore.

It makes me happy and sad in a sense. Our relationship with food defintely does change.

I bet this is how normal people feel. :huh0: lol

haha. I'm not there yet.......still fighting this thing. People say...you are doing so great and I snicker to myself. I'm thinking - you don't understand...I'm being controlled. I hope eventually.

Fabby, it is great isn't it? We just can't over due if we wanted to.

pumpkin, you are doing great. Look how much weight you've lost!

I know, I lose weight every few days...but I fear that will stop if I don't get my crap together. My head is just not around this yet and I have no plan for the day. Plans don't work for me right now at all. Seems like one day I want something, and after that I never want that again but something different. And I just kind of ride the ride. I've wasted so much money on food/supplements trying to buy some of things everyone says they do - but ugh most of it just awful to me. Like I bought the 'case' of shrimp won ton Soup from costco...ate one and gagged my way through it and threw away the other 7. Have eaten a little Greek yogurt out of the Costco 'case' but UGHHHHHH, can't touch it now. Can't drink anymore shakes to save my life with any form of whey Protein. Even the unflavored. The artificial sweeteners are just worse than ever to me. If I only get 2-3 oz of something, I want it to be something I like. So after I didn't poop for 10 days...I just cut out all the what-I-call fake food and just started eating more normally for me, and figured the weight loss would stop. It has slowed, but it seems like if I eat a lot one day, then the next day food just seems gross and it offsets itself. And still I'm not eating many calories.

But so many of you are so organized and compared to you all I feel like just a total bomb. But things are 'regular' again and I stopped crying and I'm just sort of trying to let my head catch up to my stomach so to speak.

My head is rebeling against the physical changes. I tend to go through things this way - sorta sloppy but I get there all the same.

I am also thinking this is going to be very weird, but I'm sooo excited about all the time and MONEY I"m going to save. No more driving around to three different places to put together the perfect meal with all my favorites and no more spending the bulk of my disposable income on food. I'm planning to spend my extra duckies on a great new wardrobe and adding to my savings.

Barbara

Yes I love the way the sleeve gently reminds us that we are changed people!! I Love the fact that when you are getting close you get a littl pain in your chest (well at least I do) That is my food thermometer!

Pumpkin

I have had trouble with a lot of different foods too, the things I used to like taste aweful now. I can't stand Protein drinks, never could. I try very hard to get my protein from other foods. I never plan what I will eat everyday, I have never been that organized. That is probably why I got fat in the first place! I would not plan, get hungry and then go to Taco Bell!! You are doing a great job!! Don't worry so much about the food, it will all come together for you.

Mary

You will love all the money you save on food, not to mention all the time we wasted thinking about food! I have been on a buying spree, lots and lots of new clothes, I used to hate shopping! I bought 12 new shirts in one day!! All in a size medium, it is wonderful to shop and enjoy it again.

Good luck everyone!

I had a revelation this weekend right in line with what others have said. What used to be comfort food now is the food that gets stuck. For instance, we eat a lot of Mexican eggs, Beans, and tortillas. B/c I can't eat salsa well, so it is like trying to get cardboard through my throat b/c I guess it is all thick. Even if it is without the tortilla, it is just too dense or something. Beans by themselves are better, but no eggs. Just no satisfaction there. Same with Chinese, which was a major part of my diet. It just doesn't work for me right now and I did stop trying totally b/c I would gag on it.

It has been a bit difficult to know what to eat.

We went to Mexico this weekend and I didn't want to be a problem or create a problem for myself so I was pretty careful. drinks were tough and I drank a lot of Water. Halfway through the trip I had an AH HA moment and I finally just stopped trying to eat like I always have there before (sniff sniff). I am such a hardhead. What tasted GREAT was the natural orange juice, fresh tomatoes with anything, the flavor was incredible. Things more mild in spice but a bit crunchy worked too, like chilequilas. I did have a corn cob and didn't have the problems Tiffy has had with corn. The corn wasn't served hot enough for me and I couldn't eat much, but that appears to have a lot of flavor to me now. Seems like veggies, but not cooked, are on my list of good things now. Just real fresh produce. I have not had a lot of fruit the past 5 weeks, but that orange juice (fresh squeezed) was like heaven. I had my first lettuce salad on the way back (probably 2-3 oz) and it was great too and I wish I could have eaten more. It is true it is a total re-evaluation of what works and what doesn't. I am 5 weeks out and really just now accepting this. It seems like the lighter the meal the more full and comfortable I feel whereas the heavier stuff just doesn't want to go into my stomach and I suffer for 20 minutes or so and never really feel full. I keep trying and trying to drink coffee b/c I have always LOVED coffee but now find the brand I always used (100% COLUMBIAN) is way too heavy now. The sweet breads from Mexico - totally don't appeal to me much. I'd rather munch on sunflower seeds.

I gained a lb on the trip. But I'm sure it was just too much salt on those darn seeds which I gotta get away from for a while. I was just having too much fun tasting things. I never liked salty/vinegary things much, whereas now that seems to be something I like and I may find a good pickle soon.

It is weird and interesting how things really do change. I guess it is okay just to eat totally differently. Too late to go back, gotta go forward. It is just so weird after a lifetime of eating a certain way. I'm thinking no more seafood gumbo either - shrimp just has the wrong texture now for me. And forget the rice.

Wow - it is hard to imagine that I could live without these staples in my diet. But honestly, they don't taste so great to me anymore. I haven't totally given into it, but I can see I'm on my way.

I love this post and everyone's comments. Tomorrow is 1 month out for me. I started eating some soft foods over the weekend and today I'm officially off pureed foods!

I've been keeping it really simple. food isn't very interesting so I'm just trying to eat things that taste good to me. I live alone so things last forever. The two things that are working great for me right now are turkey meatloaf and Trader Joe's frozen marinated mahi mahi. On Friday I noticed that the skin on my thumbs was cracking from being dry. I mashed the mahi mahi in the olive oil marinade and within a few days the cracking has stopped. It's so interesting to pay close attention to what's happening to my body. I've been slathering on cocoa butter as well.

It seems I can eat the same thing over and over and don't really care. It's just about getting in the Protein and moving on. Liberating it is! :001_unsure:

I too have very dry skin. AND it feels like winter will never end...in Houston...whichi s really weird.

Your weight loss is great Lee!

that's great to know that you are looking at food differently.....as a matter of fact that?s what we all should do. thankyou for sharing:thumbup1: your experience

Barbara

Yes I love the way the sleeve gently reminds us that we are changed people!! I Love the fact that when you are getting close you get a littl pain in your chest (well at least I do) That is my food thermometer!

pumpkin

I have had trouble with a lot of different foods too, the things I used to like taste aweful now. I can't stand Protein drinks, never could. I try very hard to get my protein from other foods. I never plan what I will eat everyday, I have never been that organized. That is probably why I got fat in the first place! I would not plan, get hungry and then go to Taco Bell!! You are doing a great job!! Don't worry so much about the food, it will all come together for you.

Mary

You will love all the money you save on food, not to mention all the time we wasted thinking about food! I have been on a buying spree, lots and lots of new clothes, I used to hate shopping! I bought 12 new shirts in one day!! All in a size medium, it is wonderful to shop and enjoy it again.

Good luck everyone!

My DREAM is to buy a MEDIUM....I cannot imagine that it will happen, but then again, I think maybe it will!!!! I loved it when I read that you bought 12!!!!! Good for you!

I had a revelation this weekend right in line with what others have said. What used to be comfort food now is the food that gets stuck. For instance, we eat a lot of Mexican eggs, Beans, and tortillas. B/c I can't eat salsa well, so it is like trying to get cardboard through my throat b/c I guess it is all thick. Even if it is without the tortilla, it is just too dense or something. Beans by themselves are better, but no eggs. Just no satisfaction there. Same with Chinese, which was a major part of my diet. It just doesn't work for me right now and I did stop trying totally b/c I would gag on it.

It has been a bit difficult to know what to eat.

We went to Mexico this weekend and I didn't want to be a problem or create a problem for myself so I was pretty careful. drinks were tough and I drank a lot of Water. Halfway through the trip I had an AH HA moment and I finally just stopped trying to eat like I always have there before (sniff sniff). I am such a hardhead. What tasted GREAT was the natural orange juice, fresh tomatoes with anything, the flavor was incredible. Things more mild in spice but a bit crunchy worked too, like chilequilas. I did have a corn cob and didn't have the problems Tiffy has had with corn. The corn wasn't served hot enough for me and I couldn't eat much, but that appears to have a lot of flavor to me now. Seems like veggies, but not cooked, are on my list of good things now. Just real fresh produce. I have not had a lot of fruit the past 5 weeks, but that orange juice (fresh squeezed) was like heaven. I had my first lettuce salad on the way back (probably 2-3 oz) and it was great too and I wish I could have eaten more. It is true it is a total re-evaluation of what works and what doesn't. I am 5 weeks out and really just now accepting this. It seems like the lighter the meal the more full and comfortable I feel whereas the heavier stuff just doesn't want to go into my stomach and I suffer for 20 minutes or so and never really feel full. I keep trying and trying to drink coffee b/c I have always LOVED coffee but now find the brand I always used (100% COLUMBIAN) is way too heavy now. The sweet breads from Mexico - totally don't appeal to me much. I'd rather munch on sunflower seeds.

I gained a lb on the trip. But I'm sure it was just too much salt on those darn seeds which I gotta get away from for a while. I was just having too much fun tasting things. I never liked salty/vinegary things much, whereas now that seems to be something I like and I may find a good pickle soon.

It is weird and interesting how things really do change. I guess it is okay just to eat totally differently. Too late to go back, gotta go forward. It is just so weird after a lifetime of eating a certain way. I'm thinking no more seafood gumbo either - shrimp just has the wrong texture now for me. And forget the rice.

Wow - it is hard to imagine that I could live without these staples in my diet. But honestly, they don't taste so great to me anymore. I haven't totally given into it, but I can see I'm on my way.

I love this post. I can't wait to see what is new for me. I love seafood, I hope that doesn't change, I can get Protein in with steamed shrimp, grilled fish etc. You mentioned gumbo....knowing what you know since you're on 'the other side' - is it or should it be off limits? We love Galveston and come to the Houston/Galveston area a couple of times a year. We have our favorite places for gumbo, Pappa's seafood is the one we like in Houston, oh, and Pappadeaux's!! I know I couldn't possibly eat a bowl, maybe not even a cup, but with the roux that is the base, will it be ok to have some? What's your opinion??!!!