Hi all,

Im about a month pre op and am working on curbing my bad eating habits, etc. I got to thinking about something I was told in my Options class about people developing cross addictions after surgery. I was wondering what I would have to do to get the same feeling of comfort and security that I now get from food. I am also in the habit of rewarding myself with food, so I know that might be a problem, even though I know thats really common. I honestly couldnt think of an answer besides shopping or...shopping. I keep reading posts from people who have had VSG that they just dont crave food anymore, but that is kind of hard for me to wrap my brain around. So if you don't really want to eat, what do you do? Right now, if Im bored or have free time, my husband and I go out to eat. Then maybe we'll see a movie or walk somewhere. So my questions are: has anyone suffered from cross addiction to an unhealthy degree? Also, if that desire to eat is still there what do you do to curb it? I can see myself becoming manic trying to fill every second of my day so I don't have to think about food food food! Cause thats the way I feel now

Thanks

okay I know this is silly, but am forever spending tons and tons of money at nordstrom and nordstrom rack so when I get the urge to but a new top I buy myself a gift card and hanging on to em for my after shopping. In CA the value of gift cards can not change over any amount of time so Im golden baby! haha

So you'll be treating yourself to lots and lots of nice smaller clothes Awesome idea, I think I can might use something like that for my rewards system

So you'll be treating yourself to lots and lots of nice smaller clothes Awesome idea, I think I can might use something like that for my rewards system

I figure then the cost wont hit me all at once. I know Im gonna want super cute designer jeans when my fat ass will fit into them and they can run like 150 - 25- a pair!!! Hopefully my surgery date is right behind you! I go down to social every month or so… a year from now you and I may be hitting the mall together!!! hahha

Jenn I know it!! I've got my savings up over 500 right now! I'm only barely over halfway to goal... and I CANT WAIT to get there and hit up Nordy's for some super cute designer jeans!!!

Though my favorites have always been and always will be Levi's. They have always fit my shape the best. But I can get those from Kohl's and for super cheap. ;o)

I have always been a shopper too but it was for my kids. I'd go to Hanna Andersson or Gymboree and blow tons of money. Now that I've lost weight I could buy so much for myself if I had the money. It helps we don't have any credit cards except for Lbryant (at least that aren't maxxed out). Last week I went into Torrid and just happened to pick up a hat and put it on. OMG I looked so cute. I couldn't ever wear hats before in my whole life because my face was too fat. The girl at Torrid said, "Wow you wear hats well!" I said, "I know right?" and bought 2. Then went over to payless and tried on all their hats when the sales lady there said the same thing. I sent hubby a pic of me in the dressing room (at Torrid) in a new bra and a couple hats to ask if I could have them. Mostly as flirting but of course he said to buy them all LOL So yeah, I could totally turn into a shopaholic!

I figure then the cost wont hit me all at once. I know Im gonna want super cute designer jeans when my fat ass will fit into them and they can run like 150 - 25- a pair!!! Hopefully my surgery date is right behind you! I go down to social every month or so… a year from now you and I may be hitting the mall together!!! hahha

Yes we can definitely go shopping for fabulous new clothes

Ive been going to the mall and scoping out all the skinny clothes, wondering what my "style" would be if I could wear ANYTHING, the whole time thinking really, I'll be able to shop anywhere???....the possibilities are endless:D

I have always been a shopper too but it was for my kids. I'd go to Hanna Andersson or Gymboree and blow tons of money. Now that I've lost weight I could buy so much for myself if I had the money. It helps we don't have any credit cards except for Lbryant (at least that aren't maxxed out). Last week I went into Torrid and just happened to pick up a hat and put it on. OMG I looked so cute. I couldn't ever wear hats before in my whole life because my face was too fat. The girl at Torrid said, "Wow you wear hats well!" I said, "I know right?" and bought 2. Then went over to payless and tried on all their hats when the sales lady there said the same thing. I sent hubby a pic of me in the dressing room (at Torrid) in a new bra and a couple hats to ask if I could have them. Mostly as flirting but of course he said to buy them all LOL So yeah, I could totally turn into a shopaholic!

So awesome Soon you wont even have to shop at LB or Torrid, plus size clothes can be so expensive sometimes, even though those stores have lots of cute stuff.

Its just amazing all the options that we are going to have. Ive always loved the skinny jeans with calf length boots look, but my legs are way too big to pull that off...for now Also cant wait to buy my very own little black dress complete with heels...

So awesome Soon you wont even have to shop at LB or Torrid, plus size clothes can be so expensive sometimes, even though those stores have lots of cute stuff.

Its just amazing all the options that we are going to have. Ive always loved the skinny jeans with calf length boots look, but my legs are way too big to pull that off...for now Also cant wait to buy my very own little black dress complete with heels...

I so agree… I cant wait to buy a whole new wardrobe.. I went to the rack last night and looked at the all cute shit I cant wear… couldn't resist a new handbag tho! lol haha

I need advice please!!!! Ok so I love my wine I have about 2 glasses a night have a meating to see if I am going to get the sleve done but I;m only 200pounds and 30 dont want to have to control my earting 24/7 not be able to have my wine . Please help me to understand what its like when u drink after the surgery and can u drink in public with out getting sick?

so confused

I need advice please!!!! Ok so I love my wine I have about 3 glasses a night have a meating to see if I am going to get the sleve done but I;m only 200pounds and 30 dont want to have to control my earting 24/7 not be able to have my wine . Please help me to understand what its like when u drink after the surgery and can u drink in public with out getting sick?

so confused

nicole

That's a lot of wine. The recommended amount of alcohol for women is 2 drinks or less per day (a 6 oz glass of wine would be an example of a drink). Lots of empty calories, too. A 6-oz glass is about 120 calories, so 3 glasses add up, plus there's zero nutritional value to those calories. I say, post-sleeve would be a great time to cut down on alcohol. You can't drink for a while after the surgery - this is surgeon-dependent, but I've seen guidelines that range from 1 month to 6 months of abstinence from alcohol - so it'd be a good time to kick the habit. You can have alcohol once you're all healed up. I've never been much of a drinker, so I can only speak to being able to have 1 drink without consequences. I usually have mixed drinks - I never liked wine much before, but now it makes me very nauseous after just 2-3 sips.

I still think I have my same food obsession, just can't eat as much of it. I feel like I have done okay shopping, only once half way I splurged on a spring suit (300) that is now too big I'm sure. Regret that! I don't like to overindulge on senseless things like that, but I did look great that one night. At least I sort of made sure it was things that could be altered like a straight skirt, etc. and I do plan to do that. But the blazer that goes with it....I don't know if it can be altered. I hate that feeling of waste.

I will say my culinary skills are improving post sleeve.. I seem to be in search of that "perfect bite" and get really pissed if I get a bad meal since I can't eat much anyway. I'm more interested in recipes and novel tastes and things cooked to absolute perfection. Like this morning I made a small Breakfast for my family, and was overjoyed that I finally did not waste food, but I was so happy each and every item tasted perfectly. It has been hard to not cook too much and I still tend to fall into that. My dog has eaten very well this past year b/c I basically need to stop wasting ingredients. We have two children (step kids) that moved out too recently so I think I was used to cooking too much bc they would eat it eventually and now there is no one to eat the extra for the most part as my 12 year old only likes certain things and not others and my little guy does't eat much (he is 3.5 years). My husband rarely eats leftovers.

As for shopping, there are so many things to buy once you lose the weight bc NOTHING in a closet or drawer fits, not even your shoes as I went down a size and a half. I am so sad I have wasted so many clothes and shoes b/c I either give them away or they just sit there not being worn. I gave so much away and recently did a garage sales. But it is just waste everywhere!!

I did wear 3" thin heels to a special event the other night. I have not done that in years and I was very uncomfortable (my feet seem very bony now with not much pad on the heel). But heh, I made it standing up a couple hours on and off throughout the evening. I cannot believe how uncomfortable heels are, but I couldn't even try before so it was fun to just wear them to look cute which was not an option for me before. But will I wear them again?...that is the thing. I don't like to waste. I tried so hard to find a pair of comfortable heels but I tried on a million shoes and these were the most comfortable I could find. My foot is so damn tiny and small now and the heels just swallow me and I couldn't find narrow size shoes that were cute and comfortable. I'd rather buy a pair of comfortable shoes I wear every day than buy fancy things I hardly wear - especially right now bc I always need clothes for work. Before I would have worn dressy flats so I wouldn't have made that extra purchase which is what I'm talking about. THose one time purchases to look extra cute are killers. Like I bought some expensive jeans in Vegas that are so fancy I've actually never found a place to wear them. Once again, regret. I could spend all my time just buying and returning, buying and returning.

One purchase that worked out was some cute straight jeans from banana Republic (8P) and some Ann Taylor jeans (8p) and some tall black boots with a heel which are extremely comfortable. I don't think I've EVER had the nerve to have tall boots b/c a short fat girl in tall boots is well, not real nice. I bought a sweater dress too to wear with them but haven't done so yet. Still might return that. I spend a lot of time questioning my purchases and if it is expensive it is even worse. I don't have endless time to shop so that makes it more challenging.

But definitely no matter how many clothes I buy now I need something else because I have nothing old to fall back on in my closet. I feel like I've overdone it and yet I just wear the same things over and over again.

So that is what I've struggled with, not an obsession, but I have definitely struggled with waste - buying/cooking too much food/clothes/making senseless purchases. It is like a new door has opened and for some reason it has led to me feeling like I overspend on groceries, restaurants, and sometimes shopping. I can't tell you how many times I have wasted money/food at restaurants bc I overorder. It is all so overwhelming and then in a couple hours just hungry again. I try to save and eat again but sometimes it isn't what I want.

I am a bit fickle with everything now.

We are going on a cruise this summer and I've been shopping already for that and have really picked up some bargains off season. We are going to DIsney World, then beach/fishing for a few days, then a short cruise. This trip would have been way to much for me before...whereas I'm really looking forward to it. But all this extra activity leads to a lot of extra spending for my whole family, not just me. It is hard to define, but sitting at home was just cheaper.

As for alcohol, I've never had an issue bc I can take it or leave it. I had a full glass of champagne at the party and never felt it for some reason, but it didn't make me sick or anything.

I think one thing is as you are losing, and as the surgery is new, you get used to a lot of attention from it and when people get used to you thinner and they don't say anything you are like !!!???!!! I do I not look good? But hopefully eventually I won't be looking for that constant feedback. BC people just get used to you thin and don't mention it anymore. My husband is tired of me saying" feel this bone ", etc. One day he even said he wanted his fat girl back b/c I get annoying to him sometimes stressing over how I look, trying to get noticed, etc. It is kinda weird that I would be that way bc I'm not a teenager. Some days I feel so damn cute, but other days feel the same as before. Like when I needed a dress and couldn't get in the small sizes (I had to buy a 12P) and I felt so fat. For some reason my rib cage and breast area is still kinda thick and fitted dresses do not fit extremely well and I was kinda embarrassed that I popped a zipper b/c I tried to wear too small of a dress.

It is all just weird. Thanks for listening.

i am definitely concerned about this as well...I think my fear is either drinking or shopping....but I try not to worry about it. I think that if you know that you have an addictive personality therapy is definitely the way to go. lol

As for shopping, there are so many things to buy once you lose the weight bc NOTHING in a closet or drawer fits, not even your shoes as I went down a size and a half.

I wish, 5'5" and still a size 10 in shoes. I guess it's good that my old shoes still fit, but I'd love to be a size 9, makes shoe shopping that much easier.