Food Addict

[NewKat 1]

I am asking if there are any other people that have had the sleeve surgery that consider themselves addicted to food? I find that I eat anything I can find during the day. I eat when I am happy, sad, sick, well, anytime I am awake, I eat. I have my first appointment with the surgeon on the 20th. I am so excited, but yet I am wondering about food cravings. At the seminar the surgeon said that you lose a lot of the sense of hunger. I don't eat because I feel real hunger. I eat because I love to eat. Will the loss of the part of my stomach that triggers hunger also affect the part of me that just craves food? Will it even help, or will I continue to think of the next thing I can find to eat? If it even helps control that I think I will be fine. Not afraid of the surgery, just wanting to stop craving food. Please advise.

[Tiffykins 672]

None of the surgeries fix our brains. It just won't happen, grant it, when I had surgery I rarely wanted to eat and felt like I was force feeding myself early out. The further out I got, the easier eating became. Now, at 19 months out, it's way easier to eat mindlessly, grazing is a slippery slope, and it's really up to ME to make the best choice possible. If I eat all the time, make poor food choices, I can see a gain. VSG is not a magic bullet, and it's not going to magically wipe out all the food demons we have to live with mentally. It might not be what you want to hear, but go in knowing that it will take work on your part. Like I said early out, I didn't want to just eat to eat because I didn't have room, I had to focus on calories and Protein grams to ensure I was getting the proper nutrition. But, now in maintenance is where the challenge lies. I can eat 2-3 times the amount I could at 2-3 months out, and I can eat a lot of junk food. So, if I want to maintain, and continue being healthy, I have to make the best choice. I don't always make the best choice, I do eat junk food, I love food just the same as I did pre-op, I still have cravings, but VSG keeps my portions smaller, and I'm able to have more self-control.

If you divert the energy to eating only Protein, and getting a schedule down it will help you tremendously. Working closely with a mental health professional that deals with bariatric patients will also help. Essentially, I had to find a new outlet, drop a bad habit, and pick up a new one. It's coping mechanisms that really help, and if you don't have a solid game plan then you might struggle more. Have you ever checked out Overeater's anonymous groups in your area?

Best wishes.

[BZButterfly79 19]

I am by no means an expert in food addiction, what I know is what you described on your post was me. Before the sleeve I had to decide to and to find something that I loved more than food-myself. I had a toxic relationship with food and now that there is no room as Tiff talked about being early out, I have found activities that can distract me, I also keep my fat picture on the fridge just a reality check on where all the WONDERFUL food got me-a total hell where I didn't even want to look in the mirror. I can guarantee you that shopping will be an issue when I get to goal, as I love love clothes, fashion, and anything that enhances a woman's beauty. Not by any means immune just aware, that's what I feel. This is the first time in my life where I am "respecting" food for what it is and not asking it to make me feel good. You have recognized your behavior that's #1.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Wow ... respecting the food for what it is, and not asking it to make me feel good ... you just blew my mind a little bit there. That's seriously profound and I'm wrapping my mind around it, I recognize the truth there, that I have always looked to food to make me feel good. But food can't return love, it can take, but not give. I'm starting to see my desire to snack as correlating to the need some children have to suck their thumbs; feelings of fear, maybe boredom, familiarity, wanting security.

I'm not going to start sucking my thumb as an adult, obviously, but I do need to transfer that act of reassurance to something benign, like maybe one of those Tibetan bead bracelets, worry beads, something. Sugarless gum maybe.

[pumpkin07 32]

I think the preparation that many of the larger clinics have for 6 mos is a good idea prior to surgery. Then you will have time to mentally prepare. PLus counseling the first few months.

I don't think you will fail, but you will do better with extra support.

[Rootman 1,101]

Describes me to a TEE. I would eat a LOT but was picky on the quality. No glazed doughnuts for me, nope had to be pastries or something more exotic like custard filled long johns. I was a food snob, hee hee, just about typed "slob".

I look at it like this. You have got to be willing to make a DRASTIC change to your relationship with food. Be prepared to get a divorce. Food will be your EX that you have to be friendly with for the kids sake but can no longer trust to be around.

Eat to live, not live to eat.

[Douceur72 3]

Great thread. You sound like me, I've struggled with weight regardless of my mental state, happy, sad, whatever, just have always made bad choices and rationalized them away i.e. I don't have time to cook tonight - burger king here I come. And I know I can overcome the mental block as I've lost weight and kept it off for 2-5 years. I just had my psych eval today and discussed all of this with her, I really struggle to understand why I make such poor choices...I never thought of myself as an addict because I don't drink or gamble etc. but she said even if the emotion or situation isn't pinned down I need to come up with ways to fill the void after surgery (I'm about 3 months out). She gave me some good reading and ideas, I really do want to get this handled (maybe not figured out, the mind is so complex it may never be possible to figure out, but HANDLED) before my surgery. She sees many WLS patients and says usually when people fail it's because they didn't have a plan in place to fill the void.

I am asking if there are any other people that have had the sleeve surgery that consider themselves addicted to food? I find that I eat anything I can find during the day. I eat when I am happy, sad, sick, well, anytime I am awake, I eat. I have my first appointment with the surgeon on the 20th. I am so excited, but yet I am wondering about food cravings. At the seminar the surgeon said that you lose a lot of the sense of hunger. I don't eat because I feel real hunger. I eat because I love to eat. Will the loss of the part of my stomach that triggers hunger also affect the part of me that just craves food? Will it even help, or will I continue to think of the next thing I can find to eat? If it even helps control that I think I will be fine. Not afraid of the surgery, just wanting to stop craving food. Please advise.

[Used2b575lbs 29]

The physiological connection with food doesn't go away with the surgery and after about 6 months your adversion to many of those junk foods won't be bad. I'm telling you if you offered me chips, a donut, combos or many other "junk" foods vs. chicken right now my stomach would take the junk, much of it actually is more settling and goes down a lot easier then what we're supposed to eat Protein... For 7 weeks I got misguided eating junk because it soothed me, fortunately the sleeve doesn't let you eat a lot of it and I was still getting a good deal of Protein, all my Water, and exercising like a mad man so I only gained 2 lbs during this off period.

I went back to doing what I was supposed to last week, eating protein, drinking Water, exercising hard and I took of 12 lbs. Kind of sad that for 7 weeks I had the tool in place and had I just stuck with chicken fish eggs turkey etc I could be much lighter now. In the same sense I know this is for life and i'm not going to beat myself up for the slip as I've come such a long way.

You will from time to time still let your head get the best of you but you will need to learn how to reel your behavior back in... and I can only imagine as time goes on it only gets harder and harder.

If you work the tool it will work for you!

[kpbrighton 1]

I look at it like this. You have got to be willing to make a DRASTIC change to your relationship with food. Be prepared to get a divorce. food will be your EX that you have to be friendly with for the kids sake but can no longer trust to be around.

Eat to live, not live to eat.

I LOVE THIS!!!!! I have had the "Eat to live, not live to eat" mantra in my head for the past week. But the whole 'divorce' idea is cool. Thanks for the smile and outlook!