Yesterday food as anything more than nutrition. The opportunity cost, the trade-off of having my stomach reduced in order to lose weight, is that I can no longer satisfy the void(s) in my life with food.

I should rejoice, yes? This is what I wanted so desperately, right? Now I finally have a tool to help me lose weight. So why should I even consider a loss of anything other than pounds??

For anyone who does not struggle with food addiction and over-eating, this is probably incomprehensible. But to anyone who can relate, to anyone considering taking the so-called easy way out (i.e., weight loss surgery), this is definitely something to consider.Mexico for weight loss surgery, and counseling was not offered.

Psst!!! I didn't really think I needed it anyway.

But now, as the days go by and I continue to heal and get back to living life, I find that the thing that used to provide a source of comfort/peace/familiarity/companionship is gone. I mentioned before that it's kind of like mourning the loss of something or someone, and it is so true! I find that now I have a lot of free time, because what I used to do just doesn't work anymore. I can't watch TV and really plug into it like I used to. I didn't know the food I was eating while watching TV was such a huge factor.

Don't get me wrong. I am so glad I had the surgery. I don't regret it at all, because with it I can change my life. But that doesn't change the fact that, without food, I feel a little lost. I'm out here on my own now. My old friend Food, is gone. And while that is most certainly what I wanted, I didn't consider the opportunity cost of not having that scapegoat.

So what do I do now?? I ask myself. Living a Redux Life is about more than lip service. Now that I don't have my food crutch to lean on, I have to stand on my own two feet. And that's...scary. I now have to face my life, rather than be numb to it.

And I want to! Yet at the same time, I don't want to...

The opportunity cost of having weight loss surgery is that if food has meaning in your life other than nutrition--and let's face it, if we only used food for nutrition we wouldn't be in this situation--then you MUST do the work of evaluating how you will navigate your world once you don't have that source of comfort.

What will you do when you are uneasy with your surroundings? Eat slider foods? Start consuming more alcohol? Or will you finally get your head and heart in the game and do the work to resolve your issues?

If you can answer those questions BEFORE surgery, then perhaps the opportunity cost won't be so high. And maybe this "tool" won't feel so much like a hammer, but more like a massage.

I was really struggling with that food "break up". I go to a psychologist and for me personally, it has helped a lot. He compared my relationship with food to a previous unhealthy relationship I had in my marriage. I would say I was fed up with him and would want to seperate, only for me to get sad a few days later and feel like I couldn't live without him. The same with a diet. I would get fed up with my food addiction and vow to break up with it. Only to get sad later and reconcile with my unhealthy eating.

He ended up leaving for someone else. At first I was completely devastated. But as time went on and I started to heal emotionally, I could see just how very toxic that relationship had been and I probably would have kept going back had he not found someone else. I relate this to how now that I have had surgery, my break up is final. I am facing some long buried emotions and it isn't always easy. But the weight of the world is literally being lifted off my shoulders both physically and mentally.

Carla, your post was great and something we can all identify with. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Great posts! I am pre op and have been asking myself the same questions. I'm going to go to counseling, just for that reason. I'm hoping I will learn to like exercise, and that will fill the void. What did you all do to fill the "food void" in your life, if anything? Really appreciate some help!