Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

What I Learned At My Support Group Meeting



Recommended Posts

I am still pre-op but I go to as many support meetings as possible. Tonight our surgeon came in to talk about some problems some patients who are a few years out are having. He said alcohol abuse is becoming a big concern. He said recent research has shown that 54% of bariatric surgery patients with no problems with alcohol have drinking problems a few years out. Several post op people confirmed that they knew post op people who drink a lot. Some people said that food addiction is replaced by drinking. This whole subject is food (no pun intended) for thought, don't you think? Have any of you heard this before?

What else I learned is that bypass surgery is NOT for me. So may people in the room had bypass and they have big problems with hunger and cravings. The few people in the room who were sleeved didn't have those problems. I knew that the sleeve is what I wanted from the get-go, but this decision is reconfirmed regularly by what I learn along the way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

But it was a small study done in Michigan,only 24 patients. That's probably not big enough to really be accurate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Transfer addiction is definitely real. There is an entire board on the site dedicated to this issue. As a clinician, I know with patients we can't expect them to stop using a coping mechanism such as eating, without replacing it with something else. It's important that if you have a relationship with food that is emotional and there is attachment to the current behaviors that have caused you to overeat/pick foods that lack nutritional value, you can develop new, healthy coping mechanisms since turning to food to feel better won't be an option post surgery.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm going to attempt to become addicted to exercise and shopping. That sounds much better to me than alcohol. But, all playing aside, this is unfortunately a big problem with any addiction.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

yeah, i've heard about it before...

don't really have much to say, except maybe folks that turn to drinking have too much time on their hands.. there's so much stuff out there that they could be doing & it's sad and a waste of their new, skinny life to lounge around drinking, spending all their time in bars and etc.. they could be out there making a difference, crossing things off their bucket list, traveling as much as their budget will allow, seeing the 7 wonders of the world, traipsing across the holy land or running marathons or something... they could be having such a full, fun-filled life now that they're not fat anymore & aren't limited by their size.. and it's very sad to me that people would rather waste their lives drinking.. :/ now that they're not fat, the world is their oyster... they could make their life a huge, priceless pearl.. but they'd rather run over the shell & squish the meat out so the whole thing is worthless. lol just so darn sad. :/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nyxa, it IS sad. I'm not disputing that fact. But, don't forget that when we were fat, people looked at us and were thinking the same thoughts about us and our addiction to food.

Here is where I think the mental health and all these supposedly "physce evals" prior to surgery are failing. And again, while transfer addictions are real, I sure don't want to be lumped into a statstic.

Again, just my humble opinion!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • bellaamey

      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×