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fear and the food addiction



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How did everyone cope with loosing the favorite pastime of eating? This past week I feel like I've relapsed and have been snacking, thinking about my old friend food, and sometimes I feel like I am backsliding on the progress I've made. I started at 220 (ish), sleeved on 12/12/12 (196) and now weight around 155. I was making great progress but it's stalled. I have started to workout religiously but I like the food has me trapped. I know it all sounds crazy. I don't even know why I am wanting to eat all the time. I feel like I am at risk for failing.

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Bethechange, if you figure out or learn the answer to this you can retire on the millions you will make!

Don't hate me, but eating has just never been a pastime for me, it's a necessary evil. I'm fat because I am truly starving all the time (and my feet are messed up so I have mobility issues). I have joked that I wish someone would invent people kibbles so I wouldn't have to bother thinking about it.

That being said, I know so many people with weight problems that would have to get over their dependent relationship with food and eating to even think about losing weight. I don't even recommend the sleeve for these folks and I doubt they would want it.

I don't have any good advice but I hope others will jump in.

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I haven't had surgery yet, but I'm in therapy working on my food addiction. My therapist recommended the book "The Emotional Eater's Repair Manual" by Julie A. Simon. This book has a lot of good information in it and I now have a better understanding of why I overeat. I hope this helps.

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I think this is a very common problem, For me, I spent the first 2 months hating to eat, and have spent the last 4 months fighting the same old fight I have dealt with for years. My husband doesn't understand that we still can't have any junk food in the house because I will eat it. I might only eat 3 Cookies where before surgery I would have eaten 12, but I still want them. And as with Pantela, I deal with hunger daily. It isn't acid reflux or thirst, it is hunger. I just take it one day at a time. Hang in there and good luck!

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This is a hard journey mentally, I have been able to eat my whole life past the point of full . Eat wait awhile till it doesn't hurt eat some more. this surgery doesn't really fix that does it? I know the struggle. I read a book and still read it, its called " Anatomy of a food addiction" and wow did it hit home!! There is some technical stuff in there that boggled my mine a bit but that book made me look at my problem differently and instead of hating myself I found a way to care about me and understand why I was doing what I was doing.. It is still a struggle sometimes to comfort myself in healthy ways but the one thing the sleeve gives us is time to work on it.

Laura

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
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    • 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. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • 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.
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