This is the first time I have ever said it....i didnt know how much until today...i was sitting here looking at the number to Red Robin on my phone trying my best to not call it. I was afraid to leave the house today because i didnt want stop and get something like i often do..Today scared me.

I wept uncontrollably as my husband held me,I felt so helpless yearning for something I know is bad for me. I am technically ahead of my pre op diet schedule,my surgery is in 3 weeks and I have already started the restrictive diet.

I weighed my self and I lost 12 pounds in 4 days. Of course that prompted me to want to cheat myself. After all,i am ahead of schedule and I can pick up the diet when I technically supposed to right? Typical way of thinking for me...

After my breakdown I had a sugar free fudge popsicle and sat down. I will be ok but today was a tough one..

How do you handle the cravings during pre op?

My name is Laura and I am a food addict too.

You have taken the first big step and have recognized the problem... Now the next step is to talk openly about it with someone you trust and take it day by day

well.. I just drank more fluids when I wanted something..but I do love my popsicles.. cant live without them.. talk about an addiction to sugar free tropical popsicles.. look it up.. there is a pic of me there LOL. but seriously hang in there.. there are good things coming.. you need that wt loss before surgery to shrink your liver to make the surgery easier for the doc.. stick to it.. and if you can do this.. then anything is possible.. best of luck to you keep up the good work.

My name is Laura and I am a food addict too.

You have taken the first big step and have recognized the problem... Now the next step is to talk openly about it with someone you trust and take it day by day

Hello Laura! Talking with my husband has been helpful,also reading the posts here. This forum was the first place I ran too!

well.. I just drank more fluids when I wanted something..but I do love my popsicles.. cant live without them.. talk about an addiction to sugar free tropical popsicles.. look it up.. there is a pic of me there LOL. but seriously hang in there.. there are good things coming.. you need that wt loss before surgery to shrink your liver to make the surgery easier for the doc.. stick to it.. and if you can do this.. then anything is possible.. best of luck to you keep up the good work.

Thanks for your encouraging words Nancy! I absolutely love pudding and cant wait for post op to have some. I need the popsicles you have! Lol

PRE op was hard, very hard. I too started earlier than required, I was worried I would not lose the required amount in time. I was hungry, hungry, hungry. I wanted my best friend. I get angry when "someone" takes my food away, I was angry at my doctor, my nutritionist, my nurse. I too am an addict, I knew this time what was going on cause I had had the same feelings 2 years prior on some other food plan.

The good news is......getting thru the PRE diet prepares you for having no real food right after surgery. For me, if I had had the operation, woke up & it was the beginning of my food restriction I would have been Desperate. Making the adjustment from all the diets we have been on, to LITERALLY one ounce of food would have sent me over the edge.

I attended food groups thru my bariactric center during that month. Two ladies talked to me, I asked for their phone #'s & as hard as it was, I called them. I was embarrassed to have to do this but everything was on the line for me. I had to start learning how to manage my food addiction somewhere, so I called. They helped me by telling me how they got thru the specific problem. We had the same doctor so we had the same PRE food plan. One of the solutions was to call the doctors office, tell them how starving I was at week 2, the solution was to not reduce my food as prescribed for week 3. This helped immensely, it was also the start of working in the realm of my doctors advice & it has led me to success. Now don't get me wrong, I ate some food right before surgery that was not on plan, it was dumb & it showed me how quickly I go from compliance to out of control.

My food issues since the surgery are different than before. I am following portion size, I am exercising and I don't stay home as much cause that ='s boredom which ='s eating.....if I am not careful. I have gone to about 5 support groups at my bariactric place in 8 months. I thought I would need to go weekly, biweekly, daily if necessary. For me, the fast weight loss, the endorphins from exercise, the sickness I would get if I take an extra bite has helped me stay on my path to getting to goal. I am cognitive that I must do what it takes to make this work for ME. If I started eating food with no restricted feeling in my body & I was gaining weight I would hustle in to a therapist, get a trainer for exercise, sign up for an 8 wk food plan w/ a doctors office. The 1st thing I would do is BE HONEST, tell on myself. We both know we have not been a success at weight loss & keeping it off prior to this. So far losing 100 lb's has been easy compared w/ losing 10 lb's prior to surgery. But I am on guard...that's another story.

As far as PRE op, do the best you can, you sound like you are going to hit the required goal. Your stomach will be so different after the surgery u won't be dealing with the same issues. Hane you researched the enzyme ghrelin yet? If no go for it. I believe it has helped me with my success. personal message me if u would like, we can talk if you need to. Hang in there. I am VERY happy w/ my life because I am moving, living without pain. Yahooo

PRE op was hard, very hard. I too started earlier than required, I was worried I would not lose the required amount in time. I was hungry, hungry, hungry. I wanted my best friend. I get angry when "someone" takes my food away, I was angry at my doctor, my nutritionist, my nurse. I too am an addict, I knew this time what was going on cause I had had the same feelings 2 years prior on some other food plan.

The good news is......getting thru the PRE diet prepares you for having no real food right after surgery. For me, if I had had the operation, woke up & it was the beginning of my food restriction I would have been Desperate. Making the adjustment from all the diets we have been on, to LITERALLY one ounce of food would have sent me over the edge.

I attended food groups thru my bariactric center during that month. Two ladies talked to me, I asked for their phone #'s & as hard as it was, I called them. I was embarrassed to have to do this but everything was on the line for me. I had to start learning how to manage my food addiction somewhere, so I called. They helped me by telling me how they got thru the specific problem. We had the same doctor so we had the same PRE food plan. One of the solutions was to call the doctors office, tell them how starving I was at week 2, the solution was to not reduce my food as prescribed for week 3. This helped immensely, it was also the start of working in the realm of my doctors advice & it has led me to success. Now don't get me wrong, I ate some food right before surgery that was not on plan, it was dumb & it showed me how quickly I go from compliance to out of control.

My food issues since the surgery are different than before. I am following portion size, I am exercising and I don't stay home as much cause that ='s boredom which ='s eating.....if I am not careful. I have gone to about 5 support groups at my bariactric place in 8 months. I thought I would need to go weekly, biweekly, daily if necessary. For me, the fast weight loss, the endorphins from exercise, the sickness I would get if I take an extra bite has helped me stay on my path to getting to goal. I am cognitive that I must do what it takes to make this work for ME. If I started eating food with no restricted feeling in my body & I was gaining weight I would hustle in to a therapist, get a trainer for exercise, sign up for an 8 wk food plan w/ a doctors office. The 1st thing I would do is BE HONEST, tell on myself. We both know we have not been a success at weight loss & keeping it off prior to this. So far losing 100 lb's has been easy compared w/ losing 10 lb's prior to surgery. But I am on guard...that's another story.

As far as PRE op, do the best you can, you sound like you are going to hit the required goal. Your stomach will be so different after the surgery u won't be dealing with the same issues. Hane you researched the enzyme ghrelin yet? If no go for it. I believe it has helped me with my success. personal message me if u would like, we can talk if you need to. Hang in there. I am VERY happy w/ my life because I am moving, living without pain. Yahooo

Thank you so so much for sharing your story and your encouraging words...reading your story I dont feel so helpless. I think I will take you up on your offer of reaching out, I am going to need all the support I can get.