BIG FAT PEOPLE!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I never really liked food for most of my life and could never appreciate the subtleties of flavors and spices. I tried to, but was never able to.

Yet I ate to excess. Why?

I think it was because I was an emotional eater and DID like the heavy sugar and fat foods in an addicting sort of way. Not a good combination when I rarely handled stress well. Rarely. I ate a box of donut holes some times on way home from work or a Frap from SB or a fast food order before dinner at home. I would eat and keep eating portions of food even though full. Not healthy.

Hated myself for vicious death grip the salty, fatty and sugary food had on my stressed out body.

All this changed when I got sleeved. I think my long standing association between stress and eating is gone primarily because I deal with stress rationally now. It does not control me nor is it really part of my life any longer. I have chosen not to be that crazed stressed out emotional food eater any longer. VSG has given me a chance to really live and not be controlled by food. I simply do not have an urge.

I can say that I now enjoy what I eat and can appreciate the subtleties or flavors and spices. I guess it has turned me into a foodie, but in a good way. VSG has given me a good tool to still enjoy food without overeating. I mostly do not eat salty, sugary and fatty foods any longer because I care about my health now and how it impacts my fitness goals.

[No game 14,436]

My name is Shari and I AM a food addict. Hunger has nothing to do with eating for me. I just love food and ate all the time. The sleeve is my last big hope! Have to wait until July for ins.' date=' but reading all the posts on here is so encouraging. I love your honesty![/quote']

Shari I ate until there was pain. Then when it subsided I would eat some more.. I love food, good tasting food but I can also eat to extremes with bland boring food and healthy homemade food (tofu and veggies anyone).

This is my last hope too. I do not want to fail.

I have stacked all the cards on my side. Support, surgery and counseling.

I am still fighting and I am scared. That's all.

My name is Laura I had gastric sleeve surgery and I am still a food addict...

[MrsG 329]

I can say that mine started off as a medical problem. I have PCOS and I KNOW ppl will think I blame that a lot. BUT I've had it since I started my period. If you look up the side effects of PCOS I have every single one of them. Most importantly is easy weight gain and it's really hard to get the weight off. I'm not like some of the posters who have done weight watchers and lost a hundred pounds and then gained it back. I would kill myself eating very few calories and going to the gym doing cardio for an hour at a time sometimes twice a day and would only see a pound gone in a month. It was extremely frustrating. I've battled weight my entire life without even trying.

Ok that being said, I think a part if me gave up and just embraced food as a friend and gave in. I was one of those who said "but I don't eat very much" well after surgery, I'm seeing how much I really did eat and it makes me ill! I am so thankful for this surgery! For the first time in my life going to the gym and eating healthy is paying off! I've lost 60lbs!! I've never been able to do that on my own! I see and realize now that I'm a total food addict! But i am working on it! Every day!

My name is Michelle and I am a food addict!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I agree with you butter in regards to the "healthy" food people THINK they are eating...

It definitely plays a part.

I'm more interested at this point in the mental aspect..

You say you still have those addictive thoughts.

It doesn't surprise me. As a matter of fact I think you fight really hard to keep it straight. And have' date=' in my eyes transferred some of your addictive qualities into your exercise..

I've seen it so many times with addictions.

My brother had addiction issues (not food)

And when he was working his program I saw the same person but he was just addicted to something else (AA and exercise) it scares me because... Well it scares me on a lot of different levels.[/quote']

Why not feel comfortable with transfering a food addiction to an exercise / health addiction? What can possibly be wrong with that? To an extreme, I understand. You would not want to jeopardize any other areas in life like family or work. Nor would you want to develop a new food issue like anorexia. However, I do not see any issue with getting healthy. If you are talking about drug or alcohol addiction, the yes, that is scary and very easy to get into. I think everyone will need to find a transfer addiction because we are all addicts at heart. It is up to us to pick the right addiction to transfer to.

[odetteNYC 58]

My name is odette . I addicted to food . My drug preference is pizza and I don't remember the last time my stomach growled !!! I never allow myself to be hungry I always feel guilty when I eat and I choose to keep going . I hate myself and my body but I have no will power ... I'm addicted!!

[No game 14,436]

Why not feel comfortable with transfering a food addiction to an exercise / health addiction? What can possibly be wrong with that? Too an extreme' date=' I understand. You would not want to jeopardize any other areas in life like family or work. Nor would you want to develop a new food issue like anorexia. However, I do not see any issue with getting healthy.[/quote']

I think because having an addictive personality is not healthy...

Even when poured into something else. I saw my brother run from one addiction into another addiction and yes people will say "well at least it's healthy" ( AA and exercise crazy) was it?

I don't think so he had the same demons of addiction at his heels...

[ElaineB 207]

My understanding is that an addiction is a behavior that persists, even in the face of negative impact on your life. Being so overweight you have to have WLS qualifies in my book. For most of us, it's affecting our health, our self image, social life, etc. I don't really buy it when people say they aren't addicted to food. If they weren't, they would just quit taking in more calories than they needed and lose the weight. I am also skeptical of the ones who say they don't eat much. There are undoubtedly a handful of people who have metabolic disorders, but people I've known personally were just in denial. One of my good friends used to always say she hardly ate anything, but she matched me fork for fork at the Chinese buffet:) Just saying.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I think because having an addictive personality is not healthy...

Even when poured into something else. I saw my brother run from one addiction into another addiction and yes people will say "well at least it's healthy" ( AA and exercise crazy) was it?

I don't think so he had the same demons of addiction at his heels...

I and others will always be addicts. It is our personality and cannot be undone (well, lobotomy, but....). We must choose an addiction that is the less of all evils if you wish to call addiction evil.

[No game 14,436]

Fiddleman

You said;

Why not feel comfortable with transfering a food addiction to an exercise / health addiction? What can possibly be wrong with that?

"As long as you don't take it to an extreme"

Well why couldn't we just be addicted to food and not take it to an extreme??

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Fiddleman

You said;

Why not feel comfortable with transfering a food addiction to an exercise / health addiction? What can possibly be wrong with that?

"As long as you don't take it to an extreme"

Well why couldn't we just be addicted to food and not take it to an extreme??

Impossible to be an addict at something and not take it to an extreme. Just my opinion. Whatever I am doing, I will give it my 100% or I feel like a failure at it. Thank you for getting that out of me Dr Laura.

Edit : by extreme, I really mean where it is harmful to self and/ or others. I should be careful about throwing around the extreme category because what I am addicted to now is not harming me or others.

[happilysleeved 114]

I think some people get thrown by the word addiction. Am I a food addict, heck yes! Did I eat when I was stressed, yes! Did I eat when I was bored, yes! Did I eat in social situations, yes! Did I eat to Celebrate, yes! I totally needed the sleeve to help me get into good habits and overcome that part of my brain that would tell me "You've had a rough day, you deserve that chocolate"! Now to me, that totally sounds like an addict! This journey has been more psychological than I ever could have imagined!

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[SpaceDust 585]

I expect I'll always have to be alert and monitor that I'm not slipping back into old behaviors, but I'm not sure that some of what we're calling addiction is not more closely aligned with habit. Note that I'm not suggesting that addiction isn't a component, but I know for me, as an example, if I am truly hungry and want a snack to tide me over to dinner, I will habitually reach for chips or crackers. Now, it's not that I require those; I am perfectly fine with some crunchy celery or cucumber slices, or maybe a few baby carrots. I don't need a fatty dip; I am just as satisfied with a quarter cup of 0% fat Greek yogurt with some Italian or Mexican seasonings mixed in, if I want a dip at all. But I have to THINK about having those things - they require me to do a little preparation. The chips and a pre-made dip are mindless. To me, that's not so much about addiction as it is about habit, and the need to form new habits. On the other hand, I'm not denying the addiction component - am I TRULY hungry or is it just that I want to stick something in my pie-hole and enjoy the taste? I ask myself that question all the time these days, because the addictive component will be the major issue for head hunger for me after the surgery.

In part, that's why I'm trying to gradually work my way into what will be my pre-op diet - yes, I'm still 3+ months out from that, probably, but I'm forming a new habit of a Protein Shake being sufficient for a meal. Right now, it's usually 1-2 shakes a day, replacing 1-2 meals and/or a snack. Once I start the diet for that last week before surgery, it will be 3-4 a day replacing two meals and 1-2 Snacks, plus one light dinner. If I do this gradually it won't hit me as hard, I hope! But again, it's about habit. I'm gradually forming new habits that will take me through pre-surgery and the initial stages of post-surgery. That part isn't about addiction, in my opinion, it's about the habits of what I consider a meal. It's all a mental game, but it's about what part of my mind I'm challenging

[Butterthebean 8,146]

I agree with you butter in regards to the "healthy" food people THINK they are eating...

It definitely plays a part.

I'm more interested at this point in the mental aspect..

You say you still have those addictive thoughts.

It doesn't surprise me. As a matter of fact I think you fight really hard to keep it straight. And have' date=' in my eyes transferred some of your addictive qualities into your exercise..

I've seen it so many times with addictions.

My brother had addiction issues (not food)

And when he was working his program I saw the same person but he was just addicted to something else (AA and exercise) it scares me because... Well it scares me on a lot of different levels.[/quote']

Well, it's not just the exercise. It's the whole new way of life. I don't know if I'm addicted or just passionate about living an active lifestyle that I was always so envious of before but never able to do. Now I can exercise but I can also go places and do things that are thrilling and I feel like I'm living life for a change. Just came back from a week in the mountains in New Mexico where I climbed up a different mountain 3 out of 4 days. I ate what food I was able to pack and carry on my back. I filtered stream Water for drinking and pooped while squatting against a tree. Twice I climbed up past the tree line and yes it was freezing cold but I hauled my butt up there and down again each time.

I'm intoxicated by the ability to live life in such a way. Is that an addiction? I don't stress if I take a day off. I eat way more than most folks here eat (2000 calories minimum) which fuels such activities. Perhaps I'm trying to make up for what I feel like was years wasted while I was letting my obesity hold me back. So in a way, I'm still not normal. I've just swung from one end of the pendulum to another. I'm not gonna say it's an addiction but perhaps an obsession is more accurate, in my case.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Well' date=' I do think it's possible for this to happen without it being full-blown addiction. I was always overweight, but the obesity crept up on me when I switched to a desk job that had me working insane hours for weeks on end, plus I had a crazy commute. We would down sodas because they are free and kept us awake. We'd fairly mindlessly eat while continuing to work - we got paid by the hour, so we worked as much as we could. The pounds crept on, and we'd think oh, it is just a couple of pounds here, 5 lbs there... Next thing you know, that few lbs became 50.

Now, I am a food addict, but i used to control somewhat because I was fairly active before that time. However, we weren't really eating like food addicts then - we were eating whatever was quick, cheap, or provided by the company we worked for so that we could keep going. We were fueling up, just with the wrong foods. We went thinking about anything but the short term.

And as we all know, once it's on, it becomes more difficult to get the weight off. Sometimes it's harder to exercise. Sometimes the same reasons you put on the weight to begin with are still there. Could you have become addictive because of this, absolutely! Is it necessarily the case that you have? No, I don't think so.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST[/quote']

Hey, did you work for Microsoft as a vendor or contractor? Free pop, crazy hours at a desk job and crazy commute from Monroe reminds me of there. Just wondering. I spent some time at Microsoft as employee and a few other software companies in the Seattle / Bellevue area, including Amazon. I now work for Oracle and like the flexibility that comes from working in my home office. My team is primarily located in CT, but I also have team members in CA, OH, Minsk and Bangalore. Hours are still kind of crazy, but no more commutes. I405 stressed me out. Roll out of bed into my office chair, but also take the time to exercise daily and get up every hour or so for more Water and to stretch.

[SpaceDust 585]

Hey, did you work for Microsoft as a vendor or contractor? Free pop, crazy hours at a desk job and crazy commute from Monroe reminds me of there. Just wondering. I spent some time at Microsoft as employee and a few other software companies in the Seattle / Bellevue area, including Amazon. I now work for Oracle and like the flexibility that comes from working in my home office. My team is primarily located in CT, but I also have team members in CA, OH, Minsk and Bangalore. Hours are still kind of crazy, but no more commutes. I405 stressed me out. Roll out of bed into my office chair, but also take the time to exercise daily and get up every hour or so for more Water and to stretch.

Hehe, I thought you might figure that out. I did 2 years as a contractor on Windows 98 and Millenium back before the Blue Wave, then another 7+ plus years as an FTE with a couple other groups on campus. But I was commuting from Bremerton for the first year I was a contractor. Oy!