Had an aha moment yesterday.

So I'm currently on the liquid diet and went in for my final checkup before surgery as I had gained 10 pounds after my 1st visit and the doc wanted me to lose 20 before surgery. Anyway they weighed me and turns out I've lost 22 pounds since starting the liquid diet and I have a few more days on it before surgery.

I was so happy and relieved to have met the goal so as I'm drive home this thought pops in my mind of getting some food.....Wonton Soup or pho to Celebrate. Of course I said hell no and drove straight home but it made me think about my relationship with food. I don't think I'm going to be able to eat like this anymore and I'm sad yet happy. Looking forward to eating to live....with the occasional treat I imagine

Sad yet happy is exactly how it feels. I do celebrate with food sometimes now, but it is such a smaller amount. The thought is always there to celebrate with food or have a reason to need to eat, but that is in my head! So it takes work to think about it and say, "Nah, I need to get my Protein in. I can wait for that "treat" for another time." So the surgery really helps physically but I find the physical satiation helps with mental.

Good luck! It will be work, but if you look at protein as your fuel and that you want to fuel your body the best way that you can you will be great. Now a "treat" is just that, a treat. My fuel is protein and veggies!

congratulations, that was definitely a victory! Good luck on your journey!

First of all, congrats on the 22 lbs gone so far...that's really wonderful!! Second, I had the same thought as you about celebrating with food before my surgery in June. My wedding anniversary was last month & I still wanted to go out for a fancy dinner. However, we picked a restaurant that does small, artsy food, instead of giant portions. I chose 2 appetizers for my dinner, and both were basically pure protein. We shared a single dessert & I had about 3-4 small bites. I was really happy to be there & to feel like I could still enjoy the whole experience. My food was delicious & I didn't mind that I couldn't have a big entree. Celebrating with food can be tricky, though, and may be a trigger for some. It's important to know what you're comfortable with & try not to tempt yourself unnecessarily. Good luck with your surgery!

I think southernsoul nailed it. Quality instead of quantity when choosing to use food for celebration or a treat. I am on day 7 of the 10 day pre op diet and I can say I honestly look forward to eating something I can CHEW! ( scrambled egg sounds heavenly right now) I also understand I am a few weeks away from that, but will get there in time. It is such a life long ingrained habit to eat when we celebrate (or have social gatherings) that it is often something we cannot turn off. So the decision has to be made to choose the best possible option for our new bodies. I think fine dining that costs more for less is a great example. Fast cheap food is a huge cause of the national obesity problem. Maybe paying more for less will give us pause to really think about what we are doing. And by the way congrats on your weight loss! I "officially" loss 21lbs at my consult today...(since I saw them last) But I had already lost some from my highest before my first appointment, so I am sitting at about 29lbs total loss. I look forward to more loss and a healthy new body!

Edited October 17, 201312 yr by Roo101769