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When food is just not the same



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I am depressed. This Friday will be three weeks I've been banded and I don't feel good at all. food can't comfort me anymore and it doesn't even taste the same anyway. I just don't know how to make myself ok without food. First was my addiction to drugs and alcohol, but I've been clean 5 years from that now trying to jump this hurdle just seems so overwhelming. If anyone feels this way or has been through this it would be nice to hear from you. Thank you for your support.:cry

Stacy

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Stacy, my dear. I fight my demons every day. I can only consume 800-1k calories a day. I still fight alcohol addiction on a daily basis. I just try and stick to 2 drinks a day. I can totally relate. Just eat what you can but smaller portioins. I completely feel for you. PM me any time. Julie

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When I need that comfort that I used to get from food, I curl up in a blanket and go to sleep. It works most of the time. And, I work with a therapist weekly to try and have that need for comfort met through my daily life instead of needing it at the end of the day so much. It's a work in progress....

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Hang in there. I too get so frustrated - almost 4 months after surgery because food is NOT the same. BUT my jean size, heartburn, knee pain, sleep apnea, is all reduced (jeans) or (everything else) totally gone! It feels so good to get on a scale each morning and there is this possibility that I may have lost a pound. I have lost 30 lbs and people are starting to notice - it's a great feeling. Just keep these positive thoughts in your head when the times get tough!

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I feel for you. The feeling of emptiness that I used food to fill, but it was a lie. Food to excess is not a comfort, not love, not the cure for loneliness or boredom. It is good you are writing. All of us get to this place because we turned to food to "save" us from feeling our feelings. I need to find replacement activities. Things like quilting, reading, painting and being with friends help me.

Good luck on what works, and nothing seems to work all the time. I try to remember the food lie. It is hard to change 57 years of lying. I was taught the lie, I believed the lie, I lived the lie, and I forgive myself for holding on to the lie for so long.

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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!
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    • Doughgurl

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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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