Hello, I'm in the pre-op stage and I'm currently in the middle of my 6 months of nutritionist meetings. The first month was bad. The first two weeks were great, but after that I completely gave in to my addiction to fast food again. My nutritionist was understanding and she just urged me to really work at it for the next month. I already new how deep my food addiction was, I'm just incredibly worried that it's going to ruin my chances of showing how much I need this surgery to my insurance. Does anybody have any tips? Has anybody else gone through this?

Hi, and welcome! When I first started out I was addicted to all sorts of bad stuff - like sodas, chips - you name it. Over the last six months, though, I slowly changed my thought process and because of that, my cravings. First, I gave up sodas - and joined the local Y. I started exercising 5 days a week and pretty soon realized that a lot of what I was eating was counter-productive to the benefits of exercising (duh). Then I got a fitbit - started logging everything I ate, my weight and exercise. I lowered my carbs to around 100 a day and upped my Protein to at least 80 grams. Then I started eating my protein first, veggies next - and soon found that I wasn't even hungry for more than a bite or two of those potatoes. If I went out to eat a hamburger - I took it off the bun and only ate the meat. Soon, I started to look at online menus when we went out to eat and chose something healthy before we even left home and stuck to my choice when I ordered my dinner. I now work out two hours a day and actually enjoy it! I not only have lost weight doing this, but more importantly have changed how I feel about food. Have there been days when I ate something I shouldn't have eaten? Yes, for sure - but instead of beating myself up about it, I got right back to it. I guess what I'm trying to say - it is a process - I took it one day at a time and when I fell down, I picked myself right back up - dusted myself off - and kept going. I have a goal - a prize - a new, thinner and healthy me! That keeps me going. As I write this, I am on my third day of the liquid diet before my surgery. The liquid diet sucks - but I plan to stick to it!

Thank you for the response! I think I'm thinking about it too much. I want this more than anything and I'm just afraid that it's just going to be another thing that's not going to work. I am going to take your advice and take it slow. Hopefully I'll get on track. Again, thank you!

I'd be worried if you said that changing a lifetime of bad habits is easy! It's so hard to give up the awful food, even for a short while, and we're trying to do it forever. Not only are our bodies literally addicted to these foods, but most of us (I know I did) use food as a coping skill to deal with so many things, from everyday stresses to big pains and difficulties in our lives. Giving up a coping skill that has served us and hurt us for so long is a huger fundamental change than most people ever experience in their lifetimes. But look at all the hard and admirable work you've done so far. Any person who has made it to where you are has my complete faith that you will get back on track with the time and effort. The fact that you notice it, want to change it, and have reached out for encouragement goes a long way toward your goal. Good luck, and take care.

for sure it is not easy and every day I have to make choices - sometimes every hour. I ate because of stress. I have had a whole lot of it - especially in the past 6 years. First, my husband was diagnosed with leukemia. A week later they discovered pancreatic cancer. On top of all that, he is a type 1 diabetic. The pancreatic cancer was in its early stages so they were able to do a whipple procedure and that got rid of the cancer. But because they removed part of his pancreas he now has episodes of dangerously low blood sugars (20 - 30). It is really stressful to wake up in the middle of the night and realize that I need to act fast to get his blood sugar back up or he might die. Also, he is now undergoing chemo for the leukemia. For a long time I ate to try to soothe the stress. It didn't do me any good at all. I dieted over and over again with very little success, but over the 6 years of 'dieting' I developed a heart condition, had a stent placed, high blood pressure and really, really insulin resistant type 2 diabetes. I never meant to make it sound like it is easy - it is not. But over the past 6 years I have learned how tough I am. Now, for the first time in my life I actually have insurance that will cover my surgery so I decided that now that I have this 'tool' of gastric bypass to help me out I can and will use that toughness to help myself get to a healthier place. There are some things in life that I will never be able to control, but I am bound and determined that my choices to eat healthier and to exercise won't be one of them.

I think I need to check out the Fitbit. I've been approved, don't have surgery date yet and I'm going nuts to eat stuff that is bad for men. Even after I lost 12 pounds. I see a yo-yo pattern here! If I can concentrate on the Fitbit and make sure I get enough of the good stuff, protein, water, exercise, maybe I won't have time to think about what I shouldn't eat. This is hard. We all know that, just felt like I needed to say it.

@@Dar200 - If you think the addiction is that serious you may also want to consider therapy even if it's just short term. The surgery will help, but you have to learn to develop new tools to deal with stress and change your views on food.

@@Dar200 - If you think the addiction is that serious you may also want to consider therapy even if it's just short term. The surgery will help, but you have to learn to develop new tools to deal with stress and change your views on food.

you are so right. Thank you for that reminder. The psychologist who did my psych eval was so cool. I think he would be a great therapist for me.

When I first started giving up fast food it was so hard. I was the one who ate fast food two to three times every day and washed it down with coke and Mountain Dew. I found that I had to have someone to be accountable to and I would talk to my sister on the phone while driving to work so that I wouldn't go through the drive thru in the mornings. It was so hard in the first few weeks because I'd literally be white knuckled as I held the steering wheel in tears as I fought to drive past and not pull in. Each day and each victory made it easier. I have not had any caffeinated soda in over three years and no sprite in several months. I went from fast food every day to never. Believe in yourself and you can make it.

When I first started giving up fast food it was so hard. I was the one who ate fast food two to three times every day and washed it down with coke and Mountain Dew. I found that I had to have someone to be accountable to and I would talk to my sister on the phone while driving to work so that I wouldn't go through the drive thru in the mornings. It was so hard in the first few weeks because I'd literally be white knuckled as I held the steering wheel in tears as I fought to drive past and not pull in. Each day and each victory made it easier. I have not had any caffeinated soda in over three years and no sprite in several months. I went from fast food every day to never. Believe in yourself and you can make it.

Very encouraging!