Need some motivation. Can you all still enjoy food?

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I still do enjoy food but it's different now. I enjoy quality healthy food. I no longer eat the greasy fast food and fried things. I still enjoy a sweet treat here and there but I limit that to maybe one small treat every week or two and I didn't allow that till I was about a year out. I make sure that I don't allow trigger foods to stay in my home or I will want to pick at it too much. I am currently 15 months out.

HW 376 in 2011

SW 319 9/28/15

CW 146.8 today

172.2 lost since surgery and 229.2 overall.

My picture didn't post in my response for some reason.

Short answer, yes. Some things will change. Some things have to change. But you will still be able to enjoy eating. I have found that I am completely satisfied eating much smaller amounts because they fill me up. It is not about quantity. It is all about the experience.

This is what I've been wondering, too! But I know no matter what happens, I will get to enjoy LIFE more after surgery.

@@reree6898 You are gorgeous! Inspiring pictures!

This is what I've been wondering, too! But I know no matter what happens, I will get to enjoy LIFE more after surgery.

@@reree6898 You are gorgeous! Inspiring pictures!

Thank you so much, that's very sweet of you to say.

I definitely still enjoy food. It's just different now. I can't binge the way I used to. So instead of getting pleasure out of how MUCH I eat, I get pleasure out of the quality of what I'm eating. I am over two years out and I do enjoy sweets, Snacks, junk food, and fast food from time to time. But it no longer controls me. My cravings for that stuff are no longer constant and all-consuming. And even when I do "indulge" I can eat so little of it that it really doesn't make a difference.

I had a period of I'd say about 4 months post-op where I really struggled with the emotional aspects of not being able to binge my feelings away. My brain still wanted to binge. My stomach was not physically capable of it. It took a while for my brain to catch up to my stomach. But I found other ways of processing my emotions and I rarely have emotionally induced eating anymore. When I do try to eat my feelings away (which is rare now), I am quickly disappointed, because I can't eat much.

Here are some pics to help inspire you:

The second-to-last one is after completing my first half marathon and the last one is me finishing my first marathon!

@@JamieLogical Amazing! Great job! What have you found that helps keep you from emotional eating?

@@JamieLogical Amazing! Great job! What have you found that helps keep you from emotional eating?

Well, running and exercise are great stress relievers. I HATE running. Like completely and utterly hate it. Every single step I am thinking... "when will this be over? is it over yet?" But it is undeniable that running regularly keeps me in a better mood the rest of the time and takes my mind off the stress in my life. So I put up with the hour of misery every other day in order to make myself happier the rest of the time.

I also find it incredibly helpful and constructive to have a goal or goals that I am working towards and can focus on. When other parts of my life are out of my control and getting me down, having a goal I can work toward and feel like I am making progress on something I have control over is incredibly reassuring.

@@JamieLogical Amazing! Great job! What have you found that helps keep you from emotional eating?

Well, running and exercise are great stress relievers. I HATE running. Like completely and utterly hate it. Every single step I am thinking... "when will this be over? is it over yet?" But it is undeniable that running regularly keeps me in a better mood the rest of the time and takes my mind off the stress in my life. So I put up with the hour of misery every other day in order to make myself happier the rest of the time.

I also find it incredibly helpful and constructive to have a goal or goals that I am working towards and can focus on. When other parts of my life are out of my control and getting me down, having a goal I can work toward and feel like I am making progress on something I have control over is incredibly reassuring.

Great tips!!!! I will have to remember these!

I love food. I'm just a lot more picky about what I eat now. Before, I'd eat all the mixed nuts. Now, I pick out the macadamias.

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