How to deal with food addiction??

[mxpxchik11 48]

Hi all. I am 10 weeks post op and am really trying to work hard at dealing with my issues that brought me here. I would love to hear some stories about how people are dealing with their desires to eat?

I am in counseling and I am understanding the causes of my over eating but I am scared that I am not making life long changes. I have followed everything and I plan to continue to do so for a long time. I am trying exercise for stress but I have a great deal of stress and food had always been the answer. I miss eating in volumes and I'm not sure what to do about that?

I don't want this just to be another vicious cycle where I slowly slip back. I want to know what else I should be doing to deal with my issues and setting myself up for long term success.

Any advice would be welcomed! Thank you for reading

[Davidl 7]

Hi there! I am in the same boat as you are. I knew I had an addiction, but I didn't know how bad it was until after my surgery. My first week post op, I literally cried because of the regret of having the surgery. I missed eating food, the volume and not really caring. It has been rough. What I do to help me is yoga and meditation. I also remind myself why I had the surgery and my health is number one.

How is the counseling coming along? I have been thinking that I should consult a professional regarding my addiction.

[LisaKay 77]

Hi,

Great job for taking these first steps in doing the surgery. You are right in this surgery is only a tool and now all the work begins for a life style of healthy eating and exercise. I also am a stress/ emotional eater and have a very stressful job. I hit this battle like you are. I even hit a point where i would stuff food in my mouth and chow it and spit it out so i can indulge in that comfort. BUT i knew afterwords that was wrong and i was scared of what i did. I did talk to a friend who teaches about eating disorders and confessed to her. As it turns out i did it because i was stressed. I didn't even know i was stressed because it is a habit to turn to food. I can say i never have done that again!!!! I had to recognize the emotion and find other ways to cope. Yes exercise does help but i still needed something else. Life had to slow down and i had to learn how to pick and eat healthy food so i can be satisfied. Truly there is much frustration i endured but keep pressing through and it does get easer as time moves on. I started researching food, spending more time in preparing it and trying new things. Take it day to day knowing that this hard work now will pay off. One of the advices i have gotten is to find a hobby that is active. It will let you meet new people, keep you active in fitness beside the normal gym stuff and is something that brings joy and fun into your life. With high stress we NEED FUN even more then normal people! it is really helping me a lot. I am doing a trek to the base camp of Mount Everest in October. That goal helps my focus. Know that this is a Big year with a lot of change. Be kind to yourself and know this year you need to slow everything down to set good health goal. You are worth it. And on the bad day, it ok to have them too! they become fewer and fewer as life opens up with the new you! Blessing on your journey.

[mxpxchik11 48]

Hi there! I am in the same boat as you are. I knew I had an addiction, but I didn't know how bad it was until after my surgery. My first week post op, I literally cried because of the regret of having the surgery. I missed eating food, the volume and not really caring. It has been rough. What I do to help me is yoga and meditation. I also remind myself why I had the surgery and my health is number one.

How is the counseling coming along? I have been thinking that I should consult a professional regarding my addiction.

Thank you for your response. It is so hard, I miss the volume and food is what I looked forward too. I was in an abusive marriage a few years back and coparenting with my ex is a huge source of stress for me. Counseling works a lot on dealing with that. My counselor has helped me recognize a lot of the why's but I haven't got to the what to do about it. I would love to find a group or activity but don't really know where to start. My weight has always held me back from being social like that. If you are looking to discover the "whys" behind your eating I really suggest counseling it's amazing what you can discover through just talking.
I just never realized how much of my joy came from food.

[mariernest 32]

Paint! Even if you never have! Smearing color on a canvas is freeing and lets you express your emotions! Go to hobby lobby and shop.