Eating Disorder Post-Op VSG?

[CashmereAndBones 36]

Hey guys,

I've been away for a while now but I'm back! Hope everyone is doing well. I've come to terms with everything I have to change in my life in order to succeed in this life changing process. I've been inspired by all of you on here and many Youtubers as well. My biggest concern is my past eating disorder. Before I had BED (Binge Eating Disorder) I went through a really rough time battling anorexia in which I had to go to a treatment center for all women in North Carolina. I'm so excited for VSG but at the same time I'm so so so nervous that I'm going to fall back into my habits I had when I was battling anorexia. The liquid fast, small almost nothing amounts of food for a good few months during each different stage, just hearing about this is making me excited for weight loss but in an almost sinister way. My brain is telling me that not eating is going to make me skinny, that the liquid fast is going to be the start of me only eating like max 500 calories a day but my goal is like 200. I already feel my body getting ready to go into starvation mode which I'm pretty sure happens post-op because of the small caloric intake which is why post-op patients lose so much weight in the beginning and you need Protein and supplements. I'm just scared that I'm not going to want to stop eating so little. VSG is an amazing tool and I'm so excited to be apart of the community and grateful that I am able to get this procedure done and I am all well aware of what to avoid and switch up so I can be prosperous but again I'm reiterating what I mentioned earlier I'm getting these mental feelings of "you can never be too skinny" "don't eat" "skip dinner, stay thinner" etc. I'm hoping to get some positive feedback and not hate ): it's been quite a struggle in my life between anorexia and BED. If anyone out there has advice or may know someone or themselves that has gone through this please shed some light for me! I know I need help and plan to seek counseling pre and post VSG. But I also wanted to express this on here because you all are also my support system. Thank you!

ps: I don't have email notifications turned on so if you reply I will be checking this thread back every 2-3 hours or so, but I will respond to each and every one of you! Again thank you (:

[GreenTealael 25,609]

Continue to fight and win your battles

Safe Journey!

Edited August 7, 2018 by GreenTealael

[CashmereAndBones 36]

7 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

Continue to fight and win your battles

Safe Journey!

Thank you love!

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

Since you already realize how important therapy will be to your health and success, I think you're golden. The surgery will help get the weight off, the therapist will help you appreciate the new you. Perfect! Good luck!

[macadamia 591]

Therapy has been helping me get out of my head when it comes to food. I go twice a week. I still drive by the places I used to eat and say to myself that stopping this one time will not hurt. The problem is my old eating habits are sitting there waiting to take over again. It is a slippery slope for me. I get stronger each day, but it is definitely a challenge. I'm learning to identify the triggers to my overeating and to my eating out. I've learned that the head hunger is stronger than the stomach (actual) hunger and it is evil! It is tempting me to go off of my pre-op diet.

Stick with it! It will all work out, I promise.

[CashmereAndBones 36]

2 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Since you already realize how important therapy will be to your health and success, I think you're golden. The surgery will help get the weight off, the therapist will help you appreciate the new you. Perfect! Good luck!

Thank you <3

[CashmereAndBones 36]

1 hour ago, macadamia said:

Therapy has been helping me get out of my head when it comes to food. I go twice a week. I still drive by the places I used to eat and say to myself that stopping this one time will not hurt. The problem is my old eating habits are sitting there waiting to take over again. It is a slippery slope for me. I get stronger each day, but it is definitely a challenge. I'm learning to identify the triggers to my overeating and to my eating out. I've learned that the head hunger is stronger than the stomach (actual) hunger and it is evil! It is tempting me to go off of my pre-op diet.

Stick with it! It will all work out, I promise.

Thank you for sharing your experience! I definitely think therapy will help me and I plan on going. I think I'll have the opposite problem where I won't want to eat at all because of my past experience with anorexia. So I'm a bit nervous about that but I'll have to push through and eat!

[macadamia 591]

38 minutes ago, CashmereAndBones said:

Thank you for sharing your experience! I definitely think therapy will help me and I plan on going. I think I'll have the opposite problem where I won't want to eat at all because of my past experience with anorexia. So I'm a bit nervous about that but I'll have to push through and eat!

I understand. I believe you will find this experience much different than when you were anorexic. Follow the doctor's plan and you shall succeed!

[Screwballski 540]

I’ll come clean. I was so worried. Especially since there is so much emphasis on food tracking, calorie restriction, obsessing, obsessing, obsessing...I mean, that was our lives right?! I was triggered a lot post op and it had been decades since I’d been hospitalized. When I spent a decade as an obese person I used to joke that I was The Most Successful Recovered Anorexic or say something like, “I weigh so much now it’s the equivalent of me having eaten my old self holding a small child!”
Now I was worrying about how I was going to be able to stop myself from over controlling after surgery.
I nearly didn’t get the surgery because I lost so much beforehand!
But, now 2.5 months later, I’m on this side. I don’t even think about it. It’s just a job. I get my Protein in, take my supplements and drink my Water.< br /> It’s not about control. It’s not about food. It’s not about power. It’s not about punishment, approval or love.
The surgery shut that down for me. Maybe it has to do with the hormone centers. I don’t know. Whatever it is, the switch has been reset. The triggers have been released.
I absolutely understand your fear. I was terrified and could not talk to the Doctors because I know they would not have given me the surgery.
If you need me, you can feel free to contact me. I’m happy to listen.
I know the power of the the disease.
You have to keep talking to yourself. Keep telling yourself your story and why you are worth it. No one else can do that for you. We can only listen and remind you of the steps you need to take to love forward.

[Screwballski 540]

Move forward
Geez...you can tell your question rattled me. I changed tense about 100 times a made a ton of mistakes.
🙋😉🤦‍♀️