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I'm 18 months post-surgery, at my goal weight, working out regularly, generally feeling good. But I realized during this holiday season that I'm leaving the honeymoon phase of post-surgery eating. I can eat more variety, and a little more at a time so I have to be more mindful. The hardest part is that I see some of my old, bad eating habits creeping back in: snacking at night, thinking about what I'll eat next even as I'm still eating something, justifying eating a little too much (or a lot). Even though I still can't really seriously overeat, I'm starting to worry about this slippery slope. I just keep waiting for the weight to come flooding back on as I lose more and more control over my food intake.

I'd love to hear any words of support, encouragement, or wisdom from people who've been through this, or are going through it now!

Thank you, and happy New Year.

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Hi,

I am 22 months out and my cravings and bad habits came back at around 15 months out. I slowly started trying different foods and adding in bad food. I stopped logging my food, drinking my Water, got lazy taking my Vitamins and medication. By November first I realized how far off track I had gotten and I stepped on the scale for the first time in months. I had a 30lb regain, which crushed me. I changed some things and got rid of the bad food in the house and went back to basics. I struggle a bit through Thanksgiving and vacation after that but I managed to drop 14lbs. While I was happy about this, I knew I needed to really deal with my emotional eating habits. The first year was easy because I had no cravings. I really believed that I had it under control but I did not. I now realized that this is where the hard work starts. I started reading a book called Never Binge again which has helped me immensely...enough that I now know that I can hit my goal weight this year and that I have a plan and processes in place to help me when I am tempted. I purchased an inspirational food journal that helps me in the sense that it not just focused on food intake and macros. It's more about having a healthy outlook, mind and body. I had joined several bariatric groups on FB but I did not participate much. Now I spend a part of my morning in those groups communicating with various people. I also started a blog, which is terrifying, to be as transparent to myself as possible and also hold myself accountable for my food decisions, good or bad. We can do this...we just never give up and keep going when we have a set back. You can never fail unless you quit.

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On 1/2/2019 at 9:39 AM, Phoenix40 said:

I also started a blog, which is terrifying, to be as transparent to myself as possible and also hold myself accountable for my food decisions, good or bad. We can do this...we just never give up and keep going when we have a set back. You can never fail unless you quit.

Thank you so much for your support and sharing. I've been away so couldn't respond, but I've read it several times over to give ma a much needed boost. I'd love to follow your blog!! It's always good to know we're not alone.

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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

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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. 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.

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        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
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