Hi

I was reading some threads the other day about overeating to "feed your demons." Like how you have to deal with issues once you dont have food to cover them up. Anyway, that night I had nightmares about fighting off monsters, and then fighting my DH, who can be a little demon-ish!! . I know that I'll have problems with brain hunger once I get surgery, and am learning a lot on this site to help.

Anyone seen any articles/info that would enlighten a supportive but "doesnt have a clue about eating issues" DH?

Anyone else have weird or funny dreams?

I don't have any articles to give you, but one thing that helped my DH with his understanding is when we were talking about his drinking of beer (which is his vice). He thought I didn't understand how it calmed him down to toss back couple after work. I said something to the effect of "you use beer, I use a pint of ice cream, that's the only difference". He sat silent for a good 10 minutes after that.

Does your DH have anything like that you could use as a comparison? I think that type of comparison only works if the person you are talking to has something like that. Telling someone that our eating is like an alcoholics taking a drink doesn't mean anything to anyone who's not an alcoholic, you know? They still don't get it.

Yeah, thats a good one. I'd have to use DH's Jack & 7's, but I know he would say "I can quit anytime." To him I've said "yes, but you cant quit eating like you can quit drinking or smoking!" I'm going to keep surfing the web for info for him. Did you have "brain hunger"? How did you deal with it if you did? I wonder how spouses put up with all the physical changes like how estrogen is stored in fat, so some think when you lose fast, it releases that and can make you nutty for a while.

My husband is pretty understanding when I become an emotional wreck for a while, especially when I'm aware of it and apologize for it before he mentions it.

I have head hunger still to this day. It's rough one to break. I try to keep my hands busy. Doing something that I don't want to get dirty with food, like crochet, or (being a geek) computers games and the like (involved games, not popcap puzzle type games). I also try to keep iced tea brewed in the house so that I can make myself drink a glass of that before getting a snack. Often by the time I'm done with it, I've moved on and forgotten I wanted a snack.

Yes, this computer keeps me far from the kitchen and not eating as much! Don't worry, I used to crochet to keep my hands busy a long time ago. Maybe I'll take that up again! Oh and also macreme'! (I'm a lot older than you!)

I did some surfing for info for my DH, but didn't really find anything except the obvious. I'm going to go camp out at a bookstore soon and look.

Oh, and why isn't anyone writing about weird dreams? I can't be the only one.....

Ha, I was just talking about the dreams with my husband last night.

I love food, and am a self confessed food addict....drown your sorrow in a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

Since my surgery I have been having majorly 'weird' dreams. I am not fighting monsters but I am having dreams about people I went to high school with and university. Last night we were all on a vacation resort (let me go off track and say I havent seen these people in more than 10 years and my husband knows none of them) and I wandered off with my infant son and met up with a high school friend, and we were talking and I was trying to order a mango smootie but kept leaving without paying? It got dark really fast and I went back to the hotel (and met a work colleague on the way) and one of my university lab partners was swimming in a pool in the lobby, and he told me my husband was looking for me. I was trying to get to my room but forgot my room number and the reception wouldnt give it to me.

I think perhaps these dreams may be telling us of some of the underlying issues that helped us eat our way to where we are now that food isnt a crutch. Remorse of loosing friends, abndoment issues? Who knows. In my dreams there is always food involved but in my dreams I never get to eat the food for some bizarre reason.

You are not alone on the weird dreams front ... I had seriously strange dreams and sleep patterns for the first three or four weeks after surgery. They seems to have calmed down now, but they were most assuredly out of the ordinary.

My dreams came in two 'flavors' if you will ... I was breaking the band 'rules' or just plain being terrorized in some way.

I would dream I scarfed down a big steak sandwich (the three no nos - fast eating, bread and beef) and then spent what seemed a dream-eternity dreading what it would do to me. I dreamed about overeating and vomiting ... one of my main fears for some reason. (On a side note...to find humor in everything...that particular dream ceased when I went sailing a month after surgery and puked over the side of the boat from seasickness. No long lasting effects beyond the utter humiliation of it all!)

The specifics of the terror dreams didn't stick with me, but I did wake up panting or shaking a few times. Quite sure I was fighting the demons I had stuffed with food previously!

The worst part for me, though, was the sleep patterns. I couldn't sleep past 6am some days regardless of how late I went to sleep and how many times I was awakened by those random dreams. I would try to go to bed early, then would have trouble sleeping. I spent the first month post-op really tired!

I am now two months out and the last month has seemed to calm down for me. I think the dreams may have been stemming from the emotional risk I (we all) took pinning my hopes on this surgery. Could I actually FINALLY be on the road to in control of my body? It took my brain awhile to start to accept that it might actually work and I could actually like my image at some point in the relatively near future! I chalk it up to emotions. I put on a brave face but was really scared to death I would fail. But, so far, so good and I think my brain has gotten on board!

*******

Banded 1/4/2008

Go Pack Go!

Wow, you've lost a lot of weight already! I'm still waiting for approval for LBS and also recently went on a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, so I'm actually getting REM sleep and able to dream again! I haven't had any more of the "fighting" dreams yet. I'm sure a lot of it is stress...kinda like the weird dreams I had when pg!

I've been having weird dreams too.

Last night I dreamed that I was working at a restaurant that served tons of sweetcakes, cinnamon rolls, and breaded items. WHen I was on break I went through the line to get my lunch and there was platters and platters of all these cakes and cinnamon rolls and stuff... and the guy, who oddly looked like Morgan Freeman from "Driving Miss Daisy", had a huge smile on his face with outstretched arms saying, "Crystal, partake of some of these wonderful sweetbreads" and I was very tempted and then said, "I can't, I was just banded and have to eat vegetables".. now, obviously I can't eat vegetables right now as I'm still in the liquid phase, but I think my pre- south beach diet phase came into play here and then he showed me a platter with green Beans and blackeyed peas and I remember looking back and forth at the two and getting really sad because I wanted the cinnamon rolls.

Even in my dreams I won't eat breaded items anymore. That's pretty pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:w00t:

I've had a few dreams in which I ate all the stuff I've been craving... it was funny and weird, when I woke up I kinda felt satisfied, kinda felt sad LOL.

Too funny! Morgan Freeman???!!! Sounds almost like he was the God character in his movie asking you to "partake" :eek:

Well, if I have another dream tonight asking me to partake of the dang rolls I'm going to! LOLLLLLLLLL. I'm so not kidding!

Maybe think about Brad Pitt before you fall asleep!!!

I'm still cracking up about Morgan Freeman! Sorry!