southernsoul

I have caught a lot of flack several times for saying that I do not believe I have a food addiction. As a soon-to-be-licensed therapist, I define addiction according to the DSM psychiatric criteria. I definitely believe that food addictions exist, but I also know I don't meet the criteria that define a disorder. Lack of discipline was more my problem, and that's different from an actual addiction. With the sleeve, I have the assistance I need with portion control. I basically eat what I want, I get my Protein every day, and I don't have cravings for carbs. If I do enjoy the occasional something sweet or carby, it's just a very small amount & I've been satisfied with that so far. When I have wanted something sweet, I've made an effort to make it a "smart sweet", like fruit, or a low carb/high protein ice cream substitute or cookie. I believe in moderation and balance, but I don't eat a lot of junk. I also acknowledge that I only really know my own experience, and that my approach would not work for everybody. As with everything in life, we each have to find our own path. But to answer the original question, maybe it's just that anybody with issues in a certain area (be they true addictions or not), are likely to enable other "users". Smokers minimize the slips of those trying to quit, drinkers can minimize the slips of alcoholics, and people with food issues are very likely to minimize the slips of others with food issues. In all areas of substance abuse, most enablers don't generally see their behavior as enabling...they think they're trying to be nice, or supportive, or understanding, or just patient. And if the enabler also partakes in the substance or behavior, then it's even harder to get them to stop enabling the addict.

How's everybody doing? I know I posted somewhere on this thread a few months ago, but it's been quite awhile. I'm in Athens & was sleeved on June 19 by Dr. Macik at Northside. I hit my halfway goal of 70 lbs down yesterday.

That's wonderful news...congrats!!

The 6 of you are a powerhouse of inspiration...and y'all are pretty cute, too!

Wow, you look amazing!!

That happens to me sometimes & I don't know how to stop it. It usually stops after awhile, but it's definitely annoying in the meantime. I will anxiously await a better answer!

I agree with everyone else...if you haven't already contacted your doctor, please do that right away. There may be something wrong, and your doctor can most likely offer you some medication to help with the nausea. It's also possible you have an allergy to something in your protein powder. I have heard of several folks who discovered a whey allergy postop & they described similar symptoms. Good luck to you!

I'm not sure how you could actually make a determination of when he's ready for VSG. Seems to me that if he wants to undergo a big life step such as this, he would need to work closely with a psych and/or a substance abuse counselor & make a plan for coping with the challenges. Be his friend & support his efforts, but let him figure out when he's ready.

I totally agree with Allie. I'm not licensed yet, but I'm in my second year of a masters program in mental health counseling & I will be a licensed therapist before too long. I can't imagine making such statements to a client in the first session. She has no idea what you are capable of, nor does she have a reasonable idea of your strengths and challenges. Allie is right...there's a therapist for everybody, but I'm not sure I'd give this one another shot. Her opinions have no place in the therapeutic process. Kudos to you for recognizing that some extra help would be good for you, but don't let a misfire with the first one deter you. Good luck!

OK, I am seriously coming to camp out at your house for awhile. YUM!!

Cheryl, I haven't been having issues with beef or chicken, but I have always been a meat kind of girl. Is it a texture issue for you, or something else that's making it difficult? I'm wondering if preparing it in the slow cooker might make a difference? The slow cooker would keep it very moist & soft. Or maybe eating ground or shredded beef and chicken might be easier? Ground turkey might work, too. I made some chicken salad in the beginning that was a very fine texture. I cut a chicken breast up into chunks & ran it through my food processor, which yielded really small pieces. I ran some pine nuts through the same way & mixed together the chicken, pine nuts, a small amount of mayo, a smaller amount of dijon mustard, lemon juice & some fresh chopped basil. I hope you're able to figure something out!

I was never slender, but not heavy, either. I was an athletic girl who "blossomed" early. I started wearing a bra in 6th grade & was a D cup by 9th grade. When I was 17, I blew out my left knee. I tore every tendon & ligament, was on crutches for a couple of months, and then 4 months later I re-injured it, which pretty much put the nail in the coffin of that knee. At 25, I started taking a medication for seizures that had a side effect of increased appetite. That coincided with my 1st husband getting serious about cooking & preparing delicious & rich foods every day. My weight ballooned & I was never able to get it under control. My high weight was 320 & I should go under 250 in the next day or two. I haven't been under 250 in years, so I'm happy to be heading in the right direction.

Being scared is totally understandable. This is an elective surgery, after all. Often, the devil we know (current health issues with obesity) is preferable to the devil we don't know (surgical complication risk). I hope some of your fears are eased by the community of folks on this site who are willing to share experiences.

Good luck tomorrow, girl...and for the next couple of weeks. It'll be tough, but you can do it!!

My knees don't allow for me doing the elliptical or a bike. I tried the recumbent bike, but my knee won't bend enough to rotate the pedal all the way around. The elliptical hurt within 1 minute, but I plan to try it again at some point. I can walk on a treadmill, but we decided to focus on strength training at first. I'm doing a circuit of chest press, lat press, tricep press, an overhead row machine, hip abductor, and leg extension press, along with some arm lifts with free weights. I do about 15-20 reps per set, 2 times through the circuit. Yesterday was my 6th time going through the routine, and I can already tell I am able to add increased weight on most of the machines & move through the circuit faster. The next step is to build up to doing the circuit 3 times instead of just 2. Good luck with your foot healing. I've broken bones in my feet before & it can seem like it takes forever to heal!

I love reading everybody's lists. Here are a few of my bucket list items: 1. Walk without pain & be able to keep up with my friends when we're out. 2. Sit with my legs crossed 3. Be able to wear high heels again 4. Be able to travel to a new city & walk around exploring 5. Take salsa lessons 6. Wear a sexy red dress when the hubs takes me out to show off the newly-acquired salsa dancing skills 7. Be able to say 'Yes' to activities & invitations more frequently than I say 'No'

I had surgery on June 19 & my BMI was around 52. I also knew that my risk of complications was slightly higher than for someone with a bit lower BMI, but like famille stated above, a slight increase to an already slight risk is still a very small chance to take. However, choosing to take the risk is a very personal decision we all have to make peace with. But ask yourself this...how much is being obese ruining your life & health now? What are the chances that your weight will lead to health complications that could derail you completely? How often has dieting worked for you? If you had some other health issue that could be helped with surgery, would you hesitate? I think it's great you are educating yourself about the surgery & the risks. It's definitely smart to understand fully what this process entails & go into it with your eyes wide open. Good luck to you, no matter what you decide!

I use salt, pepper, herbs, spices, you name it...so far all has been good. This thread reminds me of that commercial for Frank's Red Hot...I put that **** on everything!!

Sorry to be unclear, y'all....my personal trainer is a real live person who works with me for an hour at a time. Unasked, he took the extra step of emailing me a recap of all the stuff we had worked out together...the order of machines, amount of weight to use on each, number of reps, etc., so that I didn't have to rely on memory for the whole process at first. I have it all memorized now, but it was very helpful the first couple of times I was there on my own. I wish I could afford to have a session with him every time I go, but for now I'm meeting with him about every other week. Cheryl, don't feel bad about what the NUT said. When I went for my 3 mos check-up with my surgeon, he told me I had missed the goal they set for that visit by 12 lbs!! I also felt like crap, but I got over it. I had lost 58 lbs by that point & I decided that was perfectly good enough for me. I feel great & that's what matters the most.

So far, I'm enjoying working out. When we joined the gym, the membership included 2 hours with a person trainer. The one I met with worked out a circuit training plan for me & emailed it to me. I printed it out with the names of the machines, amount of pounds to set & the number of reps to do, and I carried it around with me the first couple of times I went. It was really helpful to have, while I got used to the routine. Tony's not really following an eating plan, but he is eating less & usually choosing healthier snacks. He's losing weight, as well, and also feels better.

Congrats on making the decision to pursue a better life. Good luck on the 9th & I hope you find everything in your future that you hope for!

I'm 3 months out & I'm not sure about sandwiches. I've never been crazy about sub sandwiches in general, but I do like wraps & flatbreads. Last night I went to a party & there was a great selection of cheeses, with assorted crackers & breads laid out. The baguette slices looked great, but I chose the crunchier multi-grain cracker just because I felt like it would be a better choice, digestively speaking. So far when I've had a sandwich or a taco or a burger, I have eaten the inside meat, cheese, & veggie and left the bread on the plate. I haven't tried pasta yet, either. Like you, I want to embrace all foods in moderation...eventually. For me personally, until I'm further along in this weight loss journey, "moderation" in carbs is going to be less than what it might be someday down the road.

It might depend on how important it is to you that your partner make those changes. You are doing what you think is best for you, but you can't make someone else choose the same way. I believe that all we can control in life is our own behavior and our own choices. We sometimes expend a whole lot of energy trying to make someone else do what we think they should do. We nag, we plead, we insist, we punish, we guilt-trip, and we even yell. Most of the time, our efforts wear us out more than they work on the other person. You keep going & do what you think is best for you. We all pursue WLS because we believe it will afford us a better life in some way. Would it be awesome if your partner would also commit to a healthier lifestyle? Sure it would! But if your partner isn't willing to make changes, how willing are you to let go of needing he/she to change?

Hello, all. I hope everyone is doing well. I just passed my 3 month post-op mark & I'm feeling really good. I'm down about 65 lbs so far, I'm able to exercise more, and we recently joined a gym. I have not yet come across a food that I don't handle well, but there are definitely a couple of things I have hesitated to try. I still haven't eaten a big salad, since I know that raw veggies are harder to digest. I've had a little raw spinach, and a little lettuce with some taco meat, but not just a salad on it's own. I haven't found it too difficult to stay away from sweets, so that's been helpful. When I do have the occasional sweet craving, I've been able to satisfy it with acceptable choices, like a piece of fruit or high Protein, low carb Cookies or doctoring up some yogurt. Tracking my food on MFP helps me a lot. If anyone else uses MFP & wants to find me there, my username is puresouthernsoul. Take care everyone & have a good week!

Oh, man...I agree with you completely. It's rampant among foods targeted towards kids (and lazy parents), but it's also a problem in foods targeted towards adults as healthy or diet-smart. So often, when fat is removed from a food, sugar is added. The original amount of fat would likely have been healthier for our bodies than the sugars that replaced it. We have so many processed, additive-laden, chemically altered, tweaked-based-on-market studies kinds of products in our grocery stores. The amount of real, unprocessed food available in our stores & included in our diets is declining rapidly. In my opinion, the rates of obesity in this country are directly connected to the amount of processed crap we consume.