Overcoming The Addiction

[ChristinaRose 26]

Hi all! I'm fairly new here. I'll be an official Sleever on May 1 (less than a week away...whoa, it just kinda hits you in the face sometimes haha). I'm from Charleston, SC and have a passion for life. I can't wait to be able to do things I've never done before. I've been addicted to all things food since high school/college. Freshman 15 became freshman 30 and so on. UGH All of that to say, I feel like I've been an active person stuck in an obese persons' body. Does that sound weird? Throughout the process, my nutritionist and MD has weaned me into a pre-op diet so it's not a huge slap in the face once surgery hits. I've been following a low carb plan for about 2 months (currently on the official pre-op diet now) and I'm noticing it gets easier to say no to the food I once held so dearly to. I know there will be plenty of temptations that will fly my way on a daily basis but, it feels really good to say that I see hope in overcoming this addiction. Any similar experiences or victories pre-op/post-op? I'd love to hear and meet some new people on here!

[topgun 63]

You are SO right on track! I really got serious about my pre op nutrition plan and wound up losing almost 60 pounds prior to surgery. Even better than the weight loss was the change I made in my diet that has stuck with me throughout this process. I learned to love my veggies, chicken breast, baked fish and all those things that are good for you. Also, I really lost my craving for junk food carbs. I'll have a little dish of ice cream now every now and then and maybe a cookie or something but when I'm done, I'm done. I do miss eating a normal size meal, but life's just a lot of trade-offs. Great going and best of luck in May!

[Sassygirl06 962]

food is the most difficult addiction there is. Nobody that is addicted to drugs is supposed to have a little bit of whatever they are addicted to everyday to be healthy. We have to have food every day. It is a work in progress for me. I am able to say no a lot easier then I was before, but it is still a struggle not to turn to the bad things that i did to before when things happen. I have been really tested this past week, and I have been able to say no still....so yay! good luck...and congrats on your upcoming life saving event!

[4ALongerLife 329]

Christina Rose, you are a beautiful girl (said in a totally platonic way, fyi!) and I love the ticker pic of you and your spouse/boyfriend. Congrats on your weight loss journey that is about to begin. You will have a rush of so many emotions, but it's exciting.. and scary.

I am still trying to figure out how to eat now that I can and still not sure about it. I'm struggling this week, but it's a roller coaster some days. But I didn't gain all of this weight overnight, I sure am not going to learn to lose it nor lose it overnight either.

Hang in there, sounds like you are off to a wonderful start!

Sassygirl, hang in there yourself ok? You have done a wonderful job according to your ticker.... but I love what you said, it's totally true. No other addicts have to have their choice drug and 'get over it.' It's a hard struggle.... but we are all worth success. Hugs.

[ChristinaRose 26]

Thank you all for your words of advice and sharing your obstacles. And thank you for the words to help me continue pushing forward!

Sassygirl-- I totally agree, food is a beast to conquer but then we have to live with that beast forever too haha. It does feel so good to say "no" to the wrong and to say "yes" to the right things. Congrats on that victory this past week!

4ALongerLife-- You are TOO kind!! (I took it in the kindest most platonic way so no worries either haha) That made me smile! I am trying to build more confidence and believe in the compliments from people. So THANK YOU. Honesty in the struggle is so important! You are so right, it took more than 10 minutes to reach the point we are at so we can't be too hard on ourselves. Thanks for the encouragement!

[clk 3,519]

It sounds like you're on the right track. You are not in denial about your eating habits prior to these life changes or about your addiction. That's a huge leap ahead of where most of us are when we're sleeved!

It's all headwork. Your surgery is going to give you the opportunity to kick the addiction but if you don't do the headwork, well, it'll still be there two years post op and give you grief in maintenance. It's not what anyone wants to hear but it's absolutely true.

I just finished a pretty good read about disordered eating called Beyond the Refrigerator: Navigating Life After Weight-Loss Surgery. While I didn't really learn many new things, I enjoyed the perspectives in the book. You might check it out from your local library. I also enjoyed Hungry: Lessons on the Journey from Fat to Thin, which focuses more on overeating and the way one man tackled the emotional side of the problem.

The surgery makes it very easy to avoid foods in the beginning, especially if you lose your hunger like most of us do. But once you're a year out or close to two, like I am, it really becomes apparent if you're in a good place or not. My sleeve will stop me from eating half a pizza but it's not going to stop me from eating a cookie per hour or a tub of ice cream. So my advice is to keep on your current track and to also add in some counseling if you find you need the additional support once you're sleeved. The frustration and emotional upheaval once your coping mechanism is taken from you can be very difficult to overcome, and I speak from experience!

Best of luck to you. I wish everyone that opted for this surgery prepared as well as you seem to be doing. Being overweight isn't a stomach problem that the surgery will solve - it's a head problem, and we need to face that head on if we want to beat it for good.

~Cheri

[Finding MeMe 204]

You sound like you are ready for this journey. Like the other ladies said, this is a hard addiction to beat but with the surgery you can do it. Take things one day at a time and stick to your pre-op and post-diet you will be surprised and happy with your decision to finally beat it. Good luck to you.

[ChristinaRose 26]

It sounds like you're on the right track. You are not in denial about your eating habits prior to these life changes or about your addiction. That's a huge leap ahead of where most of us are when we're sleeved!

It's all headwork. Your surgery is going to give you the opportunity to kick the addiction but if you don't do the headwork, well, it'll still be there two years post op and give you grief in maintenance. It's not what anyone wants to hear but it's absolutely true.

I just finished a pretty good read about disordered eating called Beyond the Refrigerator: Navigating Life After Weight-Loss Surgery. While I didn't really learn many new things, I enjoyed the perspectives in the book. You might check it out from your local library. I also enjoyed Hungry: Lessons on the Journey from Fat to Thin, which focuses more on overeating and the way one man tackled the emotional side of the problem.

The surgery makes it very easy to avoid foods in the beginning, especially if you lose your hunger like most of us do. But once you're a year out or close to two, like I am, it really becomes apparent if you're in a good place or not. My sleeve will stop me from eating half a pizza but it's not going to stop me from eating a cookie per hour or a tub of ice cream. So my advice is to keep on your current track and to also add in some counseling if you find you need the additional support once you're sleeved. The frustration and emotional upheaval once your coping mechanism is taken from you can be very difficult to overcome, and I speak from experience!

Best of luck to you. I wish everyone that opted for this surgery prepared as well as you seem to be doing. Being overweight isn't a stomach problem that the surgery will solve - it's a head problem, and we need to face that head on if we want to beat it for good.

~Cheri

Cheri-- Wow thank you for the fantastic advice and the book suggestion. I will absolutely look into that. Thank you for your kind words as well! I have been trying pretty hard in both the mental and physical aspects and it helps to hear from experienced sleevers that I am on track.

[ChristinaRose 26]

You sound like you are ready for this journey. Like the other ladies said, this is a hard addiction to beat but with the surgery you can do it. Take things one day at a time and stick to your pre-op and post-diet you will be surprised and happy with your decision to finally beat it. Good luck to you.

MeMe-- Thank you very much! I feel as prepared as humanly possible lol The mental hurdles are surprisingly getting easier. Well, maybe not "easier" but I feel more apt to make the right decisions. It's amazing how the surgery challenges you to change so many areas aside from the physical. I am thankful it isn't a quick bandaid so that I can further learn how to take full reign over the addiction. Take care!