Psychological Issues

[reallyrosy 161]

Im almost three year out . I can 4 to 5 oz it depends on what it is. I use to small amounts of food at a time now.

That's GOOD. And you're maintaining your weight? Can you honeslty eat everything? Do you eat fruits?

[reallyrosy 161]

And when the weight started falling off I don't care about how much food I could eat. I was happy about losing weight.

Oh I am not complaining that the weight is coming off. I have to lose 95# more to get to a normal bmi range. That's a huge step from 428# where I was years before vgs was a possibility. I do like the loss and I do welcome more of it. Am @ 25# from Onederland...where's that d*^#@*m rabbit hole? :-)

[Toni Day 18]

I went out to dinner this week for the first time with 9 other people. It was hibachi. I ate my lobster and shrimp become full and excused my self walked outside and took a walk around the shopping center. It was my immediate family so they all understood. I know I'm not ready to eat out with people that don't know I been sleeved.

[LauraTarry 25]

I am a recoverying alcoholic. I go to AA. I thought I would NEVER be able to stop drinking and druging until I finally made it to AA. It really saved my life. I am almost 6yrs clean and sober! I am using my AA program and our 12 steps to help me with this process as well. If I don't do the things I need to do, talk to other alcoholics, pray, follow the 12 steps (the program), I will get drunk again! Same for this If I don't stay in touch with my fellow sleevers (to help me be accountable) pray, and follow the program, I WILL gain weight again. OA Overeaters Annonymous has a great program! Even if you don't think you over eat nessisarily... they deal with all of the phychological issues that we face, I think I am going to start going to a few myself! They have meetings all over the country, I'm sure there's one near you. Just a suggestion. It really does help people!!! I have several friends who go!

[Mews 37]

I never really had issues with head hunger as I was one of the weird ones who forgot to eat all of the time. My PCP actually told me I wasn't eating enough and that's why I was getting fat because my body was going into starvation mode constantly. To me, very few foods gave me any pleasure so I didn't resort to eating as a pick me up. Even before surgery I was eating to live, not the other way around. I still forgot to eat now but I have a different issue. When I don't eat I get a horrible gnawing in my stomach that can lead to serious nausea so I don't go for as long a period between meals as I used to.

However, I do suffer from moderate/severe depression that had been under control prior to my surgery with meds. Afterwards was another story. My depression got terribly worse. It's so bad now that my doc is forcing me to switch meds. I know there is the whole hormones stored in fat issue but with me a lot of it has to do with the problems I've had since surgery. I've been constantly nauseous, having stomach pains, and even had a blood clot. I can honestly say that the surgery made my depression worse. Whether it was the physical aspect of the surgery or the mental stress I have endured since I'm not sure. Either way I'm pretty miserable right now. If I had known this would've happened to me I wouldn't have had the surgery. It's taken too much of a toll on me in a bad way both physically and mentally.

Now, don't get me wrong. Most people do fantastic with this surgery. I just wish more people had been open about the negatives with me (like my doctor) before hand so I could've done a better joy researching my options.

[Sansa 39]

The depression is the hardest for me. I can for go the food aspect but can't get past the crying for no reason and being angry all the time...

I'm sorry to hear that you are having a rough time. I am hoping that my estrogen levels will go down by losing weight but it seems as though the process of ridding our bodies of estrogen is difficult. Have you had a chance to talk to your GYN about it yet? Do you mind sharing with us what your doctor said about it?

I went out to dinner this week for the first time with 9 other people. It was hibachi. I ate my lobster and shrimp become full and excused my self walked outside and took a walk around the shopping center. It was my immediate family so they all understood. I know I'm not ready to eat out with people that don't know I been sleeved.

Its interesting how this surgery changes our relationships with our families. What other things have you found to do instead of eating or to deal with not eating?

I am a recoverying alcoholic. I go to AA. I thought I would NEVER be able to stop drinking and druging until I finally made it to AA. It really saved my life. I am almost 6yrs clean and sober! I am using my AA program and our 12 steps to help me with this process as well. If I don't do the things I need to do, talk to other alcoholics, pray, follow the 12 steps (the program), I will get drunk again! Same for this If I don't stay in touch with my fellow sleevers (to help me be accountable) pray, and follow the program, I WILL gain weight again. OA Overeaters Annonymous has a great program! Even if you don't think you over eat nessisarily... they deal with all of the phychological issues that we face, I think I am going to start going to a few myself! They have meetings all over the country, I'm sure there's one near you. Just a suggestion. It really does help people!!! I have several friends who go!

I'll keep OA in mind in case I have mental and emotional hunger to deal with after the operation. I imagine that OA must attract a lot of bariatric patients these days. What ways does OA suggest for dealing with mental and emotional hunger?

[nadoue 158]

I need one for my sex drive if that's even a criteria, sorry but I gotta say it, I have to have sex with the light on! Call me freak I think the freak in me has been released, safe sex though but gee, I am horny all the effing time!