Ready to get this show on the road...But already hitting a roadblocks

[SparkleCat 521]

I decided to get wls about 4 months ago, started doing research, talked to friends and family and decided on getting a sleeve in December. I had my consultation in January and will begin my insurance required 3 month "diet" February 4th with surgery hopefully happening April 29th.

Since that consultation I have become an eating machine! I can't go an hour without putting something in my mouth. I am running out of clothes that fit and I really don't want to buy larger clothes before having to buy smaller this summer. I am also becoming less social, less comfortable and more introverted the more I gain. I am sure it has a lot to do with my quitting a 25 year smoking addiction on December 20th along with "saying goodbye" to uncontrolled eating, but it needs to stop. I had lost 50 pounds about 3 years ago and really came out of my shell and started embracing and living life....I have regained that weight and am, once again, becoming that person I thought I had left behind forever.

I am going to attempt to change my diet now to include more Protein and cut out sugar and high carb foods...but it seems like a herculean task right now.

Did any of y'all make the decision to change your life with wls surgery only to start eating like a crazed person right after that decision? Were you able to reign it in? Still successful Post Op? I am concerned that if I can't control this I won't be able to be successful after surgery...that I will never be able to eat like a normal person.

[Shells_Almost_There 357]

So this is just my 2 cents, but this happens -- the brain is an amazing and irritating thing! My personal name for this is "eating my fears before my fears eat me" - mainly the brain's auto-response that by having surgery, I'd never enjoy my favorites again, etc. Plus my fear of failure in losing the required weight (I had to lose a certain % of weight so that my insurance would pay). The good news was that after I freaked out for a week or so, I realized I was more motivated to lose weight and have the surgery than I was to have all that food - but this took some deep thinking and bargaining with myself. You might also be having "food funerals" which a lot of people do, thinking they'll never be able to eat a certain favorite again. Turns out that after surgery you can eat most anything once you're released for regular food, it just becomes a choice of whether you should have those things. Anyway, you're going through what I would call a natural process of realization and it's what you do next that matters. The way I got through was a very stringent daytime eating plan, and then a dinner of something slightly off my plan - that way I was bargaining for what I wanted but the majority of the day I was on plan. It worked, I made my required weight and surgery happened! You can do it!

Edited January 19, 2014 by Shells_Almost_There

[SparkleCat 521]

So this is just my 2 cents, but this happens -- the brain is an amazing and irritating thing! My personal name for this is "eating my fears before my fears eat me" - mainly the brain's auto-response that by having surgery, I'd never enjoy my favorites again, etc. Plus my fear of failure in losing the required weight (I had to lose a certain % of weight so that my insurance would pay). The good news was that after I freaked out for a week or so, I realized I was more motivated to lose weight and have the surgery than I was to have all that food - but this took some deep thinking and bargaining with myself. You might also be having "food funerals" which a lot of people do, thinking they'll never be able to eat a certain favorite again. Turns out that after surgery you can eat most anything once you're released for regular food, it just becomes a choice of whether you should have those things. Anyway, you're going through what I would call a natural process of realization and it's what you do next that matters. The way I got through was a very stringent daytime eating plan, and then a dinner of something slightly off my plan - that way I was bargaining for what I wanted but the majority of the day I was on plan. It worked, I made my required weight and surgery happened! You can do it!

Thanks Shell!

Hoping I have hit the end of the freak out...I just took some "Before" photos and am pretty horrified...I can see a difference in my weight and belly fat from just a few months ago! I really do think I am ready to turn this ship around.

I think you are right...I had to "eat my fears before they ate me" (Love that!) I believe my fear of continuing to live the sad life of an obese person is greater than my fear of change.

[SuperFab 689]

I had lots of food funerals. I'm down 18 pounds and would've been down more had I not, but I'm glad I did. I wasn't out of control. I'd make a conscious decision to have certain things so I did. I know you CAN eat whatever you want after a while, but I don't want to. When I say goodbye to certain things I want it to mean goodbye. For good. My surgery is February 18 and I've already cut out a lot of what I'm supposed to, getting my head on straight.

April

[belunos 93]

I gained about 20 lbs during my three month. I've lost all that plus 5-10 more since being on the preop. I can't speak for anyone else, but I regret nothing in my freak out eating.

Seven days of liquid, today and tomorrow on clear liquid, and I can't get the image of ripping into some fried chicken out of my head!

[1Day1Life4Now 882]

SparkleCat, just take one day at a time. You don't have to make all the changes at once. Its a lot easier to make small changes and build on them. You've already put down the cigarettes so that Is great. You could stop soft drinks and then after a couple of weeks cut out something else. you can do this. Like the old saying goes.... How do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE AT A TIME,! Good luck.

[CrazyJaney 775]

I think it's normal. I am preop and have felt similarly at times. It waxes and wanes for me. I have moments where I'm so "into" prepping for this and then I'll start thinking how much I'd love some bread.. I'm finding out just how much of a trigger pizza is by trying to have just one piece. I truly have an addiction to pizza. It triggers all sorts of things in my brain. I do plan some funerals here in the next few weeks. Seems like the right thing to do but overall I'm ready. I've lost 18 doing low carb high Protein but I'm stuck. I'm also on day 12 of a heavy period after not having one in 3 months. Sigh.... I'm really wondering what will happen with my periods. So screwed up already.