Regaining of weight

[Chelenka 827]

@@Chelenka, thanks for your response too. Just curious-- how far out are you from your surgery?

I am 18 months post-op. I am a huge chocoholic and food addict. The surgery alone will not fix your emotional/psychological issues with food but there is a physical component as well, not just the smaller capacity but a metabolic shift. Regain is a problem regardless of how one loses weight. In thinking about my vacation eating one big difference was I didn't eat unconsciously. If I wanted a beer and some chips I got a beer and a small bowl of chips and ate and enjoyed them. In the past I would have eaten the whole bag without ever really paying attention to how yummy the chips are. I have been making a conscious effort to pay attention to and enjoy my food while letting go of the self-shaming over food that only leads me into a vicious cycle of eating and shaming.

There is no pressure here to go thru with a surgery if you feel you aren't ready or that it's not the right choice for you. Being honest with yourself is what is truly important. Many people successfully lose weight the old fashioned way. It never worked for me but that doesn't mean it can't work for you if you are truly determined. Re: food-addiction, many of us WLS folks struggle with addiction behavior around food. I think for myself I gave up trying to figure out what deep dark secret was making me overeat and use food to feel or not feel whatever emotion. Everyone on the planet in every culture uses food for emotional reasons, celebrations or mourning. It is the universal drug. So don't beat yourself up for having an issue with food. I think there is a huge genetic and physical component to obesity. The difference for me now is that I have become aware of how much I was using food to keep myself calm. So I have to find another way to cope with my anxieties since I can't, nor do I want to, eat myself into a stupor. Exercise helps, both aerobic and yoga, and just taking a few deep breaths and saying to myself that whatever it is it will change.

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@Chelenka, that was very insightful and I appreciate your honesty.

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

@@VSGAnn2014, I have been going to a therapist since 2002. I have done a lot of research and it occurred to me last night as I was "finishing" a large bag of baked potato chips, that I was a "binge eater." There is a DSM category for that now and medication. I think I should try all the non-surgical means possible before my stomach is made the size of a sausage.

if you have been "in" therapy for 12 years and are still binge eating, you A.) arent being treated for an eating disorder and B.) need a new therapist and C.) are most likely not being honest with the therapist about your eating behavior and what is really happening with you.

as a former chemical dependency counselor, private therapist and human services professional, i will tell you that any therapist who agrees to see a client for 12 years is crappy. (unless you are seeing a psychiatrist for meds, thats not therapy) no self respecting therapist should see anyone for 12 years!

you need to look for eating disorder treatment regardless if you have this surgery or not. you need to get rigorously honest with yourself. and do what you know in your heart you need to do to overcome your ED.

i will tell you i wasnt able to really get a handle on my food issues until i was able (with this surgery) to stop eating!

its not easy to regain weight after weight loss surgery if you are aware of and healing your food issues... it is easy however to remain in denial about your food issues and disordered eating.

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@moonlitestarbrite, exactly. I agree 100% and I hope @@BeagleLover understands this. It's no different than surgeons. If I need an orthopedic surgery, I would not seek out a neurosurgeon to help me. There are general practice psychologists and psychiatrists, and like every other field, there are specialists. Counselors who specialize in eating disorders are a better choice than a general practice counselor under these circumstances.

@@BeagleLover, please seek help from a new counselor who specializes in eating disorders. As Chelenka stated, you may not ever fully understand the roots of your eating disorder but I think you would make much more progress with someone else. I don't know how old you are, but it really is unusual to be going to a therapist for 12 years. The point is to help you recognize behaviors, try to confront the feelings and reasoning behind it, learn and put into practice new, healthier coping strategies, and move on with your life - not continue to show up for appointments and make no progress.