Why am I still obsessed with food?

[marfar7 1,533]

After over 4 yrs with wls ( 31/2 with the band and 9 mths with the sleeve) and 11 lbs from goal, I'm still obsessed with food. I stock my pantry like I'm expecting Armageddon soon, I LOVE the grocery store and go there about every other day, and I think about my next meal during my current meal. While I've brought this up with my psychiatrist, he's drawn diagrams and explained to me how to think about food and it never gets thru to me.

I hafta keep some sort of "crap" in my nightstand at all time, even tho I rarely eat it. I've had a couple of Cadbury eggs in there since they first came out before Valentine's Day "just in case". I over buy food and toss out so much bad stuff.

My husband, on the other hand, won't even think about a meal till he's actually hungry. I've panned dinner for hours and he won't even think about eating till he's hungry. Wish I could be more like that. While I eat very little, I think about it constantly. Probly more than before wls

When they come out with brain wls, sign me up!

[NMJG 1,266]

I'm with you. I guess I need counseling, but our mental health professionals in my town aren't very confidence inspiring for this sort of thing.

It just makes everything harder when you think about food all the time. I am diligent about my eating and exercising, but I think about food constantly. Sort of the food equivalent of a nymphomaniac I guess? ;p

[PdxMan 4,292]

So ... it sounds like you are doing all the same things you did before WLS, but are expecting different results ... right? As I like to say, things only change when I make a change. shake up your routine. Get rid of all the "crap" in your house. Another saying I like is, "If you sit in a barber shop long enough, you're going to get a haircut." Break the chain of continually going to the grocery store. Go for a walk, instead.

[Escape_Pod 358]

I struggle with this as well. For me, it's a sign of a role that food is playing in my life that has nothing to do with nutrition. I might get away with it for now, but long term it's going to be a problem, and I need to address it. From time to time I find myself getting too obsessed with food blogs - even if they're bariatric-friendly recipes, too much focus on food is going to lead me to overeating, or eating the wrong things, and I have to just stop. Too much time spent grocery shopping is an indication I'm probably using food for entertainment, or as a distraction - time to figure out what I really need. With my history with food, I know I can't afford to ignore it if I want to be successful in maintenance.

[marfar7 1,533]

I struggle with this as well. For me, it's a sign of a role that food is playing in my life that has nothing to do with nutrition. I might get away with it for now, but long term it's going to be a problem, and I need to address it. From time to time I find myself getting too obsessed with food blogs - even if they're bariatric-friendly recipes, too much focus on food is going to lead me to overeating, or eating the wrong things, and I have to just stop. Too much time spent grocery shopping is an indication I'm probably using food for entertainment, or as a distraction - time to figure out what I really need. With my history with food, I know I can't afford to ignore it if I want to be successful in maintenance.

Just curious if u noticed ur ticker vs mine? U started at 245, I at 248. Ur now 151 (so am I) and our goal is both 140.

Wow, small world! Good luck to u on that last 11. The first 90 was easy peasy compared with the last 20!

[Escape_Pod 358]

I hadn't noticed! Unfortunately, my last 11 is regain. I got within half a pound of 140, but was already struggling with old emotional eating habits, and regained quite a bit. As hard as the last 20 were to lose, they're even harder to re-lose! Sigh...

[Ariella 73]

I don't keep crap in my house (I made one binge purchease of "diet" crap, like Fiber one brownies and the like and once that was all gone, I haven't bought more and don't intend too) because if I don't end up eating it, my boyfriend will and thats not helpful to his weight loss efforts either. My biggest issue with weight is self control, so keeping that stuff out of hands reach is a must for me. I do however have quite the food porn addiction. Sometimes this helps curve my craving for something and others it puts a taste in my mouth that I have to indulge (cut to my one pancake and corn muffin Breakfast last saturday). I know I need therepy alo wls process. I need it because I have an issue eating when or what I don't need to, and not stopping myself when I know i'll regret it. I also need it, because too often I feel shame for being human.

Once the pain wears off, this is all one big mind game.

[ziggypbang 272]

I feel your pain! I agree that we all have different food issues, and yours sounds to me like a fear issue, where food has become a security blanket of sorts. I struggle with binge eating personally, and while The monster is less monstrous than she was, I can feel her gaining strength as the post op days pass. I'm going to have to commit to speaking with my psych at next month's post op visit. I just started reading a book called Fifty ways to Soothe Yourself without Food in the meantime. I need head tools as well as my tummy tool to get 100% healthy.