7 months out and feeling great?

[Mia Eck 21]

I am 7 months out of surgery and i am doing great physically but mentally its like a whole other playing field. Physically i have lost 106lbs but mentally it feels like i never lost the weight. I have confidence now and i know i can do things i couldnt do before but now i dont have the faith in myself to get them done. I am starting to have "cheat meals" which then turn into "cheat days" and so on. i have high moments too where i feel fantastic and i love my new body. I feel over the moon when i look at myself in the mirror and i can see curves and not "curves" i love that i can fit into my highschool dresses again without even struggling. It all feels great. but i have my days where the stagnate number on the scale is more important than the pant size i just lost. my surgeon told me this is normal but idk is it? i have been using myfitnesspal.com which is working and im refocusing my attention to getting more exercise but how can i get a manage on this battle with my mind?

[LivingFree! 478]

Your doc is right--the emotional roller coaster IS very normal. Some people don't have it at all; others have it big-time. I was (and still am) someone who has it big-time. Is there a therapist that is connected with the bariatric program you're in that you could see? It might help a lot. I know it has for me. Also if you have access to bariatric support groups (in person ones), they can be very helpful. Body image is a huge adjustment for a lot of us and has many layers that can surface. Maybe you can do some online searching (WLS body image; WLS self confidence). Also, if you haven't ever tried journaling, maybe you might want to look into doing that.

Really think about all the progress you've made, and that you don't want to allow yourself to do these "cheat meals/days." You are better than that, and you deserve better than that for yourself. Stay on your program, because cheating eating is going to send you down the road to weight gain and we all know how depressing that can be.

Try not to be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we just have to let our feelings sit there for awhile while our brains catch up. It sounds like you've accomplished a lot in a short 7 months. This is a big life-changing event. Right up there with graduations, marriage, having kids, etc. There's a lot of learning, growing, and adjusting to go. Just go with the flow. Take care.