Falling into old habits

[Withoutwax 3]

Hi - I'm completely new to this site but thought I'd give it a try.

I'm 5 months post op and have lost 95lbs (that 100lb goal is so close I can taste it!)

Up until now I've been trying to eat healthy, but I'm eating so little that I was losing weight without really trying. So if I ate something full of calories it didn't "really" matter because I could only eat a few bites anyway. But I'm getting to the point, I think, where I need to start really watching what I'm eating to continue to lose weight at the rate I have been. And each day I find myself falling into old habits. I eat out too much, I like to buy sugary coffees in the morning, I hate wasting food so I weight a few minutes and eat more than I should just because it's there..... and sweets - God help me and my love of chocolate.....

I keep saying the surgery should have been done on my brain and not my stomach..... how do you guys combat those old habits when they start to creep back in?

Thanks for any responses! And good luck to everyone on this crazy journey :-)

[BeagleLover 1,020]

I am a pre-op diabetic and had to deal with my sweet tooth and loving chocolate. I use Sweet N' Low for cold items and 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 times the amount of sugar in baked goods. That takes care of the sugar carbs. I suggest you look up diabetic recipes using cocoa powder. That'll give you the taste of chocolate.

As far as eating stuff I shouldn't and not taking home food or Snacks I'd having a hard time staying away from, two books have helped me a lot:

The Emotional First + Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, Second Edition Paperback

by Cynthia Alexander

From the First Bite (and other books) by Kay Sheppard

It's not just the surgery, the "head game" is just as important. Good luck!

[youthguy80 65]

I hear you regarding falling into old habits! I'm almost ten months out and they are creeping in. However, there are quite a few that AREN'T! What has helped me is to look at what was working early on: for me that was being religious in tracking, planned and prepped ALL my food and drinks for each day, and if I wanted something off track, I just said no. I also made sure I was drinking constantly. I'm now trying to start doing those things again. Ongoing support groups and nutrition and psych counseling have also made all the difference for me.

When I get discouraged I also pause to look at where I have come from. I still have work, but I Celebrate daily the things that I DON'T struggle with any longer.

Keep going!

[squeaker31 65]

Great topic. I am only 4 months out and am losing but I also feel like it's too easy now lol. I feel there are habits I'm "getting away with" maybe now. I do eat out sometimes (small portions but full fat meats and cheeses), I snack on nuts, and don't exercise enough. But I also know sustainable changes happen gradually so I'm prepared for this journey to be challenging for the long term.

And the previous poster is also right, pre surgery my struggles with portions ... I can't imagine finishing even one serving of what I used to eat 3 or 4 of. And i pack a healthy lunch and Snacks every day for work, it's just automatic when pre surgery I was always too tired or too busy or running to late to take the time. I look forward to more habit wins and am ready to face the head challenges.

[abrad6 0]

I am glad to hear of other's struggles but wish we didn't have to struggle at all. I just got sleeved 9 days ago. The drinking liquids is really hard! I am already thinking about what I can eat when I am eating solids. I did this surgery to be healthy again, but I feel like food is already starting to win over. It is all I am thinking about!

How did everyone get motivated to do more than just watch tv & eat food. I realized today that those two things take up all my free time. Hobbies I use to do years ago I really am not interested in. I am just wondering if motivation & desire will come back as the weight comes off.

I plan to read some books that were mentioned in this thread & I probably need counseling or a local support group.

[LivingFree! 478]

This may sound really simplistic, but it is a little tool I have developed in the past three years that has really helped me--thought I'd pass it on for what it's worth. For your "trigger foods" that you know (for now at least) cause you trouble, when I find myself tempted I simply say to myself these words: "I don't eat that any more." I NEVER say "I CANT eat that," because that sounds like I'm being deprived, and that sets me up to just eventually binge out. If I'm in a store and I see it and I'm tempted to put it in the grocery cart, I repeat those same words, and it really does help me STOP, think, and resist the temptation to buy it. Same if I'm out socially and want something that's a really bad choice. It makes me STOP and think and make a better choice.

(This is really a trick I learned years ago in therapy called Affirmations. Continually repeating a phrase forces the subconscious mind to eventually adopt the suggestion/behavior. Not many people believe in this, but I believe it to really enhance positive thinking and form new habits.)

I've read both books BeagleLover mentioned--they are super helpful in discussing our new relationships with food in that the more we work on that, the easier this all becomes (in my humble opinion).

Keep up the battle! Our old habits definitely die hard, but we know it's all so worth it!

[squeaker31 65]

Abrad - While I'm certainly not where I want to be fitness wise, my advice is start small. Like really small if you have to, especially so close post-op. I personally have found that my energy is increasing as the weight comes off, even the small fitness progress I'm making really did not feel possible pre-op. And definitely counseling has helped as well!

[Withoutwax 3]

Thanks for all the replies everyone - it's helpful to know I'm not the only one that struggles and I appreciate the advised for resisting temptation.

Abrad - it is certainly hard to find motivation especially right after surgery - it took me a full month until I had the energy to really want to do anything but sleep and lie on the couch. A lot of that is just recovering from major surgery. But as the weight starts falling off it's much easier to be motivated - I certainly have way more energy now than I did. It's funny - I found myself getting home from work and wondering what on earth I was going to do for a few hours. I used to get home, eat, and get ready for bed having little energy for anything else - but it became necessary for me to find something to fill the time now that I have more energy. The trick is to fill it with something active and productive and not just tv. And counseling is definitely an important thing - this is a major life change - it's important to have a lot of support from friends, family, and counselors.

[bikrchk 1,313]

I'm 4 pounds from goal and have some of the same concerns as I try to start slowing this train down, I don't want to go back the other way! I find exercise 5x per week has helped me take off the weight while eating what I like in small amounts, focusing on Protein first always. I have to believe that religious recording, weighing once per week and maintaining a high activity level has worked so far, and it will work as I add a few more calories to begin maintenance.