Struggling 5 Mos after Surgery

[Ready2tryagain 23]

Hello,

I had gastric sleeve surgery mid-April 2014. I lost 30 lbs before surgery. I've lost 77 lbs since surgery so 107lbs total.

In the past 3 weeks, my desire to eat has returned...with a vengeance. I have been able to remain at 1000-1100 calories a day. But I have had 3-4 days where I have had 1500-1800 calories.

I'm scared to death. I can't gain my weight back. I want to keep losing and make it to my goal. I hoped my eating disorder would go away. It hasn't. I still want to binge.

Is this a struggle I will have for the rest of my life? I'm going to be honest with my doctor and NuT when I see them on Tuesday. I've been honest regarding every single morsel I have out in my mouth on MyFitnessPal. Honesty, is a big change from how I used to be.

I'm scared. Is this normal? Have any of you dealt with this?

[JenWants2LoseWeight 9]

I'm scared too and worried it wont work from the beginning. I cant say I've dealt with it because i'm only a few weeks out but I already want to over eat. I am having severe anxiety because i'm not able to eat my feelings. All I can hope is that it gets better.

[Kindle 8,667]

No WLS will fix eating disorders. To think it would just "go away" wasn't very realistic. Did you discuss these things in your preop psych eval? If you have been totally honest with your doc and nut I'm surprised they haven't addressed this issue earlier. They should have advised you that Surgery is easy, the mental aspect of post-surgery life is the hard part. And yes, it's something we have to deal with for the rest of our lives. No different than an alcoholic or drug addict.

I regained my appetite and hunger after about 4 months. I've had to deal with cravings and find things to distract me from food. I've established new ways of dealing with stress, boredom and other emotions besides turning to food and alcohol. Cynthia Alexander's book, "The Emotional First Aid Kit- a Practical Guide to Life after Bariatric Surgery" was very helpful for me. I researched the hell out of this whole process before having surgery, so I knew what to expect. Since I had surgery in Mexico, I've dealt with all the " head stuff" on my own, but you should take advantage of any resources you can.....therapy, counseling, support groups, etc.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Kindle

[BitterSweet* 835]

@@Kindle, very well said. To the OP, this issue is one of the reasons it was hard for me to make up my mind about surgery. I know I have an eating disorder 30 years in the making, and once I acknowledged that and took steps to get help, I began wavering & wondering if I could 'fix' my disorder, then I wouldn't need surgery. The mind is really what needs more fixing than the belly. So, I'm doing both. Getting help and having surgery. Good luck to you.

[blondebomb 580]

Kindle..very well put. I feel like you. I took along time getting my ducks in a row. In our preop classes the psych instructor said this over an over. .its the mind..our head that's the hardest to reprogram. Do what ever it takes to get this eating. .impulse eating. .obsessive wanting to eat under control now..I have been last 11 yrs under therapy/Psych treatment. .getting to the underlying reasons an causes for these behaviors. 2 yrs ago were my break thrus. I was finally able to get peace of mind. Do I still have times of obsessive compulsive actions? You bet! Am I still in treatment? You bet! Still working on it but have come along way! I am determined not to get myself back to the unhealthy state I was in. Find support group..psychologist. .the tummy is the easy part. The head..it will be hard.

[blondebomb 580]

I'm scared too and worried it wont work from the beginning. I cant say I've dealt with it because i'm only a few weeks out but I already want to over eat. I am having severe anxiety because i'm not able to eat my feelings. All I can hope is that it gets better.

Start looking now for help. Dont let this just. .I hope it gets better...get this addressed. .you will need professional help. I'm glad to hear you say this out loud you are aware an see this as a serious issue. Don't wait. Keep us posted. I was in talk therapy for several yrs. Getting her perspective an getting things figured out it clicked. It was a combination of several things including my own personal imperfections or genes all together getting things worked out an certain meds has been a life saver for me. I'm not saying this is ur problem but eating disorders are a byproduct of emotional way of feeding or control. Its sure contributed to my overeating along with self comfort. .along with other biologic issues..it can be fixed! Sorry for rambling. .I've been in a talkative mood an sharing my experiences an journey maybe I can help others with wat has helped me..

[Forsythia 882]

Did you have to see a psych pre-surgery? Call on that doc again. At my hospital they stressed that if we needed anything to not hesitate to make an appointment. Maybe make an appointment with him or her to go over your feelings. Maybe there is some stress that is causing you to eat more. Maybe they can offer some techniques to take your mind off your hunger.

When I feel hungry I try to wait 30 minutes and drink some crystal light. If I am still hungry then I know I can have something in another 30 minutes. Often times the hunger goes away though. Mentally I know I am always going to have to deal with my grazing and emotional eating. I know I can graze and cheat the sleeve. I know I can get the sads because of a crap day at work at eat an entire chocolate bar. That's on me for the rest of my life. My base issues didn't disappear because my stomach did.

[Ready2tryagain 23]

Thanks guys! I swear, I don't know what I would do without this site.

I am going to support groups again. I made an appt with the psych that approved me for surgery. I ordered more books on bingeing. I'm facing this head on...even though it sucks.

I bought Crystal Light again too. Distraction via liquid and this new 5 calorie gum that tastes like chewing Listerine are new strategies too. After this gum, nothing will taste good. It's a body slam to the taste buds.

[JenWants2LoseWeight 9]

Start looking now for help. Dont let this just. .I hope it gets better...get this addressed. .you will need professional help. I'm glad to hear you say this out loud you are aware an see this as a serious issue. Don't wait. Keep us posted. I was in talk therapy for several yrs. Getting her perspective an getting things figured out it clicked. It was a combination of several things including my own personal imperfections or genes all together getting things worked out an certain meds has been a life saver for me. I'm not saying this is ur problem but eating disorders are a byproduct of emotional way of feeding or control. Its sure contributed to my overeating along with self comfort. .along with other biologic issues..it can be fixed! Sorry for rambling. .I've been in a talkative mood an sharing my experiences an journey maybe I can help others with wat has helped me..

Ive been in therapy weekly for almost 20 years. I am working on this and not just hoping. Ive always been aware of it. Im only just 3 weeks out of surgery and having complications I just was hoping I wouldnt have to deal with hunger as well.

[blondebomb 580]

Ive been in therapy weekly for almost 20 years. I am working on this and not just hoping. Ive always been aware of it. Im only just 3 weeks out of surgery and having complications I just was hoping I wouldnt have to deal with hunger as well.

I was hungry all the time the first month. Come to find out my metabolism is stoked on high..so the lil I have been eating I was hungry again less then 2 hrs apart.

How are you doing? Have you been able to talk with your surgeon about the complications? I hope there clearing up for us.. I know I was grumpy an had my emotional up an down days my first month. Doing better had to work thru it.

[JenWants2LoseWeight 9]

I was hungry all the time the first month. Come to find out my metabolism is stoked on high..so the lil I have been eating I was hungry again less then 2 hrs apart.

How are you doing? Have you been able to talk with your surgeon about the complications? I hope there clearing up for us.. I know I was grumpy an had my emotional up an down days my first month. Doing better had to work thru it.

No unfortunately I live 4 hours away from my surgeon and the soonest he can get me in is Friday. I have been debating all day if I should just leave home tomorrow and go to the emergency room where I had my surgery four hours away because of how bad I feel. Im just scared of making it through the traveling. If I could feel better physically I know I would do better mentally but right now im just trying to do the bare minimum to keep going.