How did you get over your addiction?

[JerseyJules 862]

24 minutes ago, CrowMilk said:

I'm not addicted to food per say, but just being told "no" makes me mad. If I want pizza, I will have pizza; however, I make it fit into my calories. Last night I used a 4g carb tortilla with low-carb sauce and 2 oz of shredded cheese (not packaged as shredded since it has more carbs than the blocks). I took 3 bites before I was done with the bread and just ate the toppings.

Denying myself what I want is how I started secretly binging. Now, there are some things I will not give in to, like pop or sweets.

In the end, it's up to me to take responsibility for what I eat and to make sure I am getting the nutrients I need while also making sure I don't feel too restrictive. I am able to eat these things because I do not allow myself to graze, thus freeing up calories. It's all a balancing act.

I just want to live a normal life, where if i go out for pizza with the kids I eat a slice and am full, not 4 like I do now. I dont drink soda but I do love sweets. I need to cut the sweets to an occasional treat and have more normal healthy portions. Should be too hard for me, I dont eat that bad, just a little too much.

My old attempts to lose weight were way to restrictive for me and when I did indulge in carbs it was hard to stop and I went back to the usual over eating. As my doctor explained to me 2 years ago when I backed out, my body simply wouldnt let me lose the weight.

Edited February 7, 2017 by JerseyJules

[summerset 5,265]

How did I overcome food addiction? I think I didn't.

---

Why do I think that?

I think it's because I can't imagine continuing losing weight or maintaining weight without the crutch of the MGB. I wasn't before (started gaining back after the fill had to be removed from my lap-band and maintained at a higher level at about 50% EWL only) and I don't think I would be able to maintain now if I had the whole capacity of my stomach available.

To view myself as truly recovered from emotional eating it would be necessary to be able to maintain a somewhat normal weight without my crutch. However, that's my personal definition of "being cured".

[blizair09 3,250]

16 minutes ago, summerset said:

How did I overcome food addiction? I think I didn't.

---

Why do I think that?

I think it's because I can't imagine continuing losing weight or maintaining weight without the crutch of the MGB. I wasn't before (started gaining back after the fill had to be removed from my lap-band and maintained at a higher level at about 50% EWL only) and I don't think I would be able to maintain now if I had the whole capacity of my stomach available.

To view myself as truly recovered from emotional eating it would be necessary to be able to maintain a somewhat normal weight without my crutch. However, that's my personal definition of "being cured".

Great post. I agree with you. Addiction is addiction, whether you are talking about food, drugs, alcohol, or anything else. The difference with food addiction is that you can't completely stop eating like the plan of action for those with various other addictions; therefore, sticking to our plan and always being conscious of what we are putting into our bodies is even more important.

I accepted a long time ago that this was a journey FOR LIFE. It isn't a diet; I can never eat like I did before (unless I want to weigh 400 pounds again), and I will always have to be aware of my consumption for the rest of my life.

[JerseyJules 862]

By the way I hate the new way the software displayed quoted posts on here. Very confusing. why did they go and ruin the forums?

[doringen 1]

down the line once your stomach has fully recovered from the surgery you should be able to consume basically anything, although at considerably smaller portions.

personally, i had my sleeve last monday (1/30) and sitting in front of 4 of the most delicious looking pizzas ive ever seen as well as an abundance of every other terrible food i would have loved to binge on was fairly painful, but its a temporary feeling and it passes.

[doringen 1]

1 minute ago, Mark Oliveira said:

down the line once your stomach has fully recovered from the surgery you should be able to consume basically anything, although at considerably smaller portions.

personally, i had my sleeve last monday (1/30) and sitting in front of 4 of the most delicious looking pizzas ive ever seen as well as an abundance of every other terrible food i would have loved to binge on was fairly painful, but its a temporary feeling and it passes.

not waking up the day after superbowl sunday and vomiting like my brother did only cemented the fact in my head that the previous eating habits were truly vile

[Guest]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 8:40 PM, JerseyJules said:

I'm still pre op, but i have a post op question for sleevers, or bypassers. How did you mentally deal with being sleeved or bypassed and get over your food addiction? Mentally for me the one thing holding me back is the thought of not being able to eat large amounts of my favorite foods. I am a mental eater and do eat when Im not even hungry so its obvious Im addicted food. I really do not want to get this operation and wind up back in the same spot a few years from now having ate myself back to where I am.

How did you deal with your food addiction? I know the sleeve is only a tool and will only restrict me from eating large amounts of food at one sitting, and will not cure my brain which has skewed portion sizes for 40 years.

You have to be ready to want to lose. Like you said, it's a tool. I have two customers that went thru it, and now after 5 years, they both gained it all. One said it was sweets, she had personal grief (daughter passed) and she started just stuffing with sweets. The other two a couple said they just kept eating more and more carbs and went back to old habits.

I know you said you don't wan to eat like before (4 slices of pizza), start practicing now. Order a salad, and a small pizza. Kids get a slice and some veggies or salads, and if they want a second....well kids if they play can handle one. Just practice. Today I picked up Chinese for my hub, and it's the first time I paid $6 for both our food. He just got way less stuff, a bit of sesame chicken and a lot less rice. I had two steamed dumplings (could only eat half the pork of one) and maybe a spoonful of rice. I had been sick and not eaten much since Sunday, so figured it was ok. I had only had one egg, one slice cheese Saturday, 1/2 yogurt Sunday, 1/2 Premier Protein yesterday. Very dehydrated, so figured the sodium would be ok.

The addiction is vicious, in my head I can't even see an Olive Garden commercial. I love Pasta and that's all I think about. Been careful eating what I am suppose to. Til got sick Saturday. So the head hunger is a strong nasty enemy. Only sleeved on 1/10.

[blizair09 3,250]

12 minutes ago, Ginsin007 said:

You have to be ready to want to lose. Like you said, it's a tool. I have two customers that went thru it, and now after 5 years, they both gained it all. One said it was sweets, she had personal grief (daughter passed) and she started just stuffing with sweets. The other two a couple said they just kept eating more and more carbs and went back to old habits.

I know you said you don't wan to eat like before (4 slices of pizza), start practicing now. Order a salad, and a small pizza. Kids get a slice and some veggies or salads, and if they want a second....well kids if they play can handle one. Just practice. Today I picked up Chinese for my hub, and it's the first time I paid $6 for both our food. He just got way less stuff, a bit of sesame chicken and a lot less rice. I had two steamed dumplings (could only eat half the pork of one) and maybe a spoonful of rice. I had been sick and not eaten much since Sunday, so figured it was ok. I had only had one egg, one slice cheese Saturday, 1/2 yogurt Sunday, 1/2 Premier Protein yesterday. Very dehydrated, so figured the sodium would be ok.

The addiction is vicious, in my head I can't even see an Olive Garden commercial. I love Pasta and that's all I think about. Been careful eating what I am suppose to. Til got sick Saturday. So the head hunger is a strong nasty enemy. Only sleeved on 1/10.

I'm curious -- since you are just under a month post-op, have you worked through all of your food stages yet? I understand that everyone's plan is different, so your answer might be yes. I'm just really surprised that your surgeon would be okay with you having rice in any quantity at one month out. (And as doctor's have different opinions, he might totally be okay with it; I am just surprised.) I just don't want other folks reading this (or lurking) to think that it is normal to have rice at one month post-op.

Take care and good luck!

[Guest]

I talked to the nutritionist and the dr. I have followed all instructions since pre-op to a a T. I have never even liked rice before this, I know they told us we can get some rice crackers at some level (in my head they are the Chinese kind--not sure cuz I wasn't planning on getting). I think because there was nothing I felt like eating, they said 2 T or so, not a problem. Well, that's probably more than I had. Today I threw away 1/2 eaten containers of yogurt, cottage cheese, almost a whole container of avocado, some Ricotta Bake (read about recipe---people love this), green Beans ---those gag me now. Out of the 4 weeks I have spent almost 2 weeks (I know, TMI---but had the big D, whispering Diarrhea). I haven't been sick in almost 25 years, and this has taken it's toll on me. I was hoping the little bit of rice would stop losing weight cuz of the carbs, but nope lost another pound. I was so dehydrated I thought about going to dr. or urgent care, but finally no fever today.

I didn't eat processed foods before surgery, and find anything like Pedialyte or Powerade Zero, sugar free Jello, can't do those popsicles at all, so chemically tasting. I always made my own food, was pretty LCHF and lately all Proteins seem unbearable. I tried making egg salad, chicken salad, all pureed....damn what a struggle. I figure maybe after this dehydration things totally passes, I will be able to eat again. I love fish, made some last night, nope, my hub had to eat it. Not even rotisserie chicken, which we can eat the dark. Who'd have thunk it???? Struggle to find food to eat. I used to love green Beans from the Chinese restaurant, I mean love love love, I almost threw up trying to eat 2 pieces last night. This is just so crazy.