Struggling

[thinblueline 63]

As most of you know i am having the gastric sleeve in about 4 months and i am really looking forward to this as i can finally move on with my life as this tool for a better life can show me that i can for the first time in my life see food for what it is and that is energy and not for comfort like i always went to it and of course i always failed at however i am now up against another battle MY CLOTHES they are all so tight and uncomfortable it really makes no sense to go out and buy a wardrobe of new clothes when i will be losing weight either right after the surgery or soon thereafter.

So here comes the "dumb question" did any of you run into this problem with your clothes i would assume you did and if so what did you do to deal with it i need some help because its really affecting me emotionally that i dont even want to leave the house until i get my date for surgery, my weight gain is really showing now , even back in March my PCP said Mr Cooper i can see you have put on some weight since our last appt i agreed with her as its not like i can hide it , its rather obvious actually'

Has gaining weight on your part affected you like its affecting me what did you do, what did you do to handle the emotions that came up for you, my wife says i am getting up in the middle of the night , in her words, "eating everything in sight" i would deny this when she would bring it to my attn the next morning until one morning she left the mess i made the night before she showed me there was cookie crumbs, Peanut Butter , loaves of bread left open , Cereal bowl(s) left on the kitchen counter, etc etc i cant keep living like this its almost like i am going to food(by the way , one of my meds the side effect is i sleep walk/eat and i remember nothing )for comfort in my sleep and not remembering this at all i am really struggling and i don't know what to do anymore i am truly hoping someone, anyone has /had this issue that can relate to my issue(s) please don't think any less of me i am simply trying to straighten out my life and coming here to this wonderful site and feeling safe so i can share my pain. 😐

Coop

She's the best that's ever happened to me

Edited April 24, 2022 by thinblueline

[Arabesque 7,270]

My mother experienced this with one of her sleeping tablets too. She’d find empty ice cream containers in the sink & ice cream wrappers around the house with absolutely no memory of eating them. (Funny that she always went to frozen treats.) she changed her meds & no more sleep eating. You’ll probably find your weight stabilises too because you’re not ingesting as much food.

Have you considered starting with a therapist? It’s usually part of your surgery approval process but nothing days you can’t start earlier. You could ask your surgeon for a referral/recommendation to someone who specialises in bariatric surgery & disordered eating. Many find seeing a therapist very beneficial for many things including their emotional health, weight loss & their relationship with food.

[River Moon 52]

I haven't had experience with the sleeping issue, but I can definitely relate to the binge-eating. I will forever consider myself in recovery for binge-eating disorder, 'cause I know I'm not cured. I will always have to be mindful. I agree with Arabesque that a therapist can help you a great deal. I was already seeing a therapist due to other reasons, so she was able to help me address my eating habits and reasons for binging. I also got a referral to a Nutritional therapist who I started seeing about 2 months prior to my surgery. It's part of the requirements for approval for most plans (all plans are different though), but I am so thankful I started seeing her prior to the surgery. I still see her after the surgery (almost 1 year out now). She helped to prepare me for the changes that were going to come with the surgery. It is a huge mental change that takes place, but being prepared for what to expect made such a difference for me. She taught me to be mindful of my eating, when I eat, what I feel when I eat, and recognize the differences between head-hunger and true hunger. After my surgery it was still a struggle, but I know it would have been so much more difficult without that preparation. So, if you are able to see a therapist and/or a nutritional therapist, I highly recommend it.

As for the clothing issue, I can relate to that for sure. Prior to surgery I just always wore stretchy stuff so it would allow me some give. But I also held out on buying many new clothes. Since my surgery, I've found I've had to change clothes sizes much more often and so I found this cool site called swap dot com (not sure if I'm allowed to link it). They have very nice options for very low and affordable prices. They're essentially an online thrift shop. They have been such a great help for me 'cause it's expensive constantly buying new clothing. So when I have absolutely needed a new piece of clothing that is expensive (like jeans, winter coat) I went there and save a great deal of money. I got some new jeans for $11 even. Then, when I'm done with them, I just donate them to a local donation center for someone else to be able to use.

Hang in there, Thinblueline. It will be so worth it in the end! You got this!

[summerseeker 2,152]

I am unable to comment on the binge eating, others can help you there.

Prior to my surgery, I did stay home. I was so embarrassed to go out because of my size and how it disgusted me. I had made myself disabled, it was so hard to do anything and doing the smallest home chores would leave me panting. I didn't want to be in the spotlight and have people talking about me being fat, so I remained at home. I was happier that way or so I thought. Now I know I was depressed.

I have always been thrifty and seek out clothes on Ebay. I will go into a store [ or order online and return the item ] try on their range and then stalk the same clothes on Ebay. Now that I am loosing weight I am selling. I dont buy much because I will hopefully need a size smaller very soon. If you have to buy some more clothes - tell yourself they will be the last fat suits ever. Keep a set to remind yourself in your near future. Try them on occasionally and laugh and cry at how far you have come since you bought them. As River Moon said, Hang in there, not long now.

[SleeverSk 635]

As I started to read your post my first thought was he is on stilnox. Can you go off them or change to something else ?

[thinblueline 63]

No i can't go off them as i a, bipolar and have PTSD and the meds level me off to where i won't have nightmares or become manic the med i have for the bipolar is lithium and its dangerous to just come off them but i see your point just come off them and the issues will go away, don't i wish it was that easy, thank you for your insight it was helpful.

Coop

Edited April 24, 2022 by thinblueline

[ShoppGirl 4,806]

You may want to discuss the sleep eating with your surgeon because if you do this immediately post surgery you could seriously hurt your healing tummy and it will also make sticking to your plan very difficult. Maybe there is another combination of meds you can try. I know bipolar is very difficult to treat and once you find a cocktail that works it seems insane to switch anything but there are so many options out there now maybe it’s worth trying. Maybe you can find something that works just as well without that side effect.

[Arabesque 7,270]

I think @SleeverSk was wondering if your sleeping med was Stillnox (Zolpidem) which is renown for causing sleep eating (it was the one my mum was on) & was only suggesting you drop it if you can or if you can change your sleeping tablet to another formulation. This may be a challenge given your broader health issues & medication regime but certainly worth a conversation with your prescribing doctors about trying something that works differently.

PS - Stillnox/Zolpidem can cause anxiety & depression in some people which may be of concern to you too if this is the sleeping med you take.

All the best.

[thinblueline 63]

i am not on Zolpidem when i was having the sleep walking /eating issues i was on lunesta am no longer on this med i hope this helps.

Coop

[boogie2dope 25]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:21 AM, thinblueline said:

No i can't go off them as i a, bipolar and have PTSD and the meds level me off to where i won't have nightmares or become manic the med i have for the bipolar is lithium and its dangerous to just come off them but i see your point just come off them and the issues will go away, don't i wish it was that easy, thank you for your insight it was helpful.

Coop

I know this is slightly off topic, but I'm looking for a medication post surgery to switch to for bi-polar. One of my doctors, who is not very familiar with weight loss surgery, is suggesting switching me from Valproic Acid Oral Solution to Lithium. Have you talked to your doctor about this medicine after surgery? Will it still be processed by your gastro system normally? Any expected changes to the meds that keep you normal and baseline? I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and let me know. Thanks and good luck with your journey to the best version of you!