Feel like I'm in rehab! Dealing with emotional eating...HELP!

[citygirl4616 2]

I got banded 5 days ago, and physically I feel pretty good. A little pain near the port, a little lingering gas, but surprisingly okay. My Protein Shakes are keeping me from getting weak and hungry, and I am staying hydrated.

Here is my problem. I cannot stop thinking about eating and the food I cannot have! I am craving sitting down to dinner, and having a "real food" meal. I feel like an alcoholic must feel when they are put into rehab and go into withdrawal (although this is more emotional than physical). I miss turning to food for comfort after a hard day. I miss 'treating' myself to a brownie or muffin as a 'reward' for a job well done. I didn't realize how hard it would be to give up the emotional aspect of eating.

How have some of you past emotional eaters dealt with this? Does it just go away on its own, or are there some tricks, and/or healthy replacements for the "high" that food provided?

[VegasGrace 1]

You are so right! Love the way you worded it...REHAB.

That's basically what's going on....rehabilitation of eating habits.

It's tough...there will be withdrawal symptoms. I went through the ringer, slept alot, angry, lethargic, etc.

Towards the end I said to a nurse, "I fell like I'm dying". She said, "you are". Getting the body to shrink fat cells is the body dying.... degenerating. Luckily fat cells are overabundant and can stand to loose them.

Good luck! I found sipping Mt Dew daily kept me sane.

[Wheetsin 714]

What did the psych who did your referral/evaluation reccommend?

Here is my problem. I cannot stop thinking about eating and the food I cannot have! I am craving sitting down to dinner, and having a "real food" meal. I feel like an alcoholic must feel when they are put into rehab and go into withdrawal (although this is more emotional than physical). I miss turning to food for comfort after a hard day. I miss 'treating' myself to a brownie or muffin as a 'reward' for a job well done. I didn't realize how hard it would be to give up the emotional aspect of eating.

How have some of you past emotional eaters dealt with this? Does it just go away on its own, or are there some tricks, and/or healthy replacements for the "high" that food provided?

Behaviors take a while to change, even cognitive/behavioral behaviors.

Say the next time you do something and want a cookie, you drive yourself to the jewelry store instead, or go buy something nice for the house.

Chances that you will completely 100% truly overcome this aren't great. You may well find other outlets, or you may stay an emotional eater, at which point it's up to you and your band to moderate what you're eating. There's nothing terribly and horribly wrong with having a sundae after an extremely productive week (yeah, I could argue that, but let's face it...), but having one every time you do something moderately OK, and using your actions to justify the eating... not so ok. :cool:<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[vballmom 0]

Yes I am dealing with the head hunger. I was banded on

Dec 31, 2007 & I think about the foods I want so bad, and keep thinking that I will have a few bites of my favorites before I go and get my fill at the end of the month. I saw the dogs squeeky cheeseburger toy in the yard yesterday and it made my mouth Water. ha (I'm sick) So far I have been making better choices. When you get to the mushy stage, have some squash casserole, it is so yummy. Good luck you are not alone.

[gretchens4 0]

I definitely went through this last year. I was banded in February and just remember talking to my one friend that I told, with tears in my eyes, about how I felt so depressed and anxious. I am happy to say that at least for me, this feeling was very short lived. It is totally aggrevated by the fact that you are really deprived right now. After my post surgery diet, I realized I really could eat anything I wanted (and I did and didn't lose much weight until restriction with my 2nd fill). I still don't deprive myself, and every once in awhile I think, wow, I really wish I could stuff my face right now........but I can't, and that's why the band works so well for me. I can eat anything, but in very small portions.

Give it some time, it is so much harder in the beginning. It's like anything else in life. I look back now and think, why was I so worried, miserable etc. Why didn't I do this years ago. It's not a big deal anymore, and not something I'm constantly thinking about. I do think my mind and emotions are retrained b/c of the inablility to a lot emotionally. I don't think I've substituted anything new, I just don't do it much anymore.

Good luck. Be patient, and know this will all become 2nd nature in a few months.

[make33 2]

Once you get well enough, here's my suggestion to you: find a great gym to workout in!

I have worked out since 1983 and currently am doing 2 days at Curves and 2 days at the YMCA and I have got to tell you: there is no greater high than coming out of the Curves / gym after working out! Man, all the stress and cares of the day are just gone!

And you feel full--I am not even hungry when I get home from working out (and Curves is only 30 minutes, so I slip that in on my way home from work). I finally eat a small supper and then mid-evening I have a Protein shake, which totally tides me over for the rest of the day. (Plus I have a Protein Shake mid-morning too--to get in my 60 - 80 grams of protein).

This is my answer to losing one of the loves of my life, food (the bad kind!) :cool:

[neveragain 9]

Just give it some time. Your motivation is going to kick in. It was really weird because it didn't come till my last fill. Yarg. haha.

[starryeyed 0]

I definitely know how you feel. I don't have a suggestion to cure this but it does get easier. I was banded 11/01/07 and there were times in the first few weeks after surgery that I really understood why they do a psych eval. The 'need' for certain kinds of foods I used to overindulge in was maddening. It's still a struggle not to eat certain foods but it doesn't overwhelm me as much as at first. Good luck and hang in there!

starryeyed

P.S.- I also found that reading here rather that eating is really supportive and keeps me on track.

[belle75067 0]

I remember the first days after my surgery, the pain and the gas started to decrease. I was so hungry and at night I would dream at night of chili cheese burgers, fries, and shakes. It was so hard to go to the grocery store because simple foods looked good. When I finally ate my first 1/2 can of Tomato Soup mixed with milk I thought I was tasting heaven. As for the emotional eating, I have found that I still crave foods that I used to love. I had my surgery back in August 06. And to be honest a lot of the times the only thing that kept me from eating the wrong foods was the fact that I knew I would get sick and I hate throwing up and I wanted to succeed with my lap band. Recently, my band slipped due to having a cold and the excessive coughing. They removed all my fluids and the first time I felt hunger after not feeling it for such a long time I didn't know how to deal with it. I have had to take it one day as a time and fight the cravings I always had. So, does the emotional eating ever get better? In a manner, yes, also on the other side no. The only thing I can say is keep your chin up and you will be ok. Take one meal at a time followed by one day at a time.