Emotional Eaters???
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sonjakae
Posts: 10
So, I am considering getting sleeved and one of my questions is for any of you who recognized they were "emotional eaters"? Have a really bad day? Get the ice cream!
Have a really great day? Go out for dinner!
Stressed over work or kids? Bag of chips, or nachos!
Since the sleeve.... how do you deal with the desire to eat based on your emotions? And yes, I know exercise is the first "go-to" option, but I guess I'm asking more about dealing with the "desire", rather than the response, since being sleeved?
As a note - I've tried exercise many, many times over the years - everything from 6am bootcamps, to personal trainers and while I did it because I believed it was good for me, I never loved it and I never felt that post workout euphoria - I was always just glad it was over. One of the only things I do still enjoy that I can do without much hassle with my kids, is bike-riding, but since we've had snow on the ground since last October and it still only hit a high today of about 38F, I think it will still be a bit before that is an option for me. Plus, my knees don't love it quite as much as they used to.
Have a really great day? Go out for dinner!
Stressed over work or kids? Bag of chips, or nachos!
Since the sleeve.... how do you deal with the desire to eat based on your emotions? And yes, I know exercise is the first "go-to" option, but I guess I'm asking more about dealing with the "desire", rather than the response, since being sleeved?
As a note - I've tried exercise many, many times over the years - everything from 6am bootcamps, to personal trainers and while I did it because I believed it was good for me, I never loved it and I never felt that post workout euphoria - I was always just glad it was over. One of the only things I do still enjoy that I can do without much hassle with my kids, is bike-riding, but since we've had snow on the ground since last October and it still only hit a high today of about 38F, I think it will still be a bit before that is an option for me. Plus, my knees don't love it quite as much as they used to.
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Speaking only for myself - about a year before I even decided for sure to have surgery, I decided to have therapy. I knew that being 382 pounds wasn't really "normal" and I wanted to make sure I sorted out any issues that led me to emotional eating. I felt that if I didn't get things straight in my head, I couldn't get my weight in check. This really worked well for me and in addition to therapy, I made a commitment to myself to lose as much as I could on my own because I felt like learning to do it on my own would help me after surgery. I did end up losing 70lbs prior to surgery and I felt really ready for it mentally and physically. I'm not saying that this is the right path for everyone, but I think if someone recognizes that they are emotional eaters, it's best to use whatever means you can to address it. I attend support groups regularly now and that helps a lot too. It's just a matter of practicing NOT to do things the way you did them before. Last but not least, after sleeve surgery, most people aren't truly hungry for a while, and you just physically can't overeat without hurting yourself. The restriction does help behavior.0
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About a year ago, I asked my doctor for an anti-anxiety med because once I started the insurance-required-medically-supervised-weight-loss program, and I was trying to get by on less than 1500 calories per day, road rage and frustration were only seconds away from occurring in any situation. (My friends and family were SO pleased. LOL). I can truly say that after a year on the medication, I can tell a difference, including in emotional eating. I'm on a really low dose but even so, I'm very pleased with how it has helped me through the insurance mandated weight loss, the pre-op diet and the surgery itself. I also think that I've been so immersed in the whole surgery and post op process that maybe emotional eating just hasn't cropped up as an issue. For me, the danger lurks ahead once I'm on maintenance but hopefully by then my new habits will be deeply ingrained and I won't turn to food first. That's my goal and what I'm trying to practice now.0
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Address your medicating with food now. I quit medicating with food almost a whole year before I had the surgery. When death and destruction come into my life now I grieve, I cry, I pray, I go to Mass and I deal with my problems- I do NOT Eat! 50% of wt loss surgery pts regain their wt within 5 years. So often you hear the same quote "Well, I was doing great after surgery and then Life happened". Life is always gonna happen and food is not medication or a cure for that. There is a 1/500 chance of death to go thru surgery. I am so glad this surgery was not available in my 20's because I would have totally clung to my food meds and completely eaten around the surgery. I totally recommend counseling to make you confront your problems and start dealing with them appropriately. I also recommend you avoid rewarding yourself with food. I reward myself now with manicures, movies, audiobooks. It may sound dorky but I am trying to break a habit of 3000 calorie food rewards-you know, eating a whole bag of chips or 4slices of deep dish pizza-cause "you deserve it" type of mentality. Good luck
Oh, and I will probably go to support group forever. I know I am like every other addict and I need to remember my coping skills.0
