Hello! Here is my (longish) story!

Hey there,

I've never been much of a forum user. I get bogged down with the idea of checking it regularly but I have been thinking that having some support will keep me on track. So, hello, my name is Gabrielle and I am 27 years old. :) Right now I weigh about 215 pounds. The highest weight I have been is 320, and I lost most of that after having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy two years ago. I didn't get the miracle bod that people think you will prior to having it done but, man, I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. I was so lost inside my own self-hatred/self-defeat back then. I didn't think I would EVER lose weight and so I resigned myself to a life of misery. Having that surgery gave me the jump start I needed to go forward and never look back. Now, I lost about 130lbs after the surgery (which, for those of you with superb math skills) put me at 190. This last six months or so I went nuts with the calorie intake and put on quite a few pounds. The idea behind that surgery is that you cannot eat much anymore, but, as anyone who has explored that avenue has heard, you can certainly eat around that. And in my case, I drank around it. I became a bit of a booze hound by accident. Stupid transfer addictions. That, however, is a thing of the past now and I am itching to get back on track. A little over a year ago, I fell in love with running. After pushing myself for a long time I was able to run a 5k race and pretty much run 3 miles 5 times a week. I kept that up for a long time, adding in hiking and other types of outdoor exercises. I have spent the last year hitch hiking around the country and I never kept track of exactly what that meant calorie wise but I can see in my shoulder muscles what months on end of carrying 70 pounds on my back will do. Also, the traveling is a life style for me that I intend to continue. My fiancee and I have just recently bought and RV we are restoring so that we can continue to travel but it'll be less stressful on ourselves and our big dog. Unfortunately, traveling in an RV will be a lot less exercise oriented so I will have to push myself to get out there. We both love hiking and nature, though, so I think I can do it. So, all in all, I have set myself up with a goal of 170lbs. I'm about 5'7" but I am rather muscular in places, and while 170 isn't my ideal recommended weight, it's what I think I'd feel most comfortable at and, when I get there if I decided to take it further, so be it. Right now, 170 it is. I have been tracking my calories and exercise for a good three weeks now and have lost about 5lbs. Most of my exercise comes from the treadmill and shoveling snow (stupid North East weather) but I have recently taken up a temporary gym membership and my super fit, marathon running mother has been beating me up there as much as possible. My biggest issue with dieting is that I just CRAVE food all the time. It doesn't have to be junk food, and it's mostly at night when I'm done for the day. But once I sit down to relax for an hour before bed, I turn into a human vacuum. I can't even get myself to stop thinking about it! Does anyone else have this experience or have any ideas on how to curb it? I am not about to let myself get back into the rut I was in a few years ago, I AM dedicated to being happy and healthy! Thanks for listening to my long, poorly structured story!

Replies

  • Hi I have only been dieting a couple of weeks and that is exactly like me, I have just tried to keep busy, and try to change the way I think, I know I can't be hungry as I have a decent meal for my dinner so I try and drink as much water as I can to keep full and if I do need food I keep some carrot sticks and celery stick pre prepared so I just nibble on them.but mainly I keep in my mind why I am doing this and what eating late at night would achieve and breakfast isn't far away really. Hope this helps
  • Hello fellow runner! I have a similar run story as you do. I also love hiking and traveling too. But water does definitely help to curb the cravings. If I am really craving something sweet, I usually grab a fruit or a small piece of dove chocolate. Most people say to eat dark but...I still love my milk chocolate even though its not as healthy. Send me if you would like some motivation :)
  • kimid123
    kimid123 Posts: 16 Member
    I've often wondered if those who undergo this type of life style change are sent to counseling of any sort to deal with the reason's behind why they over indulge?
    I know here in some parts of Canada, before you are selected for any kind of weight loss surgery you must go through a designated length of therapy to address other issues that lead people to over eat.
    Were you offered any such services, or have you thought about/talked to someone to look into why you're wanting to eat even if you're not hungry?
    I know for myself I will eat when I'm bored, so yes like others have said I have to keep busy. It also helps that I eat 6 small meals a day so I don't usually have TIME to get bored/hungry.
  • gabstotheabs
    gabstotheabs Posts: 7 Member
    No, I really wasn't required to do much before hand. It was a learn as you go type of thing. I could have benefited from counseling but if I were totally honest with myself I think I might have just ignored the counselor. I am too stubborn some times. That bring said, I did a ton of my own research before and after and got to know exactly why I eat. It's just boredom and the need for constant stimulation, really. Fortunately I am now able and willing to insert other healthy activities into the void I used to fill with food. Sometimes I will just meditate until I forget. Nothing that provides instant gratification like food does ends up being worth it.
  • kimid123
    kimid123 Posts: 16 Member
    No, I really wasn't required to do much before hand. It was a learn as you go type of thing. I could have benefited from counseling but if I were totally honest with myself I think I might have just ignored the counselor. I am too stubborn some times. That bring said, I did a ton of my own research before and after and got to know exactly why I eat. It's just boredom and the need for constant stimulation, really. Fortunately I am now able and willing to insert other healthy activities into the void I used to fill with food. Sometimes I will just meditate until I forget. Nothing that provides instant gratification like food does ends up being worth it.

    Happy to hear it!