old habits...die too hard

I am struggling with old habits! I've had quite a few issues since August, mostly the health of my parents declining and the death of my Father in October. In the past I've always fed my sorrows (joys and any other excuse I could find to eat) and I'm having a very hard time right now and the old habits are creeping in. I do not have the dumping syndrome in the way it was explained prior surgery, just have to make a quick trip to the bathroom a few hours post sugarfest. So...long story short, I'm eating things I clearly know I shouldn't...I am not eating in the great quanities of the past...but still know I shouldn't be eating cookies, candy...so on. What did you do to help resist the bad habits from sneaking back in?? I am thinking I need to find a shrink that deals with food issues to nip this in the bud before I undo all the progress I have made since April 2nd.

I wish I could give you some sort of supportive advice, however, I am suffering from the very same issues as you. All I can do is pray for the both of us.

Not going to lie. I am fighting the same demons. I try to do a few things to fight it off: 1. Identify the enviroments that encourage me to eat and try to remove myself from them. I know I eat crap when I get home from my 1hr+ commute and I am super stressed so I try to stay away from the kitchen for as long as possible until I become human again. 2. I indulge in a Starbucks daily. Non-fat latte. Yes, it is over priced but still less expensive than what I spent eating out pre-op and it makes me feel like I have treated myself. 3. I go and try on clothes in my closet. Seeing the smaller sizes fitting or the larger sizes falling off of me makes me not want to mess it up. These things don't always work for me, but they help most of the time. Good luck to all of us!! Its going to be a lifelong battle.

I think you have made one change already by realizing you are doing something that you shouldn't now if you feel you can't control yourself there is nothing wrong with seeking some assistance. I know for myself if I were to deny myself a couple of bites of things I love like a bite of a cookie or an occasional bite of cake. I never take more than a bite or two but if I didn't do that I would end up eating twice as much. I hope you are able to stop eating the things you don't want to. I'm very sorry to hear about your father passing.

First I would like to say I am sorry about your dad. I lost my mom in Febuary and know how hard it is especially during the holiday season. I've found that therapy has been helping, which I go every 2-3 weeks. In the past few weeks I have been fighting the head muchies. I can just finish eating and feel like I need a cookie or something salty. The best thing I can do is start cleaning to take my mind off things or if I get really upset I get out of the house. Even going to the gym to walk on the treadmill. There have been days I go twice a day just to relax and walk. Keep your head up, your not alone. If you don't have a support group I would suggest finding one. Dani

oooh yes, those darn demons! I too have crept back into "vacum" mode. I have two small children (6 & 2) and I have always been the one to "waste not want not" in my house. So, slowly but surely, I have started to finish what my children have left over. I think it is the left over syndrome of "there are starving children in China" from my parents. Anywho....I've been munching at night, but during the day I am way to busy to even eat. I'm lucky if I even get a lunch break, ugh! I know this is something that I was working on Pre-WLS, so I gotta get back in the saddle again it looks like.

With all this holiday baking I'm having a hard time keeping my hands out of the cookie jar!!! I have been elbow deep in cookie dough these past few weeks baking a ton of Christmas cookies for friends & family and as the cook I have to taste my creations! Darn it, they taste so good and I've learned that I can get away with eating 4 or 6 cookies throughout the day without feeling sick (darn it!). I've gotta STOP this bad habit before it ruins me! I keep telling myself... once the holidays are over I'll get back on track... but that's just too long to wait. I need to get on track now before it gets too out of control. My problem has always been.... if it looks good, smells good and is staring me in the face, I'll EAT IT!!! UGH! I have no self control when it comes to yummy foods. And the worse thing of all which leaves me feeling a little smug... is that with all my cookie consumption I've managed to lose 3-lbs. Now I know before I get too smug in thinking I can eat sweets and still lose weight I gotta kill the cookie monster that's raging within me... before it's too late!

Sorry for the difficult time you are having. I too have lots of struggles with the old habits - finding munchies w/ chips, crackers, bits of chocolate or cookies (today I had a whole single serving size bag - something I hadn't had for almost 9 months.). I had been soooo good till this last few weeks, I guess I have been so good for so long and had good results, so I have been less stringent in what I eat. I know this is VERY VERY bad and have to turn it around before I gain it back. I had hoped I would be one of the ones that had the "halleluya" moment with better eating habits and with healthy desires and habits. UGH! Yah, I gained 1-2# already this week, right after I lost it, likely due to those bad habits. I guess that is why they tell us that the surgery is only a tool and that the rest is up to us! Take care, good luck, I am going to try to be better with my habits starting right now!