Stress and overeating

I have been placed on a high protein and veggie diet by Dr. Nadzam so I can shrink my liver and he can attempt surgery again. So far, I have dropped a whole size and I can't wait to see him for my appointment on May 14th. This past week, my mother had to have two surgeries. This is hard because she lives in Ca;ifornia and I am here unable to fly for health reasons. She also had a bad side effect from the anesthesia and became psychotic, delusional and recognized no one. This woman is almost 76 years old and this can happen. During this week I began craving and actually eating carbs. One night I actually got through to my mother and she told me she was dying. Frantic, I called my brother in CA and he reaassured me she wasn't. She is doing better now and knows who I am over the phone. I am not down on myself for overeating carbohydrates. It is something that just happened. But my mind and body just amaze me.........why did I turn to carbs? Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks.

Hi Marianne, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Years ago, I read a book by Kay Sheppard called "The Body Knows". It was about food addiction and had a few chapters devoted to the chemical process of addiction. The following is paraphrased from her book: In the brain, serotonin's main effects include improving mood and giving you that "satisfied" feeling from food. It's also thought to help promote sleep and relaxation. Carbohydrate-rich meals often increase serotonin level. Some people may experience a temporary lift in mood after a carbohydrate-rich meal, while others may become relaxed or sleepy. i hope that helps a bit. All the best, Carol

Thank you so much Carol........that really put things into perpective for me. I actually felt as if my body was telling me to do this. And when I looked back over the carbs I did eat.....it wasn't all that bad. A baked potato, a bowl of oat meal and pasta and some chocolate. I feel better now and back to my hi protein diet. Mom is doing a little better because she is starting to complain. That's a good sign.

Marianne, I'm glad to hear your mom is complaining! My mom died a year and a half ago in her 80's and she was cantankerous about every blessed thing right up until the last couple of weeks. For our family, her rants were always a clear sign she was staying with us! I'll be thinking of you and your family - it must be so very hard to be across the country. Thanks be that your brother is nearby. About the carbs - I won't add any more to the previous post about the biochemistry (although I am a biochemist by trade). There are a lot more questions than answers, to be honest, about all the details of how our bodies work. What really struck me was how quickly you returned to your eating plan. Way to go!!! How great that you are able to take care of yourself while in this difficult place. It's what we all strive for - with varying degrees of success! Someone at our SGM last Monday encouraged us to treat ourselves like babies - lovingly, gently, and with patience. It sounds like you are really paying attention to your self, and taking care. Bravo, and Blessings, Carole

Marianne, I'm so glad to hear your Mom is coming around. I am and always have been an emotional eater. My feelings tend to tip on the side of urgency and when that happens, I need to quell the raging feelings and I taught myself to do this with food at a very early age. Losing the weight and adopting a lifestyle that embraces fitness and physical activity has not made this aspect of my psyche any less troubling. The difference is I recognize what's going on and I am working very hard to deal with stress in more healthy ways other than feeding my food addiction. The most important gift I can give to myself right now as a successful post-op is to learn to live with great energy rather than with great urgency; to live passionately, not reactively. This is the very hard work I am doing right now. You have taken a very strong, powerful step towards understanding your relationship with food. One of my mantras to my kids has always been -- I can't fix what I don't know is broken. Be well, my friend. You're doing fine. Best, Maureen

Thanks for all the support. That means more to me than carbohydrates! Yup, friends are better than potatoes. Perhaps that should be a bumper sticker.