Head Games! - I'd Still Eat a House if I Could!

OK, so I have lost 80 lbs in 10 months and I am really happy with the results, but I sure wish that I could get my head to change as much as my body is!!  Does anyone else feel this way?  I mean, I am getting a skinny woman's body, but I've still got a fat chick's cravings, and I don't know how to get rid of them!  When I walk by a pizza place, I think about eating 3 - 4 slices.  When I go to a restaurant and see someone else eating a huge plate of pasta with cream sauce, I just want to dive in head first!  Of course I can't, but the fact that I can't, and the realization that I never will be able to again is kind of depressing at times because I feel like I'm going to go through the rest of my life feeling deprived.  I am alone in this, or is this a common thing to go through, and will it pass?  I am happy about my new body and with my new healthy lifestyle, but sometimes I'm not real happy with what I have to do to stay like this.  Any input would be great!

Meredith

Highest Weight / Current Weight / Goal:  248 / 168 / 145

Hi Meredith.
I still feel the same way you do but it gets easier every day. I don't think the cravings will ever go away. I see a shrink to help me with some of my food issues. Try not to look at it as being deprived but a part of your weight loss journey and how so worth it is is. Also exercise helps, you get in good shape and build confidence at the same time.

Helen

Hi Meredith,

I find that it does take some time to re-orient your head. I have been using the 'Beck Diet Solution' book and workbook to help me with that work. I also have a few rules I use to manage some of my food rules/issues and it seems to help. First of all, I have to get in my protein quota for each meal, then I follow with complex carbs. When I've fulfilled the business end of what I need to have, then I allow myself to 'indulge' with whatever else I want in terms of carbs/fats... There isn't that much room and if I've taken care of 'business' first, I don't have much 'room' literal or figurative to get into much trouble, but I also don't feel deprived because I can pretty much have whatever I have room for... Does that make sense?

For example, I might have a wonderful salad with grilled chicken or shrimp over spinach or baby greens, with nuts and/or cheese. Then I'll have a fragrant balsalmic vinagrette. I'll also have a small slice of a wonderful toasted baquette... mmmm. When I'm done, I might have strawberry or two dipped in dark chocolate... I'm indulging, but taking care of me. 

When I follow these rules, I don't feel deprived and I find that I'm able to take care of myself in so many ways. 

I hope that this helps some... BTW... some times I do have a slice of pizza or some fettucini, alfredo, but I just have a bit of a lite alfredo sauce, and make sure to use a protien based pasta like Barilla's pasta plus and have quite a bit of  protien like grilled chicken or shrimp, tossed with fresh spinach and tomatoes and fresh cracke black pepper... I think you may find that you actually can have your 'proverbrial' cake and still be able to eat it too without undoing all the good you have done.

I did this to get healthy and I feel so much better physically all the time that I think it outweighs the cravings and longings I often do have. You are not alone. I have the desire to eat lots of things that just aren't very pouch friendly. But there are so many replacements for them I find ways to have the enjoyment of the flavors without the volume and the bad parts of the food I used to eat. Also many times just a taste of the 'bad' food will reveal that it isn't as great as I think in my brain it will be. The single bite or two isn't hurting me but training me that my new way of eating is much more satisfying than my old way. I actually crave the protein if I have a little too much carbs in a given day because my body insists on balancing them out. Who would have thought that could happen?

Hi Meredith,
I also look at foods many times and think Yeah I can eat That. or maybe it is what I call a food memory.
I have lots of food memories but that is all they are.
I have found that I can get as much pleasure out of eatting a small a amount of something instead of over eatting and I am so happy when foods work in the pouch and I am left with a full satisfied feeling.
I admit I am a total foodie and love many of the cooking shows.
The other day I was watching a show on The Best Cakes it brought back fond memories but in reality I know I could never eat that stuff again or if I did it would only be a bite or two.
I am happy watching  many of the cooking shows I look at cooking as an art and I have a great passon for cooking.
                                                                         Annie

To all you post RNYers *****plied, when you mention taking a bite or two of some bad stuff, why doesn't that make you dump. I have heard several people say that after the first year you can eat more things and handle them, but how do you know when you have crossed that line without making yourself dump all the time

Michelle

Hi Michelle.  I didn't reply to the original poster but I will jump in here and answer your question.  I just passed my 2 year surgiversary mark and I am now able to eat more than I could right after surgery.  I am able to eat sweets and some breads and pastas,  but my body definitely knows it's limits ~ even at 2 years out.  If I overdo, I start to feel sickly, like I want to hurl but can't.  Sounds weird, I know, but your body will let you know when enough is enough and if you keep going, you will pay for it!!  I have only had the "foamies" once and during that experience, I actually produced a lot of saliva (hence the "foamie" part of the ordeal) and then after that I actually had the food I was eating come back up.  I then felt like I had literally been run over by a truck and had to go lay down for about 30 minutes. Just really weak feeling and nauseous. Sort of like a bout with the flu or something similar.  Not a fun experience!! 

Now when I overdo, and I still do occasionally, I just feel really nauseous and wiped out for about 30 minutes or so.  Sometimes my stomach will hurt, sometimes not.  You learn pretty quickly what signals your body will send you to tell you it doesn't like something or you are on the verge of eating too much. 

Hope this wasn't too graphic and that it answered your question!