How can I eat so much at week 9

You need to go back to your plan. This is the time to set new eating habits. Get rid of the crackers. 3 meals, 3 snacks and drink a ton. Few people are truly hungry at this stage. Thirst can make you crave. Try a drink first. If you continue to have issues go back to your centre for coping plans

You need to maximize your first year. This is when you will make the most of your weight loss

I'm at only a litre and a half most days, so you're right about it being thirst versus hunger. Thanks for that reminder.

In addition to the suggestions by Tracey and PatM, you might consider seeing a therapist.

You don't want to be sabotaging yourself. They might help you with insight.

Good luck

I'm had my hospital team send me a list of therapists that deal with eating issues. I agree, I can't start those crappy old habits at this point, it's pure sabotage!

Thank you !

It's good that you are noticing these things and are tracking because now you know what to do...reduce if you're eating too much. remember it's just a tool it's not intended to replace your will power or control. is the scale moving in the right direction?

Eat by the rule and not by feeling!

good luck

Yes, myfitness pal recaps for the day really help me see how much wasted calories are coming from nibbles versus purposeful protein. The scale is moving, a little slower than it was int the first month and a half.

Thank you!

I initially started thinking like you. I've had no issues with how fast I eat something, no issues with anything I've ate. How is this helping me? No physical restrictions, all will power - same as I had before.

But then I stopped and realized this is not like before. I'm eating about 800 calories a day, and I'm not dying. Sure, I think about certain foods, but it's not like before where I'd say - screw it, I'll have it today (and LOTS of it) and back on track tomorrow (and rarely get back on track). I just don't have it.

The other thing I realized is that I really don't know if I have any food restrictions. So far, I have stuck to plan. The fear of dumping has kept me away from fried food and sugary things. To be honest, if I tried a donut and was ok, it would make it so hard to resist having another donut on another day. It keeps me away from donuts - I don't want to know.

The fear of not getting enough protein in and losing all my muscle, the fear of dehydration, the fear of malnutrition - these are the things that keep me on plan. Without wls, I wouldn't have these things to keep me on track.

I try to slow down, but I can eat my meal in less than 5 minutes. This is the only thing I'm doing that isn't plan (but I try).

Do you log everything? I think this helps me the most. I really watch that protein number each day.

Thanks for your honesty, I thought there was something wrong with me when my meals were only 10-15 (max) minutes! I'm stayed away from the sugary stuff for fear of it being the gateway back to sugar overload. I'm logging everything, it's time consuming when you eat little bits, so there's another benefit to eating proper meal portions and not snacks all day.

Thank you!

I meant to mention, I do eat crackers too. But I only eat carbs as a means to get protein in. So I'll have 4 saltine crackers topped with 3oz of tuna salad. I won't eat crackers by themselves. I'll have cereal (low sugar) in the morning, but will a scoop of protein powder in the milk.

Pre-surgery, my entire meal would be carbs. Zero protein. I eat very little meat, so protein has been a challenge - but I always make sure it's the main thing in every meal/snack.

Post op nerves get cut, lots of swelling and healing going on. You still need to measure what you eat and stick to it. I rarely had issues and could tolerate most foods. I never had food stuck or problems with dumping. Dumping came about a year out. Loose the crackers or keep very limited. Save for meal with tuna or cheese. Watch portion sizes.

Take small bites and chew chew chew. Put fork down between bites.

At 9 weeks out sound more like head hunger. Most of us used food for comfort, relaxations, dealing with stress. Surgery takes that away but it is hard to change how we deal with issues.

Go back to the rules you have. If you find yourself struggling call and see your Dietitian. They can give you tips for eating and healthy snacks.

At over 5 years I struggle at times. The munchy demon sneaks in and the carb monster give me a run for it. I go back to basics and the craving pass. You can do it.