Help! I need advise.

Hi All, Well I need to get back on track! I have my surgery date scheduled for 03/27/07 and it's like I am getting scared. I find myself eating things I know I'm not supposed to and making the excuse like I will never get to eat it again so I should have it now. I have lost 59 lbs total so far and I've done this by eating a lot less carbs and more protein. So if I know this and I have been doing this, why is it so hard now. I have been doing it for months... so I just thought I would throw myself out there and see what comes back. I have been sick with a cold the last week and I haven't been to the gym so I feel like a blob.... maybe that is the problem. I am hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow. Thanks for listening. Sarah

Sarah, Welcome to the wonders of our subconcious "stomachs"! Seriously, almost everyone I talk to who's had the surgery went through the same thing. I did for about 1 week during my pre-surgery phase, and just went with it, then my rational mind took over and I got back in control. I think we reach a point where we realize that there really ARE some foods you can never (comfortably) eat again, and we rebel. If we didn't all have some food issues, we wouldn't be here. So please please don't beat yourself up. Just recognize your feelings, eat much smaller amounts of the bad stuff and bigger amounts of the good stuff. You are doing GREAT! So no worries Michele

Well, the struggle with immediate gratification (comforting oneself with food or substances) and delayed gratification (making choices in favor of future rewards, ie good health and better recovrery) is a very long discussion in the behavioural science field. Self control is not easy if you are not in the habit of it, some would say. It can be as simple as that, maybe. Didn't say easy. Changing a routine or habitual response to stress never is. For those of us who do (most of the time) it is truly worth the effort. You have personal power. Use it. tee