I have searched the forums looking for this topic. I want to know how food addicts have addressed their problem prior to surgery. I met goal weight with the band but then started with the usual complications, had it removed 2 years ago. Sadly, now back to highest weight. I am considering bypass but unsure if I can  walk the walk.  Any suggestions are appreciated as I am stuck.

First, I had to realize that I had a anxiety and perfectionism and I soothed the worry about "not being good enough" with food.  I had to literally learn that the hole/pain/hunger I felt was not always physical. It may feel like it, but it was brought on by stress,anxiety, emotions. HOw would it be hunger when I just ate to full 45 minutes ago?

I had to find alternative mechanisms to deal these emotions. IN the beginining it was therapy + medicine. It later evolved to self-talk, meditation and exercise.

It is still really hard to differentiate when I am hungry in teh body versus hungry in the heart/head. My mom went through some medical stuff a few weeks ago and while she was undergoing her testing (for a week) it was like I could not get satiated. Then it hit me. I was tryhing to fill the wrong hole with food.

Thanks Scientist. I have been at this for 50 years, yes I am a slow learner. I eat when I'm happy, sad, mad, bored, stressed. "One is too many and a thousand never enough". If there are goodies I eat them, afraid I won't get them again and that is silly. I need to flip those thoughts.

That is exactly it. You need to flip those thoughts. What you need is a paradigm experience. My journey to stop holding food so important did not happen overnight. I started in small steps...I took something out of my diet. I started with bread. No sandwiches, no bread with soups or stews. Many times I thought I would surrender but I decided that it was "only bread". I wasn't loosing a lot of weight but I was in control. I can remember my husband was hungry and we were passing a Mickey Ds. My husband drove through the drive thru and I thought I could do this. "No thanks, nothing, you go ahead and eat" Well my poor husband couldn't believe what happened next. I fought back the tears, became sarcastic and down right miserable. He took me home and went to do more errands without me. I cried and stomped and then I realized and made a decision. My paradigm experience. Food was never going to have a hold on me like that again. I was never going to need an exercist again because I didn't taste that special sauce and bun. That was in no way the end of my addiction...it was the beginning of me exercising my ability to control my life. It took years. I wish I knew about the RNY as a tool to help me. But psychologically I prepared myself before RNY. My hardest control before surgery was once every now and then I would find the need to make homemade fudge but could not stop until the dish was finished. I salivated but since the beginning of July not even the smallest desire even when I tell you this story. WLS can do so much for you but striking item by item from your psychology works for a lifetime. Don't surrender to food, you are too smart for that kind of behaviour for such a brief moment in time. Don't be afraid you will not get them again. Be proud and pat yourself on the back that goodies didn't win this time.