Frustrated

There is a counseling service at the large Baptist church in town.  I checked with them and the couselor is looking for referrals.  Thanx for the suggestions.

Marilyn,
I am sorry that you are frustrated by the lack of help that seems to be available out there for individuals that have gone through weight loss surgery and still suffer with food issues.  I applaud you loudly for taking the steps to investigate the possibility of counseling - that speaks volumes.  You have had many successes along the path of your journey and you will get to goal in due time.  You are a woman that has dealt with a lot over many years and you have not thrown in the towel yet so that tells me that you are strong and have a lot of determination.  Yes you may struggle, but you are no quitter.  Hang in there and know that even though I dealt you quite a bit of tough love yesterday, I am still here to support you and to encourage you.

Blessing to you,

Marilyn--the fact that you are recognizing that you are grazing & that it might have a psychological component to it shows that you are on top of this & you will find some way to beat it.  Of course, you are nowhere near Centennial, but they do offer a support group led by a psychotherapist (Dr. Ihrig, I believe)....maybe you could call their offices & ask if Dr. Ihrig knows of anyone in your area who treats eating disorders?? It's a long shot, but it might work...sometimes leads like that will help....and, hopefully, they would be willing to take a sliding scale...you never know until you try....brick walls are there for a reason, they give us a chance to show how badly we want something....good luck, Micheala.

Thanx everyone for the support.  I really appreciate it.  I have not given up and I am NOT a failure.  Good grief-I have lost 143 pounds, and I have 29 pounds left to lose for MY goal.  My surgeon and my PCP are happy where I am.  I have just hit a bump in the road.  It was really good to read Mel say that we all struggle.  I needed to read that.  I needed that honesty. I really want newbies to know that this surgery is a wonderful tool but after a year, a lot of it is you, not the tool.  What was that percentage that Scott posted a couple of weeks ago? I want newbies to know, lose all you can the first year and learn how to eat because the second year all the cravings can come back and bite you in the ???, so you need to be ready!

"I really want newbies to know that this surgery is a wonderful tool but after a year, a lot of it is you, not the tool.  What was that percentage that Scott posted a couple of weeks ago? I want newbies to know, lose all you can the first year and learn how to eat because the second year all the cravings can come back and bite you in the ???, so you need to be ready!"

 Marilyn, ne'er a truer word has been spoken on this board than this statement....  that is so true.  That is why the doctors, nutritionists, support groups, other wls people stand by the statement that it has to be a lifestyle change.... and the sooner a patient incorporates the new changes after their surgery, the better....  is it easy?  OH HECK NO!  

 I will admit that there are days that I want a big steak, baked potato and piece of chocolate cake with ice cream.  There are times I wish I could have JUST ONE MEAL without a re-routed digestive system...  I've often wondered, "What would that one meal consist of?"  I have dreams of pasta dishes, sometimes its just a good ole bowl of Cap'n Crunch...  things I enjoyed in the past but can't anymore such as a hot fudge cake....  

But those things, as good as they tasted, they wouldn't make me happy even if I could eat them.  Got way off topic, I guess... !   

 

 

 I'm sorry to hear you are struggling, that is what I've worried about for myself since I've gotten into this. Everyone does need to understand that surgery is just a tool, combating our food addiction, going to the gym and support meetings are the other important tools and the only true way to be successful in the long term is to work at all of them. For that reason I've been seeing a therapist who deals with many forms of addiction, because if I can't be honest with myself that I have an addiction and work on it then the surgery is worthless and I'm just wasting everyone's time and my own. She's been very helpful with helping deal with why I use food as a drug and what feelings I'm not dealing with that make me what to use food like I do. It's not easy to sit down and decipher why you do what you do, but when you do you see it's possible to fix.

I know I read that alot of people don't see drug, alcohol or sexual addiction the same as food, but there is not much difference. Yes we need food to survive, but we don't need cookies, crackers, chips and such, that got many of us here. Alot of the people who fail at the surgery go back to these things and cheat here or there, or start drinking with their meals again or even wolfing down food. Those things are not what most of our nutritionists have said are ok to do. Unless you had food addictions to when you are bulimic or anorexic most addiction counselors should be able to help with food addiction, as we're using food to not deal with emotions. Have you looked into over-eater's anonymous?

Don't get frustrated, it takes time to work through it and just because you have one bad day doesn't mean you're a failure, it just gives you a reason to work harder the next day.

Good luck, you've done so great and you have everyone's support.

Dear friend, you are not the only one struggling with grazing.  I've been struggling with it for the past couple of weeks.  My thing has been sweets (sugar free of course, but sweets all the same!)  I've gotten rid of all the sweet stuff in the house.  I had every intention of doing the 3 day liquid protein train but somehow that didn't pan out.  It's like now that I'm at my goal, I've lost all the willpower that I had since Jan. of 2008.  I've got to find it again.  I've come too far to go back to the old habits that made me need WLS in the first place.  I kept a pair of size 24 jeans that I wore before surgery.  I put them on last night and had Randy take some pictures.  I can fit in one leg of them!! I've printed them off and I'm thinking about putting them everywhere in my kitchen as a reminder of where I've been and don't want to go back to!!!  I've thought about the counseling but right now can't afford it as my husband lost his job in January.  I'm hoping with the help of family and friends here on OH and at my support group that I can work through this.

Just know that you're not alone.

Melissa