Thanks. That's the kind of answer I was looking for. ?

Although emotional eating isn't a big problem for me, I'm not immune to it. Here's what works for me:

I made a list of things that I could do to comfort myself when I'm stressed or sad. My list includes: a cup of really fragrant herbal tea, petting my cats, curling up under the duvet for a bi****ching a comedy.

I have a couple of foods that fit into my diet and also feel decadent. I make "hot chocolate" with a spoonful of cocoa, a spoonful of protein powder, a splash of nut milk, and sweetener to taste. This provides extra protein and is low calorie. Fresh seasonal fruit can also feel like a treat.

I have learned to enjoy things that stimulate other senses besides taste. When I pet my cats, I notice how soft their fur is, how warm they are, how their purring and breathing sounds. Herbal tea is often more for the fragrance than the taste.

I have learned that it's normal to sometimes want to eat for reasons other than hunger. Instead of feeling guilty about it, I prepare for it by having healthy choices available. Sometimes I want the sensation of crunching something; I keep watermelon or pomegranate seeds on hand for that. Sometimes I want something sweet; the "hot chocolate" I mentioned earlier is good for that, as is fresh fruit. Sometimes I want the companionship of a meal with friends; I might just have a cup of tea with them while they eat whatever.

Finally, I've learned to be more relaxed about food. I've learned that there are days that I want to eat more. That's OK because there are other days where I eat very little. If I eat something that I feel I shouldn't have eaten, I don't try to make up for it by eating less the rest of the day, or decide that I've blown the diet and give up until tomorrow. Instead, I just try to do better at the very next meal. I have learned to trust my body more. I still have to stay on top of things by tracking what I eat and making sure I have healthy meals available, but I'm no longer terrified that I will lose control to food.

3.5 years out and faithful to eat the right foods and consistent exercise. Began eating bigger portions early during COVID and gained 5 pounds. Quickly began correcting that. Been eating smaller amounts and exercising (sometimes 2x/day) and have only lost 3 pounds in 3 months. Returned to my Doc yesterday and was prescribed Rx diet pill. I read that it is used to boost weight loss and/or boost metabolism as this sometimes happen with calorie restriction over time. Has anyone had any experience with this? Today is day one of the meds - so very interested to hear feedback. So afraid of falling into the yo-yo pattern that lead to surgery in the first place.

just so you know, pain is all across the board, but most people have little to no pain with these surgeries. I was surprised how little pain I had. I didn't even bother to take the pain meds I was sent home with when I left the hospital. And you WILL have pain meds, so even if you're one of the unfortunately ones who has a lot of pain, it should be very manageable with the meds.

as far as losing weight, if you follow your clinic's guidelines, you WILL lose weight.

Good morning!
I wrote this blog post for anyone interested in Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets for Weight Loss

https://www.endobariatric.com/weblog/2020/06/17/must-have-ki tchen-gadgets-for-weight-loss/

Regards

Dr. Alvarez