Psychology of eating....

Rewarding ourselves with food helped get us fat. As alternatives, you can try what a friend refers to as a "menage a moi," "dialing the rotary phone," or "getting lost in the deep end."

This is still something I struggle with, and I'm sure I will for the rest of my life.  Celebrations were always centered around food, but for me, it was even worse when I was stressed and things weren't going well.  

Whenever I feel the pull of bad food, I look at old pictures.  I've come far enough that I remind myself of it, and that I don't want to go back to that ever again.  Once you have your surgery, and the weight starts to drop, you'll be able to do the same.

Somewhere I picked up the acronym HALT.  When you journal, document whether your Hungry, Anxious/Annoyed(other emotion), Lonely, or Tired.  Then write up a list of solutions such as calling a friend, going out, exercising, going to sleep, or joining a kickboxing glass with a picture and some duct tape for the bag :-)

I think that as a society we tend to celebrate with food - so many of our holidays revolve around food! But besides that those of us who are obese I think a lot of us go beyond that and do the reward ourselves with food thing. I know I did for sure. Or drown my feelings in food. But I don't do that at all now. I eat because I need to eat to live but that's really it, there isn't any rewarding myself or eating my feelings anymore. I know it sounds simplistic to say I just don't want to do that now but I honestly don't want to. And believe me when I say I'm not exercising or some **** as a reward lol. THat's just not me. I read if I want an actual reward, or buy a new book. But more likely if I want to I do go on a date night with my husband, I can still eat out, I know what I can eat and how much now - the reward is the time out with my husband. I've just learned new habits over the last 10 months and you will too.