HELP!!!

HELP!!!  I'm crashing.  I feel like I should have a panic attack (even though I know I won't).  I'm getting over whelmed with thoughts of all the great tasting food that I'm going to lose.  Most of it I'll never get to have again :(.  I'm so worried that I'm at a breaking point of just going after all that food and blowing my diet.  Which will then make me gain weight and the doctor will cancel the surgery.  HELP!!!  I need some encouragement and good insights on what I can do to make it through these last 6 days before surgery.

 Not true about the food in the future. You just have to eat small amounts and exercise.
Just make good choices.

A day at a time about the pre-surgery wait..you can do it! It'll be worth it..really

A lot of stuff you'll have again one day ..just in moderation! You can still enjoy restaurants, BBQ's, and ordering out. Just be smart about what you choose. When I go out to eat a lot of times I just get something from the appetizer menu and if I order a regular meal I bring home the leftovers and make it a meal the next day! 

Did you read my post about the fried dough? I had 2 whole bites. That was it. After I've met my goal weight I want to keep it this way. Junk food is a total turn off for me. I know it's what got me fat to begin with. When I crave something, like fried dough, I have just enough to taste it. You'll find after surgery you won't even want half the stuff you eat now! 

Find other things to focus on...like why are you doing this? Health?

Let's see, first off the other folks are right...I don't miss any food and if I want a bite of something I take it. Mostly it is surprising but things aren't as good as they look.

In addition....other things feel great...I can walk, hike, run, (other things that shall remain unmentioned but are really fun), and move in ways I never really imagined....

So focus on your reasons for wanting the surgery....distract with other pleasant thoughts, and do you really want your life to just be about food?
I will say my relationship with food is different...I do get some pleasure at times (maybe more than before) but I also focus on the fuel aspect....just like it is time to put gas in the tank of my car....it is time to put some food/protein in to me so I can keep on running.

You can do it if you want!! If not you can postpone and eat yourself silly....you are a grown up....you get to choose, no one is forcing you. If you have gotten this far my guess is that you really want to do this....YOU CAN! Food is not your friend....


deb366

I am so sorry about your feelings!  Wow before the surgery I was just freaking out scaring myself!  Take the time to breathe, when you want to eat the wrong food or amount....take a walk, or I made myself walk the block to get my mind off food.  Hey play music and dance, whatever it takes.  You can do this!  Be kind to yourself and be excited as a new life is coming!!

OMG Emit, I'm in the exact same situation!!  I have PATS in 5 days and not only did I not lose the simple 5 pounds she asked me to lose I gained 10 more (I quit smoking in March-HELLOOO)  Anyway.  I have been really really buckling down the last 2 weeks but, I feel like my weight wont go ANYWHERE!!  I also worry about missing food.  I actually sat in Pizza hut last night with my family and had visions of throwing my body on the table to get at that pizza(which is probably one of my favorite things in the entire world!!!)  BUT, I didnt eat ANYTHING!!!  I sipped on water the whole time.  It really made me feel sad that I will never be able to enjoy food again.  Butm, do we WANT to enjoy food again???  I don't.  Think of it that way, sweetie pie.  You'll be fine- WE will be fine.  When is your surgery?  Mine is the 24th of this month.  13 days!!!!!!!!!  Hang in there dude.  We have a lot of support.    Jill

I am a bad example I guess. I still eat the same foods I did before. Just not as often or as much. That's not true. I eat healthier but I do have pizza once in a while. I eat one piece then the toppings of either one or two more depending on size. I also only eat thin or thinner crusts than before. No more pan pizzas for me. The only pizza I do miss is Uno's. I still once in a while eat biscuts and gravy but only when I am in Ohio and can go to Bob Evans. None of the crap here. I will eat a coney when I go home bun and all. But it's amazing that one fills me up and I don't need two and a 3-way spaghetti. Still haven't braved Chipotle since I am just now able to eat spicey food. I know when I do get brave there will be very little rice, and tons of lettuce. Oh and in a bowl and not a burrito. I have found that I am eating healtier than ever and still have great tasting foods. I make a killer pork roast in the crock pot with great spices I wouldn't have used before surgery. Unfortunantly no matter what anyone tells you, this is something you will find out on your own after the fact. People told me that I am not giving up all my fav foods forever and I just knew that I was. Hope this makes sense. I am working with a migrane.

What Brooke said!  She's totally spot on.  I'm not even a whole year out yet, and I could have a little bit of pretty much anything.

You're not saying goodbye to all those foods - just the amount you needed of them before to make you happy.

Here's the key, though - if you need those foods to make you happy, you're going to need to deal with that over the next year.  I didn't have major food addiction issues, but still went to see a therapist to help me through the hard bits - hell, I still see him.  You might want to try that out, too, during this time.

I concur with everyone above. . .  don't despair.  The lack of deprivation surrounding everything physical - stuff that was hard fat - is so worth the occasional twinge of I wish my stomach was not so small. 

I just ate a small chocolate chip cookie.  It was stress eating but the portions are so much smaller and I am aware of the behavior! 

And, I have to say too that I love the honesty of this board!

Not to beat a dead horse, but everyone above is correct.

I too, thought that I would never be able to eat some foods again.  This is simply not true.  WHile there are things that I will never have again, like soda, even diet, or full sugar items, I do "allow" myself a treat every once in a while.

Again as everyone has stated, it HAS to be in moderation.  You will find that you just don't want those foods again, or you make substitutions.

One thing that I would recomend is to wait till you are close or at goal before you try any thing that is not the best for you, i.e. chips, fried foods, etc.  Only because it WILL slow down your weight loss.

I thought that I would never have Wingstreet wings again from Pizza Hut, but I do allow myself to order them, maybe once a month if that.  It gets rid of the cravings, and 3-4 with a healthy side of a salad or vegis, and I'm happy.  I always order them with someone else.

Another thing that I do to feel "normal" because that was something that I strugled with shortly after surgery is I eat what I want (within reason) on the weekends, and during the week it is very planned out.  If I want to buy lunch at work, I plan it.  The weekends I may have what I think is tons of carbs, or just plain bad eating habits, but I always go back to a structure during the week.

It has worked so far for me, and I'm still losing, when I should now be maintaining!!

You will find what works for you once you have surgery.  One more thing I would recomend is to make sure that you understand that you DO HAVE to change your eating habits, and make sure that you understand that surgery is not a magic cure for being fat.  But I'm sure that you know that!

Good luck and you will do fine!

Michael.

PS - Sorry to ramble!