food addict

Hi, I am not sure if this is the right message board for this.. but here it goes. I am in trouble. I had RNY lap one year ago and I have lost 125 lbs, but now I am gaining. Yes Gaining! I am very concerned and I am eating a lot and very often high calorie foods. I don't know what I am sabotaging myself. I have succeeded at this surgery and I feel wonderful now. I weigh about 175 lbs with 25 more to go. I look great, feel great and so many people are proud of me. Why? I have even gone to Overeater Anonymous to get help and so far nothing is helping. I need someone to help me before i ruin everything. Thanks for any support. Julie

Oh My God, that is me as well, I am at 175 lbs and have started gaining, a little more thatn 13 months post op....plus alcohol has become a parat of my life......I actually have an appt with my primary md(not surgery md) tomorrow....I am concerned....I eat all day....I do not eat what I used to quantity wise but more than I should, plus the alcohol is not helping.....many more calories being added....I am trying to find out if it is related to my menstruation because certaind times of the month are worse.....I need to go back to support groups I believe....I feel wonderful but I am afraid I will gain it back

Hi Julie: I too find myself in the same situation. However, I still weigh 275. I've gone from 435 to 275. I was eating candy and cookies for almost three months straight during some very stressful times in my life. I finally went and got Dr. Phil's book "The Ultimate Weight Solution" because I figured the same problems that made me overweight in the first place were still haunting me. I'm actually getting some focus and I'm back on track and losing again. I suggest you get the book and I hope it will help you too. I know a lot weight loss surgery patients don't like his book, but I think we don't have to throw the baby out with the bath water. I think we can glean a lot of very helpful information from his book and still use the tools of this surgery for our benefit. I wish you the best. Please keep me in your prayers. I'm a food addict and an emotional eater....no doubt....for the rest of my life. I'm going to get control of it because I'm worth it! Lynda

Julie! It is 3:15 am and I can't sleep. I finally got up and decided to search the web for answers to my fears. Iam exactly like you. It seems I never stop munching. It's exactly the same as before surgery. I can eat sweets, chips and crackers all day and never get full. I have gained 14lbs and I feel awful. I want so badly to get a grip on this. I do not want to gain my weight back. I had RNY 11/30/02 and went from a start of 321 down to 199. Thas was as far as I got. I can feel the weight coming back. I am only 5'5 so I never even got close to a goal weight. My only hope and advice to all of us is prayer. I am going to check out a support group for addictions at our church this Friday. It is for all addictions and I know that I am addicted to eating for some reason. Even now as I sit here I am eating crackers...at 3 am. I will let you all know what I find out but please email me privately and maybe we can support each other! God Bless Rebecca

Hi Julie! Thanks for sharing your struggle with the rest of us. I am pre-op and going through the required medical clearances. As part of the clearance process, I had to meet with a psychologist who asked me a simple question - If I'm addicted to food and using food to cope now, what's going to change after the surgery? Needless to say, I'm a wreck! I have gone to Overeaters Anonymous and Food Addicts Anonymous in the past. The information and the fellowshipping was great but I never really changed my behavior. I'm also in a Gastric Bypass Life Skills class (also required for those of us having surgery in Delaware) and they have warned us strongly about "grazing" (eating all day long) and using food to cope with emotional stress. I've spoken to a couple of other food addicts who are counting on the "dumping" syndrome after surgery to keep them from consuming sweets. The reality is that not everyone has a problem with dumping. I've been reading some books on motivation. One of them had some suggestions that helped me. Maybe they would be of use to you. Here are a couple: Write down your goal and the reasons why you want to achieve it; Each day, write down at least one thing that was positive; Don't hang around people who will help you sabotage your goals; and get professional help if there are issues beyond your control that need to be dealt with. Take care!

Nothing changes after the surgery. You can eat less but the demons are still there and you can graze and outeat the surgery. You may want to seek some type of counseling to help with the food addiction. I started seeing my psychologist before surgery and we are starting to make progress in figuring why I turned to food and working on finding other ways to deal with the issues.

So sorry to hear what you're going through. And what it seems like others are going through, too. But I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only one. I told my husband tonight that I feel like I've failed. I do nothing but eat all the damn time and not becuase I'm hungry but for a slew of other reasons... and sometimes because I'm hungry. But the food problems I had before the surgery are still there. I still eat crap food and I munch all the time. I'm like constantly eating. And I live in fear every day that I'm going to just eat until I gain it all back. Which terrifies me, truthfully. I'm nearly two years post-op and I've been stuck at this weight for almost a year now. Which isn't terrible because I've lost more than 100 lbs and couldn't have done it without the surgery. But the thought that I may eventually gain it back if I don't get things back in check keeps me awake at night and makes me cry almost every day. So I hear ya..... Keep your chin up. Know that there are others like you out there and we're all struggling, too. Does misery really love company?

Hi all.... I have been feeling like a total failure. I was @ 750lbs then before surgery I was @ 665 lbs. I had my surgery January 23 or 24, 2003 it was a Monday... I did get down to 465lbs in January 2004 @ my surgeon's appointment. But in March I gained 11 lbs then in July I gained 4 lbs and in September I gained 21 lbs since July. I know I 'm in trouble sabotaging myself I need help. I know what to do logically but I can't follow through with the logic. I've even asked my surgeon to perhaps hospitalize me again. That's how concerned I am.

Jullie, I hear exactly what you are saying. It`s good that you are getting a grip early instead of later like me. I lost 113 lbs and was within 25 lbs of goal when I started gaining again. I have gained 60 lbs back! I am so sad, but I don`t have anyone to blame but myself. I had the VBG and I knew when I chose that surgery I could gain it back. I was convinced that once I lost it I would never gain it back. I have been eating candy, pies, cookies, and cereal. I say to myself every week that I am going to go back to liquids for 2 meals and just eat one healthy meal a day. I know this will work for me. Why don`t I do it? I am starting to get all the old symptons back, such as joint pain,etc. Makes me mad! I have bought Dr. Phils book and I am going to read it and see if it will help me. I hope I am not discouraging anyone. Just needed to vent. My advice is to get diligent now. I have`nt given up. I remember how good I felt and I want it back. It was worth it!

Julie, Are there any Psych Dr's in your area that deal with food addictions? I am blessed to have a Dr that does.. I hope you can find one to help you, I understand how tough it is.. Susan