Miracles happen!

I am not surprised by this at all. It's easy to make slow progress and not notice it in ourselves. It feels invisible, but then all of a sudden the changes appear to us. You may be a food addict (me too) but you are really changing and it shows me (again) just how awesome you are.

It's just important to always keep an open mind about the mental side of things because I delt with a lot of my issues before surgery which made my progress possible up to this point, but this anxiety and ocd stuff was a recent development, but because i'm always questioning why i'm eating and paying attention  -i was able to figure out the connection.  So, my issues are changing which sucks (cause...im ready for this to get easy at somepoint lol) but I know I'm good to go, even on the hardest days. Onwards towards goal as a mentally and physically healthy chick :)

That's amazing!!!!! I also have bad OCD and high anxiety and your post made me think....hard. I wonder how much of that, if resolved, would alleviate the compulsion to eat bad stuff.

Yes I agree thanks for your wisdom and willingness to share.
As for the person you help....ITS ME!
Struggling and fighting demons, trying to recognize them.

Thanks.

Thank you so much for sharing Alison.  I discovered the same thing about myself this past week but I didn't know how to explain it.  My father passed in January and this was my first trip home since the funeral.  I wanted to see my mom so bad, but I was very anxious about the emotions this trip would bring - we love him and miss him soooo much - it's palpable. I had to concentrate really hard the days leading up to my trip and my anxiety level was through the roof - to the point I finally broke down and sobbed on my husbands shoulder in the parking lot of the gas station. He didn't know what to do (bless his heart - lol).  I realized that I've always operated at a high level of stress/anxiety - I can actually thrive in the workplace and at home at these levels. But I also eat excessively to balance out the emotional overload. This IS my issue - it's my blessing and curse - my personal oxymoron!  I prosper in stressful and caotic environments that create the anxiety that leads me to eat excessively.

On this trip, I talked to God off and on the entire drive - just asking Him for peace and to bless my trip.  I promis you, a peace came over me that I haven't been able to shake yet.  I feel calmer and much more in control of my feelings and my eating.  I did shed a few tears while I was there - today marks the 6th month since his passing so that's understandable - but I didn't feel out of control. I'm realizing I can't play with stress and anxiety anymore. There are healthier ways to be motivated and challenged without allowing myself to live at these extreme levels that just aren't healthy for me.

I'm so glad you posted this - it helps us not to feel like we're the only one going through issues like this.  For me, knowledge really is power!! Take care, and keep being good to yourself!

 very glad that you woke up peaceful!  it's such a relief when the anxiety is gone.  and food addicts have tons of anxiety!!!! :) 

i've had generalized anxiety, social phobia and panic attacks for about 17 years.  i've been on different medications for the past 13 years (paxil, wellbutrin, xanax, zoloft).  i haven't been on the meds since the surgery ****asionally will take a xanax, maybe 1x a month) and it's such a release to not have constant worrying.  it's amazing that i never thought i could function without the meds.  i think once i get down to goal i will end up going back on them becuase there are times where i start the repetitive thoughts and obsessing, but in the meantime, i'm enjoying less pills.  

good luck to you!!! 

 I really look forward to your posts and when I see your profile pic I cant wait to read them. You are am inspiration to us newbies and thank you for sharing. I too am tackling food addiction issues and am scared about not conquering them. Please keep sharing because I can relate, and I'm sure many more of us can also. 
Thanks! 

For the better part of the last year, I was scared I would never conquer my issues. Until I accepted that fact. And now I look at it as managing my issues - and I feel like I'm in a good place to manage them, because I know that conquering, getting over them, living without them - not possibilities in my world. But I can get them under control where I can live a relatively normal "eating" life.

A simple shift in thinking took away some of that anxiety and worry that had the potential to just drag me down.

 Alison, 

thanks for sharing this! It makes TOTAL sense. Bravo for you 'grabbing the bull by the horns'!

Same thing happened to me!  Yesterday a guy at work is pushing a pink box-o-donuts.  He even said my name and held them out to me, to get my attention.  So I walked over and looked in.  Yup, box-o-donuts.  I said thanks, they look great, but I think I'll pass.  So that pink box sat on top of his cube for the rest of the day, and every once in a while it came into my field of vision as I looked around.  But it might as well have been a box-o-turds, for all I thought about them.  Talk about freedom!  Ain't it great? 

I will say, though that the freedom from donuts is as much a low-carb effect as a VSG effect.  Maybe more.  Because I've been called by donuts (and other things) at times in the 23 months since surgery, even if I haven't eaten them.  Carbs crave carbs.