Resource request: Food as fuel

Hi all. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:30 am central. One of my big goals with VSG is to change my relationship with food and learn to see it as fuel. Sure, I'd also like it to taste good. But I don't want that to be the point. My girlfriend is naturally thin and seems to have this relationship with food--she rarely eats something if she's not hungry, no matter how tasty it sounds (except chocolate; she has some bad habits around food rewards she wants to work on as I'm post-op). Anyway, I watch how she interacts with food and want that for myself. So I'm wondering if anyone has good resources-- books, blogs, etc. about this mental change and how to facilitate and encourage it. Thanks!!

What worked for me was simply making a new routine, and continuing that routine to form new habits. Then just reinforce the habits until they become "normal."

I had decades of doing things poorly. No matter what I do, it will take a long time for changes to be permanent.

There is a movement called Intuitive Eating that teaches people how to listen to their bodies, eat out of nourishment, stop when full, etc.  Google the term, or search on Amazon, I'm sure you'll find boatloads of resources.  Also there's an author named Geneen Roth, who has written extenstively on food and our relationships to it, both disordered and re-ordered.

Unfortunately these resources don't work for me, because my sugar/carb craving yells louder than just about anything else, including any messages I might be getting from my body about what and when to eat.  Ha!  So for me it's all-or-nothing, I pretty much follow a very low carb food plan.

Even if you can change and only eat when you are truly hungry, you still need to meet your protein and water goals, which means you may have to eat/drink protein and liquids even when you are not feeling hungry. (And the liquids may make you feel full as well). Your views on food are going to change anyway after surgery since you need to stick with your program. Maybe after you get your protein/liquids under control you can try new ideas to keep you on track. (I sure do wish I had your girlfriend's food relationship prior to surgery!) This surgery is a life changer in so many ways. Good to luck to you and with your surgery tomorrow!

I've been using mfp to pre-plan my meals for the day & sometimes for a few days ahead. Doing this has helped me to change my relationship with food by freeing me from having to always think about what I'm going to eat next. It also enables me to meet my protein goals, most of the time with food, rather than a with a supplement which is something my support group & nutritionist would prefer we do.