Serious food addition

I have come to the conclusion that I have a serious food addiction.  Surgery did not help this.  I don't really know that I expected it to.....at least in my head.   I am almost two and a half years out and have now regained 40 pounds.   Yikes!  That doesn't even look good in print and looks worse on my body.  I was wearing 11 and 13s last summer and am in 16 and 18s now.  I literally just went through my closet and dressers yesterday and boxed up all my small clothes to make room for all my big clothes. 

So.  I had my first appointment with a bariatric nutritionalist today.  She gave me a whole list of things to do.  First, stop drinking with and after meals.  Second, no more soda at all.  Next, cut the carbs way way back.  Third, take vitamins that she listed.  Next, get to my doc and get back on an antidepressent as well as getting tons of blood work done.  Finally, I asked about therapists that have experience with gastric bypass and weight issues including cumpulive eating and she gave me four names.   A little background.  I started this journey at 321 pounds.  I had gastric bypass in Mexico since my insurance company sucks.  I was down to 163-170 for awhile but have been steadily gaining since this past  august.  I am now completely and utterly out of control and need some serious help getting back on track.  I have tried to do this myself and can't do it.  She also suggested coming back to this site for some support.   So, here I am.  Is there anyone else out there who has regained a significant amount of weight and is etiher working on getting it off or has been successful getting it back off?  I would love to hear from you! Thanks! Tamara

(((((Hugs))))) Yes Tamara, I have a food addiction also.  This is something I am working on and just recently admitted to.  I am taking the suggestion from one of the others on this site and starting over.  Today I have had three protien drinks and water, water, water and more water.  It sucks because I have a hard time over the head wanting to reach for everything but I need to show myself that I can gain control over my body and mind.  we need to support each other and be honest with ourselves.  That has been my biggest issue is lying to me!!!  I am free to talk with you anytime! Trudi

Trudi, Thanks for the reply.  I tried starting over so many times and I just couldn't do it.  So I am hoping that seein.g the nutritionalist and possibly a therapist will help.  I hope you are able to start over and have success.  It is just so darned hard.  If I am not eating, I am obsessing about what I will eat next.  It is no fun and I just want to kick myself in the head sometimes.  ugghh.   Good luck to you and keep in touch, Tamara

Trudi: What kind of protein drinks are you drinking?  I think I need to give this a shot first, then I need to get some guidance from Tamara on what vitamins the Dr suggested she take, and try to go the route she described above.... Thanks for your input... Tamara: What kind of vitamins did you Dr suggest?  What was the Dr.'s suggestion regarding water?  Time limit before and after a meal? Thanks to you both for your input Connie

Hi Connie, The nutritionist (who is the nutritionist for the UW bariatric program here) gave me a list of basic must have vitamins to start with.  They are children's chewable-1 in AM, 1 in PM sublingual B12-500 to 1000 mg B-complex citrical (calcium citrate)-1200 to1500 Also her instructions for water was that I could drink water up to meal times but have to wait 1 1/2 hours after eating.  She didn't actually give me an amount to drink at this point but I had so many other things that we basically chose 3 or 4 main goals and then I go back in two weeks.   The thing I really like is that she is going to try to work with me on my thinking about food as well, not just tell me what I should be doing and leave it at that.  I already know, mostly anyway, what I should be doing.  I want help figuring out why I can't seem to do those things and help breaking my mind of constantlly thinking about food.   Hope that helps. Tamara

Tamara, Keep sharing what you find out.  Some of us can't afford or don't have the opportunity that you do and would love to hear what you find out.  Hugs, Trudi

Wow! You sound exactly like me. I gained 40 lbs. Was in a size 12 now a 16-18. I just went through my clothes yesterday too. How depressing. I don't think I will ever see 12 again. My problem isn't junk, it's volume and stress. Well, sometimes junk. But mostly volume. So cutting back on the amount makes me feel deprived. It's a vicious cycle. What your nutritionist told you, you probably already knew from this site. No drinking, vitamins, bloodwork, cut carbs, exercise. It's why I don't go to a nutritionist. I know all this stuff already. But following it is another story. They need to invent something that prevents our stomach from stretching. Even though it is a head thing, if your stomach didn't stretch, you could only hold so much food, no matter what it was. I need my body to physically stop me from overeating and it doesn't. No dumping. Once in a blue moon I throw up because food didn't sit right or I had too much. I liked that in the beginning, I ate small amounts. I wish I had an answer for you but I need that answer myself.

Same boat here. Started at 307 had WLS on 12/2002, lowest was 184, back up to 207. Just got my blood work results, all is right in line to what the PCP says is standard. I have an appt with original WLS Doc to go over my test results and see what he might suggest I do different.  I started back to basics for 6 wks, followed the 2/8 posting on how to break a plateau, this post said to do this for 10 days, Ive been doing for 6 wks one day Im down 2#s, next day Im up 3!! PCP wanted to check my thyroid meds, thought it might not be strong enough, only to find my script is TOO strong and lowered it. Will know more this coming wednesday after my appt with WLS Doc.  Will post my outcome of that visit and any suggestions he has to give regarding getting back on track. I know you have heard this more than you care, just hang in there and we all will get over this hurdle.

Tamara, Whether it makes you feel better or not, you aren't alone.  I am 5 years post op and I started regaining at just a little over a year post-op.  Just a few pounds at first, then I had regained 84lbs total of the 110 I had lost.  Over this past 6 months I have been doing the best I could do to stick to "the rules" and managed to shave off 20lbs.  It's very difficult.  I recently found out on this website from fellow patients that my surgeon has a program for regainers called "Time Out".  You drink 3 protein shakes per day and the rest is low cal liquids like Crystal Lite, etc.  I tried to follow it, but found that I just couldn't deal with the head hunger.  I had 2 protein drinks and some low cal liquids until about 4:00 in the afternoon, then I caved and ate a meal.  I ended the day having eaten 1200 calories and felt ok with that.  Today I have had over 1600 calories and I could easily have a large snack right now, but I am trying to control myself by coming here and reading.  We know what to do, of course, but then again we knew what to do before surgery too.  If we were good at doing what we knew we should do, none of us would ever have had surgery in the first place.  I think for some people this surgery is the magic tool they need to forever be at goal.  Then, there are those of us with true food addictions.  We are the ones who can describe our favorite dish at a restaurant with enough detail to make people drool.  We attach food to memories, like Thanksgiving featuring our favorite pie or creamy casserole.  The thought of Christmas automatically brings to mind baking cookies for me.  Even curling up with a good book on a rainy day has an image of a cup of hot tea with honey and lemon.  If by chance it snows, I have to roast marshmallows or drink hot chocolate.  Everything in my life ends up being associated with food.   My surgeon said to treat my addiction like an alcoholic.  To take it very seriously and stay completely away from my triggers.  The problem is that everything triggers me.  I think maybe his Time Out program would help me gain control if I could stick with it.  Whatever method you choose, just be safe and take comfort in knowing you aren't alone.  I know I want to see my smaller clothes fit again and I am not giving up.  Good luck to you. Angela

I think one of the reasons we are all on this site is because we are addicted to food.  It is like any other addiction, drugs, booze, ect. except that we cannot cold turkey food.   We have to have it to live.  I am almost two years out and am fighting the head hunger demons.  I gained almost 10 pounds and knew I was going out of control.  I was snacking all the time and eating when I wasn't hungrey.  Surgery does not cure us from these demons inside us.  I find that exercising keeps me on track.  I know that if I stop going to the gym I will gain all the weight back.  I never want to go back!   I weight myself everyday to keep myself on track.  That may not be for everyone, but it is what works for me.  You need to find what worked for you in the beginning and go back to it.  Getting help from the doctors as well,  is there a support group you can go to?  You have already taken the first step.  You have realized you need help, you can get back on track and find you way back.  We are all here to help. Good luck  Laura