Worried aabout "mourning food".

I just read a post from a few days ago that mentioned "mourning food". I'm currently in the process of preparing for gastric sleeve surgery which  will prob be in Dec or Jan. I have to confess, I have worried about how I will feel when my reality is that I  can NEVER have another pizza, or cheeseburger, or pint of ice cream, etc. All of us got where we are (or were) by eating too much and it's often the sweet, salty or spicy comfort foods that put on most of the excess weight. In  preparation for surgery I've cut way back on sweets, white carbs, greasy stuff like chips etc. However, currently I know if I REALLY wanted one, I could go get a burger or pizza or whatever. My daughter (who is wise) suggested I begin planning for other ways to soothe anxiety and "comfort myself" when those foods are no longer an option.  Anybody had trouble with "mourning food" after surgery? What strategies work for you to replace food when you need  comfort, reward, feel like celebrating, etc? I think my best defense will be a good offense and I need to learn how others have dealt with this.

Personally, I eat what I like in small quantities now and have had great success!  I've had to make adjustments to get adequate protein and not over eat, but I absolutely have my favorites and work them into my day without guilt because I'm getting my nutrients and I'm not over on calories! I control the quantity and exercise now. It's what works for me!

Pretty much as the above post.  Depending on what your stomach does after surgery, you might not even like or WANT certain foods anymore, but if you ever do, you'll just be eating small amounts and you'll be full.

The hardest part of my process (RNY) was the mental part right after my surgery when on the liquid diet and I realized food was EVERYWHERE and I couldn't have any and I was STARVING.

 That's when it really hits you how much our lives are centered around food.  Getting together with friends, family gatherings, holidays, breaks at work, etc.  But it's like being an alcoholic and everyone in the world drinks ALL THE TIME and you have to drink to live but we're only allowed a sip while we watch everyone else drink up.  That's how it felt to me.

 I wont lie, there WAS nothing easy about it, I just had to struggle through and I literally just wasn't able to eat since I'd just had surgery on my stomach.  

But I eventually just got to where so much food just felt bad that I can't eat it so I just don't even care about food anymore so it's not a big deal.  I don't miss or 'mourn' anything.  I can eat pizza, but all it does is make you feel disgustingly full and sick because the bread swells up in your little stomach.  Same with sandwiches and pasta.  I just stay away from them because there's nothing healthy in them and you just FEEL sick after eating it.

You'll eventually get to know what food works for you and you'll also find new things you love that you never ate before your surgery.  Personally, I can't eat any fast food because it ALL makes me sick.  I guess it's all the crap they put in it, so I just don't even bother trying anymore, which saves me money and I don't have to worry about gaining weight that way.  I also can't eat anything breaded because it just makes me nauseous.  I guess because it grinds on my stomach and it's just full of grease.  I crave what I call 'clean food', like chicken and vegetables that are cooked without any heavy sauces or anything.  They're really the foods I can eat more of and when I'm full I don't feel sick at all.

Everyone is totally different though because my sister had the same surgery I did, 6 months after me, and she never had a problem with nausea or eating bread and pasta and rice like I did.  She also didn't lose the amount of weight I did, and she also has a lot of excess skin, which I don't.  So we're all completely different, even family members!  

This summer I was put on a medication that made me gain 19 pounds, which I've since gone off of and I've been fighting HARD to get rid of the weight.  I've lost 11 of it I still have days where I absolutely crave Peanut Butter M&M's and could eat 1/2 a bag of them but I just DO NOT BUY THEM and I just have to keep it in the front of my mind that my body and weight is something I'm going to be fighting for forever, and even all the 'little' times you give in WILL add up and you'll eventually gain back the weight, which I refuse to do.

My 5 year surgery anniversary is in a couple of weeks and I went from 283 down to 127 at my lowest, which was TOO low and now I'm at 143 but I'm working to get back to 135-137.  

Food is NOT important enough to EVER mourn, and if your ever need to, there are therapists and 12 step groups to help you change your thought patterns about food.  If you go into surgery thinking you're going to be missing/giving up something, it might make it worse.  Go into it thinking that you're going to be getting away from an enemy that's destroying your body and your life!