I had gastric bypass surg...

I had gastric bypass surgery in 1999 and 2003, and have been slowly regaining the weight since 2003 to the tune of 100 pounds...until this week, that is. With your support I got back on my food plan and lost 6 pounds this week. Yay! I am an emotional eater. Food was used to salve any sadness or to celebrate any event growing up. I learned my lesson well. It's hard to unlearn it, and find replacements. What is also being hard is finding things I like to do and doing them in the time I used to spend eating. Any suggestions? Nancy

Hi Nancy, and welcome to the fold. Your profile is rather sparse, so perhaps a bit more info might be helpful in order to formulate more constructive responses. For example, you note you have had GBS twice. What procedures and why twice? Fill a few more puzzle pieces and give us more to work with. Nowere Man/Ph/Jay

I had roux en y both times. The second surgery was because I had stopped losing, yet was still morbidly obese. At my best, I had lost 220 pounds and was at a healthy, "normal" weight. However, I regained 100 pounds and so am back to being morbidly obese. I am going to support groups and working with a dietitian. This message board has helped me tremendously to get back on track. The support and suggestions from people who have had similar problems has eased the way for me. I'm looking for advice now on what I can do to fill in the times that I used to fill by eating. I want it to be something fun, something I want to do, not chores or TV, something that's as good as eating was. Does this info help? Do you need to know more? I'm new at message boards...tomorrow is my one week anniversary. I'm open to advice. Nancy

Nancy...WOW two surgeries. I am not sure I could have gone back for seconds. Once was more than enough for me. Relearning to eat again is something I am not sure I could do. Congrats to you though! Now finding things to do that is good as eating...hmmm that is a tough one. I leave the house after dinner to go exercise. Keeps me from doing my night time eating like a house thing! Although since the surgery that is a bit harder. I know if I sit in front of TV too long I get the eating urge. Leaving the house and going to gym has helped with that for me. How about reading books? Maybe a class on creating something? I do some stencil classes at local school and its fun. Or my favorite is shopping at the mall. Trying stuff on just to see how they look. Debbie

Congratulations on the weight loss. It's always hard to deny ourselves the food we love, but we have to weigh how important our health is verses how much we like the taste of food. If I were you I'd see a psychologist experienced with over eaters. I understand from others that they have benefited from therapy. Join over eaters anonomous. I don't know where to start telling you all the things I do with my time now days. I work out at Curves almost every night, tanning bed some nights, work in my flower garden, shopping trips with friends, walking the trails at a local park, touring gardens, walking the beach. The more I exercise the more I want to find something active to do. Check the free papers at the grocery store that show diversions and find things that sound fun to do on the weekends. We have things that vary from sidewalk art to jazz festivals that cost no money. You have to find them by checking around though. If you are interested the colleges have some fun non credit courses that you can sign up for $25-$50. It would get you out of the house, meeting new people, etc. Find a new passion in life be it photography, computers, repairing cars, electrical, etc. Nobody said wls was the answer. We are given a tool but it's up to us to make it work long term. Best of luck!

How did you regain so much weight back? I know we can regain but I find myself eating hershey's kisses through out the day but I do eat very little food. Did you eat a lot through out the day? I know chocolate is not too good but I go through these phases where I need to eat the same thing for a while then it goes away, like last time it was pistachios and before that it was peanut butter so I'm waiting for this phase to leave I feel addicted to chocolate. I can eat about 5 kisses then I start to feel a little sick so I stop. I am so scared of gaining my weight back and I weigh myself everyday but I'm at the same weight 133 lbs. I think if I start going up I will feel terrible but it's so hard to stop the bad habits. They say it takes three days to stop a habit so I'm waiting for after Easter to try and stop my chocolate ha*****ee hee).