Question:
When will I stop buying and eating everything in sight?

In reality I guess if I am honest it's not a whole lot worse now, than how I usually shop, but I feel like I need to buy everything and eat it now because very soon I will be on a high protein diet for 2 weeks before surgery and then have surgery and we all know what will change then. I came home and ate so many of the things that I ended up with diarrhia. I also ate more chocolates during Christmas than I have probably eaten during the holidays in the last 2-3 years total. I'm not usually that obsessed with foods. My problem is I just like food and especially the high calorie sugar loaded sweets and carbs. I've been on 1200 calories before and did without all these things and I know life was fine and good. I sure don't want to gain any weight before surgery. I have enough to lose already without it being increased. Any good ideas to wean myself off the food train and prepare for my new life?    — zoedogcbr (posted on January 5, 2003)

January 5, 2003
Do the same things the post-ops do, Chris. Cut down on the carbs, cut the sweets out entirely, and concentrate on protein first. Water/fluid load prior to meals to cut down on hunger. <p> There's a post-op friend of mine in our HUP support group who doesn't dump on sweets. At first, she was able to limit herself to one Hershey's kiss or mini-candy-bar (the bite size ones you hand out at Halloween). Then she was eating more and more sweets and craving them more and more. At my suggestion (based on posts by Michelle Curran), I advised her to cut out all sweets cold turkey. She did so and the cravings went away....JR
   — John Rushton

January 5, 2003
I am 13 days postop and prior to my surgery I felt like I was eating everything in sight. I was so scared the week before my surgery that I would never be able to follow the postop program and would be sick all the time. Guess what! No food cravings in fact the thought of some of the stuff I used to eat ...yeck. It will all work out!
   — debmi

January 5, 2003
I have been eating my "last meal" everyday for the last few weeks. One more day and I start my new life. I hope the mental need for food goes away. I guess I will know shortly. Just remember everything you gain now takes you farther away from your goal.
   — Amy E.

January 5, 2003
before surgery, i ate everything in sight and gained weight, i regret it because now i have even more to loose. i suggest that you think of it this way, if you cut back some now to jumpstart your weight loss, then when you do have the surgery you'll have less to loose and will be closer to your goal weight, i know easier said then done. but i wish i would of done that. even after weight loss i still love food and i'm always thinking of what i'm going to eat next. i tried to beat the system by buying all this chocolate sugar free candy, but then i overeat on that. i just had to throw it away. God bless you in your journey.
   — YOLANDA P.

January 5, 2003
Chris: Last spring I tried the Atkins diet, mainly because I know I'm a carb addict, and it's supposed to help that. Let me tell you, the first three to four days are awful. But, after that much time without carbs, you do start to feel the cravings lessen. I stayed with this diet for about two months,lost about 20 pounds, but I made the mistake of starting to eat too many carbs again, and re-addicted myself. If you can tough it out, I do think it will help with cravings in the long run. My son and I are both pre-op too, and have been doing what you're doing. I think we just kind of go crazy with anxiety over what WLS is going to change - kind of a fear of the unknown thing. Food has been our friend for so long, it's hard to let go of the relationship! Is there anyone else who could help with your shopping, so you don't buy "bad" stuff? Also, clean out your cupboards and get rid of the tempting stuff. Good luck!
   — Carlita