Question:
Mind set

I am 7 months post-op and have only lost 70 pounds. I exercise 5 days a week adn drink 80 oz of water a day. I have nothing except hamburger that makes me sick, so I am eating wrong. What my question is, is how do I make myself stop throwing up. I eat wrong so I will make myself throw up so I don't gain weight. I can't seem to stop eating all day long. I live alone and work and go to school so I just eat when I have time and that seems to be all day at work or the last hour before bed.    — C H. (posted on December 18, 2003)

December 18, 2003
It sounds to me like you have an eating disorder. I think that you should seek professional help asap. Your body may think it's starving and that's why you aren't losing your weight. I would talk to your doctor about this right away.
   — Sarah K.

December 18, 2003
Please take Sarah's advice and get some help for what appears to be an eating disorder. You can not undo whatever mistakes you may have made in the past-- however, you still have a valuable tool that can help you to control your weight. Just remember that losing weight and then maintaining the loss is as much an emotional ordeal as it is a physical one-- so please don't hesitate to seek help on both fronts. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

December 18, 2003
You can exercise all you want but if you are forcing yourself to throw up, your body is trying to hold onto whatever weight and calories it has left. I agree with the others that you need to seek help so that you can stop these self-destructive behaviors. I doubt any of us have any words of wisdom that will get you to stop eating all day or to stop throwing up. Its easy for us to say, just stop, or throw out all the bad food in the house, or just eat protein, but saying it and doing it are totally not the same. The decision has to be yours. do you want to regain control? Since you came to us for help, you obviously recognize that what you are doing is wrong and are seeking help. Please do so. You've worked too hard to throw this away. In addition to some counseling, do you have a support group in your area that can also help?
   — Cindy R.

December 19, 2003
I think that making yourself throw up is AWFUL!!! I had surgery in August 2003 and I have only lost about 60 lbs. I am a VERY SLOW loser but I am NOT going to start making myself throw up. You need to remember that some of what you are eating is not even getting absorbed because of your bypassed intestines. I think that is you follow your doctors program as best you can you will EVENTUALLY lose the weight. That is what I am trying to do and I am QUEEN of the slow losers. Please stop the vomiting! God bless you in your journey. He will also give you the strength not to eat so much if you ask him to. And just be careful about WHAT you eat if you are eating.
   — Eleanore Davis

December 19, 2003
Since you don't have information on your profile, we can't tell how much weight you had to lose to begin with. If you are relatively close to goal now, then it seems to me that you are right on track as far as weight loss goes. Especially since you are getting in your fluids and exercise, I think you are doing great. But you have to get the throwing up behavior under control. Please do see a therapist like the others suggested before you really do some physical harm to yourself.
   — Yolanda J.