Question:
20 months post and in an eating frenzy...can I get a grip?
Hi folks, I'm scared to death. I've been chugging a long a pretty good pace with the weightloss since my open RNY 7/17/01. Even up to a month or so ago I'd loose 1-2 lbs a month. Now it seems I've opened up some eating flood gates and I can't seem to close them. I had a lot of stressful things hit at once (mother's illness with month long hospitization/selling and buying a house(still some snags with that)/uncertainty about my job/and a few other things)this along with being snowed in about a 1/2 week sent me on an eating frenzy about a month ago. I rarely dump and it doesn't slow me down. I can eat a rather large amount of food and still not be full. Today I though I would "reset" my pouch by eating protein bars/drinks instead of meals for a couple of weeks, but I ate one and then almost blindly (like pre-op) wolfed down another. I'm out of control. I sit and eat entire bags of stuff. I've been logging my calories despite all of this and I'm clocking in at about 2400-2500 calories...I figured that is what a 200 lbs woman would eat to maintain her weight (I'm down to ...well 135 now from 130) CAN I STOP?? What do I need to do, I could almost cry I'm so scared. I'm throwing out the bad stuff when I get home today as a start. But how do I get a grip?? The real out of control eating starts around 8:00 or 9:00 at night. Have any of you been through this to regain control? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -150ish — KimBo36 (posted on March 17, 2003)
March 16, 2003
Oh my God, I can't believe the question you posted. You're describing me
to a tee (except the weight part). I'd love to be in the 100's again. I
had surgery July 13, 2001. I've lost 120 pounds. The last couple of
months, I went on an eating frenzy. I'm stuck at 250 pounds. I've been
trying to cut back and increased exercise, but the scales won't move. It's
like a curse. I'm so scared that I'm stuck at being an obese woman
forever. I did wrong and got off track, but if there's anybody out there
that has seen someone in my situation turn there life around and get back
on track, please, please, please post a response. My legs are so flabby, I
keep thinking maybe my body can't weigh less. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Tammy W.
March 16, 2003
I'm sorry that I don't have the experience you are looking for to shed
light on your problem; however, I do have a suggestion. I am pre-op,
surgery scheduled in 3 days, and one of the things that I am going to do is
seek out therapy with a specialist in eating disorders. One of my main
reasons for having this surgery was to free myself from the chains of food
and addiction and once I learned that it can help "put out the
fire" but that I had to do the rest, I decided that I would need to
seek professional help. If you are all ready in therapy then perhaps you
could find an OA group in your area or a eating disorders clinic that
offers group therapy which might be more cost effective. I have similar
eating patterns as you have described and I feel strongly that it's not
going to go away unless I get to the root of the problem. You can overcome
this. Remember, there was once a time when people thought that alcoholics
were a lost cause. Now, through support there are so many in recovery.
You can recover from this too! Good luck!
— denisel
March 16, 2003
I know what you mean. I'm "good" all day and then night comes and
LOOK OUT! I would suggest protein snacks if you have to eat. They have
protein chips and stuff like that. Pork rinds are full of protein too and
help with the wanting to "crunch" on something. Hard boiled eggs.
Celery with a tad of peanut butter, that helps me with the crunch and the
sweet too. TONS of water too (after 1/2 hour or instead of eating, I've
also let some ice melt down a little and munched (crunched) on it too. Made
me feel like I was crunching. The head hunger is so hard to beat. Keep us
posted on your progress and know that you are NOT alone.
— Cinna G.
March 17, 2003
I am so scared of this happening to me too!! I am only 2 months post-op
and still in control, but I know it could happen at anytime!
<p>
One thing I noticed is that you are very aware of when you lose control.
This is GREAT because it gives you the necessary information you need to
battle this. What is happening in your life at this hour that causes this
binging? Boredom? Life is slowing down by that time of night? If so,
maybe making plans with someone else around this time would get you out of
this binging routine you're on. Maybe a nighttime walk or put an exercise
tape in and work out to it, or if you're in a nice warm climate, a evening
swim would be great! You can do it!!! Good luck to you!
— thumpiez
March 17, 2003
Have you considered professional help? I know that is the only way that I
can keep myself in check. I am only 2 months post op and still very limited
by the amount that I can eat but I know that my habits are so deeply
ingrained that I could easily be you. I see a therapist in a group each
week with other post-ops and i also see a nutritionist weekly. I think that
once you gtet into a cycle of bad eating it is such a hard thing to break.
It sounds very similar to what I used to do before surgery. I have found
that even now I can bamboozle myself into eating just a little something at
night if i am not really conscious of what I am doing. Good Luck! I am sure
that so many people here feel your terror and your pain! I do!!!
— Carol S.
March 17, 2003
I recommend getting some professional help also...It sounds like you are
stress-eating...so you might need some help to get you through your
stress..which should help you get back on track with eating.
— thekatinthehat
March 17, 2003
Hi Kim, first of all, I admire you for coming forward and admitting to a
problem that I am sure many of us can relate to. For those of us who
"were" out of control eaters pre-op, I think that this behavior
can be triggered post-op and return, as in your case, it happened with the
stress in your life. Once its out of the box, its tough to get it back in
again, and I know you are scared. I find myself eating too much at night
too, and much of it junk. I try to justify by saying, its only 2 cookies -
pre-op it would have been 10..oh, its only a few cheetos-pre-op it would
have been 1/2 a bag, etc, etc. But when the scale doesn't go down in a
month, and it even creeps up a pound or two, well, those little snacks here
and there add up. As I do not want to give up my snacks, I've had to make
some changes. And as I am a night snacker, I watch carefully during the day
and just eat small protein filled meals during the day so that I have some
room for the night snacks. Then,I added a 4th workout (used to be 3) and
adding 5 minutes more to each workout. I've given up some of the
snacks-its popcorn now and not cheetos. Try sunflower seeds-they have
protein and you can eat a whole bag, one at a time without damage. I've
also gotten some low fat ranch dressing and a bag of carrots and celery to
dip. YUM...Another long term post-op told me she goes to bed early to
avoid late night snacking. Hope some of these help....hang in there. you
have truly been an inspiration.
— Cindy R.
March 17, 2003
I am just about 13 months post op from my wls and I have been having
trouble with grazing also, and I have to get back on track, I haven't
gained any weight, but I'm afraid I will if I don't get back on track,I am
starting as of this very minute, 6:02 pm on March 17th. no more sweets or
carbs until I get my bearings and my act back together, I think the reason
I have been having trouble is because of my last surgery,my revison's from
my plastic surgery,(butt lift and dogear removal) it was kind of scary,(
being awake and all during surgery) and I still got the other half coming
up on the 28th)., well I gotta go get a glass of luke warm water and
sip,sip,sip, helps me to keep from eating!!!!good luck geting your eating
back on track, we have all been there and if we work hard at it we can
overcome any problem!!!!
— bikerchic
March 17, 2003
Just wanted to commiserate. I'm 19 months out, and controlling the carb
binging is HARD, HARD, HARD. I once read Michelle Curran's suggestion that
she tells herself "I'll have the ____ (fill in the blank with the
desired goody) after I drink a protein shake." By the time you drink
the shake, you usually don't want the _______ anymore. It does help.
Also, carbs for me are a trigger, so I'm much more in control if I avoid
them period. I recently purchased a box of Detour bars, and I could
certainly eat a bunch of those at a time. I think they're going to be a
major no-no for me (Waaahhhhh!!)
— mom2jtx3
March 17, 2003
Kimberly, I feel your pain! I also find myself slowly starting to creep
back into bad habits. But we don't have to give up! We didn't go through
all of this--surgery, pain, struggling to eat, healing and incredible
weight loss--to go back to our old ways. Fight the fight, you can do it!
Today, I began to reset my pouch. But I knew I couldn't do it if I was
eating anything so I have gone to a full liquid diet--protein drinks, soups
and water. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal and this has helped me to
stick with it (granted it's only the first day-but I'm going to do it.)
I'm going to do the liquid diet for 4 days and then add soft, pureed foods
for 4 days and then go to strict protein for a bit. I hope this resets my
pouch by size and dumping. If you'd like support, I'd be happy to
correspond. Good luck and don't give up!
— Brenda H.
March 17, 2003
Wow Kim, I think this hits home for lots of us - you are not alone, that's
for sure. I researched and researched this surgery, I read everything that
said it operates on your stomach not your mind, I read where it said you
must still watch what you eat and AVOID sweets and carbs. But somehow I
thought it would still be easy, I mean I would dump, my body wouldn't allow
me to do wrong, I'd have this little pouch, it wouldn't allow me to overeat
- wrong, wrong, wrong - ha! Well I don't dump, haven't ever really and I
had a distal RNY. And I have really watched what I've eaten, eat protein
first at all meals, watch the carbs, etc., swim, did therapy before surgery
to get my head on straight. And here I am 13 months later down -91 lbs.,
weighing 196 wondering how I will ever get to a normal weight, will it ever
happen, charts still say I'm severe overweight. I feel like such a failure
sometimes, yes I've come a LONG way baby - but haven't reached the finish
line! I gained 10 lbs. during the holidays by falling off the wagon and
drinking too much wine and eating too many carbs! But it's NOT too late.
I got back on the wagon, limiting carbs, avoiding sweets (though not always
perfect) and began swimming more laps and harder. The plateau still lasted
another month, I hadn't really lost any weight in over 2 months, just the
10 lbs. I'd gained during the holidays!! And then all of a sudden, within
2 weeks the scale dropped 4-5 lbs after watching it go up and down 1-2 lbs.
every week - I was thrilled. It has given me determination to continue on.
I still do have my pouch though it is larger than it was a year ago - ha!
And I will have to continue to watch what I eat like all my other
"thin" friends do. That's one thing I have come to realize, all
these people I thought were just normal and not fat, work hard at it like
I'm having to do and now I have a chance :) Sorry for rambling, it helps
me to put this in writing also. Lisa
— Lisa F.
March 17, 2003
Wow, I am glad I checked in, I am not alone. I am 6 months out and yes, I
am being laid off from my job, so I am under alot of stress. And I am
snacking at night, this is scaring me too. I think I am going to start a
hobby, like crocheting or something that keeps my hands busy. That is true
a support group, or counseling, (for those of us that can afford it) would
be great, but the brain is what we have to retrain. At least I don't feel
alone, thanks for all the advice. We can beat this!
— Leah G.
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