Question:
What have you learned about overeating and how to handle your issues?

How have you changed your behaviors towards food? How do you handle the holidays, buffets, stress, celebrations, etc. differently? Work stress has usually been my trigger in the past for overeating. Each time I have gotten a new job, I would gain about 30 pounds during the stressful first few months or gain 10 pounds for each new stressful project, for example. I am post lap RNY 4 months (10/15/2002) and down 75 pounds and feeling great.    — Yolanda J. (posted on February 12, 2003)

February 12, 2003
just handle each situation as it arises - do the best you can do at the time and don't beat yourself up if you lapse - as long as it's not to often... we're all human and no one is perfect when it comes to the pouch rules - congrats on the weight loss!
   — lindajenkins

February 12, 2003
I am so glad you've asked this question and will keep my eye on the responses. I'm pre-op, but thought of the same thing (over and over and over and over...well you get the hint).
   — Diane S.

February 12, 2003
Yolanda, Good question I think I have a little of an answer, when I'm totally stressed, sometimes I pop a whole bag of pop corn and eat it up (Hence that'll be the only thing I eat for dinner), ya I know it's not good no nutritional value, but it could have been worse, I'm an emotional eater, and stress really gets to me, some other things that I've started doing I'll go to the tanning sallon in hopes to burn the stress, ya I know it's not good but it helps a little or I'll just put myself to sleep early...... and try to sleep the stress off, I'm really trying to find other things to do to relieve some of the stress in my life, if you come up with any other idea's email me. Post op 8 months down 118 pounds
   — tannedtigress

February 13, 2003
Holidays and social situations I have no problem with. I just watch the sugar and eat small quantities of whatever looks good. Everyone knows I've had the surgery so there are no comments except from the occassional waiter worried about the quality of the food. I just came back from vacation and had several multicourse meals (that were wonderful!). I just ate a few bites of each course, heavy on the main course meat. Even dessert! It was great. I didn't mind paying full price because if I hadn't had the surgery I would have eaten it all and gained weight. This way I ate a little of everything and was satisfied--not to mention coming back weighing the same as I did when I left!<p>The stress eating has been replaced by other activities. I went thru an extremely stressful period a few months after WLS and I shoveled 9 cubic yards of mulch. Let me tell you that was a stress buster! If I feel stressed at work I usually try to remove myself briefly--take a short walk or go get a cup of coffee and read the comics in the paper. It works pretty well.<p>I do sometimes feel the need for VOLUME and when that happens I usually eat popcorn, salad, pretzels, or something like that. It chews up to nothing and I can feel like I am pigging out when I'm really not.
   — ctyst

February 13, 2003
What have I learned?? At almost 17mos post op down 115lbs I've learned that the surgery is indeed done on our stomachs NOT our brains. Sadly my tendencies are the same with regard to stress eating even though my post op mantra has always been <b>Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!</b> That being said the farther out I get the harder it is to maintain that mindset. My son & husband have been deployed, I'm in the 15th week of a plateau, and I'm hating winter. . .SO I try to keep busy, stay out of the kitchen, and THINK before I put something in my mouth. If I blow it I don't continue eating that way for the rest of the day (like I used to), I try to get back on track after the last bite in fact sometimes I don't even take that last bite! Now thats progress (for me!!!) =)
   — Denise W.

February 13, 2003
I think stress and other emotions are food triggers for most of us. That doesn't go away. What stressed you before and caused you to eat will continue to do so post-op. But the choice of food you use to assuage the emotions you can change. Instead of candy bars and potato chips, I use things like popcorn, protein bars, fruit, pudding with cool whip or something along those lines. As for holidays, buffets, celebrations, I eat what everyone else eats, usually. I stay away from the alcohol-maybe 1/2 a glass of wine-just try to take tiny amounts from buffets (and protein types food at that)and just eat until I am full-not stuffed-and seat myself facing AWAY from the buffet or in the next room(out of sight-out of mind). What I do enjoy now when I go out to eat is having a few bites of the dessert without the guiltys! YUM...
   — Cindy R.

February 13, 2003
There's a bagel breakfast table sitting right across the aisle from me this morning to celebrate Valentine's Day. Although I love bagels, I refuse to touch it because it's pure carbs. Before this surgery I would've eaten about 2-3 by now and probably would've had one stashed away for this afternoon, complete with the lox or salmon cream cheese and all.
   — MURRAY