Question:
Can you change your habits after WLS if you are an emotional eater?

I have yet another question for everyone who has had WLS. I wanted to know that if you are an emotional eater before hand or if you are addicted to sugar and sweets will you be able to change your eating habits after the surgery without feeling deprived and depressed, especially if you suffer from dumping. I am totally willing to make the changes that comes with the surgery, but wanted to know how your body and mind reacts to the new way of eating. I notice now that if I don't have any form of sugar for a day or so, that I seem to go through withdrawl. It sounds crazy, but I get moody, and anxious and crave it badly. I know I am an extreme case, but wanted to know if anyone could relate and give me some answers. I have read that some people don't even want anything sweet after surgery, but I just can't see that happening for me. Although I will stick to the suggested diet, I am wondering how hard it will be.    — [Anonymous] (posted on May 18, 2001)

May 18, 2001
I was an emotional eater. I say "was" because I can no longer use food to comfort me. The first time I did I got sick and everything felt "stuck" because I was so stressed out. I learned my lesson. I decided that I would need an aversion other than food for those stressful, emotional times. For me, scrapbooking and sewing relax me - so I set up a table in the corner of my family room that is ALWAYS ready for me to come over and work. It's made it alot easier than having to drag everything out each time...because if you're like me - when I get stressed - I need something NOW! Rather than turn to food, I go work on my hobby and it's really helped (Not to mention my scrapbooks are up to date and my daughter's getting lots of new clothes!) Best wishes to you.
   — T.L. S.

May 18, 2001
You will probably find answers from both ends of the spectrum on this one: Never eat sugar and you won't crave it; never deprive yourself and you won't crave it. I think I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't dump from sugar, gone weeks without it, have eaten it occasionally and have even binged on it since my WLS. I find myself going in cycles. The binging comes when I'm stressed. Usually, I identify it, find something to do and keep it out of the house. My craving then passes by the next day. You will likely find that your cravings after WLS will be more physical then emotional. In other words, if your body needs protien, you'll want protien. If your body needs fiber or carbs, it may be fresh veggies you'll crave. At one week post op, I would have killed for fresh steamed broccoli! I will admit, however, the first time I ate chocolate post op, I didn't crave it; I was curious. So I ate 1/2 a Hershey kiss. It didn't taste very good to me, but it went down fine. It took me a few weeks before I tried another one...and they were sitting on my nightstand the whole time. I had no desire, and I really forgot they were there. Now, had I not been curious, I may have never learned that I do not dump on sugar. Perhaps I would have lost weight faster? I'm down 94 lbs. in 9 months. In any case, to answer your question, yes, you can change your habits if your an emotional eater, but I think it would be more accurate to say you can CONTROL your eating habits after WLS. Good Luck to you!
   — Allie B.

May 18, 2001
Emotional eating is probably something you will always struggle with. We all have ways that we comfort ourselves and for many obese people, food calms our emotional storms. That said, I have found that I don't binge.....it makes me feel very nauseous and mu stomach aches and I get mild dumping. I don't crave chocolate or sugar....makes me sleepy. I still get cravings....for odd things.....garlic-stuffed olives, grapefruit, pickled herring....no, not all at the same time.....and, no, I'm not pregnant. My biggest problem is that I graze. My father is dying of a degenerative brain disease. It is a slow, agonizing process that is striping a very proud man of his dignity. I find that when he has a very bad day or when I can't deal with being so needed and so impotent that I graze. I find myself chewing in rhythm to may pacing. I am 9 months out from surgery and have lost only 80 pounds. My biggest WLS struggle has been emotional and continues to be. Somedays I can wrestle with my food angel and win.....other days, well other days I just hang on for dawn.
   — Nanette T.

May 18, 2001
I was never a big sweet eater, but I am stuck on refined starch, which is metabolically the same. My reaction has always been that whenever I eat them (or sweets) more than a few times in a week, I quickly begin to crave them regularly...if I don't go cold turkey for at least 4 days, then ration them, I will spiral downward over a couple of weeks into wanting nothing but refined carbs. In that sense, they seem addiictve, probably because they cause the blood sugar and serotonin levels to soar, then crash, soar, then crash, over and over. My solution is to make such items a fairly rare treat, and accompanied by, or preceded by, protein and a little fat, to stabilize the blood sugar. I found that the withdrawal is always short-lived when you go cold turkey, lasting about 3.5 days, 4 at most. So it is very do-able, and if you haven't ever gone 4 days with NO refined carbs, you may think that agitated, deprived, craving feeling of withdrawal goes on forever! ...Psychologically, there is work to be done to avoid emotional eating, but we'll have more options when we need R&R, too--exercise/sports, fun, new clothes, sex, and so on. Goodluck!--Jesse, 4 mos. post BPD/DS
   — Jesse M.

May 18, 2001
I was an emotional, bored, happy, just loved food eater. I know I was an emotional eater now, because when something goes wrong and REALLY want [in the worst way] cookies and ice cream, but I know how sick I will get if I do. I have thrown up a number of times because I gobbled my food or early-on was too much sugar in milk. YUK, once you throw up you do NOT want to do it again on purpose -- believe me, you'll learn to stay away from the things you crave that will make you sick. I NEVER thought I'd ever turn down sweets, but not I will eat fresh fruit and it has paid off. I've lost 60 lbs in 4 months & I feel great!
   — Betty Todd