How to say 'Goodbye"to my best friend...FOOD

Hi, My surgery date is June 7th and I am really struggling with letting go of the "junk" food that I have loved for so many years! I am so excited about my DS surgery and I have to begin the Liver reduction diet next week. How do you truly let it all go? I want my new life to be a success! My husband is concerned too..I just admitted to him that Food was my best friend and I want to let it go!

Thanks,

Carol

One of the great things about the DS is that you don't need to say goodbye to food. There is no list of foods you can never eat again. That is not to say that you can just eat anything and everything all the time! You do need to emphasize protein and limit carbs. But because you can eat fat freely, since so little is absorbed, you can use any form of protein, not just lean protein, and you can cook it any way you want, not just fat free. And once you get past the weight loss phase, you can eat some carbs, just as long as you get in your protein first.

My guess is that you have been given exactly the same post-op diet as if you had gastric bypass. In reality, they are very different operations and both the diet and vitamin needs are very different.

Larra

Carol - the beauty of the DS is that you don't have to let it go. You not giving up food, your changing your relationship with food. It can still be your best friend, but you'll look to your best friend to nourish you, not comfort you. You'll learn to appreciate your best friend and treat her (or him) with the respect it deserves.

My love affair with food before the DS was all about how much - quantity. After the DS has become all about how good - quality. When you have any WLS, your food choices are critical. Nothing is off limits with the DS. Now keep in mind, during the weight loss phase, you need to stick to the program - high protein, low carb, and lots of water. Those are the only things you need to concern yourself with. No more counting fat grams, or calories. It's all about the protein. Low carb will help you lose weight faster because carbs become sugar, which we absorb 100%.

I say embrace this opportunity to fall in love with food all over again, just from a different perspective.

Hi Carol!

I think you probably know this, but I will say it anyway since you asked. Thinking of food as a "best friend" is probably how you got to be overweight. You need to get into a different head space if you want the surgery to work long term. Food needs to become a source of energy for your body, not a source of comfort for your head or heart.

How do you do this? First, you need to be aware of when you are experiencing head hunger or body hunger. This can be extremely difficult, because you need to train yourself to distinguish between the two types of hunger. Then you need to find another way to deal with head hunger other than eating. Personally, I started journaling when I feel head hunger, and I write down what I'm feeling and why (if I know why). Other people might go for a walk, or call a friend to chat, or go play with their kids. There is no one perfect solution with how you handle head hunger, so long as you don't handle it with food.

Second, get a new best friend. This person can be your husband, a relative, someone you've met locally, or even someone here. Invest the time you used to put into food, and create a stronger relationship.

Third, consider seeing a psychologist or a counselor to work out why food became your best friend. Again, I personally had issues from my past which contributed to my gaining such an incredible amount of weight. I believe that most people here are in the same boat. Getting help identifying and coping with your problems will not only help out with your eating, but can also affect every other part of your life in a positive way.

Good luck with your surgery. We're all rooting for you, Carol.

Pink Unicorn

Thank you Pink Unicorn for your words of wisdom & advice. I know my love/hate relationship with food stems from my childhood. Sometimes I feel like a out of control kid when it comes to food. I am so excited about the surgery and can't imagine how much better I will feel losing all this extra weight-160 overweight!! I really want to make this work and will definitely be looking for a psychologist to help me face these issues with food. I start the Liver Diet in 13 days, then the week of just shakes. When is your surgery?

Thanks,

cchall

I have two more appointments and then it's waiting for insurance approval. I think my surgery will be in late June.

I understand the excitement - I'm excited about the surgery even though it's not scheduled yet. I've made a list of things I want to do after the surgery to help me focus on non-weight related gains and improvements. So far, the activity I'm looking forward to the most is blacksmithing! I live in metro Atlanta, and there is a blacksmith in town who not only teaches classes, but has "hammer therapy" once a month or so on Friday afternoons/evenings. You can reserve an anvil and pound away. That sounds like so much fun.

Good luck with your surgery!

Pink Unicorn

I was amazed post-op how little I thought of food like I did before. Some of that came back a couple of years down the road but hopefully you will have the same "vacation" from those food feelings that I had.

You can do this,

Good luck,

Pete

Hi Pete,

I hope this happens to me too!

cchall

There isn't anything that you can never have again!!!

It won't be so hard. Once you get to your goal weight, you can basically eat what you want.

Scott