Food Funerals

Hi, has anyone had troubles when it comes to food funerals?  I am having surgery on Oct  30th and have one wee****il OptiFast.  I constantly have thoughts that I will not be able to eat a certain food ever again which makes me want to have food funerals for everything that is bad for me.  I haven't gained any weight but need to stop before I am in big trouble when I start Opti.  It will be hard enough not to eat anything other than the Opti let alone stop eating my favourites at the same time.  Does anyone out there have any suggestions for self affirmations to get me through my "I will never eat this again" statements? Something just to help me until the craving for that last bite of something passes?

Sue

Personally I had a couple of "last supper" meals and they were great.  The things you liked prior to surgery aren't necessarily going to be things you like now...I thought I missed pizza and took a bite-didn't do a thing for me.  Someone also gave me a taste of their blizzard which tasted so sweet it was gross.  I have also tried a couple sips of diet coke-same thing-no interest in having it.  Our head thinks it misses something but in reality our stomachs most likely don't.  They are thanking us for giving up all the crap!  Good luck and enjoy some treats.  Just don't go overboard!

Thanks Monica, That is helpful to know :)

The one thing I do miss is pasta.  I don't think it is really something we will ever be able to have.  I was also missing subway but then I read on here that some people go to Mr Sub and get the wrap-which I didn't know they had.  I get a lot of wraps and generally just eat the inside and only half-my husband usually steals the other half.  I could care less about cakes, pies, ice cream -been around them alot and it is not tempting.  Like one of the other posters on here said you will feel totally different after surgery and view things in a different light.  Reading labels is a real eye opener.  I was at Costco the other day and was waiting for my friend while she was in the bakery and I picked up a package of banana chocolate infused muffins-which in the old days I would have loved to try one-I was curious about the nut value and one muffin-which was medium size- was 570 calories, 17grams of fat I think and something like 25 grams of sugar!!  Wow that blew me away.  Knowledge is key!!

I thought that I would need to have these and I would be sad. But honestly I'm 3 months post op and I have no craving and believed I was the craving queen. I feel satisfied everyday by new things and my taste buds have changed dramatically!

I wouldn't look at it as a food funeral. The week before I started OPTI ( I am on day 8), I had Pepsi, and other foods that I had stopped eating since I lost 31 lbs on my own so far.  I know so many people who have had RNY or the Sleeve and eat whatever they want ....in moderation after having surgery...it doesn't happen overnight, but eventually, most people are able to tolerate many foods we used to eat - and my social worker told me to follow the 80/20 rule in life in regards to food.  Follow the regime 80% of the time and then treat yourself to things 20% of the time and forgive and allow that.  That is a healthy balance for mentality towards food. I felt sick gorging on food in social settings like family gatherings...and most of it was boredom and emotional eating, or "just because it was there". I started putting leftover away right away after dinner etc.....out of sight, out of mind.  I keep telling myself that the end result will be so worth it.  Eating the way I did caused me to get this way.  I refuse to see food as an evil, but I watched Dr. Oz one day and he said to "eat to live, not live to eat" and I really bought into that concept.  We really don't NEED the amount of food we eat in a day.  Smaller portions are key to maintaining success and so much of it is MENTAL. I am not having a food funeral....I just know I have to modify what I am eating for a while after surgery and will introduce certain things in small doses over time and hope I can.  I have seen first hand that it is possible.  And some people aren't using thier supports from their Centre after surgery to keep on track and start gaining the weight back.  It has to be about being healthy and not about starving ourselves, or " going without ".  That's my take on it anyway and its helped me.

What an excellent way to re frame my thinking. Thank you so much :)

Oh I had several days of food funerals. One day I had Kentucky fried, a&w and was in the washroom the rest of the day, ugh!! I was really worried about how will I manage, and I gotta tell ya, I don't miss anything, not one thing!! This surgery is not a miracle, and honestly like I was told so many times, its a tool, and so far so good. Once I started opti, I was in, totally in and haven't looked back. Sure I was doing my best before opti to try to eat right, chew slowly, not drink before and after meals, but it really does fall together once your IN this post op.

You can do this, it WILL change your life, it CAN save your life. Yes, you may miss things but the cravings just aren't the same and you will feel SO amazing you just won't do it. Now, I am in that 'honeymoon' phase, all this will get harder later on, so now is the time to WORK the tool and get the new eating habits in place.

Annette 

Thank you Annette :)

been on one for a few weeks now. i'm actually getting sick of it!  Optifast is coming up quickly, which scares the hell out of me yet thrills me at the same time!

Have been avoiding the scale but can feel that I've gained.