Surgery and Food Addiction (Part 1?)

wow, great post! i'm totally addicted to sugar! pretty much food i guess, but mainly sugary carbs, ice cream being my favorite, closely followed by sugary muffins, pastries, etc. my saving grace is that i have Celiac disease, so i can't just go out and eat a donut wherever i go! i have to plan ahead and actually make a gluten free version before i can eat it, so i have to think before i eat. i'm afraid having this surgery won't take care of my addiction to food. that's the biggest fear.

If that's your biggest fear, we can take care of that right now.  You're right!  Surgery won't fix it. 

BUT, surgery will give you a fighting chance to recover. 

Sometimes in OA they talk about having a "spiritual experience."  Sometimes you hear that and you think people are going to tell you how the heavens parted and God spoke to them.  For me, it happened 2 nights after my first meeting.  I heard people say they "refrained from their personal binge foods."  I got so freaked out I went to the grocery and bought a pound of M&Ms. I kept out of them for one night.  The next night I had about 20 in a small bowl.  By midnight the bag was gone.

I lay on my sofa looking at the empty bag and felt so completely defeated by food.  I really *really* understood what they were saying when they said we were "powerless over food."  My ability to control eating sugary foods was zilcho.  This was my spiritual experience, where I understood that I was sugar's ***** and it would drag me around by the hair for as long as I'd let it. 

Sugar isn't the entirety of my issues with food, and giving it up didn't keep me thin.  But eating it will kill me.  Not at first, but soon enough. 

I try not to give too much advice, but I would tell you to be prepared for some challenging work, and then be prepared to make actual progress.  That's the best part - sometimes I felt pre-surgery that I was working as hard as I could and was still struggling to just stay in the same place.  After surgery, you will get a marvelous reprieve from the tyranny of food.  You can use this time to detoxic and transition to a better way of eating. You will actually lose weight without suffering. You can learn new strategies for staying away from what triggers you.  It will be better.

Hugs to you!!

Thank you!!!

You're very welcome!

Happy,

Thank you for this post.  I too consider my self a food addict.  I came back to OH to investigate VSG.  Your post helped me.

About 6 years ago I had a BMI of 52.  Five years ago, I had Lap-Band surgery.  It was very successful and I lost over 150 pounds. I was continuing to lose weight, very slowly, but it was on a constant downward trend.  I lost my band this time last year. It eroded into my stomach, causing an abdominal abscess that nearly killed me. (The Lap-Band saved my life, then four years later it tried to kill me.) I say the band was so successful for me because it put a handle on the tools I had learned at OA. 

Since I lost my band, I have regained 50 pounds.  I was beating myself up!  I have spent so much money having the band placed and then removed, I was not even contemplating another surgery. Until we were selecting insurance elections for next year and my husband suggested we investigate which plan will pay for VSG.  I was berating myself for being a failure at weight loss AGAIN.  Then I realized, why should I think that I could suddenly successfully "diet" and lose weight.  The only way I have ever been able to lose weight in the past was with the band.  I came here to learn more about VSG and see if it might work for me.

Thanks,

Shari

Shari,

Oh, I am so happy I had this surgery!  I have not had the LabBand, but I think you will find that VSG is even better.  It is a tool that really makes what we learned in OA really work.  Good luck!!