I think about food all the time
Has anyone gone through this, how do you change your mind?
There's a difference.
When I was wearly out I had major restriction, but then my pouch capacity increased and I was still eating that same small amount. Thoughts of food went up to obsessive levels. It was almost...animalistic...the way I thought about food.
It was because I was quite literally starving. When the body is starving it will employ every resource it has (from physical cues and cravings to totally taking over your brain) to get the food it needs.
Do you feel physically satisfied from your meals? Do you get physically hungry? If so, you might want to talk to your NUT about it and see how you can change the composition of your meals to address that (more fiber? more protein? more frequent smaller meals throughout the day?)
Then there's also the natural component of thinking about food a lot that comes with this process. My best defenses have been these:
1. When I KNOW it isn't physical, I simply go find something else to do after I eat. It's hard to make yourself do that but sometimes you must.
2. This is highly controversial, but I used to end my meals with a piece of gum. It gave my brain the opportunity to finish chewing even though I was done with my meal.
3. I also ended my meal with a palet cleanser like a strawberry. It helps when the lingering taste of food is not in your mouth.
I hope these help. Believe me, I feel your pain! My food thoughts became such that I became extremely depressed about them. At points I would have given my right arm to think about anything BUT food.
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
I do feel obsessed already. My family had pizza for dinner last night and I found myself stealing a piece or two of pepperoni. I'm not even supposed to eat that yet or ever (not sure) but I couldn't help myself.
This morning the scale had not moved. I figured because I ate wrong. I made cream if wheat for breakfast I did not finish my toddler size portion, about 1/3 c but if I dont flu**** down the sink I think I'll be back to eat more.
I cant chew gum because of false teeth but I will try the strawberry idea, Why strawberries will another fruit work like apricots?
Thanks so much
My “stomach" doesn’t growl either. My meter for hunger for a long time was those animalistic thoughts. THAT was hunger. When I ate some food, they calmed down. Like literally, when I was in that mode I doubt I would notice my child being kidnapped, that’s how focused my brain was on food.
For others, “hungry" is an empty pouch. That’s what it is for me nowadays. I can feel when my pouch is empty. Oddly enough, the only time my stomach makes sounds is AFTER I have eaten.
The pizza example sounds like a craving. I’ll try to be brief in my explanation but this stuff fascinates me to no end. So the brain creates links between things it needs and things you like. So when your body is in starvation mode (which is induced by WLS), those smells and cravings can become intense. Your body doesn’t want you to cut down calories. The body is ALWAYS in favor of eating a bunch of calories and storing them as fat. So that pizza is going to smell even better to you now. I theorize that’s why we get a lot of “that didn’t taste as good as I remember" after WLS. It’s because the smell sold you. The taste has never been all that. Your brain just told you it tastes great because it wanted you to eat it. J
My theory with regards to things like pizzerias is that for every bad food choice available I must have an equally desirable good choice. For me, that honestly would be a salad. I might splurge on some ranch dressing (I bring my own and toss it in most of the time). When I was too early out for that, I used to eat the cheese and pepperoni from pizzas and skipped the crust. This helps you to manage cravings. Half the craving is what you smell and half of it is you telling yourself you can’t have it. If there is something you CAN have, it’s easier to ignore what you can’t.
About strawberries. They have water in them. The water, along with the slightly bitter and tart taste, will cleanse your pallet. Apricots are sweet and don’t have as much water content. With them, you’d be replacing one lingering taste for another. I hope that makes sense.
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
Michelle (OH member since 2004 - new user name)
HW 285 / SW 270 / GW 140 / LW 135 / CW 185
RNY 6/8/2009
Starting size 26/28, now size 12/14
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." -Hebrews 13:8
First - We are so accustomed to eating large amounts that our 2 oz. looks and feels like nothing! On top of that, early out you will not feel the sensation of fullness in your pouch. The nerves to your pouch are not yet sending signals to your brain so you have no mental sensation that you've had enough. There is risk in this because you may feel that you "can" eat more. My doctor's advice was to measure and stop when you are done. Just because you "can" eat more doesn't mean you "should." As morbidly obese people, we are used to eating to the point of discomfort and what I call "Thanksgiving full" every day, or most days. We just won't be comfortable feeling that way, even long after the recovery stage. Odds are that you miss that feeling.
Secondly - there is a certain amount of grieving that goes on in these early days as our good friend, food, is essentially taken from us. And how are we used to coping with emotions? Well...by eating. Only now we can't do that. So we are left to feel, think, and deal with the emotion head on. We have to recognize the huge role that food played in our lives - when we were emotional, bored, sad, upset, joyful, celebrating - whatever it was, food was there. And so begins the task of changing that relationship with food. Food becomes fuel for your body. The pouch is valuable real estate and everything that goes in has to provide good nutritional value for the space that it will take up!
And finally - while you are very restricted right now, you have not said goodbye to normal eating forever. Now, the definition of "normal" will change but you will find that over the next few months and years ahead, you will be able to enjoy many favorites. Some old favorites won't be appealing any more, and that's okay. At 2 yrs. out, I have times when a particular food will sound good - until I am actually face to face with it, and just don't want it. I know it is very hard to imagine the day when you will be fully satisfied with a small portion of this, or a taste of that, or even the aroma of something. You'll discover some new favorites.
It's an interesting, introspective journey. Not an easy one by any stretch.
Food aversion may happen naturally, where some foods are involved. I think if you read the boards over a period of time, you'll find that plenty of people have certain foods that are totally UNappealing to them. But it's funny - the psychologist I saw pre op really warned about food aversion. He said that he has seen aversions develop after vomiiting, for example, ,and for us if that happens too many times we can end up with a problem.
One of the most valuable things I ever heard came from a support leader and WLS patient (who looks like a million bucks). She said that she did not consume refined sugar or refined carbs. I sat in the chair and wondered, "Could I ever say that?" And while I'm not perfect, I have pretty much stuck with that resolution from that day. Not playing with the program has made it much easier, I think, than trying to put the lid on Pandora's box.
And many of us are dealing with very real physical and psychological addiction to food. Another support meeting taught me that "the addiction goes into remission - but it is never cured."
Just a step at a time.
Anywayz, I still enjoy food porn though! ;)
"Create your day"