Question for all the Veteran Maintainers

I made a blog post about what to do when you could no longer "eat your feelings away". It was interesting, the most helpful comment came from the one post-op that replied. The pre-ops were so nice in responding but I don't think they can grasp what this is like until you've actually had the surgery.

For those of you who were emotional eaters, how the heck did you learn to handle your feelings (both good and bad) when you can no longer use food to cope with them??

I knew this was an aspect of the surgery but it's the first time it's really ht me hard. Nothing seems to be helping - journaling, etc.

I need a little help.

Thanks!

Lisa

For me it was exercise, I turned to machine pilates and spinning.

I also felt swiming at the end of the day helped.

Oddly enough, I didn't turn to anything really. I just allow myself to be more emotional than I was before. Yes, I cry more than I used too, and I yell more too... but I own all my feelings, and since I used to eat ALL my feelings, I get to feel the happy ones more fully now too...

This is such a tough question, and unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. I wish I had some wisdom, but it's something I continue to work on. It's a process of learning what the triggers are and then figuring out something to do. Duh, sounds easy, lol. I play the piano (badly) or play a game on the computer, or walk my dogs or have a cup of tea and read. Just distract myself with something other than food, I guess...

Lizanne

I went back to my Psych and started on Welbutrin.  Trying to face the things I used food for in the past, if I don't the anxiety gets to me.    Exercise helps me. but I broke both my wrists  and buggered my foot and knee so I have been sidelined.  I like the cup of tea and reading a book idea, thanks ThinLizzzy I can do that! 

I do exercise a lot too and it does really help. Unfortunately, I am still an emotional eater.

There is no sense in saying that the sleeve will not let you eat when you feel emotional . I can still eat candy, chips, all sorts of junk food. I have to have some willpower here too, cause if I see the scale creep up, I freak out. The sleeve does not do all the work.

lots of this eating is stress related and I was luckily able to destress my life by changing work, moving to a rural area and just generally smelling the roses. But not everyone can do that short term. So you need to find things to do to substitute for that eating until the habit fades. I play internet scrabble with people all over the world. I blab on this site a lot. I play a brain age training game to keep me from becoming senile. I so art work. I always have some sort of house hold project going on. I read stuff I have always been meaning to read. At one time i journaled about feelings but found it just made it worse as i obsessed more. Changing the picture and mindset by doing some other things seems to be best and a big list of such things is helpful. Some times I even write letters to senators and congressional reps to tell then all the things i think they are doing wrong or to tell them ideas i have. Remind yourself that thin people have emotional issues to and they may bite their nails, scream at people, compulsively clean house or other things to distract them from the feelings so it is possible. Its also possible to find a food item that is healthy and part of the plan to have at the end of the day to calm you such as hot skim milk, hot chicken broth or hot protein coco.
hope you find some ways to address this.  D

a very good post, Diane, the further out I get the more it is about LIFE and not about eating. do you mind sharing what you changed your work to? I am looking for a change, for sure!

Well, I made a huge change in career. Went from being a business lawyer in a huge law firm to being a free lance artist. Was trained as an artist in undergrad but went to law school as a way to make a living. After 25 years it was really wearing on me , and probably contributing to my obesity, and i always wanted to return to my true calling as an artist which i never had time for as a practicing lawyer. Also developed a disease in my hands and realized i might not always be able to use them for art work so better do it now. and my husband was sick of his job too so we also decided to move half way across the country and do something totally different. It took a year of planning and organizing to get it done but that was 8 years ago and i have never regretted it.  D

Are you on FB? They have  Scrabble that you can play with your friends...I always have a couple of games going--would love to play if you want!
L.