Counselling for Emotional Eating

[Allcdngirl]

Today has been an especially hard and emotional day for me. I am starting my pre-op on Thursday, however, for the past few days, it's been.. okay.. I need to finish the ice-cream.. have my favourite pizza for dinner, oh..what can I have for dessert ... oh wait.. I'm not going to be able to eat bread for a long time.. I need to get my fill of bread before Thursday etc. etc. I'm feeling a bit of anxiety.. maybe it's .. I don't want to give up this good food? Maybe I'm scared? When I saw my doctor last week, she suggested I get counselling. I am an emotional eater and have been all my life. What am I going to comfort myself with when I get banded. I have decided it's not going to be food anymore. I phoned and am waiting for a counsellor to call me and schedule an appt. Is anyone else seeking counselling? Oh. and by the way.. I AM really excited about getting banded on May 15th..

[trulytangledgrl]

Hey there. I understand what you are going through - COMPLETELY! I have been on diets since age 12. I don't think a single day goes by where I don't constantly have food on my mind. My emotional eating problem began in grade 5 when I was teased horribly for my weight. Since then, I have never been able to give up food as a comfort... I eat when I am stressed, mad, sad, happy, and anything in between. Long story short, my problems with food caused many OTHER problems for me including significant depression, so I decided to seek counseling. It was the BEST thing I could have done for myself! I would recommend it to you without a doubt. Good luck in your decision, and congrats on your decision to get banded. I will be getting banded about 2 weeks after you (may 30!). WOOHOOO! =D>

[Mackenzie]

I will be really shocked if anyone of this forum says that they became obese from being hungry all the time!!! I ate so much, i was never really hungry- i just NEEDED to eat! I also ate when i was bored, happy, sad, tired... etc! I realize that I have a food addiction- and even though i may be "going thru a recovery program" i will always be an addict- just like someone addicted to drugs or alcohol- you always have to be aware for your problem so that it doesnt take over again.

You wonder now what you will do instead of eating on the time, but you will figure it out. Take the pre-op and post-op diet time to really thing about what youre feeling when you REALLY want to eat. Its hard, ive said that before..its really hard! I had a few slip ups- but I learned from them. THere were times I would cheat on the pre-op diet and a little voice would say "no dont" but i would push that voice out of my mind right away... as time when on i started to differentiate bw physcial hunger and mental hunger and ive worked on that every day. I still have times (esp. around 3-4-5pm) when I NEED to eat..but really i just WANT to.

You will find what works for you, but just know that it isnt easy, but to know that food doesnt control your life is worth the struggle. I could go on and on with examples of when food has controlled my life, and it is really crazy. Now, I have cut it by probably 90% - and now I deal with my issues and i try my best not to give into the temptations which is getting a little easier every day.

Good luck! remember that we are all here for anyone to talk to !!!

[LaurenLeigh]

Hi, Lauren the emotional eater here! Lol. I was banded at the end of August and I still struggle with emotional eating. I too have been thinking about counseling. I have lost weight, so that is good, but I still have all the same emotions and food issues I had before surgery. And I still think about food a lot, though probably not quite as much as before. It's definitely NOT a cure for those issues.

Sounds like we are all in the same boat! Now just to keep this damn thing from sinking.... lol #-o

~Lauren

[Mackenzie]

I agree, i dont think the band is cure, but for me it was a way for me to really think about what i was doing to myself. MY dad was an alcoholic for years and just quit cold turkey, so maybe its in my blood! haha

[bandgroupie]

I managed to get through my pre op diet because I knew my husband would kill me if I started eating my last this and my last that after he shelled out the big bucks!!

Today has been an especially hard and emotional day for me. I am starting my pre-op on Thursday, however, for the past few days, it's been.. okay.. I need to finish the ice-cream.. have my favourite pizza for dinner, oh..what can I have for dessert ... oh wait.. I'm not going to be able to eat bread for a long time.. I need to get my fill of bread before Thursday etc. etc. I'm feeling a bit of anxiety.. maybe it's .. I don't want to give up this good food? Maybe I'm scared? When I saw my doctor last week, she suggested I get counselling. I am an emotional eater and have been all my life. What am I going to comfort myself with when I get banded. I have decided it's not going to be food anymore. I phoned and am waiting for a counsellor to call me and schedule an appt. Is anyone else seeking counselling? Oh. and by the way.. I AM really excited about getting banded on May 15th..

[Alana]

I definitely plan to make an appointment to speak with someone about my emotional eating. I think it'll be very beneficial to get my head straight after getting my tummy straight.