Reality check time

[Venture]

Well thanks everyone for all your input, all constructive and helpful and so useful from a different perspective to mine! Nothing has seemed out of line with what I was expecting so I have decided to go ahead!

Exciting news, loan application to pay for it privately was approved today! Thought I'd apply just on the off-chance; if it got rejected I would save up instead. But it went through straight away. So it's off to speak to the surgeons now!!

Happy bunny here seeing that there is light at the end of the tunnel for me!

 

[Venture]

I too am a binge eater with a band. A few days ago I downloaded a book called overcoming binge eating (2nd edition). This was very helpful as one, it let me see how far I have come. Even though I am seriously struggling right now and gaining weight.....my binges are minimal now compared to what they used to be...I have to graze for long periods rather than shoving it all in at speed.

But also pointed out that dieting actually causes binge eating....if a woman is eating less than 1200 calories a day she is in starvation mode and a binger is more likely to binge in these circumstances.

I need to get back to basics and eat more as I am trying to limit my food to such an extent that I generally eat very little in between my now mini binges....and this is because I am feeling so out of control with my food..

It's a hard one....I know some people with a sleeve still do manage to binge and have trouble with weight loss

It's not a magic cure babe....but good luck

I do not regret my band and still think it is the best thing I have ever done but the day to day eating battle is as hard as it has always been :-(

Thanks Kursty! I am not too worried about future binging because for me it has always been caused by being fed up with my weight; in day to day life I am just fine and even verging on confident these days. I know for some people it is caused by stresses in life or other issues that won't go away as a result of the surgery. For me though I feel it will make all the difference. The only thing I am concerned about is depression caused by ugly excess skin but I will deal with that as it comes up, if I mentally expect to have some kind of surgery to tidy it up in a few years then it will just be a bonus if I end up not needing it. I'm under no illusions, I know if it happens it will be depressing, but I will definitely take that over a lifetime of being overweight and depression over never being able to see a future where I am slim! NO MORE! Gastric sleeve to reboot my system, give me some happiness from finally being the person I've always wanted to be, and a fighting chance at managing to keep to those healthy habits as a result! Bring it on!

 

[Twothirdsamidwife]

Yay that's great news that you can go ahead - hope you get a date soon.

 

[Smallerme]

You know what Venture, your post mirrors a similar situation to what I was in and why I chose the sleeve. I was able to lose weight, but then I'd lose momentum and gain back more than I'd lost. Because I was another 11yrs older than you when I had mine I'd hit a BMI of 50. I have always had the basic foundation of a healthy diet, it was the level of hunger and crap ate around this that upped my weight.

I've been sleeved coming up to 19mths and it's more than met my expectations. I sit between 26-27 for BMI. Yes for a long while you have to think about food more, meticulously planning. There's also a mourning period for bigger portions for many of us. But then all of a sudden it begins to feel normal again.

 

[Venture]

You know what Venture, your post mirrors a similar situation to what I was in and why I chose the sleeve. I was able to lose weight, but then I'd lose momentum and gain back more than I'd lost. Because I was another 11yrs older than you when I had mine I'd hit a BMI of 50. I have always had the basic foundation of a healthy diet, it was the level of hunger and crap ate around this that upped my weight.

I've been sleeved coming up to 19mths and it's more than met my expectations. I sit between 26-27 for BMI. Yes for a long while you have to think about food more, meticulously planning. There's also a mourning period for bigger portions for many of us. But then all of a sudden it begins to feel normal again.

So excited to hear from someone in the same boat! Thank you so much for posting!
We do sound rather alike. And your high pre-op BMI a bit older than me is part of why I want to do this NOW. I want to get a handle on this before I have wasted my life away being overweight, and I know I am categorically NOT able to shift it on my own and keep it off long term.

I don't mind thinking about food - a couple of people have mentioned that, and I think I probably phrased it badly. Thinking about what I'm going to eat is fine. Being able to focus on healthy food is great. What I want to stop is unhealthy food controlling me. I think a lot of us feel the same.

A mourning period for bigger portions sounds very likely to be my future. I love my big portions and I love having a big mouthful of food (oo err). But I don't want to be that way. So in a grim way I look forward to that mourning period, because I know finally I am physically unable to give in to that urge and on track to a more normal attitude to food. It doesn't just rely on my willpower anymore. And I know my willpower is not enough.

 

[Smallerme]

Yup at age 25 my BMI was 35. I spent a long time trying and failing at diets. I had some therapy leading up to WLS (not for that but another issue where eating was a side effect) and also have the overcoming weigh problems. The other book that was great for me was The Beck Diet Solution which isn't a diet but retraining your thoughts around food.

 

[Venture]

Thanks Smallerme and can I say you are looking great nowadays! Well done!

I think I can handle the psychological aspect, I'm pretty analytical and thoughtful and can work through most things - but I will bear those in mind if I find it harder than expected.

 

[Gladys Friday]

The cravings are what I am worried about the most. I wondered if a course of hypnosis would do the trick?

Debbie

 

[kurstywursty]

Kursty- I'll have a look out for that book - who is it by?

Dr Christopher G Fairburn xx