AMA
feverbee · 15/09/2018 02:25
I am overweight because I use food as a psychological 'drug', if that makes sense. If I'm happy, I eat. If I'm sad, I eat. Etc etc. Generally when I feel rubbish, I eat rubbish. Was your weight gain related to how you felt (I think you alluded this earlier) and if so how did this change when you got the surgery? I always thought the psychological need for found would always still be there.
triwarrior · 15/09/2018 03:04
Have you spent any time/had any counseling about the emotional part of eating? I appreciate that physically you are restricted in what you can eat, but how do you deal with the desire/need for comfort (or whatever it was that was driving you to excessive eating.) Was there any psychological/emotional “treatment” for you?
.hearttree · 15/09/2018 08:15
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sparklyandgorgeousme · 15/09/2018 08:21
Could anyone or helped you as a child.... I have a child who has been brought up on process foods not by me ..(not getting on to how or why) we have tried ample times to introduce her to new foods but she resists and will then go and get junk food from
Others
I obviously don't want to make weight an issue but I also worry where she is headed
What would have helped you ??
rightreckoner · 15/09/2018 08:23
Ignore heart who doesn’t understand what you’ve been through. Two family members had gastric surgery - one went brilliantly and her life is transformed 10 years on. The other didn’t work due to complications and it had to be removed. But I can see how well this approach works when it goes to plan.
And heartfelt congratulations to you. It’s wonderful that you have got your life back and can be the woman and mum you want to be. That’s definitely something this taxpayer is happy to pay for 
merlotmummy14 · 15/09/2018 08:35
I have a friend pushing 25 stone. She talks a lot about wanting to lose weight but she just can't seem to stop eating (a serial snacker). How can I support her without being insensitive? I don't even know what I can suggest as normal diet advice doesn't really apply. I've offered to go to the gym with her but she feels she will be ridiculed at her size by the other gym goers (I think a lot of gym goers would be rather helpful as a lot of them have been in that position themselves but then I'm not sure).
Movablefeast · 15/09/2018 08:50
Did you introduce exercise into your life as you lost weight OP? How much activity do you do now and what kind?
Congratulations you sound so happy I definitely believe these procedures to be a good investment by the tax payer as the patient's quality of life improves so much and as a result their health. It also sounds like there is a strong screening and assessment of each patient. If food is an addiction due to lifelong coping mechanisms and possible abuse the mind seems to need support to have a "reset". Another factor, if you improve the parents health all the family benefits, such as the OPs DD. That is truly wonderful 
Also OP was there a feeder or feeders around you who were offering you too many calories when you were young? I can only imagine there must have been.
HalfThewoman · 15/09/2018 10:00
How did you get help, the operation and such, privately?
No, I used the NHS. It’s different for every area but I started the surgery path after begging the weight loss nurse at my GP surgery to refer me. I had tried xenical, phentermine, meal replacement, the gym etc in the past so the nurse agreed that further help was needed.
The surgery route took one and a half years, during that time I had to attended fortnightly dietician and physio sessions. I had the option to have therapy too, but refused as they were group sessions. During this time I managed to lose 21lbs. After that I saw the surgeon who asked why I’ve gotten so fat (in those words) , I replied that I like to eat too much. He was happy with that answer and allowed the surgery to go ahead.
Some of the group on the pathway felt that they didn’t need surgery at the end, the specialist help we received was enough for them.
HalfThewoman · 15/09/2018 10:05
Was your weight gain related to how you felt (I think you alluded this earlier) and if so how did this change when you got the surgery? I always thought the psychological need for found would always still be there
I think it was pure desperation that made me change my way of thinking. I knew I simply couldn’t go on how things were.
During the surgery pathway I read a lot of self help books, joined some weight loss surgery forums and would talk about things there. It really helped, there are so many common themes that drive us, the forums were a great help to figure stuff out.
I feel very light, it’s still a little odd.
HalfThewoman · 15/09/2018 10:13
That’s really difficult to answer sparklyandgorgeousme. My best advice would be to find out what is driving the overeating and deal with that. Absolutely don’t make it about her weight, it really won’t help in the long run. Think of the weight as a symptom.
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