3 Weeks Post Op Today - Can't Eat My Feelings
by
, 09-11-2017 at 12:00 AM (2930 Views)
Just wanted to do a little check-in now that I am 3 weeks post-surgery. It feels like forever and yesterday, I must say. Things are generally going well. I am in pureed foods and most I tolerate well but eggs (my family owned an egg farm when I was a kid) have been enemy number one. My stomach is still a bit sore and my energy lags a bit, but dropping 34 pounds and NEVER FEELING hunger with minimal side effects has been a blessing.
I think one of the most difficult things for me is to admit that I am an emotional eater. The slightest provocation of my apparently very frail psyche and I want to bury my face into white flour and sugar. Obviously that is now impossible and for anyone who can relate to eating even when you don't want to just to mask emotional pain, it is a very welcome relief, similar to the day you notice when your cold goes away. Poof! Gone!
However, I can see how it can manifest in other ways and here I must be careful. One of my non-food defense mechanisms is getting sleepy. I even used to fall asleep in psychotherapy if the session got to ummm real (haha). So, combined with being on a restricted diet which can be exhausting in and of itself, I tend to drag a lot during the day, especially if I find myself ruminating on my future (one that I still can't picture the new me in yet). The best advice I have received so far is to focus on this great project I have undertaken (WLS) and leave everything else to deal with later when I am further along in this journey. I find that very useful (although I didn't take much of that advice while watching hurricane coverage all day). But tomorrow starts a new day. I have a DR visit tomorrow, and it will be a new day and a new unlimited opportunity to make the best of everything. I think I am going to fly my kite on the beach tomorrow to celebrate!