[willadeegee]

Learning to eat right has become a way of life to me. I eat to live now. And that makes me happy.

I used to live to eat because food was my security blanket. I'd wrap myself in food when I was sad, happy, mad, depressed, for fun. You name the mood and I'd find a reason to eat. And I did it without any conscious knowledge. I was addicted to food and was blissfully ignorant of that fact. I mean didn't everyone eat the super duper size at Burger King? And didn't everyone eat till they were ready to bust a gut at Ponderosa? Everyone I knew did.

Even the skinny people I knew ate too much when they went to the all you can eat restaurants. (People call them salad bars but they're really pig-out bars.)

I try to stay away from those places now unless I'm traveling with my husband. Unfortunately he still has an eating disorder. As one person on the boards here puts it a birth defect :P .

After I had my initial consult with the surgeon who did my gastric bypass, I sat down and took stock of what I was eating every day. I was eating enough for 2 all the time and sometimes enough for 3 people. I also found out that my BMI was 50.5. That meant I wasn't just fat or obese. I was super morbidly obese.

It sure deflated what was left of my sagging ego. I'd been called fat all my life and I couldn't understand how people could be so callous as to call me fat when I was just big boned. I can laugh at myself now because I was so blind to the truth and now that my eyes have been opened I can see what others saw.

Before the WLS I could sit down and eat a quart of soup, with crackers, a huge salad (big enough for 2 or more) and a fourth of a 9 inch pie with ice cream or whipped topping on it. That would be one meal. Or maybe a Double Whopper with all the trimmings, a super sized fries, a super sized drink and then go back for a super onion rings.

Now I do good to eat a cup of food in a whole meal. And what I eat is not only good but it is good for me. I always was a great water drinker because I had trouble with kidney stones and bladder infections, but now I drink it because I want to be healthy not just because I have to (even though I do have to).

I don't drink much soda although I do indulge maybe a couple times a month. I don't eat sugar because I "dump" on more than 4grams added sugar. I also don't eat high fat for the same reason.

I eat less, because I want to have quality of life. I want to live till I'm 105 if I can. And I really believe I can.

The average life span for women in my dad's family is 98, and about the same on my mother's side. And that's for women who have high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health problems. So I don't think I'm aiming too high

[LEEJA]

Hi Willa....
Was hard to give up the food after the surgery? I know, people say, "You just feel full!" ..
But, I'm guilty... I eat sometimes even if I'm full!! It's like a horrible habit!!

[willadeegee]

Well, I had trouble at first because I felt like I was losing my best friend.

But now I really don't miss anything. My tastes have changed drastically and I don't like the taste of a lot of the foods I used to think I couldn't live without.

I used to love to eat pasta. Now I can't stand most of it. It hurts my pouch and I hope it always does. I took a bite of my husbands ramen noodles today and boy did it hurt. Felt like a lump of rock in my pouch.

[CraigT]

Hey Willa, Good stuff kiddo. Keep up the awesome work.

[willadeegee]

I turned down a chocolate fudge brownie! yeah for me.

[LEEJA]

I can't wait the day I turn down some pasta!!
I know, it's mental sometimes.or ..most of the time

[Catapillar]

You're doing great!!

[LEEJA]

Willa..
Do you have bad days?? How about at the beginning?
Any Dumping? What causes you to sick?

Thanks again ...