Lilka, concerns about bingeing and nibbling

[Guest guest]

OMG Lilka:

That friend (no judgment implied) seems to have a serious eating

disorder. It's called bulimia or at least that's what it sounds

like. It sounds like he is bingeing, not nibbling. Nibbling is a

behavior that has many causes. If our head is telling us we are

hungry, but we are, in fact, not in need of food, there is another

cause (physical or emotional).

But eating large quantities and then vomiting and then eating again

is very dangerous behavior that needs serious intervention, in my

opinion. The stomach acid that is brought up with all that food

causes damage (ulcers) to the esophagus, and it can rot teeth over

time.

Please don't think that this is normal behavior. Bingeing and

purging with RNY gastric bypass would be a recipe for major trouble,

both physically and emotionally.

Physical hunger is solved by eating the appropriate food (and

drinking enough water) in the appropriate quantities. I've found

that a lot of my hunger is actually thirst, and sometimes, I've been

told, our bodies eat in an attempt to hydrate through the moisture

content of food. Emotional eating is the harder demon to tackle.

There are no easy answers, and there is certainly no surgery to help

us stop that. It's up to each and everyone one of us to discover the

reasons for our over-eating and to face the reasons with honesty and

sympathetic love.

I'm talking to myself here too. Don't think that I don't struggle

with it daily. I do. However, I've discovered that when I get into

a pattern of not addressing my emotions truthfully, I get messed up

in my routine. When I stick to my regime of truth, food, exercise,

spiritual nourishment and self-esteem building, everything balances

out. And it is indeed a balancing act. I have to work to maintain

that delicate balance.

Hard stuff, but what's the alternative? Eating wrong until I'm sick

and then gaining all the weight back? Not for me.

I've tasted freedom, and that's what keeps me focused, and when I

mess up, I gently kick myself in the pants, tell myself " It's OK,

you're gonna be OK. I still love you, and you deserve this

success. " (You know, something a loving parent would tell their kid,

but now it comes from within. I don't need it to come from someone

else, although it's nice when it does.)

Regarding your daughter, a life time of vitamins--and good nutrition

and exercise--is preferable to what I had: 39 years of shame

including a suicide attempt (I'm not saying that that will happen to

her, but it was my experience); health that was compromised due to

diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux, joint

pain. I was headed to a painful and early death. My body was

starting to fail me. And I certainly was failing it.

Now I am free, and that freedom is worth every sacrifice. Nothing,

not one piece of food tastes good enough for me to give up the

miracle that is my freedom. The Universe dropped this gift in my lap

(with a lot of help from me), so I cannot, will not squander it. For

some reason, the Heavens heard my silent cries of pain, and a miracle

happened in my life. My pain was taken away, and in it's place, a

life with choices, joys and sorrows I never knew existed. The joys

far outweigh the sorrows.

I owe it to Nature, God, the Cosmos to keep my part of the bargain--

to use the tool the way it was meant to be used.

I hope this makes sense. I mean it with the sincerest concern for

you and your daughter. I wish you both the best. I hope that you

taste this freedom because it will fill your soul in ways no one can

understand but all of us here.

We all see life from two perspectives--pre and post op. I think it

engenders a compassion and depth that I feel here online. I think it

makes us pretty special people.

I thank God that I was once morbidly obese. My freedom means more to

me than if I'd lived my life as a normal weighted person. But I know

this for sure--I will never be morbidly obese again, because my mind,

body and spirit are now transformed, and my life is set up to ensure

my continued success.

And that's what I hope for all of us: A " normal " life with ups and

downs that have nothing to do with being morbidly obese.

Francisco

>

> Hi , Thanks for all your input here. I so appreciate it. I

> read that article and I find it very intriqueing. I know a guy in

> Belgium who had the gastric band about 10 years ago. He eats

> enormously, politely excuses himself and goes to the bathroom to

> throw up all that he just ate and comes back to continue eating. He

> goes for adjustments every six months. He seems fine, has gained

> some weight back but not too much. He has had his skin removed and

a

> heart bypass surgery over the last 4 years. His heart was always

bad

> and that is why he had the surgery in the first place. He survived

> both just fine. He told me last summer that if he had it to do over

> again, he would do the roux en y instead because there is less

> vomiting. But he is satisfied and always relieved that he had the

> surgery in the first place. When I did research on this, I

> considered the lap band although Kaiser did not do it then and will

> not do it until March of this year. I read that if you tend to

> nibble which I do, it is not as effective. I am working hard to

stop

> this mindless nibbling on tomatoes and such. I do not see why

> gastric bypass would be any better for nibblers than the band. But

I

> am hopeful. I have a young daughter (21) who needs this surgery too

> but maybe the band would be better because she could not go a whole

> lifetime on vitamins. Thanks for all that you do, . I am so

> grateful for you. Love, Lilka

>

[Guest guest]

OMG Lilka:

That friend (no judgment implied) seems to have a serious eating

disorder. It's called bulimia or at least that's what it sounds

like. It sounds like he is bingeing, not nibbling. Nibbling is a

behavior that has many causes. If our head is telling us we are

hungry, but we are, in fact, not in need of food, there is another

cause (physical or emotional).

But eating large quantities and then vomiting and then eating again

is very dangerous behavior that needs serious intervention, in my

opinion. The stomach acid that is brought up with all that food

causes damage (ulcers) to the esophagus, and it can rot teeth over

time.

Please don't think that this is normal behavior. Bingeing and

purging with RNY gastric bypass would be a recipe for major trouble,

both physically and emotionally.

Physical hunger is solved by eating the appropriate food (and

drinking enough water) in the appropriate quantities. I've found

that a lot of my hunger is actually thirst, and sometimes, I've been

told, our bodies eat in an attempt to hydrate through the moisture

content of food. Emotional eating is the harder demon to tackle.

There are no easy answers, and there is certainly no surgery to help

us stop that. It's up to each and everyone one of us to discover the

reasons for our over-eating and to face the reasons with honesty and

sympathetic love.

I'm talking to myself here too. Don't think that I don't struggle

with it daily. I do. However, I've discovered that when I get into

a pattern of not addressing my emotions truthfully, I get messed up

in my routine. When I stick to my regime of truth, food, exercise,

spiritual nourishment and self-esteem building, everything balances

out. And it is indeed a balancing act. I have to work to maintain

that delicate balance.

Hard stuff, but what's the alternative? Eating wrong until I'm sick

and then gaining all the weight back? Not for me.

I've tasted freedom, and that's what keeps me focused, and when I

mess up, I gently kick myself in the pants, tell myself " It's OK,

you're gonna be OK. I still love you, and you deserve this

success. " (You know, something a loving parent would tell their kid,

but now it comes from within. I don't need it to come from someone

else, although it's nice when it does.)

Regarding your daughter, a life time of vitamins--and good nutrition

and exercise--is preferable to what I had: 39 years of shame

including a suicide attempt (I'm not saying that that will happen to

her, but it was my experience); health that was compromised due to

diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux, joint

pain. I was headed to a painful and early death. My body was

starting to fail me. And I certainly was failing it.

Now I am free, and that freedom is worth every sacrifice. Nothing,

not one piece of food tastes good enough for me to give up the

miracle that is my freedom. The Universe dropped this gift in my lap

(with a lot of help from me), so I cannot, will not squander it. For

some reason, the Heavens heard my silent cries of pain, and a miracle

happened in my life. My pain was taken away, and in it's place, a

life with choices, joys and sorrows I never knew existed. The joys

far outweigh the sorrows.

I owe it to Nature, God, the Cosmos to keep my part of the bargain--

to use the tool the way it was meant to be used.

I hope this makes sense. I mean it with the sincerest concern for

you and your daughter. I wish you both the best. I hope that you

taste this freedom because it will fill your soul in ways no one can

understand but all of us here.

We all see life from two perspectives--pre and post op. I think it

engenders a compassion and depth that I feel here online. I think it

makes us pretty special people.

I thank God that I was once morbidly obese. My freedom means more to

me than if I'd lived my life as a normal weighted person. But I know

this for sure--I will never be morbidly obese again, because my mind,

body and spirit are now transformed, and my life is set up to ensure

my continued success.

And that's what I hope for all of us: A " normal " life with ups and

downs that have nothing to do with being morbidly obese.

Francisco

>

> Hi , Thanks for all your input here. I so appreciate it. I

> read that article and I find it very intriqueing. I know a guy in

> Belgium who had the gastric band about 10 years ago. He eats

> enormously, politely excuses himself and goes to the bathroom to

> throw up all that he just ate and comes back to continue eating. He

> goes for adjustments every six months. He seems fine, has gained

> some weight back but not too much. He has had his skin removed and

a

> heart bypass surgery over the last 4 years. His heart was always

bad

> and that is why he had the surgery in the first place. He survived

> both just fine. He told me last summer that if he had it to do over

> again, he would do the roux en y instead because there is less

> vomiting. But he is satisfied and always relieved that he had the

> surgery in the first place. When I did research on this, I

> considered the lap band although Kaiser did not do it then and will

> not do it until March of this year. I read that if you tend to

> nibble which I do, it is not as effective. I am working hard to

stop

> this mindless nibbling on tomatoes and such. I do not see why

> gastric bypass would be any better for nibblers than the band. But

I

> am hopeful. I have a young daughter (21) who needs this surgery too

> but maybe the band would be better because she could not go a whole

> lifetime on vitamins. Thanks for all that you do, . I am so

> grateful for you. Love, Lilka

>