Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

[Guest guest]

Also, Amber, I wonder how many of us have relatives and ancestors who

are/were morbidly obese? I know in my case, both my paternal & maternal

great-grandmothers would be classified as super obese were they alive today.

Does this

mean we are predestined to obesity? I don't think it's THAT unavoidable,

but perhaps this genetic propensity signals that our bodies are more efficent at

storing calories as fat and excells at allowing us to grow fat cells at an

accellerated rate above the " average. " We all have stories about eating at

home with family members where everyone is eating the same meal and about the

same amount, but it will be US who will gain weight. There is also the

obsession we seem to have innately about food, where it feels that's all we

think

about. I know in the past if I was at a big party with an elaborate buffet, I

would be so obsessed with that buffet table to the exclusion of almost

everything else. Life evolved around the consumption of food versus having

food fuel

our lives. What is it about us that drives us to food, versus alcohol, or

drugs, or whatever. Food is my drug of choice, no doubt about it. Something

chemical in the brain related to this genetic propensity? I know that I

have been depressed (to varying degrees) most of my life and at the same time

have been struggling with weight and food issues. We all know what it's like

when we've lost weight in the past, only to suffer from a strong compulsion to

eat until we succumb. I often joke I once lost 145 lbs on Weight Watchers in

8 months, and I kept it off for five minutes. It's not much of an

exaggeration. That brief period of time I was struggling to maintain that

weight loss

was the hungriest time in my life! I was ravenous. Chemical, genetic, I am

POSITIVE! Emotionally I was in a decent place then, of course, as I

regained that quickly changed. The genetic, the chemical, the emotional seem

so

inextricably and intricately linked in a sort of daisy chain where it's

impossible to tell the front from the end, it just revolves and revolves

propelled by

it's own velocity.

As to antidepressants: up until this past year I was 100% against taking

them, and I suffered greatly and unnecessarily as a result, but finally I got

over being stupid. They have made an amazing difference in my life and I am

so grateful to the chemists or whoever concocted these drugs. To paraphrase

Charlton Heston, if someone were to try to take my antidepressant away from me,

it would be from my cold dead hands! LMAO!

As I am going into year 3, I notice I am struggling more, but I have to admit

it's not so much that I am more hungry (physically). Yes, I do feel hunger

at times, but not to the degree I felt it pre-wls. Now when I am hungry I

can satiate that physical hunger with a small amount of food. I think the

surgery does alot to decrease certain stomach hormones believed to influence

hunger. But there will be times, many many times, when I am not physically

hungry

whatsoever yet I have a compulsion to eat. So, it's clear I have the same

head compulsions as I did presurgery --- rooted by a genetic predisposition and

resultant chemical reactions?????????? That's the part that hasn't changed

since surgery and I think that is what got most of us MO. As a result, the

struggle continues and we must be ever vigilant. It will ALWAYS be easier for

us to gain weight ... ALWAYS. We will ALWAYS have to work harder to keep the

weight off ... ALWAYS.

The thing is to not let that reality defeat us, but just make us ever on

guard. That's the way the dice rolled for us!

Maybe in our lifetime some genius will figure this stuff out. I doubt it.

Lucille (Happy New Year everyone!)

In a message dated 12/31/2003 9:53:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Graduate-OSSG writes:

> , I have been asking this question as an RN for 25 plus years. The

> psychiatrists haven't a clue nor do the majority of the psychologists. I

> have a theory though - I think the depression comes first, the carbs

> make us feel better so we eat more, then we gain weight and depression

> increases and to self-comfort we seek-out the feel good from the carbs

> and it becomes a vicious cycle. Another thing is I think many of us have

> a problem with our serotonin levels.

> Maybe we do not make enough, make our body does not use it properly, or

> maybe we have more stressors in our life and " we run out " .

> I asked a friend who is a therapist why 85%+ of the females that I know

> are on anti-depressants. She theorized that we are born with x-amount

> that can be maintained with exercise, sunshine, nutrition whatever.

> Major stressors can cause it to be depleted. Unlike our mothers and

> grandmothers, we work, raise a family, are active in our religion, the

> PTA, work for an advanced educational degree, all while being a nuclear

> family without family support. All of these things take a toll on our

> serotonin level. Now, having said all that - that, with about $.90 might

> buy you a cup of coffee LOL.

> The question I have asked and heard the answer rather clearly is how

> many of us have abuse issues? Many of us have them and I think many of

> us eat to self-comfort.

> Amber/FLRN

> PS happy New Year Everyone!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/1/2004 11:34:45 PM Eastern Standard Time,

rehab2@... writes:

So many circumstances!!! So many issues!!! So we

look at environment, genetics and chemistry - wow - what a BIG area to

understand!!!

===============================================

There are tons of studies being done right now. I was asked to be part of

one at The University Of Pa, department of Psychiatry & Genetics. Didn't

qualify, but the study sounds interesting.

Fay Bayuk

**300/168

10/23/01

Dr.

Open RNY 150 cm

Click for My Profile

http://obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=Bayuk951061008

[Guest guest]

I agree with you 100%, my mom battled her weight until she died at 46.

My maternal grandfather was overweight from the photos I have seen. Both

of my mother's brothers fought obesity. My grandmother died at 36 but

she appeared slim in the photos I have seen. My father's people were

slim for the most part. My 3 siblings have always been slim but as they

hit their 40s, all of them fight being overweight (and depressed, as am

I (without the wonderful meds that allow me to live a normal life)and

as was my Mom). My father was an alcoholic but slender. I wish I was

wise enough to do a REAL study on issues such as these as well as the

abuse issues. I really would be interested in knowing how many of these

issues are common. I also know I was normal size until about 6, my

tonsils were removed, my mother remarried and a baby brother was born,

and the abuse began. So many circumstances!!! So many issues!!! So we

look at environment, genetics and chemistry - wow - what a BIG area to

understand!!! And through all my counseling I have said, " I am an

intelligent woman, a health care provider in private practice in an area

that there might be 1 in 1,000 self-employed, how can I know the issues

and not be able to conquer them <beating head on the wall for the

millionth time> and EVERY DAY IS A BATTLE FOR ME!! "

Amber/FL

Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

Also, Amber, I wonder how many of us have relatives and ancestors who

are/were morbidly obese? I know in my case, both my paternal &

maternal

great-grandmothers would be classified as super obese were they alive

today. Does this

mean we are predestined to obesity? I don't think it's THAT

unavoidable,

but perhaps this genetic propensity signals that our bodies are more

efficent at

storing calories as fat and excells at allowing us to grow fat cells at

an

accellerated rate above the " average. " We all have stories about

eating at

home with family members where everyone is eating the same meal and

about the

same amount, but it will be US who will gain weight. There is also

the

obsession we seem to have innately about food, where it feels that's all

we think

about. I know in the past if I was at a big party with an elaborate

buffet, I

would be so obsessed with that buffet table to the exclusion of almost

everything else. Life evolved around the consumption of food versus

having food fuel

our lives. What is it about us that drives us to food, versus alcohol,

or

drugs, or whatever. Food is my drug of choice, no doubt about it.

Something

chemical in the brain related to this genetic propensity? I know that

I

have been depressed (to varying degrees) most of my life and at the same

time

have been struggling with weight and food issues. We all know what

it's like

when we've lost weight in the past, only to suffer from a strong

compulsion to

eat until we succumb. I often joke I once lost 145 lbs on Weight

Watchers in

8 months, and I kept it off for five minutes. It's not much of an

exaggeration. That brief period of time I was struggling to maintain

that weight loss

was the hungriest time in my life! I was ravenous. Chemical,

genetic, I am

POSITIVE! Emotionally I was in a decent place then, of course, as I

regained that quickly changed. The genetic, the chemical, the

emotional seem so

inextricably and intricately linked in a sort of daisy chain where it's

impossible to tell the front from the end, it just revolves and revolves

propelled by

it's own velocity.

As to antidepressants: up until this past year I was 100% against

taking

them, and I suffered greatly and unnecessarily as a result, but finally

I got

over being stupid. They have made an amazing difference in my life

and I am

so grateful to the chemists or whoever concocted these drugs. To

paraphrase

Charlton Heston, if someone were to try to take my antidepressant away

from me,

it would be from my cold dead hands! LMAO!

As I am going into year 3, I notice I am struggling more, but I have to

admit

it's not so much that I am more hungry (physically). Yes, I do feel

hunger

at times, but not to the degree I felt it pre-wls. Now when I am

hungry I

can satiate that physical hunger with a small amount of food. I think

the

surgery does alot to decrease certain stomach hormones believed to

influence

hunger. But there will be times, many many times, when I am not

physically hungry

whatsoever yet I have a compulsion to eat. So, it's clear I have the

same

head compulsions as I did presurgery --- rooted by a genetic

predisposition and

resultant chemical reactions?????????? That's the part that hasn't

changed

since surgery and I think that is what got most of us MO. As a result,

the

struggle continues and we must be ever vigilant. It will ALWAYS be

easier for

us to gain weight ... ALWAYS. We will ALWAYS have to work harder to

keep the

weight off ... ALWAYS.

The thing is to not let that reality defeat us, but just make us ever on

guard. That's the way the dice rolled for us!

Maybe in our lifetime some genius will figure this stuff out. I doubt

it.

Lucille (Happy New Year everyone!)

In a message dated 12/31/2003 9:53:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Graduate-OSSG writes:

> , I have been asking this question as an RN for 25 plus years.

> The psychiatrists haven't a clue nor do the majority of the

> psychologists. I have a theory though - I think the depression comes

> first, the carbs make us feel better so we eat more, then we gain

> weight and depression increases and to self-comfort we seek-out the

> feel good from the carbs and it becomes a vicious cycle. Another thing

> is I think many of us have a problem with our serotonin levels. Maybe

> we do not make enough, make our body does not use it properly, or

> maybe we have more stressors in our life and " we run out " . I asked a

> friend who is a therapist why 85%+ of the females that I know are on

> anti-depressants. She theorized that we are born with x-amount that

> can be maintained with exercise, sunshine, nutrition whatever. Major

> stressors can cause it to be depleted. Unlike our mothers and

> grandmothers, we work, raise a family, are active in our religion, the

> PTA, work for an advanced educational degree, all while being a

> nuclear family without family support. All of these things take a

> toll on our serotonin level. Now, having said all that - that, with

> about $.90 might buy you a cup of coffee LOL. The question I have

> asked and heard the answer rather clearly is how many of us have abuse

> issues? Many of us have them and I think many of us eat to

> self-comfort. Amber/FLRN

> PS happy New Year Everyone!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Because I know about Raynaud's (very little, but some--more than I

want to know), doesn't mean I can beat it.

There are also thin abuse victims. There are also thin eating

disordered people. If they don't have the genetics for it, I don't

think they CAN eat on 100+#. Maybe 40, not 100.

Thanks,

Vitalady, Inc. T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=orders%40vitalady.com

Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

>

>

> Also, Amber, I wonder how many of us have relatives and ancestors

who

> are/were morbidly obese? I know in my case, both my paternal &

> maternal

> great-grandmothers would be classified as super obese were they

alive

> today. Does this

> mean we are predestined to obesity? I don't think it's THAT

> unavoidable,

> but perhaps this genetic propensity signals that our bodies are

more

> efficent at

> storing calories as fat and excells at allowing us to grow fat

cells at

> an

> accellerated rate above the " average. " We all have stories about

> eating at

> home with family members where everyone is eating the same meal

and

> about the

> same amount, but it will be US who will gain weight. There is

also

> the

> obsession we seem to have innately about food, where it feels

that's all

> we think

> about. I know in the past if I was at a big party with an

elaborate

> buffet, I

> would be so obsessed with that buffet table to the exclusion of

almost

> everything else. Life evolved around the consumption of food

versus

> having food fuel

> our lives. What is it about us that drives us to food, versus

alcohol,

> or

> drugs, or whatever. Food is my drug of choice, no doubt about

it.

> Something

> chemical in the brain related to this genetic propensity? I know

that

> I

> have been depressed (to varying degrees) most of my life and at

the same

> time

> have been struggling with weight and food issues. We all know

what

> it's like

> when we've lost weight in the past, only to suffer from a strong

> compulsion to

> eat until we succumb. I often joke I once lost 145 lbs on Weight

> Watchers in

> 8 months, and I kept it off for five minutes. It's not much of

an

> exaggeration. That brief period of time I was struggling to

maintain

> that weight loss

> was the hungriest time in my life! I was ravenous. Chemical,

> genetic, I am

> POSITIVE! Emotionally I was in a decent place then, of course,

as I

> regained that quickly changed. The genetic, the chemical, the

> emotional seem so

> inextricably and intricately linked in a sort of daisy chain where

it's

> impossible to tell the front from the end, it just revolves and

revolves

> propelled by

> it's own velocity.

>

> As to antidepressants: up until this past year I was 100%

against

> taking

> them, and I suffered greatly and unnecessarily as a result, but

finally

> I got

> over being stupid. They have made an amazing difference in my

life

> and I am

> so grateful to the chemists or whoever concocted these drugs. To

> paraphrase

> Charlton Heston, if someone were to try to take my antidepressant

away

> from me,

> it would be from my cold dead hands! LMAO!

>

> As I am going into year 3, I notice I am struggling more, but I

have to

> admit

> it's not so much that I am more hungry (physically). Yes, I do

feel

> hunger

> at times, but not to the degree I felt it pre-wls. Now when I am

> hungry I

> can satiate that physical hunger with a small amount of food. I

think

> the

> surgery does alot to decrease certain stomach hormones believed to

> influence

> hunger. But there will be times, many many times, when I am not

> physically hungry

> whatsoever yet I have a compulsion to eat. So, it's clear I have

the

> same

> head compulsions as I did presurgery --- rooted by a genetic

> predisposition and

> resultant chemical reactions?????????? That's the part that

hasn't

> changed

> since surgery and I think that is what got most of us MO. As a

result,

> the

> struggle continues and we must be ever vigilant. It will ALWAYS

be

> easier for

> us to gain weight ... ALWAYS. We will ALWAYS have to work harder

to

> keep the

> weight off ... ALWAYS.

>

> The thing is to not let that reality defeat us, but just make us

ever on

>

> guard. That's the way the dice rolled for us!

>

> Maybe in our lifetime some genius will figure this stuff out. I

doubt

> it.

>

> Lucille (Happy New Year everyone!)

>

> In a message dated 12/31/2003 9:53:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> Graduate-OSSG writes:

>

>

> > , I have been asking this question as an RN for 25 plus

years.

> > The psychiatrists haven't a clue nor do the majority of the

> > psychologists. I have a theory though - I think the depression

comes

> > first, the carbs make us feel better so we eat more, then we

gain

> > weight and depression increases and to self-comfort we seek-out

the

> > feel good from the carbs and it becomes a vicious cycle. Another

thing

>

> > is I think many of us have a problem with our serotonin levels.

Maybe

> > we do not make enough, make our body does not use it properly,

or

> > maybe we have more stressors in our life and " we run out " . I

asked a

> > friend who is a therapist why 85%+ of the females that I know

are on

> > anti-depressants. She theorized that we are born with x-amount

that

> > can be maintained with exercise, sunshine, nutrition whatever.

Major

> > stressors can cause it to be depleted. Unlike our mothers and

> > grandmothers, we work, raise a family, are active in our

religion, the

>

> > PTA, work for an advanced educational degree, all while being a

> > nuclear family without family support. All of these things take

a

> > toll on our serotonin level. Now, having said all that - that,

with

> > about $.90 might buy you a cup of coffee LOL. The question I

have

> > asked and heard the answer rather clearly is how many of us have

abuse

>

> > issues? Many of us have them and I think many of us eat to

> > self-comfort. Amber/FLRN

> > PS happy New Year Everyone!!

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You are right of course - I just wish I was of the thin eating

disordered people

Amber/FL

Re: Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

Because I know about Raynaud's (very little, but some--more than I

want to know), doesn't mean I can beat it.

There are also thin abuse victims. There are also thin eating

disordered people. If they don't have the genetics for it, I don't

think they CAN eat on 100+#. Maybe 40, not 100.

Thanks,

Vitalady, Inc. T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=orders%40vitalady.com

Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

>

>

> Also, Amber, I wonder how many of us have relatives and ancestors

who

> are/were morbidly obese? I know in my case, both my paternal &

> maternal

> great-grandmothers would be classified as super obese were they

alive

> today. Does this

> mean we are predestined to obesity? I don't think it's THAT

> unavoidable,

> but perhaps this genetic propensity signals that our bodies are more

> efficent at

> storing calories as fat and excells at allowing us to grow fat cells

at

> an

> accellerated rate above the " average. " We all have stories about

> eating at

> home with family members where everyone is eating the same meal and

> about the

> same amount, but it will be US who will gain weight. There is

also

> the

> obsession we seem to have innately about food, where it feels that's

all

> we think

> about. I know in the past if I was at a big party with an

elaborate

> buffet, I

> would be so obsessed with that buffet table to the exclusion of

almost

> everything else. Life evolved around the consumption of food

versus

> having food fuel

> our lives. What is it about us that drives us to food, versus

alcohol,

> or

> drugs, or whatever. Food is my drug of choice, no doubt about

it.

> Something

> chemical in the brain related to this genetic propensity? I know

that

> I

> have been depressed (to varying degrees) most of my life and at the

same

> time

> have been struggling with weight and food issues. We all know

what

> it's like

> when we've lost weight in the past, only to suffer from a strong

> compulsion to

> eat until we succumb. I often joke I once lost 145 lbs on Weight

> Watchers in

> 8 months, and I kept it off for five minutes. It's not much of

an

> exaggeration. That brief period of time I was struggling to

maintain

> that weight loss

> was the hungriest time in my life! I was ravenous. Chemical,

> genetic, I am

> POSITIVE! Emotionally I was in a decent place then, of course,

as I

> regained that quickly changed. The genetic, the chemical, the

> emotional seem so

> inextricably and intricately linked in a sort of daisy chain where

it's

> impossible to tell the front from the end, it just revolves and

revolves

> propelled by

> it's own velocity.

>

> As to antidepressants: up until this past year I was 100%

against

> taking

> them, and I suffered greatly and unnecessarily as a result, but

finally

> I got

> over being stupid. They have made an amazing difference in my

life

> and I am

> so grateful to the chemists or whoever concocted these drugs. To

> paraphrase

> Charlton Heston, if someone were to try to take my antidepressant

away

> from me,

> it would be from my cold dead hands! LMAO!

>

> As I am going into year 3, I notice I am struggling more, but I have

to

> admit

> it's not so much that I am more hungry (physically). Yes, I do

feel

> hunger

> at times, but not to the degree I felt it pre-wls. Now when I am

> hungry I

> can satiate that physical hunger with a small amount of food. I

think

> the

> surgery does alot to decrease certain stomach hormones believed to

> influence

> hunger. But there will be times, many many times, when I am not

> physically hungry

> whatsoever yet I have a compulsion to eat. So, it's clear I have

the

> same

> head compulsions as I did presurgery --- rooted by a genetic

> predisposition and

> resultant chemical reactions?????????? That's the part that

hasn't

> changed

> since surgery and I think that is what got most of us MO. As a

result,

> the

> struggle continues and we must be ever vigilant. It will ALWAYS

be

> easier for

> us to gain weight ... ALWAYS. We will ALWAYS have to work harder

to

> keep the

> weight off ... ALWAYS.

>

> The thing is to not let that reality defeat us, but just make us

ever on

>

> guard. That's the way the dice rolled for us!

>

> Maybe in our lifetime some genius will figure this stuff out. I

doubt

> it.

>

> Lucille (Happy New Year everyone!)

>

> In a message dated 12/31/2003 9:53:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> Graduate-OSSG writes:

>

>

> > , I have been asking this question as an RN for 25 plus

years.

> > The psychiatrists haven't a clue nor do the majority of the

> > psychologists. I have a theory though - I think the depression

comes

> > first, the carbs make us feel better so we eat more, then we gain

> > weight and depression increases and to self-comfort we seek-out

the

> > feel good from the carbs and it becomes a vicious cycle. Another

thing

>

> > is I think many of us have a problem with our serotonin levels.

Maybe

> > we do not make enough, make our body does not use it properly, or

> > maybe we have more stressors in our life and " we run out " . I asked

a

> > friend who is a therapist why 85%+ of the females that I know are

on

> > anti-depressants. She theorized that we are born with x-amount

that

> > can be maintained with exercise, sunshine, nutrition whatever.

Major

> > stressors can cause it to be depleted. Unlike our mothers and

> > grandmothers, we work, raise a family, are active in our religion,

the

>

> > PTA, work for an advanced educational degree, all while being a

> > nuclear family without family support. All of these things take a

> > toll on our serotonin level. Now, having said all that - that,

with

> > about $.90 might buy you a cup of coffee LOL. The question I have

> > asked and heard the answer rather clearly is how many of us have

abuse

>

> > issues? Many of us have them and I think many of us eat to

> > self-comfort. Amber/FLRN

> > PS happy New Year Everyone!!

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

yeah. I wish I had skinny genes, so then my kids and grandkids

would at least have had a fighting chance.

Thanks,

Vitalady, Inc. T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

https://www.paypal.com/affil/pal=orders%40vitalady.com

Re:RE: Re: Therapist issues

> >

> >

> > Also, Amber, I wonder how many of us have relatives and

ancestors

> who

> > are/were morbidly obese? I know in my case, both my paternal

&

> > maternal

> > great-grandmothers would be classified as super obese were

they

> alive

> > today. Does this

> > mean we are predestined to obesity? I don't think it's THAT

> > unavoidable,

> > but perhaps this genetic propensity signals that our bodies

are more

> > efficent at

> > storing calories as fat and excells at allowing us to grow fat

cells

> at

> > an

> > accellerated rate above the " average. " We all have stories

about

> > eating at

> > home with family members where everyone is eating the same

meal and

> > about the

> > same amount, but it will be US who will gain weight. There

is

> also

> > the

> > obsession we seem to have innately about food, where it feels

that's

> all

> > we think

> > about. I know in the past if I was at a big party with an

> elaborate

> > buffet, I

> > would be so obsessed with that buffet table to the exclusion

of

> almost

> > everything else. Life evolved around the consumption of food

> versus

> > having food fuel

> > our lives. What is it about us that drives us to food,

versus

> alcohol,

> > or

> > drugs, or whatever. Food is my drug of choice, no doubt

about

> it.

> > Something

> > chemical in the brain related to this genetic propensity? I

know

> that

> > I

> > have been depressed (to varying degrees) most of my life and

at the

> same

> > time

> > have been struggling with weight and food issues. We all

know

> what

> > it's like

> > when we've lost weight in the past, only to suffer from a

strong

> > compulsion to

> > eat until we succumb. I often joke I once lost 145 lbs on

Weight

> > Watchers in

> > 8 months, and I kept it off for five minutes. It's not much

of

> an

> > exaggeration. That brief period of time I was struggling to

> maintain

> > that weight loss

> > was the hungriest time in my life! I was ravenous.

Chemical,

> > genetic, I am

> > POSITIVE! Emotionally I was in a decent place then, of

course,

> as I

> > regained that quickly changed. The genetic, the chemical,

the

> > emotional seem so

> > inextricably and intricately linked in a sort of daisy chain

where

> it's

> > impossible to tell the front from the end, it just revolves

and

> revolves

> > propelled by

> > it's own velocity.

> >

> > As to antidepressants: up until this past year I was 100%

> against

> > taking

> > them, and I suffered greatly and unnecessarily as a result,

but

> finally

> > I got

> > over being stupid. They have made an amazing difference in

my

> life

> > and I am

> > so grateful to the chemists or whoever concocted these drugs.

To

> > paraphrase

> > Charlton Heston, if someone were to try to take my

antidepressant

> away

> > from me,

> > it would be from my cold dead hands! LMAO!

> >

> > As I am going into year 3, I notice I am struggling more, but

I have

> to

> > admit

> > it's not so much that I am more hungry (physically). Yes, I

do

> feel

> > hunger

> > at times, but not to the degree I felt it pre-wls. Now when

I am

> > hungry I

> > can satiate that physical hunger with a small amount of food.

I

> think

> > the

> > surgery does alot to decrease certain stomach hormones

believed to

> > influence

> > hunger. But there will be times, many many times, when I am

not

> > physically hungry

> > whatsoever yet I have a compulsion to eat. So, it's clear I

have

> the

> > same

> > head compulsions as I did presurgery --- rooted by a genetic

> > predisposition and

> > resultant chemical reactions?????????? That's the part that

> hasn't

> > changed

> > since surgery and I think that is what got most of us MO. As

a

> result,

> > the

> > struggle continues and we must be ever vigilant. It will

ALWAYS

> be

> > easier for

> > us to gain weight ... ALWAYS. We will ALWAYS have to work

harder

> to

> > keep the

> > weight off ... ALWAYS.

> >

> > The thing is to not let that reality defeat us, but just make

us

> ever on

> >

> > guard. That's the way the dice rolled for us!

> >

> > Maybe in our lifetime some genius will figure this stuff out.

I

> doubt

> > it.

> >

> > Lucille (Happy New Year everyone!)

> >

> > In a message dated 12/31/2003 9:53:06 PM Eastern Standard

Time,

> > Graduate-OSSG writes:

> >

> >

> > > , I have been asking this question as an RN for 25

plus

> years.

> > > The psychiatrists haven't a clue nor do the majority of the

> > > psychologists. I have a theory though - I think the

depression

> comes

> > > first, the carbs make us feel better so we eat more, then we

gain

> > > weight and depression increases and to self-comfort we

seek-out

> the

> > > feel good from the carbs and it becomes a vicious cycle.

Another

> thing

> >

> > > is I think many of us have a problem with our serotonin

levels.

> Maybe

> > > we do not make enough, make our body does not use it

properly, or

> > > maybe we have more stressors in our life and " we run out " . I

asked

> a

> > > friend who is a therapist why 85%+ of the females that I

know are

> on

> > > anti-depressants. She theorized that we are born with

x-amount

> that

> > > can be maintained with exercise, sunshine, nutrition

whatever.

> Major

> > > stressors can cause it to be depleted. Unlike our mothers

and

> > > grandmothers, we work, raise a family, are active in our

religion,

> the

> >

> > > PTA, work for an advanced educational degree, all while

being a

> > > nuclear family without family support. All of these things

take a

> > > toll on our serotonin level. Now, having said all that -

that,

> with

> > > about $.90 might buy you a cup of coffee LOL. The question I

have

> > > asked and heard the answer rather clearly is how many of us

have

> abuse

> >

> > > issues? Many of us have them and I think many of us eat to

> > > self-comfort. Amber/FLRN

> > > PS happy New Year Everyone!!

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >