DS and personal development/consciousness work

[Meep]

Obesity has no one cause. I forget the statistics, but something like less than 9% of the obese have an eating disorder. Food addiction is real, though, and addiction, much like obesity, absolutely is a disease and not a matter of willpower, necessarily. Don't doubt that addiction is just as much due to biological factors as obesity, and has nothing to do with willpower. However, also don't doubt that it is quite possible to become addicted to food. It's actually considered a process addiction, and currently research (mostly unpublished) is being done to take it further. So far the evidence is interesting in that regard. I've been in the room watching fMRIs tracking the brain firing with addictive food prompts, just as it does with cocaine, in exactly the same pattern. It was fascinating, and terrifying, to watch. I've also talked to food scientists for major food and restaurant chains who say they specifically design food to be additive - with those words. High fat-sugar-salt together causes a very strong neurological response. High carbohydrate food also stimulates insulin production which stimulates appetite - fat and protein do not.

Having said that, I have worked with patients from all weight loss surgery demographics, and I have seen even DS patients that have regained. However, they are a minority, of course. Most actually have a lap band or serious histories of trauma. Again, everyone is different, and the reasons we are obese are diverse. As with all things, cookie-cutter reasons serve no one.

I have a severe eating disorder, and I acknowledge not all my clients do, either. I do think the Western diet predisposes one towards obesity, as we function better from a biochemical perspective on a high-fat and high-protein diet, and not highly processed carbohydrates which are bioavailable and obesogenic. What do they feed ducks for fois gras? Processed corn mash and alcohol, not fat and protein. However, that's a tangent.

It has been my experience from doing evals though, and the experience of many psychologists who work with other surgeons, that disordered eating is a common cause in WLS patients at any rate. Disorder eating is not an eating disorder or an addiction, either. There are many causes, again, and no one applies to everyone.

 

[TvanV]

I'm only 10.5 weeks out, but for me, I've found that the DS is almost forced mindfulness. It is impossible to eat mindlessly without being miserable. Eat too fast? Miserable. Take big bites? Miserable. Eat too much? Miserable. Not enough protein? Miserable. Not enough water? Miserable. Eat something my gut is not yet ready to handle? Miserable.

I have to now think about every single thing, solid or liquid, that I swallow. I have to plan and strategize. I have to devote time, effort, and brain power on my food. I can't forget to eat all day and then grab a big sub sandwich at 3pm, and have all seem okay. I can't put off slaking my thirst and then chug a whole bottle of water in a matter of seconds.

The surgery did take away my physical hunger pains, but my head hunger is still alive and kicking. I love to cook and bake and throw parties, and I read recipes like other people read novels. I find that when I'm doing this, I can reliably count on thinking I'm hungry. The same thing happens if I watch cooking shows, or destination food shows. I feel cravings that I never feel any other time.

 

[Pink Unicorn]

If you are an emotional eater, I wonder if you also have a problem with ants - automatic negative thoughts. In simple terms, ants are nasty thoughts that your subconscious throws at you in various situations, basically to put you down. For example, "I'm too fat." "I'm not good enough" "I'll never belong here." If you google the term, you will find a lot of articles written about ants and how they get created, but the bottom line is that you can never get away from the negativity in your head because wherever you go, there you are.

The solution to ants is deceptively easy. Figure out the specific ants, and reprogram your mind by reciting the opposite statement as a mantra or affirmation. So instead of "I'll never be love", tell yourself, "I am a lovable person." It sounds easy, but facing your internal anthills and removing them takes a lot of effort and some time.

But when you are done, you will feel better about yourself. Period. I know, because I struggled with being an emotional eater, and I have worked on removing my own ants for a few years now. My internal dialogue isn't perfect, but I am nice to myself now. It makes me feel happier, regardless of how much I weigh.