Welcome! Three major surgeries in five months is a lot for anyone to handle, both physically and emotionally. No wonder you've found this period challenging. Congratulations on losing 36 pounds in the middle of all the surgical chaos though, that's an accomplishment worth celebrating.
I started this journey on May 1, 2021 when the bariatric surgeon who gave me a diet to follow while going through the pre surgery approval process. That is when I realized that 95% of my diet consisted of some combination of fried foods, carbs and sweets! I also learned that I was an emotional eater, the problem being that life is full of emotions; stress, sadness, loneliness, boredom, celebration, anxiety, fatigue, joy, disappointment, anger, excitement . . . I always had an emotional reason to eat. Recognizing that in myself and confronting it took a long time and it is something that will always be a part of who I am. The difference now is that I have learned ways to not let the emotional eating control me and huge part of that was changing the way I think about food. I don't think of foods as good or bad anymore and I won't use the terms allowed or not allowed making a decision on something to eat. It is all about making a choice to eat something, I am in control - not the food.
For example, I spent 2 weeks visiting family in Florida and knew from experience that there would be an abundance of delicious food and numerous opportunities for take out. I planned ahead by shipping a case of protein shakes to my sister's house so I would not have to think about breakfast. My brother-in-law had a birthday and for several days leading up to it all anyone could talk about was the 7-layer chocolate cake he requested. We went out for dinner for his birthday to Texas Roadhouse and I can't tell you how many baskets of rolls the table consumed. I ate zero rolls and ordered the grilled shrimp appetizer for my dinner. Yes the rolls smelled delicious but I had already decided that I was going to enjoy a slice of 7-layer chocolate cake later and because of that I made a conscious choice not to eat the rolls.
I have learned that I can't eat everything I want like I used to, but I am ok with that. Eating everything and anything got me to 375lbs. I am so much happier and healthier now. Learning how to think through food choices instead of not going for the immediate gratification has been life changing. Recognizing that I don't have to deprive myself has also helped with the emotional eating - I like to think that I make smart choices now.
I think the "easy way out" comments come from people who have never struggled with food and weight issues. People will tell you to just eat less and move more and for some that can work but there are others that need more than that. There are so many weight loss tools available; diet, exercise, surgery, GLP1's, therapy - and the combination that works for one person may not work for someone else. You need to find what works best for you, it may take some experimenting but it is definitely not an "easy way out". Weight loss is a journey and it takes a lot of dedication and determination to be successful!
