Emotional Hunger
23 Nov 2010 1 Comment
in Obesity Tags: Psychological Weightloss
This is from 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food by Susan Albers. It struck a cord with me because sometimes I have difficulty telling Emotional Hunger from actual hunger, even now, after RNY.
Emotional Hunger is characterized by some or all of the following:
- Your desire to eat comes on quickly and intensely like an on/off switch. Your degree of hunger can go from zero to ten in a matter of moments.
- You are very open to suggestion (for example, a coworker says she’s going out for a donut, and suddenly a donut sounds very good to you)
- Your hunger increases with certain feelings, particularly stress.
- You can’t think through your options. Your feeling of hunger is son intense that you don’t care what your options are – until after you have eaten something.
- Your hunger is such that it urges you to engage in mindless eatint – that is, not really tasting your food or eating it in an automatic, mechanical way (for example, mindlessly popping a packet of M&M’s into your mouth one by one).
- You crave a particular kind of food, like chocolate or fast-food; something that would be merely filling just won’t do.
- A sense of satisfaction is hard to reach, and it seems unrelated to how full or how empty your stomach is.
- You often have the fleeting thought before you begin eating that you may feel guilty after you’ve eaten. Also, you often experience guilt after you finish eating.
True physical hunger is realted to blood sugar levels. Therefore, your physical need for food is based on what and when you ate last.
- You notice that your need for food grows gradually in accordance with the time and the number of meals you ate. For example, between breakfast and lunch your hunger increases at a slowly rising rate.
- You are looking for something filling, and you’re open to many different options to fill that hunger, rather than craving a specific taste.
- You experience distinct physiological hunger cues, like a rumbling stomach. In the extreme, you may feel grouchy or even get a headache.
- You tend to quit eating when you are full.
- Your awareness of your body’s changing sensations as you move from hunger to satiety while you are eating, creates a sense of satisfaction.
- You know that feeding your physical hunger is essential as the fuel that nourishes you and keeps you going.
- Youc an wait a while to eat, instead of need to eat compulsively at the very moment you feel the urge or desire to eat.
- Your hunger is not in any way associated with guilt. You know that you need to eat and you feel ok about eating.
Albers, S. (2009). 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
50 Ways to Sooth Yourself Without Food
23 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in Obesity Tags: book reviews
I have received the book 50 Ways to Sooth Yourself Without Food by Susan Albers and have just begun reading it. I already see so much of myself in the introduction and 1st chapter. I think this will be an interesting Thankgsiving read and look forward to posting my review of it.
A Hodgepodge
27 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Exercise, Feedbag, Obesity Tags: Exercise, Feed Bag, I'm a frustrated biyatch, Psychological Weightloss
First, let’s get this out of the way, shall we?
Today’s food:
PreB – chocolate mocha protien shake
B – banana cream pie sf nonfat yogurt, 1/2c oatmeal with dried cranberries, 2 strawberries and a cube of watermelon
L – roast beef, cabbage, and a spoonful of mashed potatos
D – turkey tomato cheesey bake
Exercise: 30 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes hip flexor stretches, 20 minutes lower body training
And now on to the meat of this post…if you have friended me on facebook then you may have seen this link last night:
http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/overweight-couples-on-television
I’m really amazed at the STUPIDITY of some people – particularly the person who wrote that blog post. Because obese people don’t have feelings, dontchaknow?
Sigh – Marie Claire will NEVER see any subscription from me. NEVER.
This response in Bitch is made of win, however. http://bitchmagazine.org/post/fatphobia-alert-fatties-should-not-be-allowed-to-kiss-apparently
Another Wow Moment
21 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Comorbidities, Non-Scale Victories, Obesity, Post Op Tags: Accomplishments, CAD, comorbidities, Diabetes, Non-Scale Victories, Post Op, victories, wonderful doctors
Seven years ago I was sitting in a hospital ICU recovering from a heart attack. At the time, I weighed roughly 250 pounds – about 250 more than I weigh now. My blood sugars were well into the 300s. I had high cholesterol. I had high blood pressure. I had one artery that was 100% blocked (Hell-o stent) and one that was 50% blocked. I was 30. It didn’t help that at the time of my heart attack, I had been on Phen-fen, was smoking and taking the pill at the same time.
The cardiologist who treated me when I first went into the ER was Dr. Barry Wohl. He was an angel of God as far as I was concerned, and I’ve seen him as my cardiologist ever since.
On Monday, I saw him for my normal six month cardiac check. In his opinion, not ONLY have I erradicated my high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, BUT he feels that my Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is in REGRESSION. YEP – RE-GRES-SION. Going Away. He feels that more than likely, the blockages in my arteries are actually reducing themselves.
When I had surgery 8 months ago, I was on high blood pressure medication, two cholesterol meds, a beta blocker, plavix, and a host of diabetic meds. Today – nothing. All I take is Protonix (and that is for acid reduction due to the surgery).
I am healthier at 37 than I was at 30.
I’ve truly gotten my life back, and it is amazing.
Thank you Dr. Wohl for saving my life then. Thank you Dr. McKenna for saving my life and saving me from myself.
It’s Like Being 13 Again
14 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Obesity Tags: All About Me, Psychological Weightloss
Some time ago, my mother gave me the book the pediatrician used to keep on me from birth up to age 14. I think she gave it to me for my vaccination records, or you know, to see when I started eating solids…whatever.
So, last night, out of curiosity, I pulled it out to see when exactly the morbid obesity struck. 2nd Grade. 8 years old. I was already over 100 pounds.
By 1986, I was 228 pounds. The date was Jan. of 1986. I was 13 years old. And I weighed 228 pounds. I was 5’3″.
Bob asked me to go back through those records and see when I weighed 150 pounds. Yeah – I went from 142 at age 12 to 228 at age 13. So it had to be between 12 and 13. By the way, 142 pounds when you are 12 years old and barely 5 feet tall is totally unacceptable.
So now, at nearly 38 years old, I weigh the absolutely least I’ve ever weighed in my adult life. I weigh less than I did as a teen. I weigh less than I did probably between 12 and 13 years old.
I’m finally getting my life back.
SouthWest, People of Size, and Not-So-Silent Bob
16 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
in Obesity Tags: obesity in the news, wtf???
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of days, you have to have heard about this. If you have been living under a rock, the guy who played Silent Bob, Kevin Smith, purchased two tickets on a Southwest flight over the weekend. He then went on standby for an earlier flight, and was told that the extra seat was not available. He was seated on the flight, and before they took off, he was asked to leave the flight because he was too large for the seat.
Southwest’s Person of Size Policy is that if you do not fit into the seat with both arm rests lowered and the seatbelt doesn’t fit around you, you either must purchase another seat or you can not fly. Kevin Smith knew of the policy. He claims he always purchases two seats so that he doesn’t have to sit next to anyone else, but claims that he does fit in the seat comfortably, and can lower both arm rests. According to their blog, he was given a call apologizing, and was given a $100 voucher.
Now, I have flown Southwest bunches. And until this year was very much considered a “person of size.” At 321 pounds, I fit into the seat, with both arm rests down. I did have to have a seat belt extender, but not on all flights (weird, I know). I generally took a window seat and crammed myself up against it as far as I could go, because I honestly felt horrible about my size and was mortified at anyone who sat next to me. I knew of their policy, and in Southwest’s defense, I have never been asked to purchase a second seat or exit the plane. And I’ve seen people bigger than me board the flight.
I also watched Anderson Cooper this morning – a train wreck of an interview – where he had a representative for the National Association for the Advancement of Fat People as well as a representative from the National Action Against Obesity. Now, what pissed me off was this woman from NAAO who claimed that they should have to deal with fat, slobby people who chose to eat unhealthy.
Um, WTF? Spoken like a true person who has never had a weight issue and doesn’t understand what it feels like…oh, and the fact that she can’t possibly be human or HUMANE under that bitchiness. I hope the next time she flies, she’s forced to sit UNDER a person of size. And I hope they fart.
Anyway, this year, it shouldn’t be an issue for me any longer. I’m hoping to be under 200 pounds by the time we go to Colorado in May.
But the fat girl inside of me will still be terrified that I’ll be asked to step my fat ass off that flight.
$2,025
30 Oct 2009 1 Comment
in Comorbidities, Obesity Tags: Diabetes, Goals, Medication
That’s what I pay per year for the co-pays on my prescription mediciations. $2,025. Here’s what I take:
Metformin (diabetes), Levemir (insulin), Novolog (insulin), Metoprolol (heart), Plavix (heart), Norvasc (blood pressure), Diovan HCT (blood pressure), Crestor (cholesterol), Zetia (cholesterol), and Lovasor (cholesterol). I also have a prescription for my diabetes testing supplies (test strips) and the needles for my insulin.
On top of that, I take 81 mg of aspirin per day, two multivitamins (in preparation for surgery), 1200 mg per day of Calcium with Vit. D, and fish oil for an added cost of approximately $324 per year. That’s a grand total of $2,349 per year.
After surgery, I am hoping to get off of most of my medication. I’ve discussed it with my doctor, and we are hoping that eventually, in the next couple of months, I will get off of everything except the Plavix and the Metoprolol. I will need to take the multivitamins, calcium citrate, b-12, and iron post surgery. I will need to see if I can still take my 81 mg a day of aspirin – at the very least, I will need to take a chewable instead of what I take now. All my vits have to be sub-lingual or chewies. So lets see -
Plavix – $75 every three months for $300 a year
Metoprolol – $12.50 every three months for $50 per year
I’m expecting my vitamins and stuff to stay around $325 per year, for a grand total of $675. A total savings of $1,674 a year. That’s our dues at Trails End.
Come on surgery – with what I save on my drugs, I’ll be able to buy my first pair of skinny jeans and boots, and new underwear, and bras, and the list goes on and on and on…
Antica…….pation
29 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
in Bariatric Surgery, Obesity Tags: I'm a frustrated biyatch, Surgery Date
This week has blown by so quickly. I’m really busy at work, so that I’m sure has something to do with it. My friend on OH warned me how quicly this time would go, and they aren’t kidding. I have 8 work days left to get done 30 days worth of work, and wow, am I getting antsy about getting things done.
I got my letter yesterday, and my surgery is scheduled for 10:10am on the 10th. 
I’m starting to get a wee bit nervous. Just a bit. I’m mostly excited…like counting down to that last day of school all over again. So glad I took this semester off school!
I actually had someone yesterday ask me how I could be proud of this. I know…seriously. I asked them what they meant, and they asked me (in all sincerity) why I felt I couldn’t lose the weight on my own, and didn’t I just lack will power. There were no words…just a simple roll of my eyes and I walked away. Walk a mile in my shoes, skinny minnie…see how easy it is.
Recent Comments