Trading in a Food Addiction for New Addiction

Lisa Harris of Clementon, NJ, was a self-proclaimed “yo-yo” dieter her whole life. Moved by her father’s dying request to get healthy, Harris had gastric bypass surgery at Penn Medicine with Alan Shuricht, MD, FACS.

There are a few side effects to weight-loss surgery. Fortunately, I’ve been lucky and haven’t had a single medical issue due to my surgery.

But I have had a few, non-medical side effects. Here are some of my side-effects from weight-loss surgery.

Brrr! Feeling Cold After Weight-loss Surgery

One major problem that I deal with nearly every day is simple. I’m COLD.

I no longer have 163 lbs of warm, insulating fat surrounding my bones. Now, if I’d taken 5 or 10 years to lose that weight, my brain might have been able to keep up. But after dropping this amount of weight in just over a year, the neurons are misfiring all over the place. My “normal” body temperature is now 96.7 degrees. I sit outside in the summertime wearing long sleeve shirts. Sweaters are year-round attire for me in my office. Air conditioning in the summer is like putting me in a meat locker, and I have to go outside to thaw out. My employer forbids space heaters, but I found a way around that rule: I have a heating pad. Nobody ever says anything to a woman with a heating pad in her lap!

My Shoe Addiction

My brain is broken in another sense as well. An earlier blog post mentioned transfer addiction. Transfer addiction is when you trade one addiction (food) for another.

While I haven’t turned to drugs or alcohol, my habit can be just as expensive. It’s shoes. I’m drawn to shoe stores and shopping for the latest and greatest style has become my new pastime. I have always had an addictive personality. I am a former smoker having started at age 17. I quit cold turkey in 2006, after a beloved aunt was diagnosed with lung cancer. I am formerly morbidly obese, and I kind of quit food too in a way…. This after my dad’s dying wish for me to lose weight.

But nobody ever died from shoe shopping, right?

Does running to the clearance rack count as cardio? Absolutely! You should see my collection. My closet has spilled into my bedroom, complete with racks to hold shoe boxes.

I may make light of transfer addiction, but for some of us, it can come at a steep price. Know your limits, and know your boundaries. If you feel the need to turn to drugs or alcohol, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of qualified therapists and counselors available to guide us to the healthiest life imaginable.

The Best Side Effect from Weight-loss Surgery

Since my surgery in 2011, I’ve lost 163 pounds. I feel healthy. I sleep better, am no longer borderline diabetic, and have gone off all of my blood pressure medications.

I’m the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been. And I have Dr. Schuricht and Penn Medicine to thank for that!

Lose Weight at Penn Medicine

Penn can help you lose weight.

Learn about medical weight loss in Philadelphia, and the Penn Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program at a free information session about weight-loss surgery in Philadelphia.

There, you will hear about your weight-loss surgery options, and how Penn can help you lose weight and get healthy for good.

Register for a free information session today.

If you are concerned about addiction, Penn can help. Learn more about addiction treatment at Penn.