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Food For Thought (from a fellow WLS patient)
You might remember Christmas from the "good old days". You know what I'm talking about, don't you my fellow food addicts? Before my RNY almost 7 years ago, Christmas was a time when I could blissfully stuff my belly without feeling apologetic. Everyone is supposed to do this on Christmas...right? You fill your 18-inch plate and extend that stomach, which feels a mile deep...over and over again. Of course, this is coupled with alcohol and dessert and then followed by a nap. Ahh...life was good!
Wait one delusional minute! If life was so good, then why did I have WLS?! Oh yeah, I was fat and unhappy. Still, I can't help but feel cheated somehow as I stand before the Christmas spread knowing I will never again be able to stuff myself in that same pre-surgery way. Does this always keep me from trying? Heck no! I eat a few bites of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing...try to slide in a couple of bites of dessert...and if I'm feeling really stupid, I attempt some wine. But now I'm "whining" all right because I feel miserable and "full." But it's not that same kind of whole belly "full" that I used to be able to get before WLS that made me feel so satisfied. Instead, this "full" sits at the top of my abdomen, backs up into my esophagus and causes a few painful spasms. So, do I give up? If I keep down what I already ate, I try again in a little while, squeezing in bites of this and that. Must...keep...trying! Now that I have eaten all the things that send my body on that blood glucose roller coaster there are many more opportunities throughout the day to feel hungry once again and take another stab at this self-destructive behavior ... and down I slide on that slippery slope of self-destruction. I end up feeling out of control, sick and frustrated. I just can't get the emotional satisfaction from food that I am seeking. Ugh!
So now what? Forgive me if this sounds trite, but times like these are when it is most important to remind myself why I had WLS and why I committed to the sacrifices involved. I can't tell you how many times I have thought, "This surgery is ruining my fun." Ding, ding! THAT is my cue. Let's rethink fun." Was it fun to feel overweight and unattractive? Was it fun to always feel tired and sluggish? Was it fun to get critical looks and comments from others? How about the health consequences...were those fun?
Let me tell you about fun now. I have much more energy, move a lot more quickly, and my health is better. Instead of critical comments and glances, I get compliments and sometimes a little envy from other women. Now, THAT'S fun!
Might I suggest a new approach to this year's Christmas spread? Pull a little switch-a-roo with that hungry and deprived way of thinking. No, you and I cannot achieve that same full feeling that we used to. I don't know about you, but that feeling was a big deal for me. However, once I accepted this, a whole new way of thinking was possible. Instead of trying to get back that lost "fun with food" feeling, (which you can't get anyway) relish in the new satisfaction that come from looking and feeling better. If you are new to WLS and aren't quite to that place of looking and feeling better yet, remind yourself that this new tool will bring you something much more gratifying than apple pie. Ask yourself: "Do I want to feel frustrated and sick today or do I want to make the choices that will make me feel healthy and ultimately more satisfied?"
This turkey leaves you with a bit of "food for thought" when staring down that Christmas spread. Instead of feeling cheated and trying to stuff ourselves, we can feel thankful for this tool we have been given, a tool that can improve our lives in ways too numerous to count. Instead of feeling physically "full" we now have a much better chance of feeling "full-filled" and that is the most fun of all.
Who are you going to bring with you as you move from holiday event to holiday event? Are you going to bring the little child inside who hates being deprived? Or, are you bringing with you the satisfied and goal-oriented adult who will take care of your true needs? When your inner child is in charge, you are more at risk for making unhealthy choices. The inner child may be rebellious, choosing to eat the things that are "forbidden." Your inner adult is better at delaying gratification and thinking through the consequences of a choice. When you are going into a challenging situation, your adult self will be your best friend. That part of you will say, "no," and will guide you onto an exciting new path of success. Pay attention to the voices inside your head that help you make choices as you go through your day. Identify your inner child's influence, acknowledge it, and then gently allow your inner adult to have the final say.
Good morning! and TGIF 
this has been the longest week ever!! One more week of putting in time at the office. I swear if a person has all their work done they should be allowed to just stay home.
Today our boss is having full turkey dinner catered in for our lunch. Ours is a department of 13 including him, and his wife comes and has lunch with us too. It's nice. People just bring containers for leftovers and that's it. Of course we have that ONE person who has to be a glutton and does nothing to help prepare/set up/or clean up. I dislike her very much.
B - HB eggs
S - yogurt
L - turkey, stuffing, veg, bit of gravy - I can easily stay away from the potatoes and buns
S - unnecessary
D - chicken wings maybe with greek salad, or leftover sauteed chicken/peppers/onion I haven't decided. I'm craving some hot sauce so I think I might go with the wings
Have a great weekend everybody!!
Over 100 lbs lost! and 13 lbs below goal weight!
Good (very early) morning :)
Just stopping in to get this started and then I will try to go back to sleep for a while. We saw the nurse practitioner yesterday -- our pediatrician was out for a family emergency. We have to start waking the little nugget up through the night again for feedings to increase her weight gain. We are also starting to add some cereal for the calories. It seriously messes with my head that I can't get her to gain weight when I spend my life trying to lose weight.
Then we went to go for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants only to find it is closed forever. Sad day lol. I ordered a new phone and I'm going to pick it up today. Then we have a few house projects to work on. DH took yesterday and today off work so it has been fun hanging out together. He fixed our dryer yesterday and put my kitchen cabinet back together while we were napping, so everything will be ready for Christmas. I've said it before but being an adult is weird.
QOTD: what is your next big project? Do you have a personal project, house project, etc. that you want to work on? I bought some kids socks yesterday that I want to turn into leg warmers for little nugget to use for crawling on our hard floors. They look like monsters where the heel is the mouth -- and they have teeth. I'm going to use either hot glue or fabric paint to add some traction spots so she can get some grip. Eventually we also want to demolish our kitchen and I can't wait for that day!! :)
Post-op three years and nine months.
Breakfast 1 - protein bar (4am wake up)
Breakfast 2 - Greek yogurt with berries
Snack - Melba with PB
Lunch - tbd. Might go to the food court when I go to get my phone.
Snack - pepperoni and cheese stick
Dinner - tbd. I think we still have leftovers but I'm getting tired of them.
Snack - pudding
All water and vits.
Thanks Ginnny!! :)
Oooo, fresh bread. That's dangerous too...
Hey Meg! You're a rock star this week!! Im just winging it today. Feels like a friday but sadly I know it isn't.
No food plans today.....oh crap, thats a lie. I have greek salad and ham for lunch, and whatever is in the fridge that I didn't eat yesterday!! Today is a dog and pony show to meet the new Council. Its from 10 - 11. Coffee and crap, no thanks.
Got my "ugly" (cute) christmas sweater on and I'm the only one in my department. they all "forgot". 
Any who....have a great day.
Oh, Fav smell.....fresh bread....mmmmmmm Our Home Depots have Subways in them so yummmmo
Over 100 lbs lost! and 13 lbs below goal weight!
Planning/Preparing
Remember when we were preparing for surgery? How many meetings, classes and such did we attend? We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success. And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods. Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.
Journaling
Get back to journaling. This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life. Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating. It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband. It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food. Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL
Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker. Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.
Goals/Rewards
Make a list of goals for yourself. Make them realistic and small. Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein. If you didn't make a Weight Loss Surgery bucket list when you first had surgery do it now. GREAT reminder of all the things you can enjoy in life after losing weight.
Food
In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).
Water
Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea? I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass. I found once I started carrying one of the metal bottles of water to keep it cold I drank water all day.
MOVE!
I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving. If I could not go to the gym I would walk. Grab a cart and walk all the isles at your local box store. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back. So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV. Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.
Support
If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group. Come here on OH daily for support and participate in one of the food threads. It helps you be accountable and also great ideas for food prep.
Keep me posted on how you are doing.
HW:330 - GW:150 - MW:118-125
RW:190 - CW:130
Good morning :)
DH took the day off work. We are taking the little nugget to see the pediatrician, then getting lunch, he's getting a haircut, then we will people watch at the mall. Other than a few last minute things I hope/think we are done. Funny story, I was making a list of people who we were going to pick up some local chocolates for. I added a friend's name who had WLS too... I was like, oh no, that would be a terrible idea lol. So there must be a few neurons firing in my brain these days.
QOTD: what is your favourite smell? I love chocolate and popcorn. We went to Home Depot on the weekend and as soon as we walked in I said there was popcorn somewhere. Sure enough they had a kid activity set up and a big popcorn maker. I totally asked for a small bag for me ;) I just can't be trusted around popcorn.
Post-op three years and nine months.
Breakfast - trail mix
Snack - Greek yogurt and blueberries
Lunch - leftover portgueses chicken stuff from my uncle's mom -- she is an amazing cook.
Snack - Melba and PB
Dinner - tbd
Snack - pudding
All water and vits.
You don't have to adopt a Scrooge-like attitude toward the coming holiday season. Despite all of the commercialism and the intense, unhealthy focus on food and drink, the holidays can be a time of joy and contentment. But even the most optimistic, upbeat person needs a break from the excitement to recharge. The intense holiday season lasts more than a month nowadays, and you'll start seeing evidence of it soon (if you haven't already). When you find yourself caught up in the excitement, remember to step back once in awhile to take a breather. It will re-energize you, help you avoid the burnout that could lead to stress eating, and provide you with the boost you need to stay on track. Today, before the upcoming holiday begin to consume you, write down a plan for how you will handle the coming season. With a plan, you are much more likely to stay on track.
