Holiday Horror

I had my RNY on 10/15/14. Today I'm feeling so horrible and defeated after this holiday week! It all started the week before Xmas when I had to bake some things for husband's work. I tried these treats and realized they didn't cause dumping. So I've been taking bites of sweet things here and there ever since, especially over the holiday festivities. Like today for example, I had 2 macarons and a few small bites of other cookies or cakes. Nothing compared to what I would've had before but either way, I feel guilty, gross, and discouraged! I've gotten rid of all leftovers and am planning healthy protein-rich meals this week. Pleasee help me get back on track I feel so terrible yet couldn't seem to think before eating, or control myself :(

I am also the baker in my large family...and boy did I bake up a storm! However, I was afraid this would happen to me, and plus,  I'm certain I would be a dumper, so I just put on my little dust mask and bake/cook/make candy and fudge, all day.  Then just toss in trash.  You can find them in the drug store or places like Home Depot. They saved my @ss many times.

Even though the "dust mask" vision wouldn't make it on the front of any Hallmark Christmas card, good for you :)  Either would photos of my puke-green smoothies or Miralax-waters.

I had a similar issue on Thanksgiving.  I baked for the first time since surgery.  I didn't eat any directly, but did enough finger licking while making the frosting to make myself sick.  I don't dump, but I felt really ill from all of the sugar.  I cried because I felt awful physically and it was something I knew I did to myself.  Do yourself a favor in the future and delegate baking to someone else or pick up some dessert at the store that doesn't even appeal to you.  Don't be too hard on yourself - just stop eating the sweets, take it as a lesson learned the hard way and move on.  

This is why its so dangerous to go off plan, even for a special occasion.  Some can do it without triggering, but many of us can't.  Now that you know that a taste here or there will cause problems for you, you can avoid it in the future.  I think if there is a special occasion coming up, it's better to plan for the treat in advance rather than tasting a bite here or there.  But also, I think that a better time for those planned treats is once you are in maintenance.  Consider this time of weight loss as sort of untouchable or sacred because it will only happen once.  I have taken the advice of the vets that we have to honor our honeymoon period because it is a gift that will go away forever before we know it.  And then we will want it back!  You can do this, you already started by throwing away leftovers.  Now back to protein for you and those sugary cravings will decrease soon enough.  Take care of yourself!  

Feeling guilty and disgusted doesn't really accomplish anything except to ruin your self esteem. There is absolutely nothing you can do about choices in the past. Move on! Acknowledge that you are human and make mistakes--we all do. Unfortunately they operate on our stomachs and not our heads. The head stuff is all up to us. It's a learning game. Learn new ways to look at food and cooking and learn to be conscious about the food we choose to eat. Write down and record every bite of food that goes in your mouth. Personally,I don't think I want or need that cookie bad enough to record it in my journal. Make a list of things you can do now or would like to do  and couldn't at your highest weight and post it in your kitchen. Post a before picture on your refrigerator to help you be encouraged to make smart choices. This early out you can get by with poor choices and still lose but once you are farther out bad choices repeated will equal weigh gain. Now is the time to learn new habits so you can be a long term success. You can do this. Get back on your doctors plan and take it one choice at a time. Eat protein first and have good snack choices available. Drink plenty of fluids and move more too. It will help you feel so much better! Get those sweets out of your house and have a plan in place for next time too. I baked too- 8 batches of cookies and 3 pans of yeast rolls but they all left my house quickly--every last one of them! Now is a new day so get back on plan and choose wisely! You've got this my dear!

we all make mistakes. Although we need to be accountable for them it is more important to learn from them. Now you know you're vulnerable to the baked treats you can take steps not to put yourself in that situation. Holidays can be tough because of old habits sneaking up. Good restart by throwing the junk out. Can't eat what's not there.

I am a baker at the holidays.  It is very difficult not to do a taste test.  Lots of good advice on here.  I have also had a sugarfree hot chocolate with unflavoured protein powder and sip on that,  it helps with the craving for something sweet and fills you up.  However,  for some people having something sweet makes them crave more sweets.  

Delegating baking in the future may not be a bad idea though. 

You are way too early out from surgery to mess with food that doesn't benefit your body. A year or two down the line, maybe more, you may be able to have a taste of something or one cookie, but right now consider it against the law. It does not benefit your body, and mentally you cannot be ready.

I have no self control. I ate half a cookie at work today and it wasn't even worth it! I wish I could reset my mind!!! The worst part is I justify it while I'm eating it or aiming for it, but regret it immediately after. I feel like I need to seek counseling to deal with my messed up brain but simply can't afford it, neither will insurance cover it. How do you deal with these issues yourself? Any suggestions besides counseling?