For the new......Cheats & Treats !

Much talk about Holiday cheats and treats.......

My opinion......

During WL or if your in maintenance and having problems holding your weight....... not so smart (I was going to use the word dumb, but that just ****** people off)......

Me personally..... I don't buy into the we are human/moderation thing...... if it works for you "*****in" roll with it.......

Am I perfect at this..... far from it.....

My surgery date was Sept. 30th. so that put me 2 months from Thanksgiving and 3 months from Xmas....... Personally...... I cannot understand how anybody can veer that early out..... sorry, does not make a bit of sense......

My message for this post is to offer a perspective....... It does not matter about sister, uncles, brothers, parents, work, parties........ the wind blew.......

Keep to the plan no matter what..... don't let anyone or anything get in your way.....show some commitment..... show some strength........

All that justifying ????? that's for amateurs...... and the non-serious....... (that pissed some people off..... but guess what.... I don't care !!!!)

Stay home if you don't want to be exposed....... We are sick people in recovery...... recover !!!!

Now there are the few that are thinking...... I had this surgery to be "normal"....... if that's how you feel.... go with it...... Cheats and Treats Rule !!!! be normal !!!!

Now the real reason for this post...........

Check out sonia29's post titled "11 months Post-Op before/after pics-121 pounds"

Show some commitment and compliance this Xmas and year........ and see what next years Xmas can look like !!!!!

frisco

Thank you Frisco! I am 5 days post-op, so food is barely appealing to me! I did recently cry over the chocolate for my kids stockings however....

No offense taken here :) I'm gonna just roll with moderation as long as it works. When (I say "when" because I know that it isn't realistic to get ALL THE WAY to goal like this) it no longer works, I'll be banging down your door :D

Keep the yummy recipes coming, friend!!

Once again, dead on.  I hit my goal on Thanksgiving week last year.  No way in hell I was going to give it back for an eating fest on a holiday.  Same for Christmas. In fact I chickened out and my wife and I ran away for two weeks to avoid the holiday food fest - we're doing it again this year... in our little rented house in Tucson - WE control what we eat - not uncles, aunties, cousins or mothers.  It can be overwhelming... read Karik's posts on the battle with being constantly exposed to your addiction - and the strength it takes to no give in.

Better to be cowardly, healthy and away from the festivities while in recovery than to constantly back-slide (and have one's "food reward" buttons pushed over and over again).

The prime weight loss phase is precious.  EVERY DAY of it.  Just say "no!" to your inner two-year-old while you drive toward goal.  I promise that you'll be happier if you do.  

***APPLAUSE** I applaud your great attitude and your post! Brilliant! It's NOT weak to avoid the food festivities. We are formerly obese folks who have to do what we have to do to stay healthy and not sick! I'll take healthy and not sick any day!

Great post Frisco!

No surprise here to learn that I was an 'eye on the prize' girl. I kept everything incredibly simple and straightforward during my 'weight loss phase' Christmas last year. If anything tricky came my way, I avoided it. There was just no f'in' way I was delaying what I was working so hard to achieve!!

This year I'm comfortably at goal, been here for 5 months. But ya know what?  This Christmas really won't look that different. Know why?  Because it isn't about the flipping food anymore. Nope. 

Okay, but it is about the presents ;-). Gorgeous new clothes in size 2. Accessories for my kick ass motorcycle. Get the picture??  I'm living the life I only dreamed about when I weighed 110 pounds more than I do today. 

Yup I am calling AMEN on all this. Cheats and treats rule! be normal! Hah! Love it. I read that on FB groups all the time. "I love being able to eat whatever I want, just MUCH less!" Mmmmhmmm they are drinking the sleeve kool aid that someone shoved down their throats. That ain't gonna work out very well when they realize the sleeve doesn't really moderate all those chips and cookies in a year or two after surgery! They are going to be on here complaining about gaining weight back and why their sleeve doesn't restrict the junk food anymore like it did in the "first 6 months!" "Have I stretched my sleeve? I can eat an ENTIRE family bag of Cheetos!! When I first had surgery I could only eat 5 and be full! I thought the sleeve was supposed to restrict me!" :-)

Good one!

Imagine people telling a drug addict... c'mon, be "normal" just have ONE of (whatever you're addicted to - booze, pills, heroin, meth...), you deserve a "treat."  Just ONE won't kill you!

Maybe we're not addicted in the same physiological sense as a substance-abuse type addict, but I'd argue that MY behavior is similar enough to an addict that I should treat it somewhat the same way.

Being normal and having a "little" of the thing that made me sick and unhappy to the point of having surgery to fix myself just can't be wise.

That's not to say I have been, or am, perfect.  But avoiding a lot of "cues" for overeating like holiday parties, whenever possible, seems like a reasonable strategy.

Yes. This. 

Frisco - my no-bull**** comrade, I love that after all this time, you STILL come on here and share your thoughts. With all of the crap you've taken over the years, I know that you have a big heart. You want everyone to get to goal. So do I.