Once again we're heading into the holiday season. I refer to it as "dreaded" of course because of the food and endless opportunities to stuff ourselves. The stores have been selling halloween candy since the beginning of September. I have been tempted on many occasions to buy a bag of reese's peanut butter cups.Crazy right? Not so much. Surgery has helped me with developing a healthier life style but old habits die hard. Surgery didn't take away my sweet tooth or my urge to eat things just because they're available. This is a work in progress and will be something I will have to work on for a very long time. Has it become easier? Sure it has, but it didn't happen over night. I don't think about food 24 hours a day anymore and I'm able to make better choices but I'm human and I make mistakes and poor choices every now and then. The difference is I don't let one mistake become two, or three. I don't allow one bad food choice to throw me off for the whole day. You know what I'm talking about. We're all guilty of starting the day off with the best of intentions and then having a screw up. Maybe it's a piece of candy, a donut, whatever. We then give ourselves permission to eat that way for the rest of the day promising to start over tomorrow. This is a mindset, one that doesn't change because of surgery. It is hard work but well worth it in the long run.
As Halloween and the other holidays approach I am trying to mentally prepare myself for how I'm going to handle the candy, desserts, and endless amounts of food that I will be exposed to. I refuse to deprive myself, however, I am making a huge effort to be prepared. Planning is huge after weightloss surgery, anyone who has had it will tell you. For Halloween I will purchase a small package of the candy I like and put it in the freezer. When I have the urge to have some chocolate it will be there waiting for me. The fact that it is frozen will make it last longer. I will eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day but I will pass on the stuffing. Extra veggies will fill me up too. If I have dessert, I always split it with my husband. This allows me to have some but keeps me from over doing it. The same for Christmas, moderation and healthy choices are key. If I'm worried about over eating I will have a small piece of fruit or cut up veggies about an hour before dinner. This usually keeps me satisfied and makes it easier not too overeat!
I wish you all a healthy and happy halloween.
Warm regards,
Jenn
