Holiday Eating After Weight Loss Surgery

December 22, 2014

Holiday eating after weight loss surgery reminds me how grateful I am that I had surgery.  I'm free from all the craziness that comes with holiday goodies and food.  I'm no longer dieting and white knuckling what I will and won't eat, and if I'm going to cheat (aka binge and go all out) or restrict what I eat. Holiday eating after weight loss surgery is a whole different experience and mindset now.

Before WLS, depending on the fad diet I happened to be on that Holiday season, I was either counting calories, counting fat grams, counting carbohydrates, eating meals that tasted like the same cardboard boxes they came in or pinching this stud that I had put in my ear that was supposed to curb my cravings and minimize my appetite that never worked.  The Holidays were spent focused on food - either numbed out in a carb coma or in a bad mood from dieting.  I'm shaking my head as I write this because I didn't know how miserable I was at the Holidays just because of food.  What a lousy way to spend such a special time of the year.

Fast forward 13 years and celebrating the Holidays with my WLS is an entirely different experience.  I eat healthy so I don't have to get weirded out  about calories, carbs, fat, cardboard tasteless food or that ear thing.  Who wants to spend their Holidays focused on food instead of being with family, friends and celebrating this time of year?

Change your mindset from food-focused to fun-focused.  Don't let a piece of pecan pie get the best of you and take you off track.  You and your healthy lifestyle are more than any unhealthy food choices that you'll just regret later.  There are lots of ways to enjoy the Holidays, be with family and friends, and create shared experience and memories that will last much longer than going for it with unhealthy food choices.

Resources for Healthy Holiday Eating WLS-Style:

Photo credit: Jana Reifegerste cc

cathy wilson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).

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