"Won't you miss it?"

I have to be careful when I'm talking to people about eating something lately.

My Gastric Bypass surgery is just less than 3 weeks away now!

See - I am in a way, doing all these "farewell" acts of food crimes.

Large Blizzards.
All You Can Eat Pasta Bowls.
Bottomless Fries.

And while no one has said it to me yet - there is a little voice that pops up when I see expressions come across peoples faces when I talk about eating the last few weeks:

"Aren't you going to miss this?"

And the truth is - no.  Not really.
Like with any life style change, you have to make modifications to your daily habits.
More green - less fried.  More fiber - less fat.  And so on.

There is a great article that talks about the Top 10 Myths About Bariatric Surgery (HERE) that goes over common misconceptions of the surgery.  The one I want to highlight tonight is #8:

"Myth #8: After bariatric surgery, you won’t be able to eat anything that tastes good.

Patients who undergo gastric bypass may need to avoid very sweet foods because it can cause side effects like dizziness and nausea. Patients who have a duodenal switch typically need to keep fatty foods to a minimum. However, many patients can and do eat their favorite foods after they recover from surgery. They just eat very small portions. Even if you can’t eat whatever you used to like, you may find that WLS provides you with the ideal opportunity to experiment and find new foods to enjoy."

Watching my parents first hand go through this surgery, I can say without a doubt that while some items are no longer on their menu (my dad is unable to handle rice, for example) they still eat a lot of the same foods they did before. Just in smaller portions. Like someone would who was on a diet, or just trying to live healthier.


See - in my head, I *KNOW* what I need to do. I just haven't had the success I need to get to that goal weight. I have never weighed under 155 lbs since I was 14 years old. I have not seen single digits in clothing in my adult years (even at my lowest weight, I was still a 10/11).


I am being given a tool, and I plan on utilizing it to its fullest potential.
I am being given a new chance to really shine, and I plan on blinding you all.


So when I choose to have that doughnut with my breakfast sandwich in the next few days, it's not because I'm never going to eat a doughnut again (Tim Hortons and I are BFFs when I go to Canada -*Tim Hortons as mini doughnut holes - we are going to be best friends in about 6 months from now!). It's only because I know this will be the last time I can eat so poorly without my tool revolting against me ;-) And I am VERY okay with that.

Thanks for reading,


Nichole

Be The Thermostat - Not The Thermometer

Dear Food - Why Can't I Quit You?

The obvious answer is: "Duh, you'd die with me".
I get it, food.  Without you, my body would eventually die.

What I have always struggled with, is my relationship with food.

As a pre-teen, I turned to food for comfort when I was teased relentlessly in 5th grade.  I turned to food when I was happy.  When I was mad.  Sad.  And so on ...

Now, since having children, I find myself more of a stress eater than I ever was before.  This could also be a direct coralation between quitting smoking and replacing one bad habit with another.

This is another problem I face: I KNOW what I'm doing wrong.  I know what I should be eating (1500 calories a day, since I work out, made up of complex carbs ... healthy fats ... protein ... etc.).  I know I should avoid sugar, empty foods, etc.  I preach this to everyone I know.  People come to me for advice about it.  It's not to say I'm losing weight, it's just slow as frack thanks to my constant set-backs.

I had a light bulb go off the other day ...

It doesn't take a scientist to figure it out - but our bodies are like machines.
We feed it crap - it runs like crap.
With this mentality, I need to view FUELING my body versus just EATING my feelings.

Again, not rocket science here.  Yet, it felt like my "aha" moment I needed.
Have I magically turned things around since this moment.  NO.  However, before anything goes into my mouth, I ask "Food or Fuel?"

Sometimes my emotions/stress still wins ... but the battle is getting easier.

I really can't wait until after my Vegas vacation in two weeks.  I plan on jolting my body with the jump-start it needs (no serious fasting or anything crazy like that - just a restricted diet for a few days to get the crap out that I'm sure will be floating around from Vegas!)

What struggles do you have with your eating and diet?  Are you an emotional eater or a stress eater?
I have also promised not to beat myself as hard anymore when I do slip ... this helps me not become so emotional, and thus restart the cycle of bad food decision making.


I look forward to hearing from you, my lovely readers, your thoughts.

~ Be The Thermostat, Not The Thermometer ~

Nikki