Holiday Eating

Happy Thanksgiving, US residents!

Holidays are here, and with it another reason to overeat. Holidays are tough. For those of us having to adjust to new portion sizes, holidays are no longer the excuse to overeat that they used to be. Normals splurge occasionally and because of their lifestyles, the weight evens out. If post-ops overeat, we're talking pain, quick visits to the toilet, or violent retching. Not fun.

I'm spending time with my in-laws and my parents (as well as my own family, of course). We're all packing into a van and heading to my parents house for a turkey and the trimmings.

I'm well aware that we're supposed to be able to eat "normal" food, with the exception of maybe the pumpkin pie, as long as it's in moderation. I don't like that because I simply suck at estimating portion sizes. As a result, I'm sticking to my original plan; I'm taking a tortilla and some turkey slices and I'll stuff it with some stuffing. A Thanksgiving Wrap, so to speak. If I find some sweet potato maybe I'll put that into the wrap too. I've found that the wrap is pretty good for making acting as a natural portion limiter. I'm sure it'll draw some ire from those around me because it's not traditional. I'm used to the looks and the dirty thoughts. I try not to let it bother me anymore. I'm doing this because I know what works for me. If I start partaking in the old ways, I just know that I'll gradually slip into overeating again. I don't want to worry about that.

New foods? I still have to be careful. It appears that even innocent things like trying a small Sam's Club sample of chai and a bite of a glazed ham slice on a toothpick was enough to trigger digestive upset (I noticed after the fact that the chai mix at Sam's Club had sugar as a primary ingredient...surprise!). So mixing up foods at a family event is not something I really feel like experimenting with.

The point is that holidays are hugely focused on eating as part of the ritual, and for some people it's a really bad idea. These type of holiday events encourage overeating. Normals may not have a problem with this. Some people like me will have to stick to our guns even if it means looking weird at the table eating prepared foods. I've worked too hard and suffered too much to give up now just because it upsets someone who doesn't walk in my shoes and wear my floppy excess skin.

Good luck to any post-op reading this, I bid you the best in getting through the holiday time. Find something to be thankful for to get you through these wonderful family gatherings without wanting to curl up in the corner and cry. If you can't, at least be courteous enough to stay out of my corner...