Title:
Holiday Eating Anxieties for Bariatric Patients
Summary
Most Bariatric Surgery Patients experience a wide range of Holiday eating anxieties which can actually ruin a perfectly good Holiday around friends and family. Don't allow your anxieties to spoil the day!
Keywords
Bariatric, Morbid Obesity, Gastric Bypass, Holiday Eating Anxieties, Weigth Loss Surgery, Roux-en-y
Article Body
Most Bariatric Surgery Patients experience a wide range of Holiday eating anxieties which can actually ruin a perfectly good Holiday around friends and family.
Prior to surgery, Holidays meant family, friends, and lots of food to indulge in and enjoy often at a glutinous rate simply because Holiday foods are special because they are only provided during the season and they are prepared so carefully which adds guilt if you dont partake of it.
How many times do you hear these phrases said at a Holiday gathering?
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Thats ALL youre going to have? I worked so hard on that dish
You better eat this now, because it wont be here for another year.
It will hurt my feelings if you dont eat this..
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These are very special ingredients I ordered specifically for this dish
You cant be NOT HUNGRY its a Holiday!
Just ONE LITTLE BITE, PLEEEEEZEEEEZ..
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Have more, theres plenty
Take some of this home with you if youre not going to eat it now
Oh nonsense! Youre allowed to eat a lot today!
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You should have worn your FAT PANTS to gorge yourself like the rest of us
OH, how this list could fill a book, right? Such comments add enough stress to non-surgery individuals who carefully watch their weight, let alone those who have had the Bariatric surgery and have to be careful what they eat, how much they eat, and how often they eat. So you are NOT ALONE in feeling some anxiety about being around all of the special food at gatherings this season.
Id like to offer some suggestions that have worked for me and others during this most stressful time when Holidays equates to special foods and the pressure to partake in them is way too much out of hand at times.
Make your visit brief: if you are getting too much pressure from others or are experiencing too many anxieties, let leave the gathering earlier than you originally planned. Maybe youre tired, the roads are getting bad, you realized you need to do something remember that pre-planned escape should be there for you if you need it.
I can attest that these are tactics that Ive used and STILL use in social gatherings when it is expected to eat special foods during special times. Granted, I am three years post-op, so my anxieties are not as high as they once were but they certainly threatened my Holiday happiness not too long ago!
Remember this most of all. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the less youll feel nervous about those awful Holiday Eating Anxieties. Now go have fun!