OMG, how are all of you coping? Where I work, everyone has been celebrating since before Thanksgiving, with food of course. And mostly crap food (also known as yummy sweets that I can't have). Fortunately, my cubicle was moved away from the kitchen/break room and the table that is often used for storing most of the food for the days festivities (which I could always smell as i worked). But where I am now... there is another table of just sweets about 8-10 feet away max. I see it every time I get up. It is always full of sweet/salty snacks that I can't have. There is never anything healthy on this table (the other one at least had some good stuff). And if seeing this table of sweets was bad enough... the staff around me are talking about the sweets ALL.DAY.LONG. Overall, I am doing pretty well despite the temptations. At most I have had 1 very small shortbread cookie, but I have had a little caramel popcorn the last few days. Not much, just enough to satisfy me. So all is good there. I certainly haven't gone crazy with my eating. But, I have to listen to the people around me talk about food/sweets ALL.THE.TIME. I do a decent job of tuning them out half of the day, but it is really getting on my nerves yesterday and today. Add to that, my "biggest" co-worker keeps going back for sweets again and again and always say really loudly "calories don't count during the holidays". Being my first post-sleeve holiday season, I am extra sensitive and that statement bugs the heck out of me. I know it shouldn't lol. Ugh. I am sitting here at my desk trying to ignore and certainly not judge those around me for enjoying the holidays and the food associated with it, but it is so hard! And I don't want them to half to change because I chose to have surgery to improve my own health. I think at least the people near where I used to sit were much more aware of my struggle and more thoughtful and supportive about it, and I really appreciated that. They at least didn't "rub it in my face" all day (not that these people are TRYING to do that), and they tried hard to be considerate when by not parading around with their food in front of me. Tomorrow is our "Christmas" lunch. It is our most fun celebration every year. I did OK with our Thanksgiving feast at work, but there were several foods I could enjoy within my diet. I hope to do well again for our upcoming Christmas dinner tomorrow, but not sure if it is possible. I won't grab sweets, but I will probably sample what I can of the regular food. Unfortunately, it sounds like there won't be a lot I CAN eat. I know the main dish this time is sandwiches. I know I can take off the rolls, but I don't really want to eat just the meat/cheese (sick of that). There will be a salad, but I am still not digesting salads very well yet. Then the rest is supposed to be potato/pasta salads and such that I really shouldn't eat (and have no desire to eat). And lots of deserts. And if I don't eat the meal, then the deserts will be calling out to me (my co-workers bring great deserts every year... that I can't eat!). I don't know if I should even go or just go home for lunch instead. I don't know. I don't want to miss out, but I fear this particular dinner might be torture. And not sure what I would want bring to eat instead. I wish I didn't HAVE to bring something as a substitute. They change the type of meal every year, and the last 2 years the food would have been great for me... this year... not so much. Anyhow... sorry for the vent, but I figured some of you would understand whereas no one around me will!

1 hour ago, MourningTheLossOfBeer said:

Look on the bright side, the "calories don't count during the holidays" people are gonna die before you.

Oh goodness, that made me laugh out loud! But sadly true! (Well, not sad for me haha)

This is your new forever...Make a dish and bring it that you can have...Do something with fat free pudding, there are so many recipes. You said it yourself the biggest girl in the office hit that table so many times. It made me sad she had to make a joke over the calories to justify her eating so much. If you can't stand it what I do is pick the one I want and just put a drop on the tip of a spoon. You realize it wasn't as good as you built it up to be in your he a d. You have to think is the next bigger bite worth all I have done today to stay on the plan. 99% of the time I can walk away the other 1% yup I take the bite. Then for the next few hours my stomach sounds like a thunder storm, I only threw up once. Sorry for all the stress eating at functions esp at holidays are tough now add depriving yourself ba hum bug

But you've lost 68 pounds!!!!!! Woo hoo!!! And you will continue to lose during the holidays while the rest of them gain! They can have the sweets, but you will have sweet revenge!

I always have a protein drink and/or a can of a favorite soup at work or whenever I go to a party. Then I am never blindsided and hungry at the same time (deadly combination.)

You can do this! The party will be over soon enough, but you will still be on on track. In another month, all your co-workers will be whining about how much weight they gained, while you can smile smugly with even more weight gone.

I think I have decided to just go home for lunch during tomorrows party. I am proud of how well I did for Thanksgiving, but I am just not feeling that strong for tomorrow. Next year I will probably go, but by then I will at least be in maintenance! Tomorrow I just need to remember to bring my headphones to work in the AM. Thankfully we don't have work next week. Yay me!

Unfortunately it's a part of life and you will need to adapt to it. Everyday now for the rest of your life You have to be mindful of your new way of life.

I feel great I can look at people stuffing their faces with junk wherever I go and I know that is not me anymore.

I don't even want that food anymore. Nor is any food worth giving up my health and the 110lbs I've already lost!

I'm the healthiest I've ever been in my 35 years and food is now just fuel that is it..

We need to learn to disassociate food with pleasure. We need to find other things in life that give us joy outside of junk food.

16 hours ago, momof3_angels said:

My whole office knows now too... but my work "moms" who would help me are no longer near me Like I said, mixed blessing because there is usually more food where I used to sit... but I don't have the support system where I sit now. And there is a division of the two spaces.

I did Disney a few weeks post op. I wasn't tempted by the bad food. I had more issues of "what CAN I eat?" than "how do I prevent myself from eating all this good food". And the fact that everything is overpriced helps say "No, I am not wasting money on that Churro that I can only take 1-2 bites of" lol

yeah im not so much worried about the eating too much, just the stress of what you said of being able to find something that doesnt make me feel completely guilty. but ive been mapping things out. plus with all the walking you do, im sure ill be just fine. im excited.

2 hours ago, Superman84 said:

Unfortunately it's a part of life and you will need to adapt to it. Everyday now for the rest of your life You have to be mindful of your new way of life.

Yep. Just not totally there yet. And I am very aware that these are MY problems and not THEIR problems. I don't expect anyone else to change, but I am learning how to change how I deal with it. Most of the time this hasn't been an issue for me. Food is always being brought in to the office. It has just been more excessive this week. Add to that I am kind of sick of eating the same boring stuff over and over. Then all of the food talk on top of that. Put the three things together and I am struggling!

And I forgot to grab my headphones to bring to work! May run home to get them in a little bit.

Last night we went to our neighborhood Italian place for a Christmas party with friends. And I WANTED PIZZA!!!! But instead, I just weighed in my head whether it would taste that great. Plus would it be worth potentially having RH last night. And would it be worth weighing up to 4lbs more this morning and having a carb hangover. I COULD have had it. I'm at the bottom of my weight window. But instead, I planned ahead and was able to choose to have their yummy grilled chicken and shrimp with broccoli and garlic! We split a Caesar no croutons and it was fab! And this morning I'm back at my goal weight of 130.4lbs!!! What???!!!! So excited.

That fuels me to make the choices I make. I just dig down and remind myself of my WHY? WHY did I get this surgery!!! You can use this tool too!!

This is my first post sleeve holiday too and it was getting overwhelming and out of hand. So I had to shut it down. It’s so hard and the bad foods are also slider foods for me so they are easy to eat. So I went back to basics. I’ll let myself have one cheat day for the holidays but other than that I have to stay back on track bec it’s a slippery slope. For me anyway

There has been food everywhere. All types of food, baked goods, cocktails and utter mayhem!!! My goodness, I abstained from a Christmas party tonight and I'll lay low. I haven't been good with my eating this month, but I'm officially going to get my butt back on track. Going to start my detox program this week and get my head in the game for surgery next month. I'm also tired of seeing food everywhere. I've had to be bluntly honest that I have to practice self-preservation and awareness. There will be other Holidays and birthdays in the years to come. I've worked hard and I can see success through all of the fog. No more indulging in food. Thank you for the post, we are not alone. Not that I want others to suffer, just knowing I'm not alone humanizes the experience.

Fortunately for me, I love fresh fruit. However, I am terrible about cutting it up so as I prepared for my surgery, I began but those fresh fruit trays they sell in the store and taking them to the office for our celebrations. One of the other girls started bringing a vegetable tray and then another started bringing tossed salad. I realized then just how special my coworkers were.
But what really truly amazed me was when the drug reps who came to our clinic stopped bringing no no’s and started bringing in fruit and vegetable trays to the office.
Is there one coworker in whom you can confide about these issues who might not only offer moral support but spread the word quietly so others can become supportive?
If not, keep coming here to this site for the moral support. Good luck

15 minutes ago, bethow said:

Fortunately for me, I love fresh fruit. However, I am terrible about cutting it up so as I prepared for my surgery, I began but those fresh fruit trays they sell in the store and taking them to the office for our celebrations. One of the other girls started bringing a vegetable tray and then another started bringing tossed salad. I realized then just how special my coworkers were.
But what really truly amazed me was when the drug reps who came to our clinic stopped bringing no no’s and started bringing in fruit and vegetable trays to the office.
Is there one coworker in whom you can confide about these issues who might not only offer moral support but spread the word quietly so others can become supportive?
If not, keep coming here to this site for the moral support. Good luck

How TOTALLY cool!!!