Ugh...Holiday food and stress....Help

[1Stepatatime]

I am losing it....there are so many things that I want to do and so little time. Why do I do this to myself???? I love the holidays and I get so many ideas as to
what I want to do to decorating, gifts, food, exercise, food, exercise, food, and more food. I am trying so hard to keep from eating, but the more I worry about things getting done and no time to do it, I swear it triggers something in me to get hungry. Before Thanksgiving I would have a protein shake in the morning, a balanced lunch (Darling Husband works afternoons so lunch is our meal together) a healthy snack and dinner was a protein shake or protein bar.

Since Thanksgiving I am always hungry. UGH...What's a girl to do???? Because I am doing or thinking of too many things that have done, I am exhausted. The more tried I get the more hungry I am. It is a vicious circle and until I come to terms with this it will be the devil. I have had to prioritize but something always seems to get left out that should not. Then I am rushing to get it done and the fingers are on food.

I did one thing that was maybe a new tradition. I had our granddaughter over night this week one night....I told her after Nana gives her a bath and puts her PJs on, I will air pop popcorn for her, put her in a warm car and just the two of us will go looking at christmas lights. It was the "BEST" evening. Lexi ate her popcorn and we saw so many beautiful christmas lights. What better way to bring on the season. So simple and pure.

Oh....I guess I just needed to vent my fustrations a little. Thank you all for listening. I am going to make a list today of the what I want to accomplish and start scratching. Maybe I will be a winner of a sratched off list by the end of the day!!! LOL

 

[TwoMas]

Hi 1Stepatatime, what a wonderful memory too go looking at Christmas lights with your granddaughter, hold on to that and remeber why you are doing this, so you can be health for years to come and have many more years of memories like that one to share with your family. So when you start getting stressed out from all the holiday hustle and bustle remeber that the Christmas season is a time for us to gather and enjoy each others company in the cold winter nights and days and celabrate the birth of Christ and not so much the material things that the media would like us to focus on like the commercialization of the holiday. So get done what you can, make the goodies that you would normally make for the family but slow down and don't worry, it will all work out. Tom

 

[1Stepatatime]

Thank you Tom for the lovely thoughts. You are absolutely right about the holiday. I guess I am too wanting to do it all and be organized about it. My user name says it all 1STEP AT A TIME. So many times I forget that I just can't do it all.

 

[Karenina]

1stepatatime- regarding food cravings. I would suggest to stay away from foods that trigger cravings. This is something that you have to do for yourself based on your own triggers.
For example, I haven't had a cookie since February. I had one cookie at a Thanksgiving party and felt out of control (head hunger) for the next 3 or 4 days. But I have found at other times if I'm craving a sweet, if I have a yogurt bar, that satisfies me and I don't think about sweets again for awhile.
I don't live alone, but I do the shopping for my village of a "family". I don't eat anything that's not in the house. However, if someone else brought in, say, cookies, I would ask them not to cause I know it's one of my triggers. Or I would suggest they eat their cookies in the car!

 

[Pat99]

1Step-Stress eating is not uncommon, especially around the holidays. You should find it easier to avoid after you have your surgery though. What a wonderful time you had with your granddaughter Many wonderful memories in the works and many more to come with a healthier new you just around the corner!!!

Like you said, just take things one at a time and try not to stress yourself out too much. What doesn't get done today will be there for you tomorrow. and what's the worst that can happen if something doesn't get done? Probably nothing since you will be the only one who knows about it *LOL*

It looks like you are doing a wonderful job on your pre-surgical weight loss Keep up the good work We are all here for you!!!

 

[1Stepatatime]

Thank you, Karenina and Pat, I will take all that was said as great support from you. Karenina, cookies are my RED LIGHT food too. So I have decided not to bake them this year. Yea...for me! One more thing not to worry about. Pat, you always have such wonderful advice and cheers for us. Especially when we are struggling with a challenge.

I am so glad I found this wonderful group of supportive friends. It makes the challenges of WLS so much more easier to tackle!! It's like a football game....when there is team work both offensive and defensive....Just look at all the touch downs!! Woohoo....