Re: Dear Sue

[Guest guest]

Dear Sue,

I am working on losing my last 11 pounds so I can have surgery. Your message was just what I needed to hear. It needs to not be about the food we are not going to get but being able to be satisfied with a small portion. Until I started dieting for this goal I don't think I ever knew what feeling full was I thought that it was heavily over eating and about to explode. I only hope taht I will be able to manage my portions and not force my pouch to grow. I know the feeling of living to eat and look forward to experiencing eating to live. Thanks again for sharing.

Jeff Dear ,

It's funny, but you should enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner just fine. The thing you will enjoy most is not gorging yourself. You will probably laugh when you take a small spoonful of everything at dinner and haven't tested all day while cooking, and find yourself satisfied. At Denny's, I order from the kid's menu. People who do not know about my surgery, laugh at my "boldness" to do what they have always wanted to do. I get the "thanksgiving " dinner...a slice of turkey and a side (sometimes two sides, but then there are leftovers). It totally satisfies me. My friends have told me they have always wanted to order that way but where afraid people would laugh! HUH!? We are so conditioned to think that we need to eat "ADULT" sized portions of food that we gained weight over the years. So on Thanksgivimg, enjoy! On birthdays, enjoy! Fourth of July, ENJOY....but most of all, enjoy the fact that a small amount of that food fills you up! That is the true satisfaction you should be seeking. Personally I'm looking forward to a bite of hot dog, a bite of potato salad, and lots of good family fun on the fourth, however, if the mood suits me, I might not even want any of that and will be happy with something more sensible...but that is only because I really do not crave junk very often. When I do, I endulge....just a bite or two. This surgery was never a death sentence....it was a pardon on a life about to die very soon without help. We took the kids to famous Daves BBQ last weekend, there were twelve of us adults there for Randy's birthday. We ordered two trash can lids of food (Their specialty...a variety of stuff that feeds 4-

5 people) and enjoyed as everyone ate their fill, so did Randy and I... our own personal fill. The bill was super high, but Randy enjoyed his family time, the kids each took three containers of food home for lunches, and we made memories. Oh yeah...the cake...we used to buy a quarter sheet cake, this year...? A one layer 8 inch round cake!!! And it lasted three days (the kids and family all had some, and forgot about taking the three remaining pieces so Randy and I splurged!)! Now that is living! So sweet , get some sleep, enjoy a bit of cammomile tea, make list after list of things to pack.... shop for your after surgery groceries....broth, jello, flavored water, tea, stuff to enjoy. Buy some fuzzy slippers....you deserve nothing but the best! And dream of those beautiful days when food will not be all there is to life. Hugs! Sue from Palmdale