Hey Babe! This month is filled with food-focused events and I know that it can feel overwhelming. I don’t know about you, but candy has always been a iffy subject. We love it, but it doesn’t always love us back, am I right?!

All foods can fit, just not all the time. So what does that mean exactly?

It means that we shouldn’t be on a restrictive diet forever. As you move further along on your journey, you should be working towards a “normal” healthful diet. So basically, it means over time, you should be able to have a balanced approach.

However, having a balanced approach after surgery also means you have to be incredibly mindful and aware of your own habits, triggers, and boundaries. Just because you can have candy again doesn’t mean you have it every day simply because it’s there.

If you know you’d like to have a piece of Halloween candy I suggest making that candy a party of a balanced snack or meal. Start with protein, add something with fiber (like fruit, veggie, or even some seeds), add a little bit of fat, and then mindfully and intentionally add that thing you’re really craving and wanting.

This will maximize your restriction, keep you fuller longer, allow for some satisfaction, and keep your plate balanced. (Key point here – the PLATE! There’s a huge difference between intentionally enjoying something on a plate vs. mindlessly grazing or binging on something).

Focus on what you will ADD not what you need to take away or avoid. But again, know you’re limits and boundaries. If you know having candy in your home may be too triggering, perhaps you don’t regularly keep these things in your house.

Slider Foods

Slider foods AKA candy, cookies, chips, pastries, cake, crackers, etc. are refined simple carbohydrates that do not keep us full.

These foods also tend to be really triggering. Not only do they NOT fill us up, but they are the foods we are more likely to binge on or emotionally eat. Some of us also tend to mindlessly grab for them, not even realizing how many we’ve had.

Now you might be thinking “Jamie, I would never eat 8 or even 12 of those mini chocolate bars.”

Maybe not intentionally. And maybe not all at once. But those mini Kit Kats which are sooooo delicious and easy to eat, are 170 calories 9g fat 22g carb 18g sugar 0g fiber and 2g protein for 4 of them. 

If you aren’t paying attention, being mindful, and truly being diligent with your habits and addressing emotional eating, most of us could easily graze on these over the course of the day.

Bites here and there add up.

I’m not saying not to have it. We are human. And sometimes you won’t feel like making it a part of your meal. I get it. But at the very least, I want you to understand what that slippery slope could look like.

That’s a Wrap

If you’re ready to have clear guidance on how to eat in a way that feels joyful and supports your weight loss goals, check out the T.R.I.B.E – we are a one-stop shop where all your post-op weight loss surgery needs are met in one place. Not only will you have prime access to support materials on demand, but this month you’ll also have access to forty (40!) live support group sessions. The pressures of this time of year can dial up our emotions way up, so a community of people who understand what you’re going through is so valuable.