I'm writing today to talk about generosity.
A funny thing has happened to me since I had my Gastric Sleeve Surgery on January 24th this year. I have become more generous, and yes, it is a direct result of the surgery.
For some strange reason, I have always had an intense fear of ever being hungry. That is why when I go to work, I pack more food and snacks than I could ever eat in the course of a day. Yes, I still do this now, even with a stomach the size of a hi-lighter pen. So, you could say that I am a food hoarder. I don't keep food in my room, or hide food (although I have done that before). But you could say I was very...stingy with my food.
I always had my eye on the serving bowl to be certain that noone had taken the last of anything, and if it looked threatening, I would gather more onto my own plate to be sure I didn't miss out.
This has been a huge revelation for me. I still have the feelings that I might miss out on some of the food fun, but now, I'm forced to be happy with what I have. And let me tell you, that lesson spans over a person's entire life. Be happy with what you have. Quit always wanting more, that little bit extra that you believe will make you happy.
So when I look at my plate, I now realize, "I have the same exact stuff I would be having as before, the flavors are all there...so now, just enjoy every single bite because that's all you get!"
I'm getting to the generosity part.
Being a bit of a selfish person (I'm realizing), it is an entirely foreign concept for me to give away food that is on my plate that I can't eat. And when I do, holy cow. It sets off such a wonderful rush of emotion in me that is hard to explain.
Who knew that sharing my food with others would or could make me feel like such a generous person. The cool thing about that is, it inspires me to want to be more generous in all areas of my life. I am inspiring myself. What????
I want to be a better person. And so I shall be.
xoxoxo
Lisa
P.S.--I'm down 97 pounds.
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New Year 2018
So a lot has happened in three years. On January 24th, I will celebrate my Seven Year Surgiversary of having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy....
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I am 18 months out from Gastric Sleeve surgery, and have surpassed my goal of weighing 150 pounds by 10 pounds. This morning I weig...
I can't tell you how much I love your optimism, my friend. It's so wonderful to read words you write and feel the joy and happiness coming through them.
ReplyDeleteAnd though this doesn't relate to WLS, I totally understand the idea of generosity starting with food.
Prior to moving to Chicago, food was a way to social and sustain myself. I liked that about it. But, it wasn't shared...there wasn't a communal atmosphere to it.
When I moved to Chicago I learned that dinner didn't have to be 1 to 1.5 hours and then up and out. I go out with friends to eat and it's not uncommon for dinner to take 2-3 hours...with all of us sharing our food with each other. It's standard issue for everyone to be offering everyone else a taste of their dish, in-depth discussions of it, of the wine, of the atmosphere and by default about what's happening in our lives. I've come to really look forward to and cherish going out to eat with my friends, and I've brought some of that sharing element to my parents when I go home to visit. They no longer see going out to eat as in, eat, out. They linger more now. They try new places and new foods. They talk about food sometimes as if it's a friend they haven't seen in a while.
And the funny/ironic part of it...they've both lost a significant amount of weight. Of course, some of that has to do with my dad having heart issues and diabetes, but I think that just made them more conscious of what they were eating. It made them realize that food can be an experience, even if it's just a couple bites.
I don't know about you, but I'll take 2 bites of an amazing creme brulee over a pint of mediocre ice cream, hands down!
Ok, my rambling is over! Giant hugs to you!
I am so with you on the creme brulee idea...thanks again for your encouragement friend.
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