Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Bothered by another post-WLS'er...

Uhhhhggg! So something at work (Starbucks) happened this past week that really bothered me.

And I need to vent.

Most of you know, from this blog, that I'm a few weeks shy of my 6 month surgiversary. And its been both a challenging and rewarding journey. One of the big challenges is navigating food outside the home, and since I work at Starbucks, I make tasty (& sugary!) drinks for the masses. And trust me, I miss my Hazelnut White Mochas... but I know that sugar is a slippery slope.

I'll be the first to even admit it, I had small bites of a creme brulee desert on my mothers birthday; I've had some glasses of wine; I even eat slices of toasted whole wheat bread from time to time. But one thing I've stayed away from is the full-sugared Starbucks drinks. (And sodas, but thats another story.)

And regardless of who your doctor is, I know sugar is a no-no.

Anyway, this brings me back to why I was so bothered last week: A customer came in and ordered something that made my blood boil. She usually comes thru the drive-thru at our store, so I don't get to know her as well as the other baristas, because I'm busy running the floor. But I do know that she had gastric bypass surgery two months after me. My fellow partners would say, 'Hey! Alissa, so-and-so is in drive thru - she is having her surgery next week!' or they would say, 'Hey Ali! So-and-so is here, she's lost 50lbs!' They have been sooo proud of her; and really, the connection between barista and customer is quite strong.

Really, we love our customers... And truly, I've been open with my customers about my surgery and they have been some of my loudest cheerleaders. Its really more than coffee at Starbucks. Its corny, but true.

So on this Friday, this customer comes in to our lobby, and I am the barista working on the bar. She orders an Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha. Nothing sugar-free, nothing reduced about the pumps... it actually has MORE sugar than normal. White Mochas from Starbucks are one of the worst drinks for a pouch stomach, soooo much sugar. Really.

I guess I was frustrated that there wasn't even a hint of making this drink less sugary. She could have had 1-Pump of White Mocha and then 4 pumps of SUGAR FREE Cinnamon Dolce syrup... Anything really to bring down the sugar content. No attempt to make it more pouch-friendly in the least.

Heck, I myself went to Cash and Carry a couple weeks ago and bought Sugar-Free White Mocha sauce for the occassions that I really want a white mocha, you know. I loved that stuff just like the next Starbucks-loving person.

I didn't say anything to her, I would never. And I feel horrible even mentioning it on here, but I was REALLY bothered. I hate that I judged her, but I did. Here she is, maybe 4 months out from her surgery, drinking something that has over 55g of sugar, and over 450 calories. (Stats are from the website, and they don't include that extra pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup even.)

It bothered me that here is this woman that was given this awesome tool, and she is already back to drinking white mochas. And she isn't even a year out from surgery... not even six months out... And pushing the limits. Trust me, I know its a challenge, its a daily battle, but I just got really sad for her. If she is drinking those, even as a treat once a week, what happens two years from now? What will stop her from drinking them daily?

I guess because she is so recently out from surgery (and I can relate to it), I was especially bothered by it. I'm sure there are tons of customers that I have made ultra-sugary drinks for, that have has gastric bypass, and I just don't know it.

But for some reason, making that one Iced Grande 1-Pump Cinnamon Dolce No-Whip White Mocha made me so angry. It brought up all these feelings of sadness, anger, bitterness directed at a fellow post-WLS'er, and I was surprised that I was so bothered by it. It really boiled my blood!

Am I being too judgemental? Have any of you felt this way? Or am I just being silly? Now that I've posted this blog, I want to delete it. But at the same time, I was hoping my posting this that someone else out there would understand me.

3 comments:

  1. I have judged and I can't even begin to regret it anymore...people choose to have their tool help them or not. I would be bothered by this too! I work with a woman who had bypass a couple months after me and she was eating handfuls of popcorn less than 1 month out and she is probably drinking already too. We have all had our moments (I know my one moment of weakness was a couple saltines and PB or that time I measured out a serving of tostitos lol) but I track everything that goes in to my body. It is a slippery slope, especially when it comes to sugar. Like I said, I would be bothered too...try to take it for what it is, her own choices and out of our control. You are doing wonderfully!

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  2. I wouldn't call it judging..

    .more like staring at someone in incredulity. Two examples come to mind. #1 - A coworker's 2 sisters have both had RNY. The one that had it first now drinks soda. Soda is too much of an addiction to me. I can't give in to that temptation. Her sister (4 or so months out) was miserable because she had to have her liquids ice cold and was drinking ICEEs. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? Of course you're sick. #2 - Another blogger I read online talked about eating fried chicken at about 3 months out. FRIED!? Then was surprised when she got sick.

    That being said...I've made some dumb food choices in the past year (see sugar free cupcake incident), but I'm learning from them. Best lesson learned this year: "Just because I CAN eat something, doesn't mean I SHOULD."

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  3. i do not blame you either, i have a sister-in-law who had the surgery couple years before me, and she never listened about the sugar thing, she eats bad things, and she is back drinking beer. it's like why did you have this surgery and go through what we have to go through healing only to go back to herold way she did not have nutritional classes though and not long after she had her surgery our doctor changed the rules and now they require it and i am so glad i had it. Maybe she went home and dumped really bad, i can't tolerate real sugar and i do not push it at all. I do sugar-free or nothing.

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