Feast Without Fear: Your Thanksgiving Bariatric Eating Plan

November 25, 2024

Feast Without Fear: It’s the season of eatings, greetings, and meetings. The season for all the fun festivities, family, friends, and of course food. Kicking off with Thanksgiving. I can almost hear you moan as you say to me, “How do I survive Thanksgiving without weight regain? What do I eat without kicking in my cravings or imploding my nutrition plan that’s been working so well?” First, let’s change that word from survive to thrive. I want you to thrive this Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season.

Ok, let’s get very real. There’s also a to-do list that’s way too long coupled with too little sleep, too many commitments, very little down time, food everywhere you turn, and what did I leave out? It’s a recipe for feeling hangry (angry and hungry) and overwhelmed along with seeing all your hard work disappear like that last piece of pumpkin pie. Why does Thanksgiving have to be associated with survival? Instead of survive, I want you to thrive and stay on track from Thanksgiving into the New Year. Put these 5 tips in place now so you’re in control of the holiday eating season.

Feast Without Fear: Your Thanksgiving Bariatric Eating Plan

They’re a big part of the Thanksgiving tradition and holidays. Do you work in an office or go somewhere frequently where someone has a candy bowl always filled with M&M peanuts? Do you grab a couple and feel satisfied, or do you totally deny yourself? Do you then try to ignore those M&M’s all day, but they keep calling your name? Denise, Peggy. Justin. What happens? If you deny yourself long enough, you go in there and grab a big ole handful, or maybe even look in the drawer for the bag.

Denial leads to feelings of being deprived and, ultimately, cravings and overeating. If you had a few M&M’s when you really wanted them, it’s likely you would have been satisfied and moved on. This applies to all goodies. If you do the same thing and deny yourself the treats or desserts you love at Thanksgiving, what happens? Think about it; how do you feel? You likely feel deprived and like you’re on a miserable diet that feels like dropping the ’t’ from the word diet and you’re going to die. Allow yourself permission to have small portions of the goodies you really want. No guilt here. Plan for them based on your health situation, such as if you have diabetes, for example.

By the way, I’m assuming that you are a ways out from surgery and have transitioned back to a regular diet. It’s been my experience that if you don’t allow yourself some of what you love, you end up craving it and eating way too much of it, just like those M&M’s. Allow yourself to have it and enjoy it. No guilt allowed, and no dumping syndrome allowed either. To help prevent dumping syndrome, eat your protein first so you feel more satisfied, and then have your treat. If you’re dealing with trigger foods or compulsive overeating and desserts don’t work for you, know that and do what you need to do.

Sleep improves what’s called food restraint. This means that when you’re rested, you tend to have more control over what you choose to eat and when you choose to eat it. This is the opposite of what happens when you’re stressed and tired. Sleep studies have shown that not getting enough sleep increases the hunger hormone called ghrelin in the morning by up to 25% or more. Additionally, studies find that the hormone GLP-1 takes a nose dive, and the lower level is tied to NOT feeling full or satisfied—basically, you’re hungry. No kidding, make time for a nap, go to bed earlier if you need to be up earlier or plan to be out late. Sleep is like nutrition for your brain. It’s tied to your control of what you eat and your weight regain.

TIP: Sleep is like nutrition for your brain. It’s tied to your control of what you eat and your weight regain.

Feed your brain. Did you know that your brain consumes up to 50% of your body’s glucose, of which carbs are the best source? If you cut your carbs too low, you’ll notice that your brain feels foggy, you can’t remember things, and you feel tired, angry, and hungry, known as hangry. Eat your protein first and then fill in your diet with smart carbs: those non-starchy veggies and fresh fruit, along with a small amount of high-fiber starchy carbs. Why does this matter to you? Because eating your protein-rich foods, then your smart carbs, and drinking plenty of fluids will help you stay full and stay off the sugar roller coaster.

Plan out meals and snacks ahead. If you wait until you are hangry, you just give away your control to food. You aren’t going to plan any meals or snacks, much less eat well. You’re going to reach for whatever is in front of you or easy to obtain. Right? Whatever will stop the hunger and stop the angry, tired, and overwhelmed feelings. It’s not going to be broccoli either. Stock up on your smart snacks that can go with you through your day. Reminder that smart snacks are food choices with protein and a smart carb that contains fiber, such as cheese sticks and strawberries.

What about meals for this coming week? Consider prepping an item or two on the weekend or one night to have during the week. Put portions in the freezer to pull out when you’re tired. This is my go-to secret sauce that I’ve done for years, and it works. I look at our upcoming schedule every week and think about meals we need so we can eat well and stay on track amidst the craziness. It’s the key to staying on track day to day, week to week, and long term. Plus, it works. But what if you don’t like to cook? Then plan ahead for takeout with choices that fit your bariatric lifestyle versus a grab and go with no thought behind it because you’re exhausted. What this requires is commitment from you to put meal planning into action and then buy and prep.

These tips take a little time, but the payoff is big. You remain in control of what you eat and when you eat it—a win-win for your weight.

Bariatric dietitian Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bariatric dietitian Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success. Selected as one of the Best 35 Dietitian Podcasts, Bariatric Surgery Success was chosen from thousands of podcasts on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority, and freshness. With a focus on nutrition before and after bariatric surgery, I help you eat for success while you conquer cravings, emotional eating, and weight regain.

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