Eating Through the Holidays
I cannot help but notice that a lot of newbies are on this site. Some of us who have been passed WLS may have forgotten how difficult our first Christmas was. So I will start the thread of advice for how to eat through this time.
1. When invited to a party, I often took a cheese platter, crackers, and pepperoni slices. Others enjoyed it and I still had something that wouldn't make me dump. I found that veggies created intestinal distress that was best not to be shared in someone else's home.
2. Pumpkin pie made with Splenda or Splenda Blend is just as good as it is the other way. Cream pies can also be made with Splenda or Splenda Blend. Splenda Blend does have some sugar in it, so be careful, as many of us are more sensitive to sugar than others.
3. Cranberry sauce is not a thing of the past. Buy the cranberry flavored jello, grind up some fresh cranberries in the blender, sweeten to taste with Splenda, and add to the sugar free jello...if you cannot find sugar free cranberry flavored....used any red one that you like. You can add pecans if you like....most likely you will want to hide this, as other family members will be eating it, too.
4. Turkey is often too dry, so be sure that you eat small amounts and it might be good to have a little gravy with it. Watch that gravy, calories, calories, calories. If you can tolerate the turkey, then it is better for you without gravy.
5. Dressing usually isn't a problem, unless you find that you cannot tolerate sage or poultry seasoning. Some people do get way too happy with the sage or poultry seasoning in dressing.
6. Onions may be something you want to avoid, as they are often hard to digest.
7. Green beans are usually not a problem. If they get fancy and do the green bean casserole, green bean bundles, or other such things as people are prone to do, you might want to take a very small serving first and then see if you can tolerate the additional seasonings and fat. Steamed green beans are wonderful with butter.
8. Mashed potatoes, cream potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. are all going to be fairly safe, unless they add brown sugar to the sweet potatoes...then avoid. If they put marshmellows on top of the sweet potatoes, put the melted treat on the first child's plate you can find...
9. Eat slowly and talk a lot. People will be entertained by you and not notice that you are only eating about a quarter of what they are eating. Talk about something other than politics, sex, or your weight loss. Focus on other people and what blessings they have received since last Christmas. Try to ask about their kids without searching in your purse or wallet for pictures of your own children or grand children. If you are bored with their stories, then you know how bored people are when you talk about your kids, etc.
10. Pets in limited amounts are a safe topic. But only one story per day is allowed...you have to listen to everyone else's pet stories. What is probably a limitless topic is best Christmas memories and funny stories from childhood...theirs, not yours.
Conversation starters:
1. What was your best Christmas ever?
2. Who do you miss most at Christmas and why?
3. What would the perfect Christmas look like to you?
4. if you could invite anyone to Christmas dinner, who would you invite?
5. Best gift you ever gave. Best gift you ever received. My parents were married on Christmas day, so this was always an easy one for them.
NOw, some of the rest of you who have been around for a while, what suggestions do you have for having a great Christmas after WLS.
1. When invited to a party, I often took a cheese platter, crackers, and pepperoni slices. Others enjoyed it and I still had something that wouldn't make me dump. I found that veggies created intestinal distress that was best not to be shared in someone else's home.
2. Pumpkin pie made with Splenda or Splenda Blend is just as good as it is the other way. Cream pies can also be made with Splenda or Splenda Blend. Splenda Blend does have some sugar in it, so be careful, as many of us are more sensitive to sugar than others.
3. Cranberry sauce is not a thing of the past. Buy the cranberry flavored jello, grind up some fresh cranberries in the blender, sweeten to taste with Splenda, and add to the sugar free jello...if you cannot find sugar free cranberry flavored....used any red one that you like. You can add pecans if you like....most likely you will want to hide this, as other family members will be eating it, too.
4. Turkey is often too dry, so be sure that you eat small amounts and it might be good to have a little gravy with it. Watch that gravy, calories, calories, calories. If you can tolerate the turkey, then it is better for you without gravy.
5. Dressing usually isn't a problem, unless you find that you cannot tolerate sage or poultry seasoning. Some people do get way too happy with the sage or poultry seasoning in dressing.
6. Onions may be something you want to avoid, as they are often hard to digest.
7. Green beans are usually not a problem. If they get fancy and do the green bean casserole, green bean bundles, or other such things as people are prone to do, you might want to take a very small serving first and then see if you can tolerate the additional seasonings and fat. Steamed green beans are wonderful with butter.
8. Mashed potatoes, cream potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. are all going to be fairly safe, unless they add brown sugar to the sweet potatoes...then avoid. If they put marshmellows on top of the sweet potatoes, put the melted treat on the first child's plate you can find...
9. Eat slowly and talk a lot. People will be entertained by you and not notice that you are only eating about a quarter of what they are eating. Talk about something other than politics, sex, or your weight loss. Focus on other people and what blessings they have received since last Christmas. Try to ask about their kids without searching in your purse or wallet for pictures of your own children or grand children. If you are bored with their stories, then you know how bored people are when you talk about your kids, etc.
10. Pets in limited amounts are a safe topic. But only one story per day is allowed...you have to listen to everyone else's pet stories. What is probably a limitless topic is best Christmas memories and funny stories from childhood...theirs, not yours.
Conversation starters:
1. What was your best Christmas ever?
2. Who do you miss most at Christmas and why?
3. What would the perfect Christmas look like to you?
4. if you could invite anyone to Christmas dinner, who would you invite?
5. Best gift you ever gave. Best gift you ever received. My parents were married on Christmas day, so this was always an easy one for them.
NOw, some of the rest of you who have been around for a while, what suggestions do you have for having a great Christmas after WLS.
Great advice!
Volfan-in-Alabama ( HW/SW/CW/GW 448/439/244.8/225)
"It's never too late to be who you might have been." ~George Eliot
http://valfan-in-alabamaweightlossjourney.blogspot.com/ Please visit
"It's never too late to be who you might have been." ~George Eliot
http://valfan-in-alabamaweightlossjourney.blogspot.com/ Please visit
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