Please Share your Post-op and pre-op Thanksgiving advice

                                     



We have a lot of surgery newbies on the board who will be having their 1st Thanksgiving this week. 

1. Please share how you will handle food temptations, family reactions to your weight loss, etc? 

2. Any liquid or mushy holiday recipies to share with those that are early out?  


3. What are your favorite holiday recipes and traditions?


4. What are you most thankful for this year?

1. Please share how you will handle food temptations, family reactions to your weight loss, etc?  
My strategy is to "sin" selectively.  I may do mac n cheese and mashed potatoes, but skip the rolls.  I will take smaller portions of dessert, and of course I won't have room for seconds :-(

I won't be seeing many people who haven't already seen me recently, so I don't have that to worry about.



2. Any liquid or mushy holiday recipies to share with those that are early out?  

If you don't already know what will be served, take a covered dish. Devileld eggs are good if you're on mushies, or a cheese platter. Also a jello mold.  I often take mini pudding  shooters to covered dish suppers. 

Layer your fave sugar free pudding with fat free sugar free whipped cream and fruit if you can have it.  I use the clear party cups, but you can use real ones if you'd like.   You can do one big one or minis. The minis are more fun and everyone feels special cause they get theor own special cup. You can put a scoop of protein in yours and set it aside fom the rest.  

                                                      TRY
 
bananna pudding + sliced banannas + sugar free murray's nilla wafers + whipped cream 

                                                       or

chocholate pudding + sugar free crushed oreos + whipped cream

                                                      or

vanilla pudding +  sugar free angel food cake + strawberries+  whipped cream
       
                                                    or

pistachio pudding + crushed pineapple + whipped cream

                                                    or

vanilla pudding +  sliced banannas, mandarin oranges, and crushed pineapple + sugar free nilla wafers + whipped cream

                                         


You can even do your shooters in those plastic champagne glasses. I swear protein taste better in a champagne glass!




                                    




My fave liquid would be Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets diet cocoa mix w/ a scoop of chocholate protein and  skim milk.  The sensible sweets has a lot less carbs than the no sugar added!!! Make sure you read the label. You can make it for everyone else w/out the protein and regular cocoa mix.  Put whipped cream and sprinkle cocoa powder to make it look pretty.
  

                                                                 


                                                                           



3. What are your favorite holiday recipes and traditions?

Mmmmm...  Honey baked ham (the Aldi spiral sliced is a good runner up) , dressing,  mac n cheese, red velvet cake.





4. What are you most thankful for this year?

I am thankful for my new life, I can do so much today that I could not have done 4 months ago. 

I am thankful I can wear regular sizes now! 

I am thankful for my financial stability. I meet so many people on my job every day that are having a hard time, I am grateful the lights are on and the mortgage is paid, and I still have a little left over to enjoy life.

I am thankful my post -op  health is normal now, and I don't feel like crap every day, and this surgery is not the 1st thing on my mind when I wake up and when I go to sleep.

I am thankful shbp is covering wls for 2010!!!

I am thankful for the DS. It truly is a miracle weight loss surgery.

I am thankful for all my OH friends who helped me along the way, and keep in touch every day to encourage me.

I am thankful, I have gone through this, and I can be a mentor and an angel to others who will be following in my footsteps.

Girl, that turkey looks great!  Now I'm hungry, lol .... !!

1. Please share how you will handle food temptations, family reactions to your weight loss, etc? 

If it has sugar or is fried, it isn't a temptation to me because I just don't do them any more.  However, carbs will be my temptation, so I will really have to work to fill up on protein and just "taste" the other dishes. 

My family is very supportive of me and I am looking forward to the compliments.  It is so much nicer to feel good about yourself instead of thinking that everyone is saying "wow, she sure has packed on the lbs."

2. Any liquid or mushy holiday recipies to share with those that are early out?  

I'd say if you are a RNY post-op make your gravy lowfat so you can moisturize your turkey to help it not get stuck. Chew, chew chew ... and eat very slowly!!


3. What are your favorite holiday recipes and traditions?

We are going to my daughter's house for Thanksgiving.  We all pitch in and bring a few dishes.  I am bringing the turkey and learned a "tip"from the Atlanta OH Conerence fro Chef Dave about not using a "turkey" bag, so I plan on roasting my turkey this year on 500 degrees for 10 minutes to sear in the juices and then 325 for the remainder of time.  I am also taking grape salad, which is grapes, fat free sour cream, fat free cream cheese, nuts & splenda. I normally make the sweet potato cassserole, and this year is no different.  But I do plan on using Splenda instead of sugar, and using "Go Lean Kashi Crunch" on top instead of butter, pecans, corn flakes & brown sugar.

4. What are you most thankful for this year?

I am thankful every year for my family, but this year I am so thankful for my renewed energy and health not only physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  These things make me a better mother, sister, friend & co-worker to everyone!