Thanksgiving "I Didn't Know That" Facts

I just read the following facts:

1. The amount of fat consumed in an average Thanksgiving meal is 230 grams - the equivalent of 3 sticks of butter.  
2. There are 400 calories in 1 cup of stuffing.
3. The time spent preparing an entire home cooked dinner = 5-7 hours.

This year will be my first Thanksgiving post gastric bypass.  Should interesting and challenging.  

Same here, but I am going prepared! Cauliflower mashed "Fauxtatoes"... Asparagus... and some turkey. 

And deviled eggs for breakfast!

Oh no. Spmeone once tried to serve me Fauxtatoes. They won't repeat that mistake.

Good thing I can't stand stuffing...blah

I was sleeved on 10/26. I'll just be starting to experiment with soft foods around Thanksgiving week.

We are traveling for the holiday and going out to eat with extended family at a country club.  I expect it will be traditional stuff. I can find something, and I'll be prepared with some blah protein drink if I have to.

Im trying to talk myself into/prep myself for a good attitude.....that I'll be ok picking at a couple of bites of mashed potatoes and gravy, maybe a couple of mini bites of turkey., focus on the people, this is new normal so find ways to be normal, etc. And then I worry that I'm going to have a breakdown at the table or that people will feel weird eating around me.

Sorry to unload. It's all just really new. I wish I could just have a bite of the stuffing and cranberries, but I'm sure I won't be able to.  Maybe someday. :)

I had mine the same day and am starting my soft solids Monday so I know exactly what you are saying.  The one plus I have is that my family has been amazing through this all.  Sunday the 1st we have our monthly family dinner and I had to bring my sugar free jello and condensed soup while everyone else had all kinds of yummy food.  But I was ok.  I had lots of talks, lots of people offering to help, etc.  It was good.  At least at Thanksgiving I can have some additional normal people foods like cottage cheese or chili!  Good luck to you too though!

Requiem,

I'm 10.5 months out and this is my first Holiday season post-WLS also (last year I was on the Pre-surgery diet, which allowed for some indulgences that at 4 weeks post-WLS, you will need to stay clear of.  (I did go through Christmas and NY Eve - but I was only just out of the hospital on Christmas Eve, so I was out of it on the couch and I pain medications so that I was not really aware of the partying. I have had celebrations throughout the past year and I have found some things that work for me.  (I think back to the worse Christmas dietwise I ever had and learned from it.  About 5 years ago, I was on my last 'conventional diet' and we planned to go to a restaurant where I had, ahead of time called to make sure that they served something that was a treat to me but still on my meal pan - shrimp ****tail and grilled salmon.) Fine, I wasn;t going to have the stuffing, etc, but I would eat well and enjoy having something nice.  Oh well, my brother wanted to go to a crappy rest that only served one main dish - some disgusting meat and mashed potatoes with brown gravy.  No salmon, no shrimp ****tail.  All the food stores we closed so I could not even buy anything but a Lean Cuisine at Walgreens.  I had soggy lettuce with some pink tomatoes and a Lean Cuisine when I got back.  I was pissed, but trying hard to tell myself, the Holidays were about family, not food.  Well, at least that holiday was.  I do not spend Christmas Day with this part of my family. Not so much because of the food, but because I called around found a restaurant that was open on Christmas that served healthy food, had everyone agree, and then people changes their minds and said, Oh there will be something for you to eat - there wasn't.  I felt disrespected and it sucked and I will not do this again.   

That being said, from the general impression of you post, I think some additional planning before you go might help you feel less stress. I would consider calling the CC and checking for good choice, and maybe you can get a round of golf in.

Here's my planning - 2 issues for me - 1-not overeating/not feeling deprived and 2-not feeling like I am stuck at the table for hours if I want to get up. 

I will be taking the Shrimp ****tail - if I have shrimp ****tail, I am a happy camper. It may be a different food for you, but whatever it is for you, I 'd call ahead and if they won't be serving it, I would smuggle it in.  You are so shortly out of surgery, that you might not have many choices - pumpkin added to a protein shake??  A month out of surgery, cottage cheese with a little tomato sauce was my favorite go to food.  

I will go to the bathroom or walk the dog, etc, if/when I get weary of sitting at the table.  I have gotten weary when I went to dinner and the movies with some friends, two hours later, they are still eating and I'm like been ready to go to the movies for and hour and a half.  If I sit there for that long, I am too tempted to pick, so I excuse myself and check my emails - which I usually consider rude, but I do it when I need to.  

I am also taking some healthy, no-crust pumpkin pie.  

I no longer eat protein bars as meals, but they are my "to go " treats during holidays and long trips. 

Even on soft foods - you may try power crunch bars. They are like very light crunchy kit -kat.  Even a couple of bites sweet crunch really helps when others eating desserts that are really not good for me. 

Good luck.