Thanksgiving cooking after weight loss

I started thinking.  This is going to be my first Thanksgiving post-WLS.  I have always been the cook in our house.  I love to cook.  I still enjoy it, if I only have the time. 

Anyway, this year I have to cook two turkeys and a ham.  The first turkey is for our church dinner Sunday.  My problem with it is I have always been a taste and work type of guy.  If I do that, I will be stuffed before the turkey.

Good morning George, I have te same problem. I love to cook but I have to taste to make sure the seasonings are right. I'm 10 pounds from goal and I need to stop tasting and grazing. Have a good Thanksgiving.   Birdy

George,

Can you enlist a 'designated taster'? It's not the same !!!

My first Thanksgiving was 3 weeks post-op. My brother hosted dinner that year so I didn't have to cook. At first everybody sat and stared at me, then they all dug in and stuffed themselves to the point of pain.

 
Now they are all used to my eating habits and just EAT.
Annette

I've been giving this topic a lot of thought lately since I'll be going to my daughter's and my surgery was only last month.  I don't have to cook turkey this year but hought i could make some cranberries with Splenda.  I also have been experimenting with a SF vanilla pudding, vanilla protein powder, canned pumpkin and spice concoction.  It just occurred to me that I might check out Eggface's blog on this.
Any suggestions for food while traveling?
Hugs, Linda

I have to have pumpkin "pie" at Thanksgiving.  I make the filling per recipe on the Libbly can substituting splenda for the sugar and  use fat free evaporated milk.  Then I ladle the custard into ramekins I sprayed with Pam.  I put them in a roasting pan and fill the pan with water halfway up the ramekins.  Bake at 350 until set.  This "pie" is healthy because all the ingredients are wls friendly and pumpkin is a good source of vitamins.  Without the crust there is no fat and I don't miss the crust.  My palatte for traditional Thanksgiving flavors is more than satisfied.  I will be making this soon.

Thank you, Linda.  It sounds yummy. I'm going to try this very soon.
Carmel Valley Linda

Ladt year I was 3 weeks post op, so I mostly had mashed taters and gravy and pumpkin pie.  Just a tiny bit of each, and I know not the healthiest choices, but I wanted to participate, you know.  I cooked a full meal for everyone, and will again this year.  Well, except our son fries the turkey.

I am also a taster, and that was very hard last year.  I enlisted the help of my DH, but that was still very hard on me.  In the last year I have learned that 'tasting' doesn't always mean an entire spoonful (or bowlful) of something. 

I experimented with some new recipes and had a 'practice' Thanksgiving dinner a couple weekends ago, and it was easier than I thought it would be!

Food for travelling?  Flying: I always carry a good protein bar in case.  But I usually only need it if I have no time between flights to find something I can eat.  Driving:  I can always find a place I can eat something!

Luckily, being single, I was always invited to my brother's. He and his wife did all the cooking, we all brought side dishes or dessert. The first Thanksgiving post-op, I brought these wonderful SF cheesecakes I bought on QVC. I made the mistake of telling everyone they were SF. My mom and I had them (she's diabetic) ... so we each had a slice, and the rest went uneaten. I had to bring them back to Michigan and put them in the freezer, eat them myself. Now I bring rolls, or if I do bring something SF, I don't tell anyone. The cheesecake, by the way, was wonderful and you couldn't tell it was SF.

Anyway, the dinner ... I had some of everything but just a little. I was still stuffed but very happy. I enjoyed being with my family. Now, I don't go down, I work on Thanksgiving to get the extra money because I can only get the one day off and it's a waste of a 4  hour drive, all that gas and I can make triple time. Plus, in Michigan, you never know how bad the weather is going to be driving to Chicago. I go in for the Christmas get-together, which is always before Christmas (and this year is two weeks after Thanksgiving).

I too have always been a "taster" type of cook and before my surgery I would "taste" an entire meal while I was cooking and then eat another entire meal at dinner with family.  If I "taste" now, I cannot eat dinner - so while it is very difficult, I suck on a sugar free mint while I am cooking.   I keep a giant bag of mints that I bought at Costco in my cookie jar (no cookies in there anymore anyways)

I had my surgery in May of 2006 and I lost weight over the holidays.  This included many holiday parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinner at my house and a trip to Hawaii and Florida - so it can be done - and YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Good luck
Lou