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Holiday meals - how do/did you handle it?



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A major portion of your stomach is removed but...Your nose is still attached hahaha - I found myself a few times walking by the cafe in our office building and thinking "Man! that smells delish" - I was not hungry but could definitely remember how that tasted. - I was just wondering how everyone is/has handled Holiday meals - sit at the table or go off and do something until the meal is over?

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Well I'm going to handle usual buffet like this: Protein first lol. If I have room for anything else I may try some things I love...you know, like baby spoon of this or that? The one thing I INTEND to have is one of my moms pickled beets. She only brings them out at holidays.

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I had a little turkey and some macaroni and cheese. I ate very little and had to pass on dessert. Halfway home I had to stop at a truck stop where I lost my entire meal. Guess it was too rich for me.

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I try to fill up on meat first, then green Beans or any other vegetables. If I just can't resist dessert, I allow myself 1/2 coffee cup full (a real coffee cup... not one of those Starbucks' Grande cups!! :P ) of whatever I want. I may do that 2 or 3 times during the day.

I always remind myself that I'm choosing to eat empty calories and ask myself if I accept the consequences (my weight may stall or gain a little and I'll delay reaching my weight loss goals) - the one good thing is that now (post-op) I have the choice, pre-op my head-hunger would have driven me crazy till I overate on everything.

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On thanksgiving I went to a pot luck. I got a big piece of chicken, and then had tiny amounts of sides. So it looked like a relatively normal sized meal, but was not. I ate the entire chicken thigh, then had a couple bites of the sides total. Everyone had heaping plates and seconds, but not me. No one said anything. After that I socialized and everything was cool.

For today, it's just me, the husband and cat. I'm cooking a turkey breast, green Beans and stuffing, but again will eat mostly the turkey and a couple bites of the sides total.

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We had our family Christmas dinner last night. I had ham, 1/2 a deviled egg and a few bites of green Beans. I later had a small iced sugar cookie and a cup of coffee. Its not Christmas unless you have an iced sugar cookie! I had a chocolate covered cherry later. My Christmas splurge is over. Back to my normal way of eating. No more holiday goodies until Valentines day! I fully intend to carry on with my life and traditions....may only be a bite or a small piece of something but I will not deprive myself of anything ever again. Did that way too many times "dieting" and it never made me skinny!

I am now living!

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I had no intention of following a proper food plan while I was visiting family this week. Gave myself an extra 4 pounds below my bounce range to I could indulge guilt-free. The majority of my diet over the last 24 hours has been sugar, carbs, fat and alcohol. ???????????????????? Seriously, we were dipping chocolate mocha Cookies in Disarono last night. And just washed down some Danish Kringler with homemade hot chocolate made with Frangelica and 1/2 and 1/2. Oh so yummy, but now I don't feel so good. ????Pretty sure I'm experiencing my first dumping episode...cramps, sweats, nausea. So I'm gonna lay low for a bit, drink some Water and watch John Wayne westerns. My brother has been smoking a brisket since yesterday, so dinner will be all about Protein (ok, and maybe some mashed potatoes and green beans). Gonna give the Cookies and bars a break, at least until tomorrow ????.

So much for passing up those Krispy Kremes at the airport. Merry Christmas everyone!

Edited by Kindle

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I'm only 3 weeks post op and I loved Christmas breakfast! Had a few bites of yummy cheesy egg casserole, 1/2 sausage patty, one jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, handful of homemade almond flour crackers and onion dip. I did splurge and had a tiny slice of pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream and three small Cookies made with 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda. I also brought my Isopure to sip on afterwards. I was so happy I could enjoy delicious Christmas foods with my family!

What I would normally have had in addition to the above, but skipped: coffee with cream, buttery Christmas bread and jam, sparkling cranberry punch, and several helpings of everything else I mentioned above! I feel lucky because I could indulge as my sleeve is a "firm, but fair mistress"! :-)

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Thanks for sharing everyone - I'm coming up on 2nd wk post-op - I ended up sitting at the table with everyone while they ate their Manicotti, meatballs, garlic bread & salad whilst I sipped on my 4oz of Protein Shake. I'm glad I went that route so I could enjoy conversation & laughter - just one more celebration to get thru the 2014 holidays -

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I decided to eat whatever I wanted on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I had homemade coconut cake, sugar cookie, sweet potato casserole squash casserole and ham. I also snacked off and on all day. It was yummy. However, today even with lots of leftovers hanging around I am going back to my normal low carb high Protein way of eating. I love my sleeve because it helps me get right back on track. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is enjoying the holiday season!!!

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I had 2 bbq meat balls that took me 30 mins to eat for Christmas eve lol then for Christmas dinner I had 1 1/2 deviled eggs and a fork of chicken tetrazzini that I chewed for 5mins lol.. merry Christmas to me lol

Edited by GenaW828

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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