Happy Mothers Day! - 05/10/2015

May 10, 201511 yr

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Hey BariatricPal Members!

Happy Mother’s Day from BariatricPal! For all of you mothers out there, thank you for everything you have done and continue to do every day for your children. We couldn’t do it without you! If you are not a mother, take this time to thank yours…and any other figure in your life who has nurtured, educated, supported, and loved you.

At BariatricPal, we never miss a chance for a healthy celebration, and what better way to mark Mother’s Day than with a holiday newsletter? Here’s what you’ll find in this edition.

Thank a Mother Figure in Your Life!
Mother’s Day Brunch the WLS Way
Becoming an Active Family – From “Intend” to “Do”

I hope you use the tips you find in this newsletter to make your own Mother’s Day a happy and healthy one. Don’t forget to log on to BariatricPal to let us know how your holiday was!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

BariatricPal

Thank a Mother Figure in Your Life!

Thanks, Mom! How many times did you mean to say it, but forgot? Or maybe you figured she knew you were thinking it, so you didn’t bother saying it? We all forget to say “thank you.” It may be moms who miss the most “thank you’s” because they’re often the people who do the most for us and are taken for granted.

That’s what Mother’s Day is for. It’s your chance to say thanks for everything your mom has done for you over the years. If your mother is no longer around, or another person filled that role for you, take the opportunity to thank them instead.

You can give your mother a traditional gift, such as a box of chocolates. But why not go for something a little healthier? If you’re the WLS patient, you know the value of a healthy gift to say “I love you” and “I’m here to support your healthy efforts.” And, if you’re a WLS mom, ask for one of these or another healthy gift.

A healthy cookbook with bariatric surgery recipes, or go a step further and put together a family recipe book with the healthy recipes you two both love.
One or more of the BariatricPal Big Books.
A trial membership to your gym so the two of you can try working out together.
A juicer or blender, such as a Nutribullet, so you can make protein shakes and fruit and veggie smoothies.
VIP Membership to BariatricPal.
An activity tracker to motivate you to get in those extra steps.
A few hours together to prepare and enjoy a healthy meal.
A steamer, spritzer, or other kitchen gadget for low-fat cooking and eating.

Whatever you give, your love will shine through even more when it promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Mother’s Day Brunch the WLS Way!

Mother’s Day is a beautiful day to spend with the family. Are you making the most of it? If your Mother’s Day usually includes breakfast in bed or all-you-can-eat brunch, followed by some couch time, you’re probably not. Here’s how you can approach this year’s celebration.

Think about breakfast or brunch before WLS. At a family gathering or casual restaurant, just a few simple breakfast items could add up to thousands of calories. A breakfast of a bagel or muffin and cream cheese and jam, sausage, hash browns, and pancakes with butter and syrup adds up to enough sugar and carbs to make you sick. Go for prime rib, mashed potatoes, cheese omelet, bread and butter, and layered trifle with whipped cream, and you’re looking at enough fat for a week. That kind of breakfast may have been the norm before WLS, but it’s not going to happen now.

Healthy Homemade Brunch

Instead, go for the choices you know are on your WLS diet. If you’re at home, plan for a family breakfast or brunch that has choices you can enjoy. Make yourself an egg white omelet or scramble with kale or spinach, or high-protein oatmeal pancakes. You can set out healthy foods like fat-free cottage cheese, berries, cut melon, and whole-grain English muffins. If that’s not enough for your family, you can make them omelets with whole eggs, buttermilk or buckwheat pancakes, or their other favorite breakfast foods – nobody says you have to eat them.

Chef-Cooked Healthy Brunch

If you’re going out for Mother’s Day, you get to let someone else do your healthy cooking for you. Stick to the usual rules: look for high-protein, low-calorie options, and go for vegetables and fruits next. If you don’t see anything you can eat, just ask. There is almost sure to be fresh fruit, canned tuna, cottage cheese, chicken, or fish available in the kitchen.

Look for the following options on the menu or the buffet line.

Egg white omelets with ham or vegetables.
Roast lean beef or turkey breast.
Lean turkey or ham.
Turkey bacon or turkey sausage.
Cottage cheese.
Fresh fruit.
Steamed vegetables.
Low-carb bread or muffins and fat-free cream cheese.

Meal Reminders

As always when you’re at a restaurant, watch your portion sizes. If you’re ordering off the menu, pack away most of your meal before you start eating so you’re not tempted to overeat. If you’re at a buffet, it gets way tougher.

One strategy for buffets is to start by placing lettuce, spinach, or other plain salad greens on your plate. Put a serving of lean protein on top of that. Add a few vegetables or some cut fruit. Then see if there are any “must-haves” in the line – maybe your favorite blueberry muffin or a tiny bite of scalloped potatoes. By this point, you’ll only be able to fit a spoonful or two on your plate, so you can’t do too much damage.

Try these other strategies to keep yourself in line.

Talk a lot so you can’t eat as fast.
Limit yourself to one (ONE) trip through the buffet line.
Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and put your fork down between bites.
Be picky…only taste the foods that look absolutely irresistible. Don’t settle.
Take plenty of photos…it keeps you from eating as much.

Becoming an Active Family – From “Intend” to “Do”

You know those perfect-looking families you see? You know, they’re playing in the front yard in the evenings, and you see them biking down the street on Sunday afternoons?

It’s all too easy to say you want to be more active with your family. And, you hear advice all the time to make activity part of your everyday lifestyle. But what does that mean? (Keep reading). Are they really talking to you when they say to be more active with your family? (Yes, this means you). How much time will it take from your already-packed day? (Not much). And is it even worth it? (YES!).

We’re not talking anything extreme here. Becoming an active family is about making small changes until being active is just part of everyday life. Mother’s Day is a good time to start thinking about some of these changes if you’re with your family and looking forward to months of good summer weather. Here are a few small steps to take.

Take the stairs. If you can’t do that yet, practice moving instead of just standing on the escalator.
Park a little further away, including when picking up and dropping off the kids. The extra walking will just become part of life.
Consider walking to the next chore. If you’re parked at the supermarket, walk to the post office to mail your letter – and baby steps: if you can’t walk all the way, only move the car halfway instead of driving it all the way to the post office.
Include your children and partner in all your extra activity. You can all enjoy a walk to the corner before eating dinner.
Have a good but no-nonsense attitude – don’t let your children whine their way out of the activity, and don’t act like it’s a chore. It’s just a way of life.

Needless to say, the more you move, the more weight you’ll lose. And the more weight you lose, the more you’ll be able to move. It’s a positive cycle to enjoy with your family.

Have a happy and healthy Mother’s Day this year! Wishing you and your family all the best in weight loss and beyond.

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