I'm curious about people's plans for Thanksgiving.

My insurance company wants six months' of dietitian visits prior to surgery, so I won't even be in the pre-op liquid diet stage over Thanksgiving. Still, I'm supposed to be dieting during this period. I haven't planned any food funerals, but not sure I can resist stuffing and gravy. And I have it easy compared to many of you!

So how are you going to approach the Holiday?

You realize you don't have to skip stuffing and gravy? Take smaller portions than you may otherwise have done. We co-host with another couple and have between 25 and 30 people. I'm always so busy that I don't eat much, though I do enjoy sipping on wine from midafternoon into the evening.

I'm pre-pre-op, and I don't have a 6-month requirement, but I have a longstanding set of habits for the holidays. I know which foods are my favorites, and I focus on those. I don't feel the need or desire to eat everything. I skip the appetizers, except one stuffed mushroom (one of my faves). I love the taste of ham and turkey together, so I have a little of each. I may have a bite of pie after dinner, but I'm just as likely to take a piece home and have it for Breakfast on Friday.

A year from now, I expect to be 9-10 months postop. This kind of approach is likely to work as well for me then as it does now. And for that, I'm thankful!

Have you identified slider foods? Cranberry sauce might be one, and with those you have to be careful and draw some hard lines. But turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes all provide instant satiety, and I think your tool is more than capable of doing the talking. Mine has already been tested at two weddings and Oktoberfest. I do not need to be my own bad cop. That's why I hired one three months ago.

I think the main danger is having dozens of tiny meals all day once your sleeve clears. food tends to sit out and not be wrapped up until the last football game (Packers-Bears, not worth watching this year) is over. I know that one day of this per year is not terrible, but you don't want to teach your sleeve that you are willing to give it more and more tiny meals to compensate for the large ones that you can no longer have.

I won't have surgery until January, so the leftovers shouldn't be there!

I have considered strategies. First, eat my turkey before anything else (Protein first). Next, eat veggies. Save stuffing (in smaller quantity) for last. I don't need Desserts, but stuffing is what I call a "comfort food." Just like Peanut Butter, I can't have it in the house! I'm also hunting around for ways to make it less carb-intensive.

I hadn't thought about cranberry sauce like that at all. I'm the only one who likes it in my family. I thought if I did have it that I would make from scratch so I can have some say in what goes into it. Thanks for the nibble reminder. It easy to graze all day!

If you're still pre-op and not on the liquid diet yet, I agree that you don't need to skip the stuffing altogether. Just do a small portion! Now....if you were post-op, I would say something else. :-)

I will approach Thanksgiving like I do any other meal. Protein first, then veggies, then if there is any room left I may indulge in a bite or two of mashed potatoes. I am definitely going to steer clear of the desserts and heavy carbs like stuffing.

I don't remember specifically the food I had on Thanksgiving, but I had enough foresight about my WLS that I correctly guessed that it'd be one of the last times I'd be able to eat like a regular person and had fun with it. I take a cruise every holiday with my significant other and always have a lovely time. So, what I'm getting at is why not just enjoy the holiday for what it is and relax? You'll have plenty of time to plan in January....I recommend having a fun time and not stressing out over a food plan that you likely won't follow anyway?

@@songsmith - I am going to enjoy some protein first, then a small serving of stuffing/gravy and cranberry sauce. I will probably have that for "dessert".

I start my pre op diet the Monday after thanksgiving. So, although I'm not going to go crazy with food funerals, my plan is to have a small taste of things. We always have a big veggie tray, so that will help!

2013 It was 1 months before my surgery. I ate a normal Thanksgiving dinner...stuffed myself silly like I've always done. Started my preop diet one week later.

2014 I was 11 months postop and 10 pounds below goal. I ate a normal Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie) but with much smaller portions. Took home a bunch of leftovers, vacuum sealed and froze them and had "Thanksgiving dinner" several times over the next couple months.

This year I am having my gallbladder removed the day before Thanksgiving so I will likely be crashed on the couch sipping on some sort of liquid. But my family is under orders to save some of everything so I can eat it later.

Edited November 11, 201510 yr by Kindle

I plan on eating whatever I want for this one meal (except no roll since bread just sits in my stomach like a lump of indigestible goo since I was sleeved) and a small slice of pumpkin pie for dessert. Then this one meal will be over and I expect to go on doing what I normally do the next day. It's funny because I always loved bread and dinner rolls but now I don't even want it because of how it feels. Bread is the only food that gives me a problem post-op.

I will probably treat it like how I treat date night/days. I have liquids to balance the calories of the meal. I will eat "normal" and just a little.

How I cook will be a little different since it will be sugar free, but dressing is dressing. I can't cut too many corners on that, plus I have a man trap to set. I have to watch the tasting why I cook so I don't get in too many extra calories.

I am going to handle Thanksgiving this year by skipping all the appetizers and "filler food" and having turkey, gravy, veggies....and maybe a very small amount of stuffing (if it looks good!).

Last year, I was 2 months out and sick for Thanksgiving. If I could have eaten, it would only have been a little turkey and a little veggies. This year, I'm over a year out and just below goal but I still will not approach it any differently. I will not have dessert of carbs. The only thing I may have this year is a bite or two of sweet potatoes.