Happy Memorial Day from BariatricPal! - May 2016

[Alex Brecher 10,484]

Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Memorial Day from BariatricPal! It’s a day to reflect, and a day to Celebrate all that we have. If you’ve been working hard on your pre-op prep, your post-op recovery, or your weight loss or maintenance, it’s also a day to thank yourself for your commitment. Like any special day, Memorial Day can be a time for reflection about the world and your own weight loss surgery journey. We hope this newsletter can help get you thinking and motivate you to keep it up for the next few months! Here’s what you’ll find. The Freedom of Choice: Do You Choose Health? Treats for Memorial Day (and the Rest of Summer) What Will You Accomplish This Summer? Have a great time getting inspiration from the newsletter, and then we suggest spending a few minutes thinking about the precious things in your life and how much they are worth fighting for. Then we invite you to BariatricPal to talk on the forums and visit the store for the best deals on great-tasting bariatric products. Thanks for your support, and see you around! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal The Freedom of Choice: Do You Choose Health? Memorial Day is a day to honor the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces. As some history buffs and many patriots will tell you, they died to achieve or preserve freedom for the rest of us. Memorial Day may be a little more personal for you if one or more family members or other people close to you died while serving in the armed forces or are currently serving. Even if you do not personally know anyone in the armed forces, you can still appreciate their efforts. In Their Honor On this day, it’s standard to honor these men and women by visiting national cemeteries, going to parades, and having a picnic. Every other day of the year, you can continue to honor the efforts of these men and women by showing how much you value your freedom. One freedom in particular is the freedom to make your own health decisions. Every day, and even every hour, offers new choices. Will you take the stairs or the elevator? Will you pack a lunch or leave it to chance when lunchtime comes around? Will you go to bed now so you can wake up early to workout, or will you watch the next episode of the series you’re hooked on? Will you pick up the phone to inquire about weight loss surgery or will you put it off until next week? You’re already motivated to make good health decisions, but recognizing how privileged we are to be able to make these decisions for ourselves can give you a little extra force for each decision. Think about the men and women who died to allow broad freedom in our country, and make the decision that you will honor their memories, year-round, by making the right decision. Try This Each day is filled with little decisions. That can be a great, because it gives you so many chances to do the right thing. It can also be hard, because you need to keep choosing. The good thing is that “the right thing” can become habit. Here’s one strategy you can try to make a habit. The next time you come face to face with something you shouldn’t eat, take a pause. Tell yourself, “This is a free country. I can choose whether or not to eat this. Nobody else can choose for me. Do I really want to choose to eat this?” You might decide that you will eat the bite of brownie, or take a second helping of cheese dip. That’s okay, but don’t stop giving yourself that reminder and asking yourself “Is this what I want to do with my freedom?” every time you come to a decision point. The pause and the reminder may eventually become habit, and you may eventually decide that no, it is NOT the best use of your freedom to make a poor weight loss decision. Treats for Memorial Day (and the Rest of Summer) Whether it’s a Memorial Day picnic or the rest of summer, you’re going to need some cold refreshment and some dependable picnic recipes for those last-minute get-togethers. Don’t get stuck with fatty hot dogs on starchy white bread served with sugary baked Beans and fried chicken. Instead, make your own healthy and easy treats that everyone will love. There are simple ideas such as skewers with fruit and cheese, grilled kebab with chicken and veggies, cut watermelon, and hard-boiled eggs. Or, take it a up a notch with some of the recipes from The BariatricPal Store. They’re made with basic ingredients and products from the store to bump up the Protein content and flavor. Refreshing Drinks The weather’s heating up, and that means you need more fluids. You know you need to skip the sodas and fruit punch, but what happens if you’re sick of Water? Make your own flavored water with fresh mint leaves and slices of lemon, lime, or peach. Head over to The BariatricPal Store for a little nutrition with your hydration. We have all kinds of Protein Drinks from chocolate and vanilla shakes to fruit-flavored favorites such as raspberry lemonade, strawberry kiwi, and pineapple orange. They’re low-carb, of course, and pack a whopping 15 grams of protein. Or, support your digestive system by sipping on decaffeinated sugar-free Fiber Ice Tea with 5 grams of Fiber available in peach or lemon. Icy Desserts Everyone craves a cold dessert when it gets hot. You can make your own ice pops just by freezing sugar-free or diet juice drinks with popsicle sticks in them. Or, check out The BariatricPal Store for Protein Gelatin and Protein Pudding treats. If you have a few extra minutes, take a look at the dessert recipes we have. Not many people can pass up a banana Split, and with a high-protein recipe like this one, you don’t have to! What Will You Accomplish This Summer? Memorial is the unofficial start to summer…so it’s time for a little goal-setting! What are you going to get done in the next couple of months, say before Labor Day? Will you schedule your pre-op consult with a surgeon? Will you get surgery and lose the first several pounds? Will you go kayaking with your family, or run your first 5k on July 4? You’re way more likely to be able to achieve your goal if you have more support, so make sure to use BariatricPal as much as you need to! You can ask questions, exchange recipes on the Food and Nutrition Boards, talk about workouts on the Fitness and Exercise Boards, and get all the info on WLS that you ned from surgeon recommendations to tips on dealing with insurance companies. We also encourage you to start a friendly challenge for the summer months! Be a leader and post a challenge for others to join. You might want to include a time frame, such as before July 4, and what members need to do to join in the challenge, such as post their progress on your thread. Having a group to work together can put your goals within reach. I hope your Memorial Day Weekend has plenty of time for friends, family, and relaxation, and it spurs some good eating and healthy activity. Thanks for all of your support of BariatricPal, and let us know how you’re celebrating the day!