Happy Halloween from BariatricPal! - October 2016

Hey BariatricPal Members!

Happy Halloween! It’s time to enjoy a few scares and spooks and a lot of fun, but how is that possible when you are trying to lose weight? This newsletter has a few tips that can help you enjoy yourself this Halloween and in the coming months, and keep the results from showing up on the scale. Here’s what we have:

• Surviving Halloween as a Weight Loss Surgery Patient
• Scary Good Treats from The BariatricPal Store
• The Start of the Eating Season (Or Not)

Thanks for reading the newsletter and being part of the BariatricPal community. Don’t forget to login to share your healthy Halloween tips and get some healthy inspiration when you need it, and have a safe and happy Halloween!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder, BariatricPal

Surviving Halloween as a Weight Loss Surgery Patient

Halloween is one of the hardest times for bariatric patients. You’re sure to see candy nearly everywhere, and you may not see much else. How are you supposed to pass up the sugar while still having fun and getting in your Protein? It may not be easy, but you can do it.

Go with a Plan

Plan ahead, just like you do in the rest of your post-op life. If you are going to a party, plan to drink ice Water for most of the time. Set yourself up far from the buffet table, and talk to everyone you can to keep your mind off of the food.

Also, remember to fend for yourself instead of depending on the party far. Bring a dish or two to share to make sure you have something healthy to eat for when you are hungry. These are some fun Halloween ideas.

• String cheese Fingers with half-sticks of string cheese being the fingers, and grape tomato halves filling in as the fingernails. Drizzle tomato sauce for blood if you like.
• Candy Corn Fruit Plate with three layers: each representing a color of the traditional candy corn. The bottom of the triangle can be a yellow fruit such as pineapple chunks; the middle stripe can be an orange fruit such as orange wedges or cut cantaloupe; the white tip can be banana slices or even cottage cheese for dipping. You can also make this with veggies!
• Banana Ghosts using banana halves for the ghost and blueberries, peanuts, or pieces of Protein Cereal for the eyes and mouth.
• Tangerine Pumpkins using a peeled tangerine for the pumpkin body, and a piece of celery stuck in the center as the stem.

Stay Busy without Eating

If you are trick-or-treating, there are all kinds of ways you can stay busy without diving into the kids’ loot. Keep yourself busy by helping out any children who need it, whether they are yours or anyone else’s in the neighborhood. Fix their makeup and costumes, help them cross the street safely whenever necessary, and hold the littlest ones’ hands if they get scared.

Practice the One and Done

Actually, practice it twice! For your first “one and done” trick, choose one piece of candy, assuming that you are up to eat solids foods on your post-op diet, and assuming you know that you can handle a sugary piece of candy without feeling sick or reaching for another 10 pieces.

For your second “one and done,” remember that Halloween is one night. The leftover candy from what you handed out to trick-or-treaters or that your children collected needs to go on November 1. Otherwise, if you keep it around the house, you risk munching on it, well, possibly up until Thanksgiving! No, thanks!

• Donate the leftover candy to your local school or church.
• Throw unwanted leftovers away (really, the trash can wears the calories better than you do).
• If you allow your children to continue to eat their trick-or-treating loot, have them stash it away out of your eyesight so you are not tempted to eat it.

Scary Good Treats from The BariatricPal Store

Treats with a Little Trick

Trick or treat! It’s fun to gather all kinds of candies, but you know the damage to your waistline. The calories pile on, the sugar leads to more carb cravings and possibly dumping syndrome, and the fat clogs your arteries. Who needs those kinds of effects when you can turn to treats from The BariatricPal Store? Our little trick is to change up the nutritionals to bump up the protein and dial down the calories, sugar, and fat.

Instead of grabbing a candy bar next time, try one of these little treats:

• Caramel Coated Protein Puffs Snacks with 150 calories and 15 grams of protein.
• chocolate & Caramel Crispy Bites with 160 calories and 12 grams of protein.
• White Chocolate Dream Bar with 170 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 5 grams of Fiber.
• Peanut Butter and Smooth Caramel Crisp Bar with 140 calories, 15 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber.

You may not even miss your favorite candy bar.

Grab the Best Deals!

We’re celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the opening of The BariatricPal Store, and you will come out the winner! We’re constantly increasing our inventory, so check our new products regularly. Are you new to our store? Just use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 when you check out for a 10% discount off your entire purchase cost!

The Start of the Eating Season (or Not)

On guard! Halloween marks the unofficial start to the holiday season. Festive though it may be, the holidays can mean trouble for your weight loss plan.

• Leftover Halloween candy in the home and office.
• Thanksgiving…a four-day eating marathon in itself.
• Christmas Cookies, fudge, fruitcakes, and candy canes.
• Holiday parties with friends, family, and coworkers.
• Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
• And more…

The bottom line is that there may be food wherever you turn, and you can’t give in each time if you want to stay on track with your weight loss goals. Here are a few tips to help you get through this time.

• Practice saying “no.” “No, thank you.” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that.” “No, thanks, I’m not hungry right now.”
• Have your own healthy substitutes ready. You can save hundreds of calories by making yourself some Protein Cocoa instead of ordering it with your friend or coworkers at a coffee shop, or by munching on a Chocolate Wafer Protein Bar instead of a few squares of fudge.
• Eat regularly to keep cravings down. Instead of letting yourself get too hungry so that you risk overdoing it when it is time to eat, keep healthy and quick meals and snacks on hand. Canned tuna, washed and cut fruits and vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and protein bars are just a few ideas.
• Change your goals slightly to be more realistic. You may lose weight a little more slowly during these months, and that’s okay.
• Scour the table before serving yourself. Often, there is a high-protein choice that can work for you, such as roast beef or ham, even if it is not the healthiest in the world.
• Plan an occasional treat when you know something spectacular is coming up. It might be a cookie from your aunt’s annual Christmas delivery, or some cornbread stuffing. Plan to have a bite to satisfy yourself so you do not feel deprived or, on the other hand, go overboard.

The holiday season is long for weight loss surgery patients, since temptations are everywhere and these are foods that you may have enjoyed in the past. Still, you can get through it right on track by being a little cautious and planning ahead whenever possible.

Have a safe and healthy Halloween this year! Enjoy every minute of it, and come tell us about it on the boards at BariatricPal!