BariatricPal Newsletter - September 2017

September 1, 20178 yr

BariatricPal Newsletter

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Hey BariatricPal Members!

It’s “Back to School” time! Whether you have kids around, you are a student yourself, or you have nothing to do with schools, you cannot help but notice the season changing, even if all you see is an increase in traffic. Summer is ending, and that means it is the perfect time to get back to those weight loss goals if you strayed a little. This newsletter may be able to help. Here is the run-down.

• Quick WLS-Friendly Dinners the Whole Family Can Love
• Renewed Focus in the Fall
• Holding Your Head High

We’re always happy to see you around on the BariatricPal Forums. Come to share a victory, get some motivation, or meet a weight loss friend – or several! Can’t wait to see you there.

Sincerely,
Alex Brecher
Founder, BariatricPal

Quick WLS-Friendly Dinners the Whole Family Can Love

Autumn can hit hard if you were lucky enough to have a summer that was a little slower paced than the rest of the year. If your summer was just as hectic as the rest of the year, you could probably use any short-cut you can get to save time and energy. You may not have time to cook separate meals for yourself and your family, but that does not mean you have to go off your bariatric diet. These strategies can help you keep losing weight and satisfy your family as you get a nutritious meal on the table quickly.

Try a Bar

Serve the components buffet-style, and everyone can help themselves. Include your family’s favorites and the protein and veggies you need, and nobody will even notice how diligent you are being. These are some ideas.

• Taco bar with seasoned lean ground turkey or beef, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes, salsa, and low-fat cheese for yourself, with taco shells or burritos and sour cream for the others.
• Pizza bar with marinara sauce, low-fat mozzarella, chicken or anchovies, and chopped veggies for yourself, with ready-to-bake crust and pepperoni for the others. You can make your pizza on a portabello mushroom or cauliflower crust.

• Baked potato bar with diced all-natural ham, chopped broccoli or other chopped veggies, cooked mushrooms, avocado, and non-fat sour cream. The kids might want cheese sauce and bacon. ust skip the potato for yourself and pile your toppings on a large lettuce leaf.
• Pasta bar with tomato sauce, low-carb Protein Pasta, veggies, and turkey meatballs, with whole-grain pasta for the family.

Set Some Aside

Oftentimes, the extra calories come during the cooking as you add fat to cook, or you blend your ingredients with carbs or creamy sauces. Head off trouble by setting aside some of the ingredients before you make your finished product. For example, fix yourself a plate of green beans and canned tuna before you add the noodles, pasta, and cream of mushroom soup to make green bean tuna noodle casserole, or take a scoop each of fat-free refried beans and ground turkey before finishing off the cheesy Mexican casserole with rice.

Add and Subtract

A component or two could make the difference between a healthy, bariatric-friendly meal, and a meal that you will regret. You can always plan a meal that works for you – say, chicken and cauliflower – and serve it to the others after you add the fixings to make it a complete meal for the others – say mashed potatoes and cheese sauce. Or, subtract a component for yourself, such as taking the filling out of the tortilla when you have fajitas.

Renewed Focus in the Fall

Any time there is a change in the seasons, it is a good time to reevaluate your weight loss surgery journey. As summer draws to a close, think about how you did over the past few months and where you can improve. Here are a couple major areas.

Get Over the Stall

Stalls happen, no matter how “good” you are. Sometimes, it is a question of waiting them out. If the stall drags on too long, though, you may need to change things up to get some results.

• Start logging your food again if you stopped.
• Get back into the exercise routine, or add a new kind of workout.
• Hold yourself accountable by posting updates on your BariatricPal Blog.
• Check out the BariatricPal “Back on Track” Forums to get ideas from other members.

Make Yourself a Priority

Kids. School. Work. Housekeeping. Relationships. Where do you fall in the list of priorities? Hopefully, you are putting yourself right at the top. It is not only because you deserve it. It is also because you can do better for everyone else when you are healthy. There should be no guilt associated with taking care of yourself.
What does it mean to make yourself a priority? The answer is different for each person, but these could be some of the ways you put yourself first.

• Scheduling your bariatric surgery, even though it means you will not be able to run household errands for a couple weeks.
• Taking time to make your own healthy food on the weekend instead of watching the ballgame all afternoon.
• Saying, “No!” to situations that are not healthy for you, such as eating out too often or staying up late so you cannot get up early to work out in the morning.
• Getting rid of the junk in the kitchen and asking your family members to eat their unhealthy foods or throw away the leftovers so you are not tempted.

Holding Your Head High

Weight loss surgery is hard enough when you consider your own part in it. You prep for surgery, you undergo surgery, you follow the post-op diet, and you make the lifestyle changes that can carry you to goal weight and maintenance. To make it even harder, there can be guilt or shame attached to WLS. Do not let it drag you down!
A common negative feeling comes from the perception from others that you are cheating by using WLS as a weight loss tool. Explain how hard your journey is to those who will listen, and ignore those who will not listen. They are not worth your breath, and they certainly are not worth interrupting your WLS for. You know how hard you are working, and that’s all that matters.
Be proud of yourself every step of the way. Surgery takes bravery and preparation. Weight loss takes dedication and strength. You are a role model for anyone who is trying to make a difference in their own lives, and for anyone who is taking on a long journey with a far-off goal. Never forget that.

Regardless of where you are in your weight loss surgery journey, or whether you are riding a high or struggling with a low, BariatricPal is here to help. Come for support, information, and encouragement, and stay because you’re hooked!