Happy Thanksgiving from BariatricPal! - November 2017

November 23, 20178 yr

Happy Thanksgiving from BariatricPal!

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Hey BariatricPal Members!

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you are spending the day and weekend with close family, in-town relatives, or friends. Maybe you will even enjoy a few minutes of peace by yourself at some point this weekend. We have a newsletter that we hope will motivate you to stay on track this holiday weekend.

• Giving Thanks: So Much to Be Grateful For!
• Live It Up Responsibly This Thanksgiving!
• Holiday Shopping: Time to Treat Yourself!

Enjoy the newsletter, and remember you can find plenty more tips and inspiration on the BariatricPal Forums. We hope you’ll find a little time for your BariatricPal family this weekend, after you dedicate yourself to your family and friends, first. Thank you for everything you do to support us!

Sincerely,
Alex Brecher
Founder, BariatricPal

Giving Thanks: So Much to Be Grateful For!

BariatricPal is filled with gratitude for so many things. Leading the way are our members – you! We couldn’t do it without you. You keep our forums going, spread the word about BariatricPal, and drive success in our main mission: to fight obesity with WLS. Thank you! We’re also grateful for:

• Our partner surgeons and allied health professionals who support the site and contribute to WLS Magazine.
• Customers at The BariatricPal Store who are getting their protein supplements and bariatric vitamins.
• The opportunities we’ve had to go to conferences, work with ASMBS, and fight obesity in other ways.

Gratitude Can Spur Success

Naming what you are thankful for can have positive effects on your weight loss journey and health. Reminding yourself of who helped you and what has worked for you can motivate you to keep working hard to take advantage of the benefits. Why not take a few minutes to think about what you are grateful for?

• Your family and friends – for listening to you, agreeing not to eat so much junk food in front of you, pitching in around the house after your WLS, and willingness to work out with you.
• Your healthcare team – for the steady support, after-hours phone calls, and successful surgery.
• Your online friends – for their tough love, sympathetic ears, and practical advice.
• Yourself – for working hard, believing in yourself, not giving up, forgiving yourself, and being an inspiration to others.

Live It Up Responsibly This Thanksgiving!

How much did you used to eat on Thanksgiving Day? Tally up a roll with butter, a serving of turkey and stuffing, a generous helping each of sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce, plus some pumpkin and pecan pie. Estimates place the average Thanksgiving meal at somewhere between 1,500 and 4,500 calories. That’s a pretty big range, but the exact number does not matter. The fact is that it is too high.
Try changing it up this Thanksgiving. You can keep the pleasure and party in the day, but there’s no need to overdo it. Go in with a game plan, make a few recipe swaps, and above all, stick to small servings, and you can get through the day without any hint of guilt.

The Great Bird and Friends

Rest easy: turkey is a good food! Keep it to a 3-ounce serving, and you will get 25 grams of protein and no carbs. Contrary to popular belief, dark meat is barely fattier than white, so take your pick. Just make sure to take the skin off. Top it with deli mustard and, if you are feeling adventurous, make your own cranberry sauce using your choice of calorie-free sweetener instead of sugar.

Swap the Sides

Your best bet is to roast vegetables in the oven for the last hour that you cook the turkey. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and onions are good candidates. If you can’t pass up the traditional sides, make a few swaps to cut the carbs and fat.

• Mashed Potatoes: try pureed cauliflower and Protein Gravy.
• Sweet Potato Casserole: try pureed cauliflower with pureed pumpkin, and use a sugar substitute instead of sugar.
• Green Bean Casserole: try Cream of Mushroom Protein Soup instead of full fat, and top it with crushed whole grain cereal instead of fried onions for crunch.

BariatricPal Protein Soup - Cream of Mushroom

Desserts Your Body Can Handle

A slice each of pumpkin and pecan pie can total over 1,000 calories. Instead, you’re best off savoring hot tea or Low-Acid Coffee, or enjoying a Hot Protein Drink such as hot chocolate or vanilla cappuccino. If you need a few bites of something closer to dessert, try Maple Pumpkin Protein Muffins, pumpkin cheesecake made with protein powder, or Pumpkin Pie Pudding.

Holiday Shopping: Time to Treat Yourself!

The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Have you given any thought to what you are going to gift yourself? It could be something to motivate yourself or a reward for your hard work. We’re in favor of gifts that will help make your weight loss surgery journey easier. There’s no need to feel guilty about giving yourself a gift; the more successful you are, the better able you will be to support your family and friends the way you want. Here are some gifts you can get at The BariatricPal Store – and here’s a hint: you can send someone a link in case they’re trying to figure out what to get you!

• Milk chocolate, chocolate with almonds, or other Protein Chocolate Bars…since chocolate is a nice gift!
• Mantra Bracelets: think of them as a stocking stuffer.
• Protein Drinks: try unique flavors such as Hot Mint Cocoa, Cheesecake, and Mocha Cream.
• Portion Control Plates, so you can have proper portions of homemade meals anytime, anywhere.
• Protein Entrees to give yourself a break in the kitchen while eating delicious meals and staying on track.
• A high-tech Body Scale to motivate yourself and track your progress.
• Gift Cards, as a promise to yourself that you’ll stick to your healthy intentions.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving, and a healthy one, too! If you get a chance, we hope you’ll spend a few minutes of your holiday weekend with us over on the Forums – you’ll get the chance to find all kinds of ideas from other BariatricPal members and discover how they handle the holiday season, too. Happy Thanksgiving!