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How will you handle Thanksgiving?



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I’m wondering what everyone has planned for eating Thanksgiving dinner. I’m debating both what to eat and what to say when my reduced intake is questioned. I don’t want to discuss my surgery with everyone who is there but I know peoples will comment.

Right now I’m planning to allow myself tiny portions of all my favorites plus 1-2 drinks (Toasts are a big part of our celebration. ) I also want to check in on my stomach frequently so I don’t get distracted and overeat.

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I am just starting puree, so i will be sticking to my puree menu of some sort. I will be however cooking as my son is a vegetarian, daughter is high Protein low carb and son in law only one to eat whatever LOL.. So i will cook, they are all in their mid 20s and i do not want any of them to be without. We always get together for the hanging out and maybe a venture out to see the crazy black friday stuff, or just stay in and watch movies. It will be a later than normal dinner because daughter has to work in the morning. ( She works for Disney- and gets out at 4) so dinner will be at 6

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Congrats on 61 down~!!!

Ugh.... the questions and conversations that revolve around your weight loss. If you figure out a way to not talk about your weight loss let us know. It's out of most people's/family members comfort zone to see someone eating for health instead of pleasure on Thanksgiving.

I'm having chineses food with hubby and adult son's. No cooking this year!

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I probably have an unpopular opinion on this, but I plan to enjoy the food. I obviously have reduced portions, but at 6 months out, it is not so obvious as to draw attention. I plan on choosing the healthier options, and also having a small slice of pie and perhaps a glass of wine. I will not be tracking my calories tomorrow, I just plan on enjoying the day and then getting back to it on Friday.

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

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Does anyone have a good recipe for split-pea Soup. Someone gave. a bag, always ate canned before but surely I can make my own. No preservatives, I will know just what my own contains.

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I had a death in the family, so Thanksgiving canceled. I plan on having chinese food too. Probably steamed shrimp with veggies and some hot sauce on it. No rice. I have never craved hot sauce before VSG, now I use it quite often.

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So sorry to hear of the loss to your family. A lot of memories along with the Chinese food and steamed shrimp sounds very nice.

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I had a death in the family, so Thanksgiving canceled. I plan on having chinese food too. Probably steamed shrimp with veggies and some hot sauce on it. No rice. I have never craved hot sauce before VSG, now I use it quite often.

Sounds like a great eating plan. I’m sorry to hear about your loss. My mother died shortly before last Thanksgiving and it was a sober get together. I feel for you.


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Congrats on 61 down~!!!
Ugh.... the questions and conversations that revolve around your weight loss. If you figure out a way to not talk about your weight loss let us know. It's out of most people's/family members comfort zone to see someone eating for health instead of pleasure on Thanksgiving.
I'm having chineses food with hubby and adult son's. No cooking this year!


The family friends we Celebrate with are all tall and super skinny, so I really don’t want to talk about my surgery or my eating with them. They’re not judgmental but I don’t think they could even comprehend my journey.


I think I’ll brainstorm some “distraction topics” that I can use to deflect attention from myself and my eating. Luckily, current politics provide any number of topics for people to get excited about. [emoji38]. Maybe I’ll make some stuff up too. ‘Can you believe that Sherri from our school bus is getting married for a 4th time?!?!’




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Does anyone have a good recipe for split-pea Soup. Someone gave. a bag, always ate canned before but surely I can make my own. No preservatives, I will know just what my own contains.

Here’s a recipe that I use from the Moosewood Cookbook I leave out the potato and sometimes add some cut up ham. It’s very adjustable to your taste. IMG_2586.JPG


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I'm with @TexasMommy80. I plan to enjoy the food, only in smaller portions.

This is the first year I'm not cooking. Most of our family are out of state, so hubby and I just can't see cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal when there's only 2 of us and I eat such small portions. So, for the first time EVER, I am going out for Thanksgiving. We have reservations at a restaurant that serves a traditional meal.

I plan to eat what I can and save the rest for later, even pie. I don't traditionally indulge in alcohol, so that won't be an issue.

Happy Thanksgiving all! :268_turkey:

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I had a death in the family, so Thanksgiving canceled. I plan on having chinese food too. Probably steamed shrimp with veggies and some hot sauce on it. No rice. I have never craved hot sauce before VSG, now I use it quite often.
I am sorry to hear this. My dad also passed away about two weeks ago. He was diagnosed with cancer only 10 days before his death, so it has been rough. He wanted us to Celebrate the holidays though, so we will have a traditional Thanksgiving with immediate family only.

Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

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I'm planning carefully but will have all of what I like, split over about four sleeve-sized meals through the day. I will have turkey and ham, a tiny bit of mashed potato and gravy, a half of a brussel sprout, a half deviled egg, three little smokies and a tiny piece of pie. Only having pie or cake or something similar on Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversary and birthday. 4x a year. Sticking to my plan! [emoji6]

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Sounds like a plan, a well-thought-out plan. Rock it hon and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sounds like a plan, a well-thought-out plan. Rock it hon and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks...and you too, dear! [emoji6]

Sent from my Pixel 3 using BariatricPal mobile app

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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