Happy Holidays from BariatricPal! - December 2015

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

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Hey BariatricPal Members! Merry Christmas! It’s a time that many of you look forward to for months, and enjoy a few special moments with your loved ones. Even if you do not Celebrate it, we hope you will take advantage of this time of year to appreciate your family, friends, and other good things in your life. Here’s what we put in this newsletter in hopes of making this day a little happier and healthier for you! A Few Tips for a WLS-Friendly Christmas dinner Need a Last-Minute Gift? No Problem! Ideas for a Healthy Christmas with Family and Friends Major holidays like this are always a reason for us to be even more grateful for your support. Thanks for everything, and all the best to you and your family this season. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal A Few Tips for a WLS-Friendly Christmas Dinner Christmas dinner: family, good thoughts, and food. Lots of it, and most of it unhealthy. What are you going to do this year to keep it in check? Here’s a run-down of the courses and how you can make better choices at each one. The Menu The Apps: The wrong apps can make your dinner a disaster before it even begins. At the same time, the apps give you a chance to shine. Skip the mini pizzas, tarts, and pastries. Instead, go for plain fare such as a meatball, shrimp, crudites (raw veggies), and small amounts of cheese or nuts. The Protein: Skip the duck and goose – they’re the fattiest poultry. Turkey’s your best bet. Lean beef tenderloin is a little fattier but still okay, and ham will do in a pinch. It has good calorie count, but is packed with sodium and cancer-causing nitrates. Also, stick to mustard and not sugary cranberry sauce. The Sides: Candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, and stuffing are calorie and fat-laden starches, while creamy corn and green bean casseroles are anything but veggies. Go for roasted brussels sprouts and acorn squash. You can always bring something healthy like a green salad with blue cheese, pears, and cranberries with a light dressing on the side. The Dessert: No surprises here. Instead of the pies, bring fresh fruit, whether you like apples, persimmons, berries, or citrus fruit. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making Christmas meringue Cookies with egg whites, stevia, agave Syrup, and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The Strategies It’s not just about what you eat. It’s how much. Here are a few tips to keep you from eating way more than you should on Christmas. -Help out. When you’re clearing the table, washing dishes, and sweeping the floor, you’re not eating. Plus, everyone will be grateful to you! No worries if the hosts don’t allow you to help because they like to clean up their way. Just stay in the kitchen and keep them company. They’ll enjoy the company and appreciate your consideration for how they run their household. -Talk. Swallow what you’re eating, talk, and keep talking. Don’t take another bite. And when you’re not talking, listen. Put down your knife and fork, make eye contact, and concentrate on the person. You may be the first person all day who truly took the time to listen to that person. -Entertain. Direct the gift giving and pack up the extra wrapping paper. If the children get bored, tell them a story. Pack up leftovers for others to take home. Volunteer to do whatever needs to be done, and you won’t have a chance to overeat. Need a Last-Minute Gift? Don’t Panic! If you’re anything like us, this is not unfamiliar territory. You do your best to get thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list. Then, for some reason, you end up needing a gift – NOW! Maybe you forgot to add someone to your list, or you just kept putting off buying their present because you couldn’t think of anything. Well, may we suggest a gift card to The BariatricPal Store? It’s available in amounts from $10 to $250. The recipient gets it delivered automatically in their email, so they’ll never know it was a last-minute gift. Gift cards are good for anything at the store from bariatric Vitamins and Protein powders to low-carb, high-protein Snacks and meals. Say “Merry Christmas” with the gift of health! Ideas for a Healthy Christmas with Family and Friends You may be the only one in your family or among your friends with weight loss surgery, but there’s no reason feel alone in the journey. Invite them to join you in your healthy lifestyle. You’ll get more support and have an easier time losing weight, and you may be surprised how grateful your friends and family are to be included. Here are a few ideas. -make up healthy holiday gifts for friends. For example, make up healthy Soup mixes with Beans and dried vegetables or spice mixes to give out instead of Christmas cookies. -make spiced tea together and sip it instead of going to a coffee shop or restaurant for a high-calorie drink or meal. -go for a walk and talk…and have the mindset that it may be the first of many fun times working out and talking together. Again, a Merry Christmas to all our members who celebrate it, and warm wishes to all of our members. We sincerely hope this season finds you healthy and making good progress towards your goals.

[Fatty McFatster 888]

Merry Christmas Alex!!!

[gowalking 10,790]

Have a wonderful holiday season Alex. Here's to 2016 and another wonderful year.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Thanks for this site and Merry Christmas!

[Djmohr 6,965]

Merry Christmas Alex and thank you!

This past year has been one of the best in my life and in part that was because I have had such a great support system both here at Bariatric Pal and at home with my family.

I appreciate having a place to simply talk about my experiences and get my questions answered.

God Bless!

Deb