059 Christmas Dinner Bariatric Style

I don't know if you have ever heard Bing Crosby (one of my all time favs!) sing the song "Christmas Dinner Country Style" or not. In ode to him I decided to call this post Christmas Dinner Bariatric Style. I really don't know what we will be having for Christmas dinner but I wanted to throw some ideas out there for traditional Christmas Dinner items that someone on the Stage 3 gastric sleeve diet could eat at family gatherings.

Just remember proteins, fruits & veggies, & everything else. *IMPORTANT REMINDER: Every WLS program is different and their diets and dietary allowances are different. Make sure to follow the plan your surgeon has prescribed to you. These are things Jimmy is allowed to eat per his surgeon. Talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet or exercise program.*

1. Start with Protein
First things first, bariatric patients are supposed to focus on eating foods that are high in protein and low in fat. Keep an eye out for the family turkey, ham, and/or chicken. They are going to be your friend--who you will then eat--but go easy on any gravy or dressing which may come with those meats.

2. Fruits and Veggies
Once you have consumed your proteins you can look around for fruits and veggies. Keep in mind that at Stage 3 all these fruits and veggies must either be canned or cooked so that they are soft. So you could hunt for the pineapple rings that are often baked on top of the ham or you could reasonably find some green beans or mashed potatoes (go easy on the taters). Skip the green bean casserole (too fattening and has the french fried onions on top) and candied yams. Their minuses far outweigh their pluses!

3. Just a Dab of other Goodies
You only get to choose a really small portion of other things if you are still hungry. Don't overeat because you will be ten times more miserable than when you overate last Christmas and/or Thanksgiving because now you have had bariatric surgery. Also avoid foods that you know aren't on your list and especially those which contain large amounts of sugar. There is nothing worse than Dumping Syndrome when you are trying to have a great time at Christmas!

More than focusing on the foods you can or cannot have be sure to focus on your family. They are more important than food anyway. Make food a small part of your whole celebration not your whole celebration.

Just for fun, I have included Bing Crosby singing "Christmas Dinner Country Style." I hope you enjoy it and enjoy your families this holiday season.

Click the Button Below to Listen to
Christmas Dinner Country Style
Sung by Bing Crosby

Christmas Dinner Country Style (24-Bit Digitally Remastered 99)

058 This Really Is Working!

Last night was our annual #WinningSM Youth Christmas party. We had a blast! We had snacks (ok, Jimmy didn't have snacks but I did) and we played a gift exchange game. Jimmy also gave his annual gift to one lucky youth. BUT the best part of all of it for me is that tonight I got to hear Jimmy say "I look skinnier" for the first time tonight!

It's one thing to see the numbers go down and down on the scale, and don't get me wrong we feel great about the numbers going down. However, it is a whole other ball of wax to feel those changes and to see them when you look at yourself in a video, photos, or the mirror. That's what happened last night.

We got home from the Christmas party and Jimmy decided he wanted to watch the video of him giving his gift to Adri. After the second time of watching it, he turned to me and said, "Hey, I look skinnier! This is actually working!" I wanted to say "Duh!" but I resisted the temptation. I just smiled and let him continue to enjoy his moment of realization and the funny video.

Don't take our word for it though. I am including the video so you can see for yourself how great Jimmy is looking, and so you can get a good laugh at how funny teenagers are when something unexpected happens. I hope you enjoy!