Enjoy the festivities while staying on track – tips for the holiday season for bariatric surgery patients

The ‘silly season’ is approaching, with many celebrating religious holidays such as Hanukkah or Christmas. Even if you’re not religious and are just looking forward to a little break from work, we wanted to bring you some tips from our Dietitian Tania Chaanine on ways to manage your eating (post bariatric surgery) during this time. 

 

Start Your Day Right

Whether you’re heading to a party, waking up on Christmas morning with the kids, or just relaxing at home, please ensure that you start your day right by not skipping breakfast. Binge eating or grazing is more likely to occur if you starve yourself. Always start your day with a good hit of protein and a small serving of whole grains. This will help you stay satiated for longer. Aim for around 20g of protein. Some examples include:

• Breakfast smoothies with low-fat milk, yoghurt, some fruit and protein powder. 
• Overnight oats with added protein powder. 
• Omelette with ham/salmon and additional veggies. 
• High protein yoghurt with a spoonful of quality muesli and added berries. 

 

Slow Down Your Eating

During celebrations with family and friends, the sharing of stories and laughter is usually accompanied by wonderful variations of food. Make sure you never go to a function on an empty stomach (especially a cocktail style party), as this will definitely promote overeating. 

It’s important to be aware of your portion sizes. Use your portion plate wherever possible, or use a smaller plate. This goes for ‘grazing’ too, give yourself a portion of chips (or even better a healthier option if one’s available, for example carrot/celery would provide the same great crunch). It’s easy to accidentally overeat with food readily available to graze on. 

If you’ve had gastric bypass surgery you should pace yourself to avoid overeating or dumping. Focus on mindful eating; savour the taste of your favourite food, chew thoroughly and listen to how your body responds.

 

Watch Your Liquid Calories

It’s always important to drink plenty of water throughout the day and stay hydrated. Avoid liquid calories from juices (fresh or bottled), soft drinks and excess alcohol intake. There is no doubt that a lot of people choose to enjoy some alcoholic beverages this time of year, but be mindful not to overdo it as it can be the easiest way for those extra holiday kilos to creep in. 

 

Be Realistic

It’s important to remember that these celebrations will make things a bit trickier in terms of your weight loss or weight management goals, so being realistic will help. Opt for healthier choices wherever possible and remain as active as you possibly can. Stay close to your eating and exercise routine but of course make allowances for some enjoyment.

If you’re finding it difficult to stick to your regular structured exercise routine then instead focus on increasing your incidental activity as a way to boost your energy expenditure. Aiming for 10,000 steps a day is another way to ensure you’re remaining active. 

 

 

 

And most importantly… Have Fun! 

When it comes to weight loss or weight maintenance, it is what you do most of the time that matters more than what you do some of the time. So enjoy yourself, allow some enjoyment without the ‘all or nothing’ approach. Always get back on track the next meal as this will help you stay on track and limit your overall calorie consumption and hence weight gain.

Have a safe, wonderful and healthy time this holiday season, and wishing you all the best for the new year.