7 Tips for a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season After Bariatric Surgery

You’ve had bariatric surgery and are losing weight that wouldn’t come off any other way. The holiday season is in full swing, and events feature lots of fatty, sugary, unhealthy foods — foods that now can make you sick if you eat too much of them. 

Don’t spoil the effects of expensive surgery. At Turnquest Surgical Solutions, our board-certified bariatric surgeons, Dexter Turnquest, MD, and Victoria C. Chang, MD, offer commonsense tips to help you navigate the holiday season after bariatric surgery. 

Using these strategies, you’ll sail through the season and continue your weight loss. 

Don’t skip meals and take your vitamins

Many holiday parties are held at night. If you’re thinking of skipping meals during the day so you can enjoy yourself at the party, think again. You may want to binge on your favorite foods, both healthy and unhealthy. Trying to binge-eat after bariatric surgery is a recipe for discomfort. 

Take your required vitamins and minerals every day. They help make sure you don’t have a deficiency that leads to poor health. 

Bring a healthy dish to parties 

Holiday events are chock-full of sweet, sugary foods like cookies, pies, brownies, and blondies. Help yourself and other party-goers by bringing a dish with protein and fiber for the table. Think stuffed mushrooms, hummus, roasted veggies, roasted cauliflower, or deviled eggs. 

Stay away from the food tables 

Are you used to parking by the buffet? That’s tempting fate. It’s far too easy to keep reaching for the next morsel. Once you have food on your plate, move out of the room with the buffet. Keep yourself occupied by mixing and mingling. 

Limit alcohol

Holiday parties usually have a full bar with beer, wine, liquor, and mixers. If you must have an alcoholic drink, make one your limit. 

Alcohol is full of empty calories. It can make you feel full so you don’t consume the nutrients you need. You’re also likely more sensitive to the effects of alcohol after bariatric surgery. Don’t embarrass yourself at holiday events or risk being in an accident when driving home after the party. 

Hydrate 

Do you usually head to the bar first at a holiday event? Take a zero-calorie nonalcoholic drink to start so you don’t fill up on calories from alcohol. Diet tonic water, seltzer, or flavored zero calorie waters are good options. 

Eat mindfully 

It’s too easy to keep grazing at food-laden holiday events. Make healthy selections for your plate first. Nibble these slowly as you make the rounds enjoying the company. 

Wait until you’ve digested healthy foods before you go back to see the available desserts. Make a careful dessert selection and move to a space without a buffet table. 

Invest in cookbooks that feature healthy food options 

When you invested in bariatric surgery, you made a commitment to eat differently. Clean out your pantry and remove high fat and sugary foods. 

Learn to cook and eat differently. Your cookbooks should feature low-fat, healthy options. 

Use skim or 1% dairy instead of whole fat dairy when you consume yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, or cheese. Incorporate fresh and frozen fruit into your diet. Use applesauce or sugar substitutes instead of sugar. Choose whole grain bread, lots of steamed veggies, and lean protein. 

For expert bariatric and general surgery results, call us at one of our two Houston, Texas, locations or request an appointment through our online portal today.