The holiday season brings cheer, joy, and goodwill, which is celebrated by many with an eggnog toast or gifts of holiday cookies and candies. But for gastric bypass, Lap Band and REALIZE Band patients these holiday celebrations make it hard to stick to a healthy eating plan and maintain their hard earned weight loss.
“During the holiday season eating a healthy and balanced diet can seem like an impossible task to many gastric bypass, Lap Band and REALIZE Band patients,” says Elisa Betar, New Jersey Bariatric Center nutritionist. “However, all you need is a few helpful tips to keep you on track over the next month.”
Holiday Healthy Eating Tips:
• Enjoy yourself in moderation. The more you deprive yourself, the more you over indulge. Treat yourself to your favorite holiday dishes, but practice portion control and eat slowly so your body can signal when it’s full.
• Don’t skip meals in preparation for a holiday party. When you starve yourself all day in preparation for a party by the time it starts you’re so hungry that it’s hard to control your portions. Instead, eat regularly throughout the day, and then have a small snack before leaving for a party. When you’re full, you will be less likely to overeat.
• Eat slowly and savor your favorite holiday treats. Don’t eat until you are stuffed. Leave a few bites behind at every meal.
• Avoid drinking your calories. Water and diet sodas as well as wine and juice spritzers are better options for maintaining your weight than eggnog and sugary mixed drinks.
• Bring your own healthy dish to a holiday party. Don’t rely only on your host to provide healthy snacks, bring a dish to share that incorporates healthier ingredients.
• Socialize. Focus on catching up with family and friends, not the buffet.
• Try to maintain regular exercise even if it’s not your “normal” routine. A brisk walk or climbing stairs are activities that can be done almost anywhere. Or try parking your car farther away from the mall, grocery store or office building to get in extra exercise this time of year.
• Don’t be unrealistic. Enjoy the season and set a realistic goal for yourself to maintain your current weight.
New Jersey Bariatric Center
The New Jersey Bariatric Center, led by Dr. Ajay Goyal, has offices in Union and Hoboken, New Jersey. Dr. Goyal’s approach to patient care has resulted in zero mortality to date and a complication rate that is lower than the national average. These surgical results stand out as some of the best in New Jersey. If you or someone you love is considering bariatric surgery – Gastric Bypass, Lap Band or REALIZE Band procedures - please join us for one of our free educational seminars.
To register, visit us at http://www.njbariatriccenter.com.
New Jersey Bariatric Center
700 Rahway Avenue
Union, NJ 07083
Phone: (908) 378-1779 (Business hours)
Phone: (201) 461-1915 (Service)
Fax: (908) 688-8861
www.njbariatriccenter.com
info@lapbandsurgerynj.com
http://www.lapbandsurgerynj.com
