Holiday Parties, Luncheons.....

Ok, so this week and next will be the toughest by far for me.  What do you have planned for parties and eating?  Here is what I am up against...

12/15 - Lunch at Maggies for the boss' birthday (1/4 Turkey sand on toasted squaw bread, 2 bites coleslaw)

12/19 - Company Christmas Party - Dinner at Portafino's.  I will have the Veal and my veges.  I will pass on the appetizers even though I love fried Calamari, and I will also pass on the large bowl of pasta served right after the salad.  I think I may pass on the salad as well so I can eat my veal, and no desert for me.  I have already told (yes I said told), the boss to request 2 take home containers up front.

12/20 - Brunch with my employers and hubby at East Side Marios before the Dave Koz Christmas concert at Cerritos Performing Arts.  I will stick to a ham & cheese omlett.  Possibly some fruit.  No drinking at the concert for me, jus****er.  I'll wait til Christmas Eve at home to try and have my first drink since surgery.

12/23 - Office lunch at Geezer's.  OMG I just love their cheese ravoli.  WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO....... I will study the menu over the weekend and decide what I can have and what I will have.  As much as I love pasta I am staying away from it with the exception of a bite on occasion.  Geezers has several other things to eat.  Maybe a turkey meatloaf sandwich and just remove the bread.  This actually sounds pretty good.  Hmmmm

12/24 - Home made carnitas made in the crock for munchies after church.  I'll eat mine like a carnitas salad and stay away from the tortillas.

12/25 - If i'm going to be bad, it might as well taste good.  I will be making a rib-eye roast.  I know it's fatty, but if I'm going to be bad, this will be my bad.  It's not like I am going to eat the whole thing by myself.  Although, it might be interesting to see how much I can eat - JK, JK   I know my limitations.

So, let's see what you are all up against......

Well I'd reply with a longer post but I haven't had surgery yet..however, I'm looking at a possible pre-op diet around my birthday or even soon @ valentines day...    My fiancee's family does everything around FOOD..I mean huge lunches every Sunday - I hope they remember that I wont be able to eat all that and keep some sf jello or something on hand xD...

Best of luck to you on sticking to your party plans - that would be hard staying away from it all when you HAVE to be there!!

I don't have a problem celebrating.  I have had a party almost everyday for 2 weeks.  I had a big one yesterday, and then dinner out last night with family, and now today two more.  I think I am free tomorrow...finally.  But as I said, the Holidays are just like any other day, it is no longer about food, it's about fun and family.  Cooking for others give me job, and that is where my pleasure comes in, no longer is there a pleasure of eating, it' just not that important.  Hopefully your mindset will change soon and you won't have to study menus or even think about pastas.  You should have some and had a little too much, once you are done puking up your guts, you will never touch it again, and if I sound like the voice of experience, yep it happened to me.

Have a good Holiday

A,

Your planning ahead is awesome. I am also going through my first holiday season post surgery too.  I just hope I don't feel that horrible sense of deprivation that I used to get when I was dieting. My plan is to only eat protein when starting a meal so if my eyes wander to other things, I'll be full enough to not want it. I will also have a protein bar in my purse so if I get that "I am going to die because I can't eat whatever dessert everyone is eating", I can have the protein bar or if it's available a nice cup of decaf coffee with sweetner and milk. I am so afraid of dumping that I've been OK resisting anything with sugar. For me it's carb crunchies, crackers, bread, croutons, that tempt me greatly.

I am also making dinner one night for the whole family.  I am making a fish stew with a stock base, salad, and asking someone else to make the bread (we make it in a bread maker usually). I am not serving dessert. If people have a problem with that, there is an ice cream store walkable from my house. I might change my mind and serve a fruit salad for dessert.

Good luck in your efforts. I think it's great you're planning ahead so well.

MsBlues

To echo some of what Diane already said, all these events and celebrations aren't about the food. I do love to cook, and Lord knows I love my Christmas cookies...but when you go to all these dinners and parties who will be there? Who do you get to connect and celebrate with? Who will you get to show your appreciation and love for? That is what the holidays are about now.

A big part of the transformation after WLS is changing what you think about food.

On a pratical note, I think its wise to be thinking ahead and about what you will eat that is healthy. If you know you are going to face an event with lots of temptation, eat before you go. Plan a healthy high-protein meal before you arrive and when you get to the party you'll be too full to indulge.

I went to a Christmas Party last Sat and Sun.  On Sat I was very happy to sip on my protein water.  I did not even go into the kitchen to see what food was there.  I brought a Red Velvet Cake but I just did not take any when offered.  I enjoyed the company of the other people.  I tend to be shy in those situations but not hovering around the food really forced me to talk to people instead of sitting in the corner stuffing my face.  The party on Sun was for the kids.  There was pizza and I brought cupcakes. I took two low fat string cheese sticks and ate those (1 oz each) and then played with my grandkids and talked to my Friends.  Santa came to brings gifts for the kids and it was just so much fun.  On Christmas Eve we go to our friends house and exchange gifts with our group.  Jen makes a huge pot of beef stew every year.  I will probably take cheese again, I tried some beef stew about 4 weeks ago and guess what it made a second appearance so I am not going to even try that.  I am taking cupcakes again.  Jen's birthday is Christmas day and she wanted cupcakes.  No one ever got her a birthday cake until we started going on Christmas Eve and I started bringing them to her.  Not even when she was growing up.  So I love to take a cake or cup cakes this year.  They  make the cup cakes to look like a cake it is so cute.  I won't try any for fear of dumping!  Sometimes fear can be a good thing!  On New Years Eve I will follow the same plan.  When I start to feel sorry for myself I remember I made the choice to have this surgery and it is really working. 

Gee I am so much better at writing on this site than talking to people in person.  O.k. O.k. I will shut up now.  I hope everyone enjoys all their gatherings through out the season!