Top 5 tips to stay on track this Christmas
We all know that Christmas is undeniably the season of overindulgence…
and it can be an especially challenging time to stay on track and follow a bariatric diet. So, we asked the experts, made up of specialist bariatric nurses, dietitians and even the team from BandBoozled – presenting them with the challenge of how we can still enjoy everything we love about Christmas food and drink without losing focus of our weight loss goals.
Here are their top 5 tips to stay on track with your post-weight loss surgery diet during the festive season:
1. George Hamlyn-Williams, Principal Dietitian
Our Principal Dietitian George knows what an obstacle Christmas sharing chocolates and selection boxes can present when you are trying to follow your weight loss diet plan, so festive hack is to ‘put the Celebrations or Heroes in the freezer! It’ll take much longer to eat each one meaning that you will savour it and hopefully not want as many.’ Clever, right?
2. Jessica Mellotte, Specialist Bariatric Dietitian
Whether it’s festive drinks with friends, big New Year’s Eve plans or you’re heading to the office Christmas party, it can’t be denied that alcohol is in plentiful supply at this time of the year -with this in mind our Specialist Bariatric Dietitian Jessica’s top tip is to ‘stay hydrated and have a pre-party snack so you don’t overdo it, even something as simple as a banana and a small pot of yoghurt can really help!’
3. Lisa Stubbs, Specialist Bariatric Dietitian
Our Specialist Bariatric Dietitian Lisa tells us that, ‘the key to everything is moderation. Be mindful and take a little of each option… don’t deny yourself all the Christmas treats but enjoy in moderation.’ If you follow this simple but effective philosophy with your food and drink choices over the Christmas period you can’t go far wrong!
4. Nic Harris, BandBoozled Co-Founder and Bariatric Nurse
Nic is one of our Bariatric Nurses as well as co-founding her very own company BandBoozled, which is an online slimming club for people with a gastric band. Her top tip when it comes to festive drinks is, ‘Choose your tipple wisely! Keep Christmas baileys at bay and go for a fruity berry gin and slimline tonic instead.’
5. Rebecca Roberts, Specialist Bariatric Dietitian
Following on from the age-old ethos of ‘everything in moderation,’ our Specialist Dietitian Rebecca thinks that we should still be able to enjoy Christmas favourites whilst being mindful of how much we are consuming. Rebecca advises ‘instead of trying to deny yourself ALL of the festive treats, allow yourself 1 bite or 1 spoonful and take the time to really enjoy it. Staying on track with exercise also helps counteract some of the extra calories!’
Are you ready to make a positive change?
If you have tried diets and exercise but it hasn’t given you the results you need then weight loss surgery could have crossed your mind. Here at the Hospital Group, we offer gastric band, bypass and sleeve surgeries along with support from our team of experts who can give you the guidance and tools you need to achieve your goals.