For many people, the holiday season signals a time of year to feast and indulge in culinary favorites. It is during this season that some people gain the most weight because of their overindulgence in cookies, cheeses, candies, and other savory treats. As a gastric sleeve patient, you can avoid weight gain and sabotaging your own recovery by keeping these holiday eating and exercise tips in mind.

Follow Your Post-Operative Dietary Guidelines

Your doctor may have given you clear directions for how you should be eating not only during the holiday season but throughout the rest of the year. Your diet may ideally consist of lean proteins, low-fat dairy, soft fruits and vegetables, and other foods that are easy on your digestive system and can be accommodated easily by your stomach’s reduced size. You should continue on this dietary regimen despite other treats being available to you. You can still enjoy a cup of low-fat eggnog, a few slices of soft cheese spread on crackers, or slices of oranges and apples, however, all of which are commonly served during the holiday season.

Substitute Ingredients

You can enjoy your favorite holiday treats by substituting ingredients that are high in fat and sugar. For example, instead of using Vitamin D milk or cream, you may substitute either with almond milk. Likewise, instead of using carb-laden bleached white flour, you could try rolled oats or almond meal as a base for cookies, cakes, and other temptations. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and all-spice pose no risk to your diet and can be used for gastric sleeve-friendly recipes for gingerbread and pumpkin pie.

Remember to Exercise

The holiday season is a busy time of visiting family and shopping for gifts. However, you should still abide by the prescribed exercise regimen given to you before you left the hospital after your surgery. Some of the simpler ways to get some exercise this season and burn off those holiday calories include:

• Joining a gym
• Using stairs instead of escalators
• Mall walking
• Walking your dog several times a day
• Parking farther away and walking to store entrances

These simple measures let you burn off calories from pie, cake, cookies, and candies and help maintain the weight loss results you are going for as you recover from your gastric sleeve surgery.