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Holiday Grazing May Lead to Weight Gain
by Kaye Bailey

Grazing through the December holidays is a common American practice. Beginning at Thanksgiving and continuing through New Year’s we gather with family and friends and surround ourselves with vast quantities of delicious foods. On many such days we eat all day long and then sit down to a bountiful meal and eat some more.

After Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) this day-long grazing is a catastrophic habit to indulge. The reconstructed stomach pouch, which holds about one-cup of food volume, protects gastric bypass and gastric banding patients from over-eating at the dinner table. But it is entirely possible for a WLS patient to graze through the day and consume over 1,500 calories noshing on traditional appetizers. This is thin ice for WLS patients because grazing allows us to out-eat the pouch. Grazing is the number one reason patients report weight gain after weight loss.

I present a list of 16 appetizer-type foods that may be available in our homes during the holidays. Over the course of four hours a WLS patient could easily consume one serving of each of these items which totals 1,652 calories. Please look at this list and take note - is it really worth it? Perhaps even more damaging than the 1,652 calories (109 grams of fat, by the way) is the trespass into grazing behavior - once we trespass justifying the next grazing opportunity becomes easier and soon we are grazing from habit. Is it worth it?

You will note this list includes only savory appetizers as I know all of us WLS people are avoiding sweets to prevent dumping and weight gain, right? Speaking of sweets - the sauce on Buffalo Wings is usually loaded with sugar and molasses - proceed with caution - extreme caution.

Nutrition: 1,652 Calories: 59% of the calories are from fat, 19% from protein, 22% from carbs.

Classic Hot Appetizers:
Two Stuffed Mushrooms - 386 calories, 31 grams fat, 15 grams protein
Three Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing - 237 calories; 19 grams fat, 13 grams protein

Classic Crudités Plate:
3 Broccoli Florets - 29 calories
3 Baby Carrots - 10 calories
3 Cauliflower Florets - 6 Calories
1 ounce Creamy Ranch Dip - 55 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 1 gram protein
1 ounce slice cheddar cheese - 114 calories, 9 grams fat, 7 grams protein
1 ounce Mozzarella cheese - 72 calories, 5 grams fat, 7 grams protein
12 each ripe black olives - 44 calories, 4 grams fat

Chips & Dips:
1 serving (20 chips) regular potato chips - 158 calories, 10 grams fat
1 ounce French Onion Dip - 55 calories, 4.5 grams fat
1 serving (20 chips) corn tortilla chips - 149 calories, 9 grams fat
½ cup salsa - 36 calories, no fat

Cheese & Crackers:
2 ounces (20 crackers) Original Wheat Thins - 170 calories, no fat, 18 grams protein
2 ounces reduced fat Veggie Cream Cheese Spread - 130 calories, 11 grams fat

*Nutritional data calculated using the CalorieKing Database.

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