planetheather

I saw Greek yogurt/cream cheese at Walmart this week. I didn't try it because it had the same protein as my FF cream cheese but had 3-5 grams of fat too. Having said that, FF cream cheese and FF greek yogurt are staples for me when I'm not on the road.

I had my sleeve this September and while I wasn't worried about Thanksgiving, I was curious. It's pot luck with my family so I brought a FF cream cheese crab dip, sweet potato oven fries and a high protein mushroom stroganoff so that I'd have something besides turkey breast to eat. I too was shocked at how much everyone ate because I know I could have out paced everyone last year.

I'm also very bad about meal planning. One of my biggest problems pre op was to put it off until I was starving and would make terrible choices. 4 weeks post op I had a 6 week trip overseas so I planned carefully for that by making sure I had plenty of protein powders, Designer Whey 2Go and foils of tuna--especially for the 36 hour transit periods. Now that I am home, I have slipped a little in terms of planning because I don't worry about healthy options being hard to find. For example I was caught short the other day while running errands. I just stopped by the supermarket deli and got 2 shaved slices of Cajun turkey. I'm so excited that it is so easy to "scrounge" when I mess up occasionally!

I'm also glad you posted this question. I understand about those who tell everyone including people who don't ask. I feel like my WLS (Sept. 17, 2013) has been a life changing event. However, it's just not something I want to discuss with others. I haven't told anyone outside of my immediate (household) family. Thanksgiving is going to be a bit weird. Because I travel so much, I see most of my family only a few times a year and because I am a remote worker, I see most of my work colleagues only at a big January meeting. My loss has been rather dramatic. In total this year (as of this morning) I've lost 75 pounds and gone from a 26/28 to a 16. By January, I expect it to be more. I'm doing a combination of Atlanta Red and Joatsaint. I was on medical leave in September and that combined with the stringent recovery requirements has galvanized my weight loss. I'm following it up with more exercise and Nutrition 101 along with portion control. All of that is true and avoids the judgement I know some people will feel to pass. With family, who don't know I had any "health problems" in September, I'm planning on just sticking with Nutrition 101 and exercise.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback! I'm 10 days into my trip (done with India and now in NZ) and thought I'd update in case this helps others in the future. I did fine in India, but I used an abundance of caution. My biggest fear was getting sick from food or water so soon after surgery. So, I decided to play it safe and used only filtered water, my protein shakes, and the tuna I brought with me. I'm almost 6 weeks post op now and have 3 weeks in NZ. I have the luxury of being in the same hotel room for the next 10 days with a small refrigerator. I'm going to look for a market so I can add avocado and greek yogurt back to my diet. BTW-- NZ and Australia are VERY particular about what they let you bring in. They didn't have a problem with my foil pouches of tuna, but the Jay Robb egg white and whey protein powders got looked at pretty hard. If there's any doubt, make sure you declare it so customs can clear you. Looking forward to 3 weeks in the land of the Hobbits. Thanks everyone!

Congrats! I'm almost 6 weeks post op and have been overseas the last 10 days. I haven't hit Onederland yet, but sometime last week, I broke under 100 kilos. I'm so excited for both of us!

I'm 3 1/2 weeks out and have had my first date night with my husband! I checked the menus online and chose a local fish place where I could order a shrimp cocktail. It was great! I started on my "appetizer" and by the time he was done with his dinner and coffee, I had managed to eat 2 whole shrimp. Afterwards we went shopping for a new blouse and jeans (2 sizes smaller than pre-op size). Great night out!

I'm in McKinney and would like to know about area support groups. I travel a lot for work, but I would like to attend some when I can. Thanks!

Thank you so much for mentioning the Protidiet soups! I hadn't seen that brand before. Pre-surgery I travelled with my Jay Robb eggwhite and whey protein mixes and Designer Whey Protein 2Go pouches (especially for the airport and planes). I've just ordered the non-noodle soups and chili to add to that. Between those and poached eggs, I'm much more confident about this upcoming marathon trip. Thanks!

I travel extensively internationally and I'll admit that over the last several years I've enjoyed eating my way across Europe, Asia and Africa. But I'm 2 weeks post sleeve surgery now and I leave for a week in India, 3 weeks in NZ and a week in Beijing starting at 4 weeks post op. I've stocked up on bags of Jay Robbs egg white and whey protein powders and I'm assuming I'll be able to get a poached egg for breakfast. But I wanted to know if there were any other road warrior sleevers who could give me the benefit of their experiences.

I'm two weeks post-op today and I've been walking since I woke up in my room. When I got home (2 days post op), I could do 1/2 mile/hour on my treadmill for 5 minutes. But I did that 8-10 times a day and added a minute every day to each "workout" and then started adding speed and finally incline. I'm now doing 45 minutes at 2.5 miles/hour on "hills" two or three times a day. I work from home when I'm not on the road, so I can maintain this schedule until my next trip at the end of the month. I'm very much looking forward to being cleared for weights again. I carry a set of resistance bands because most hotel gyms are pretty limited. Thanks for creating this thread, I'm always looking for ways to add some variety.

My surgery was 9/17 too. 3 days post op I was up 10 pounds, which I assumed was fluids and today I am 22 pounds less than me pre-op weight. I assume most of that is also fluids. Either way, I'm not worried because each time I see ANY number lower than before on the scale, I do a little happy dance because I promise that previous number is not one I will ever see again. I have found that just a few minutes every couple of hours on my treadmill had greatly helped with the soreness. Every day I challenge myself to add even one more minute.