It's been a long time since I visited this site, but I've hit a spot in my life where I'm struggling and realizing I need to go back and find some support to help me through it.

I currently live in the Middle East, in a small country called Qatar located on a peninsula next to Saudi Arabia. I am a researcher/instructor at the Texas A&M University campus and have been here since the middle of September. When I arrived here, I was weighing in the low-to-mid 170s every day. After only 3.5 months here, I just this morning crossed the 190 line, something I thought I'd NEVER do again.

Food choices here are good, but my ability to make proper choices is hampered somewhat. I do not have access to the protein shakes that I love and learned to rely on, I do not have access to good nutritional information about foods I find here, and I do not have access to the low calorie selections that were the staple of my life before moving here (low-cal bread, sugar free jello, Progresso Light soups, etc.)

I'm trying so hard to get back on the bandwagon, realizing that I really only have a short window of time to get control before things get totally out of hand. So here I am, back again, planning on hanging out here again in order to pick up tips, keep the focus on good health, and interact with the community that understands.

Bea from Doha, Qatar

(Surgery date: July 30, 2013)

You just have to adjust to the food there. I know it's challenging, but from what I know of the Middle East they do have tasty things like hummus and yogurt. A quick google gave me this and I believe the region has plenty of dairy and poultry. Not a lot of processed food, but plenty of good choices to support a bariatric diet.

Edited January 12, 201511 yr by BLERDgirl

This might be bad, but don't they have goat meat and the like there? I think the biggest problem is that the Mid East has worse obesity rates than we do. The culprits: fast food and lack of exercise.

Speaking of which, is it possible to *WALK* during the day? If it is as hot as I hear, you could lose weight from short walks (no running, etc.) just simple walks.

What a fun adventure. I agree that there have got to be some good local options (I love Mediterranean and middle eastern food). I would love to see your suggestions if you discover regional foods that work for your program.

Well welcome back! The good part is you recognize the problem so Now you can fix it!

I guess I would have to learn to like seafood or food raise my own chickens.

Do you have a modern kitchen? What is your set-up? What kind of market is available?

You said that food choices are good, so I suppose that you can get seafood, lamb, chicken, maybe turkey?

What kind of veggies are available to you? Can you get peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zuchinni, carrots, sunchokes, mushrooms, greenbeans?

Surely you can get yogurt and cheeses?

I am somewhat familiar with Maltese cooking, which has Turkish, Mediterranean and Arabian influences.

Let us know what equipment and grocery items you have access to. Do you take your lunch, eat at a cafeteria, or bring food from home? How big is your refrigerator? You can also PM me.

Hi Bea....I too am living abroad from the US (California and Hawaii) I now live in Amsterdam and I am lucky in a way because they do eat very fresh and healthy here and everyone is so trim and gorgeous (you rarely see fat people) that it's an incentive; plus we don't own a car so we walk or bike everywhere. But I might suggest you try the 5:2...I am the WORST dieter in the world and I have now had two successful days on it. If you don't know what it is, go to the 5:2 forum here. But in a nutshell, two days a week (I do Monday and Thursdays) you eat 500 calories. It doesn't sound like much but I just had a PERFECT 5:2 DAY and I wrote about it on my blog and I showed photos, so you can see you can get a lot in for just 500 calories. It helps get your stomach back to restriction and since it's only 1 day it's not as easy to get derailed. You can see it here: http://www.queenofcrop.com/%C2'> Good luck and keep us posted....it's up to us veterans to keep the others motivated so they can see this IS different from the rest of all the stuff we have all done and failed at. And also, follow as many of these posts as you can that make sense for you. I am 3+ years out and even though I get more notifications than I can deal with at times, I have to say, it keeps me motivated and on my toes and reminds me that I will NOT go back there!!!!!