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What's In Your Lunch Box



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I'm curious, whats in your lunch box?

Being sleeved put the brakes on eating out as much as I use to. So, I've found myself packing my lunch waaaaay more than I use to.

I bought a bag that I like and some colorful Portion Control containers. Which helps a lot.

So what have you done to help with packing your lunch? What are your favorites, must have's, cant stands and OMG-I-wish-someone-would-have-told-me-sooner! for your lunch?

Just trying to eat with an open mind and new options.

Edited by ChelleBelle35

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I'm a year out. So my lunch may be different than yours just from where we are on surgery dates --

1.5 cups of mixed green salad

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1 4-ounce container of the low-fat cranberry almond chicken salad that they sell in 8 packs at costco (because its easy to transport.)

That will be my lunch. I also pack a morning and afternoon snack.

My morning snack was a Sargento Balanced Break (those little things with the cheese and nuts). Afternoon snack will be Oikos Triple Zero if I get hungry.

Had a Protein Shake for Breakfast this morning (Fairlife Skim - 8 ounces, 3/4 cup tropical frozen fruit, scoop of Protein Powder - 235 Cal. and 31 grams protein) and black coffee

I will fence for about 2.5 hours tonight for my exercise.

My lunches are pretty boring because I don't have access to either a fridge or a microwave at work, so I pack what will work in my little insulated lunch box. I find if I stay with the same thing (I'm only in the office 2 days a week) it makes it easier.

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Thanks for sharing!

You mentioned a key point which was the lack of access to heating or cooling elements. Something we dont always think about right away. And what a cool way to workout!

Chicken salad with Cranberries and Almonds.

Id eat your lunch!

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They are these great little cups - 4 ounces, 140 calories and 14 grams of Protein. Tasty, too. Sometimes I'll make a wrap with Damascus Bakeries high protein whole wheat wraps - but I usually can only eat half.

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Lately my lunches have been a 4oz salad with 1 oz of walnuts and 2tbls of orange seseme dressing. I usually pack a Power Crunch Protein Bar for an afternoon snack since lunch is at 11:00 am and dinner is often not until 6-6:30.

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Thanks for sharing!

Orange Sesame Dressing. Sounds Tangy!

Id eat your lunch!

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I have those 4 oz. containers for my lunch at work. I made a sort of salad with canned chx breast, cottage cheese, a dab of Dijon mustard, and canned, drained, and rinsed small white Beans. A little seasoning and divided into my containers it was low cal, tasty, and protein-ful.

I'm getting more creative all the time with my high Protein foods. My program also offers a free bariatric cooking class which I am looking forward to.

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Thanks for sharing!

Bariatric cooking classes. That's a great idea. You're fortunate to have that available to you. You'll have to share your favorite recipe with us when you come across it.

You had me at chicken breast and Dijon Mustard!

Id eat your lunch!

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Lately my lunches have been a 4oz salad with 1 oz of walnuts and 2tbls of orange seseme dressing. I usually pack a Power Crunch Protein bar for an afternoon snack since lunch is at 11:00 am and dinner is often not until 6-6:30.

Powercrunch bars are the best. Can't wait to eat them again. (4 Wks post op here)


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14 minutes ago, SippinAintEasy said:


PowerCrunch bars are the best. Can't wait to eat them again. (4 Wks post op here)

Thanks for sharing! (Love the handle by the way)

I am in the same boat as you, 4 weeks post op on Thursday. And how about we have the same surgery date. Cool!

You are the 2nd person to mention a Power Crunch bar.

Going to have to check those out.

Edited by ChelleBelle35

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Thanks for sharing!

BENTO BOX! That's a great option.

I would totally eat your lunch!

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Same thing every day: salad with 3 oz chicken breast, lettuce, 5 parm Whisps, and a couple tbsp of Dillydip dressing.

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This week I packed a lunch box with a variety of items for the week- string cheese, cheddar jack , plum, hard boiled eggs, grapes $ Protein Bars & a Protein shake
I leave it in the fridge at work and eat from it each day. Yesterday my boss gave me a peach so I ate that, grapes and a cheese stick for lunch. It's not super planned or measured but it's been working for me.


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 184 GW 135

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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