Hi everyone,

New here.I had my sleeve on 10/5/21. I am just starting on mushy foods. I have a big concern with what I can eat after 4 months. I am going to Italy in may and I already pushed this vacation back. It was originally in January. My question is at what month did everyone start eating, pasta, bread, pizza, steak, sweet stuff and did you have to wait to get approval from your doctor for it? I am a little worried about what I can and can’t eat on this trip. Also has anyone traveled by cruise lately, Do they allow you to take powder for your shakes?

Thank you :)

On 10/21/2021 at 17:10, GreenTealael said:

I went to Italy 4 months post op too, twins! I had a lot of coffee, salads, nuts, cheese, yogurt, fruit with some pizza, gelato and pastries thrown in (surgeon said I could although I assumed I couldn’t) because… it was Italy.

Pharmacies did have ready made and powder Protein for shakes. I shopped at local markets a few times and made a meal of my own at a cooking class.

I was limited by capacity so that was nice. I did try to be balanced but still have fun. Surprisingly food was not the fun I ultimately had.

Good Luck and have fun ❤️

Thank you so much I am so glad to hear this. I will for sure look for pharmacies.

On 10/21/2021 at 17:17, Sunnyway said:

You can carry ready-made or powdered Protein Drinks on ship and in Italy. Individual envelopes of mix are available from several companies; Bariatric Advantage and ProtiDiet come to mind. Or you could fill single portion baggies to keep in your luggage. The Water onboard is safe to drink, but in Italy you may want bottled water if you are unsure. You may no lonhrt be drinking Protein drinks by the time your trip rolls around.

On the ship there are plenty of things you can eat both in the dining room and buffet. You can order just Soup and/or starters and not the main course. They usually have sugar-free Desserts. Be careful! It's so easy to eat, eat, eat on a cruise. It's so good. Avoid the bread: It's SO good! Avoid alcohol. Save some room for lobster tail, escargot, and prawns--seafood usually goes down well at 6-7 months out.

I couldn't eat steak for a year or more post-RNY, Pasta got stuck, and Pizza Crust is too much carbohydrate. Italian pizzas are not loaded with sauce, meat, or cheese like US pizza. They get a swipe of Tomato sauce, and you may find things like artichokes or a fried egg on the pizza. Pizzas are personal-sized. I would say to taste your husband's pizza, but don't order one for yourself. Seafood is a good choice in Italy as well as on the ship.

Thank you. If I am still on protein shakes I am going to order some protein envelopes to take with me. Yes with the buffet is so easy to eat. I will make sure I save room for seafood.

On 10/22/2021 at 08:12, The Greater Fool said:

It's not the end of the world if on occasion you don't get absolutely all of your Protein for a meal or even a day.

It's likewise no terrible sin to leave food on a plate uneaten. It can actually be liberating.

Enjoy your vacations.

Tek

Thank you. Hopefully by that time my doctor isn’t telling me I have to get all my proteins in.

16 minutes ago, Ana-Maria said:

Thank you. Hopefully by that time my doctor isn’t telling me I have to get all my Proteins in.

Yes, that is always the goal. If it is occasionally not the reality it won't harm you or your program.

Perfection is over-rated.

Good luck,

Tek

This is a completely random thing that takes so many North Americans by surprise... but it will go a long way toward making your interactions more pleasant. Italians don't ever hand each other money in a store. Never. If you go into a shop in Italy, there will be a dish either on or next to the cash register. You put the money down, the cashier takes it, makes change, puts the change in the dish, you pick it up. (This is less common now that nearly everyone uses a card or contactless payment, particularly in the wake of the 'rona, but still does happen.)

Just one of those things that confuses Western Hemispherites and makes Italian shopkeepers roll their eyes.

Cruises are easy-peasy. I went on one 4 months out and there are plenty of choices at both the buffet and dining in. I could not eat steak or salad until 9 months out, I cannot really eat rice or pasta as it expands - 1-2 tablespoons of rice will do me, more and it comes back up. Lettuce slimed, chicken breast was too dry. I could eat half a roll at dinner on the cruise, the bread is too good!!! I was on the cruise for square dancing, so when in-port it was sight-seeing, when out to sea it was daytime dancing and evening dancing every night. I did not have to worry about the bread causing me to consume too much with all the activity.

I have no experience in Italy. Have fun, it's not ALL about the food. Enjoy some food, but do activities too.

If you're on a cruise, I would think breakfast will be easy. You can get scrambled eggs or yogurt at the buffet. But you should be able to pack protein powder in your checked baggage and have that. After a couple of months, I was just about sick of protein shakes, so you might welcome the freedom to eat other stuff!

I'm not quite at 5 months and can pretty much eat any meat. Haven't really tried pasta, but have tried a few bites of rice and have had small pieces of pizza with no trouble. And cheese is really easy.

I agree with others that you can order grilled meat or fish, lighter sauces, etc. Depends on where in Italy you'll be, but there are lots of dishes that are nowhere near as dense as we make them here in the states.