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Food, Airplanes and Road Trips



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This Saturday we are heading to San Francisco (from New York) and eventually doing the Pacific Coast Highway drive to San Diego (hopefully, the fires will be under control!). I am presently starting my 5th week after banding. Here are my questions:

1. What foods can be taken on the airplane - since pretzels and nuts are not on my list?

2. When on the road trip - I think I'm okay for Breakfast and dinner, but what kinds of foods will I be able to eat and what kind of restaurants for lunch? Obviously, the old favorites, McDonalds and Burger King are out!

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

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I'm leaving for San Jose on Wednesday! We're staying in Pacific Grove and doing the Hiway One thing as well. I too am worried about the fires! Looking forward to exploring the wine country.

When I travel I always toss a couple cans of slim fast in my suitcase. I'm tight after I fly on a long flight at high altitude. I can't eat anything for a day or two. I also bring stuff like applesauce, tuna, pudding, just so I have something and it's portable. You're going to have a very long flight. If you tighten up try something like V8 juice. It's low calorie and a little thicker. In the airport, I had trouble finding something agreeable to me, but then I discovered some airports have smoothie stands and some will put Protein in their drinks. So I buy a smoothie and take it on the plane with me.

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Your options are pretty open. I actually found something I could eat at McDonald's by the way. A grilled chicken patty is perfect if you don't have many choices on where to go. Sometimes I will take a grilled chicken salad but I dont eat the dressing.

You want to be careful after flying or if you eat in the car. You can be a lot more tight after flying. Having something get stuck in a car is not a pleasant experience either. However, if you are 5 weeks out and have not had a fill yet you may still be relatively open and not have much of a problem.

Options are really pretty open. I have found that many restaurants have cottage cheese or similar items that are easy for me to eat in a pinch. Even a little oatmeal or eggs for Breakfast work well. You may just want to get an extra plate and share what your co-travelers having if it is a family member. You can't eat much and portions are oversized everywhere.

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I had to take a trip at 16 days post op and at that point I was just on soft solids. I cooked up some ground beef and squash to take with me on the plane in a little soft cooler and there were no problems getting it through (Logan Airport) security. I also made sure I packed some premade packets of soy Protein shakes, I bought the individual ones at Whole Foods, so I could mix them with a bottle of Water. I was nervous about this because, well, flying with an unidentified powder can make the TSA and DEA nervous. Dried Soup packets are a good fall back too as are Peanut Butter crackers. I was fortunate at my destination because I had a place to refridgerate my food. It lasted me a few days because at that point I could only eat a little at a time.

If you are checking a bag, you can throw in some things like sealed packets of tuna or (as I think someone else recommended) some applesauce or canned fruit.< /p>

I was really nervous about travel in the first few months... I had to go to Spain at about 3 mos post op. Just try not to let yourself get too hungry and you will find there are almost always *some* options for you at every restaurant. And don't be shy about asking them to prepare it in a way that works for you! At the end of the day most every menu has Soup or something like that. You'll be fine!!

Bon voyage,

BeantownDiva :biggrin2:

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I was banded may 16th and have flown every week since June 3rd. Unfortunately I have to travel a lot for a living. Usually there is something at the airport you can eat even if you get a grilled chicken as was suggested and ignore the bun. As far as eating out I tend to do salads with Protein or grilled fish or meat and veggies (OK sometimes a potato or some rice ). I have had no issues with flying and feeling restricted, so I think it may be a personal thing. I hope I don't start to have problems as unfortunately I do have to get places every week

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Thanks for all your suggestions. I guess the first "outing" is a little scary, but I looked at my Stage 5 instructions, and my choices are certainly more varied. I am supposed to have my first fill on Thursday, but I may postpone if what I'm reading is that you have to go back on puree for a few days. I'm losing just because I am being so careful, so if I keep this frame of mind up, I can make it through vacation fairly well.

Thanks, again!

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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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