mooncat

HW 243 SW 228 12/3/13 CW 184.9 Lost this week 1.1 pounds Total lost 58.1

I would like to hear tips and suggestions from others for when traveling for business or on vacation. I just finished two weeks of work related travel where someone else was controlling much of the food offered, which included dessert placed in front of me twice a day. I am pleased that I was still able to lose four pounds in two weeks. I made every effort to get extra exercise, such as always taking the stairs. According to my Fitbit my best day was 39 flights of stairs! (note, I nearly died on the staircase the first two days ) I traveled by car so I took a small cooler along with ready to drink shakes. I also had a few protein bars with me. I also packed as much willpower as I could fit in my suitcase. Talking to my husband each evening helped as I could share the temptation in front of me. I am going to an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic in a few weeks. Since I will be traveling by air I can't take my cooler filled with protein shakes. Please share your suggestions for how I can enjoy the trip, including the many restaurants and constantly available food, yet not gain back any of the hard lost weight.

Thanks to all who replied - update post vacation: Lost 3 pounds last week on the all-inclusive vacation! That is more than I usually lose per week at this stage. I ate what I wanted, but no rice, Pasta or fried foods - I did have a few bites of bread 2 or 3 times. I completely skipped all the free alcohol, but I had 1-2 bites of desert with dinner each day and my husband ate the rest. I took Protein powder packets with me and the staff was willing to blend them for me with a little juice or milk. I had them add a little fruit and ice. I also took some ready to drink chocolate shakes and kept them in the refrigerator in the room. I was also very careful to stay hydrated since it was about 85 degrees each day. I forgot to try Mio with crushed ice, which I was looking forward to. I took all my Vitamins and Calcium chews for the week in a zip lock bag in my checked luggage, but they disappeared. I forgot to take them the first day, and when I looked for the bag on the second day, it was gone. I can only assume that either someone working at the airport in Punta Cana or the maid took them, perhaps thinking they might be drugs? I hope going one week without them won't do me any lasting harm. One big change was the amount of exercise. My work is sedentary and it is a good day if my Fitbit records 3,500-4,000 steps. However, the resort we went to (Hard Rock hotel Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic) is so large that they run a golf cart shuttle to help you get around. I walked everywhere instead, so I was over 10,000 steps every day and went as high as 13,000! I have not exercised hardly at all since my surgery and now I see why others weight loss is much faster than mine. I know what I need to do...

HW 243 SW 228 12/3/13 CW 186 Total loss 57 pounds Lost 3 pounds last week even though I was on vacation at an all-inclusive resort! That is more than I usually lose per week at this stage. I ate what I wanted, but no rice, pasta or fried foods - I did have a tiny bit of bread 2 or 3 times. I completely skipped all the free alcohol, but I had 1-2 bites of desert with dinner. I took protein powder packets with me and the staff was willing to blend them for me with a little juice or milk. I had them add a little fruit and ice. I was also very careful to stay hydrated since it was about 85 degrees each day. One big change was the amount of exercise. My work is sedentary and it is a good day if my Fitbit records 3,500-4,000 steps. However, this resort is so large that they run a golf cart shuttle to help you get around. I walked everywhere instead, so I was over 10,000 steps every day and went as high as 13,000! I have not exercised hardly at all since my surgery and now I see why others weight loss is much faster than mine. I know what I need to do...

Once I was past the stage where no seeds of any kind were permitted, I have eaten a variety of fruits and berries. I was just on vacation last week in Punta Cana at an all-inclusive where wonderful fresh fruits were offered each day and often each meal. I typically had some with breakfast or had it mixed in my protein shake.

Great idea! I helped fund this.

I really enjoyed reading all the replies! Interesting that we have so many different styles, yet it appears from the statistics that everyone is successful. I have somewhat of a mix of styles. I am extremely blessed in that my husband does nearly all of the grocery shopping and cooking (I have a very long commute and a stressful job that even has me working at home every evening). He is very conscious of my dietary needs so he usually cooks what I can have. The only exception to that is weekend breakfasts when he adds biscuits, gravy and hash browns to his meal. I just have one egg. It does not bother me to watch him eat things I cannot have. At first he did not want to eat things I could not have, and he started losing weight! He does not have a weight issue. I had to reassure him that he could and should eat what he wanted and I would be fine. I even see him have Snacks in the evenings such as chips and guacamole. I feel it is no different that all the food commercials we see on TV. I have to learn to be around foods and pass them up. It helps that I am satisfied with what I eat. I can see that our NUTs are giving us very different advice. I am almost 4 months post surgery by my NUT said I am to stick to just 1/4 cup of food per meal and just three meals per day with two Protein shakes as my "snacks" until I reach my goal weight. I made a personal decision that she was insane because I was hungry much of the time. So I have increased to almost 1/2 cup for each meal. I also have a small snack during the day such as 8 small grapes or one clementine. I drink lots of Water. This seems to work for me. I do still follow the other guidelines such as NO Pasta, rice or bread of any kind at any time and no fried food or sweets. Since I do not cook, I do not directly "plan" my meals for the week. I scramble eggs every 4 days or so and freeze one egg per container with either a little salsa or 2 teaspoons of gravy or shredded cheese. Whatever protein he cooks during the week we portion out into 2 ounce servings and freeze as well as some of the vegetables. In the mornings I grab one Breakfast container, one lunch container, my fruit and I drink a ready made shake on the way to work. I often do not even know what I have brought for lunch until I open the container to heat it! No worries because I know I like all the foods I have frozen. I do mix it up a bit by taking tuna, yogurt, nuts, etc.

MaryE, can you revise your topic to something like, "Revision scheduled - is there hope?" so that people who have had successful revisions will see it and respond? I did not have a revision, so the best I can offer is this: Perhaps there is an additional adjustment when moving from a band to a sleeve. You have already been on a restricted diet, so you are not likely to see a sudden drop in weight as many do right after surgery. However, if you follow the program your doctor provides which is likely consuming less than 1,000 calories a day, how could you not lose weight over a period of time?

It is very common. Nearly everyone has stalls in the weight loss process. For me it was the first week following the surgery and I have had other weeks where I only lost about 1/2 lb. Others have been farther along in the process with great success and then suddenly stalled for 1-3 weeks. The good news is - continue to follow your program and the weight loss will resume. Our bodies go through a lot with the surgery and the sudden weight loss. Sometimes it is like the body needed to regroup. Keep the faith and follow the program you were given. I know it is frustrating, but it will pass.

HW = 243 SW = 228 12/3/13 CW = 189 Total lost 54 pounds Next goal is a BMI that moves me out of "Obese" and in to "Overweight" category.

Vogue, I love Mio and it sounds great to put it on crushed ice! You did great to only gain 2 pounds. We won't be on a cruise, but the all-inclusive resort is a very large property. They have golf cart shuttles to get around, but I intend to walk. It is approximately 1/2 mile from the beach to the restaurants. I believe there are 7 pools, so I can exercise in the Water also. The rooms do have small refrigerators that they provide free beer, water and soft drinks in, but I could take some shakes and put them in there. There is a lot of free alcohol provided in the room also, but not an issue for me as I have never been much of a drinker and have given it up totally now. I would rather eat my calories! Interesting you would mention the chocolate cake. All the best Desserts are chocolate! However, I have found since my sleeve that even one bite of a true chocolate dessert upsets my sleeve terribly. Or perhaps it is more correct to say my intestines are upset. It makes me bloated and miserable. I am not sure why.

Great point about the baggies of powder! I would hate to get stuck in customs trying to get into the country! Love your idea about shipping something ahead. I am going to check with the resort to see if they are okay with that.

Thanks Fishsticks. You have some really good ideas and a great attitude! I have not found a Protein powder that I am willing to drink just by mixing it with Water and shaking it. I would gag. What protein do you use? The only way I can drink the powder is to mix it in a blender with milk, ice cubes and either banana, cocoa or powdered Peanut Butter. The sweets are not a big issue for me, although before the surgery I would have thought they would be. I am just concerned about eating too much food at one time. I might take my tiny plate with me that I use at home. They will think I am crazy!

Katierichie, don't be disappointed with yourself over a few cocktails since you only have your girls weekend once a year. We have a sleeve, but we are still human and we give in to temptation on occasion. Tell your friends you NEED to go shopping and walk as much as you can to offset the alcohol and a little extra food. Alcohol is not an issue for me as I have never really been one to drink. I think when traveling I do tend to eat more than what I need because I have no way to refrigerate the remainder.

I asked my surgeon when it would be safe to travel internationally and he recommended no sooner than 8 weeks because any complications that are going to occur typically reveal themselves by then. Does your surgeon know you plan to travel internationally so soon? Perhaps they can provide a contact in that country in case you experience an issue while you are gone.

Love your comment about the drive-thru! While I only stayed one night in the hospital and felt they were short-staffed and their mission was to see to it that I got no sleep, I still felt one night was necessary. What if there are complications? Will your hubby be able to recognize them and react correctly? I have had less significant surgery done at a surgery center, I don't think I would consider it for WLS. Perhaps ask your doctor why he/she is considering this. Ask how many WLS surgeries they have completed at the center and what is the rate of complications. Ask how many have later had to be admitted to the hospital.

HW = 243 SW = 228 CW = 191 Total lost 52 pounds

I not only had acid reflux, I have Barrett's esophagus which is precancerous changes to the tissue in the esophagus which sometimes results from years of acid reflux. I was only willing to have the sleeve and my doctor was only willing to do bypass because he said the sleeve sometimes makes acid reflux worse while bypass will cure it. He sent me for an endoscopy to review the esophagus and stomach. Because I have polyps in my stomach he agreed to do the sleeve so they can continue to monitor the polyps (which are almost never an issue). Since the surgery I have had to move from an over the counter medication to a prescription (which I might add costs me less), but otherwise no issues. There is another post on this topic with several replies. See if you can find it on a search. In that post some others have indicated their acid reflux ended after the sleeve and they no longer take medication.

I have GERD (20+ years even when normal weight) and Barrett's Esophagus. I also had a hiatal hernia which was repaired during surgery. Surgeon first said the only procedure for me was bypass because the sleeve can make GERD worse. I explained I was not interested in bypass or the band. If I could not have the sleeve, I was not having surgery. He sent me for an endoscopy which showed many polyps in my stomach. With this report the ONLY procedure surgeon was willing to do was the sleeve, so I got what I wanted. This was because bypass or a bad would not allow my GI doctor to keep watch on the polyps later. While in the hospital I had no pain, but did have nausea. A medication took care of that immediately. I was given no special instructions due to having a hernia repair, and I have had no issues at all. I see on here that many have pain and restrictions due to the hernia surgery. The only adjustment we had to make after the surgery was to move from OTC meds for GERD to a prescription drug. I am very happy with my decision to have the sleeve.

I have been receiving regular chiropractic adjustments and frequent massages, so I have not had any real issues. When you think about how your posture had to change to accommodate excess weight, it is logical to think that your body may have some adjustments as the weight comes off. Since you mention your hip, it may be the muscle that extends from the hip to the knee. It crosses over, so the muscle from your right hip crosses over to the inside of your right knee. It can get very tight and cause pain in the hip or even your back. There are stretches for this muscle, but I can't spell the muscle name so that you can google them. One you can do to see if this is the issue is to sit in a chair and cross your legs with the leg that has the hip pain on top of the other leg. Grasp your knee with your opposite hand and pull gently toward your body. If you feel that the muscle is tight, do this stretch every few hours and it should begin to ease.

Update to posting yesterday - hit the 50 pounds lost mark today, so I had to repost! HW - 243 (12/3/13) SW - 228 CW - 193

HW = 243 SW = 228 12/3/13 CW = 194 49 pounds lost

Welcome to the group! Enjoyed reading your message and glad to see that you are doing well. We all have that little negative voice inside our heads at times. Just tell her that you are going to show her this time! You will find this to be a great group who is really supportive.

Thanks! I see they have those at WalMart. I will try them.

I really need a RTD Protein drink I can take to work. My NUT requires it be 100% whey protein, which takes some out of the running. I tried a lot of the Isopure flavors. I find them more tolerable if I Water them down with equal parts of water. However, the best ones are black tea and green tea, but they have caffeine in them which is prohibited by my NUT. The weirdest thing is that they make my mouth feel strange, like something is pulling all the moisture out of my mouth. I tried a sample of the Premier that my NUT gave me, but I would give it a 6 on a scale of 10. I tried Oh Yeah and hated all flavors except for chocolate which I would give a 7 on a scale of 10. If anyone can suggest another good one I would really appreciate it. I tried one flavor of nectar, but did not care for it. I have others I need to try. For I saw a few mentioned on here that I have never tried, so I am going to check them out. I like the unjury chocolate powder which I mix with some skim milk, unsweetened cocoa powder and ice. I drink that when I am at home and can use a blender, but I need a drink for work.