Eating after bariatric surgery can be challenging, but I’ve found ways to help me make the most of my choices. It helps to do a bit of preplanning and stashing stuff in key places.

The most important place to stash food? During the weekdays, it is my office at work. I have various protein meals that are in envelopes. All I have to do is add water (sometimes heated water), and I have something to eat that also adds at least 15 grams of protein to my diet. I also keep a couple of Sobe waters and protein shakes. And right now, I have at least 5 sticks of string cheese in the fridge in my office. This takes care of the weekday eating.

The weekend eating is where it gets a little tricky. My husband and I are often on the run on the weekends. We may be shuttling children around. Or we are doing something on the fly including playing cards, going out to eat, hauling wood, scouting hunting spots, etc. The variations get greater during the summer time, but the above is the fall stuff. Especially the playing cards and the eating.

The picture with this post is my husband and father-in-law. It was taken in the in-laws’ garage, which is where the majority of the card playing happens. This picture must have been taken before my surgery because I’m pretty sure that empty Mike’s bottle is mine. It was a staple before surgery.

Since surgery, my diet has changed. I can’t eat most of the snacks we usually eat when playing cards. The venison meat can still be consumed, but the various chips can’t be. Also, when it comes time for dinner, pizza is a frequent option. I haven’t had a lot of interest in pizza since my surgery. It isn’t appealing at all. I can eat toppings off it, but I don’t want to eat the actual pizza. In fact, I’ve only had one very small slice since my surgery. I was very full after. It gave me a lot of calories without a whole lot of benefit (read protein). Plus, it is high in carbs.

Still, I needed to have something available at the in-laws since that is where we often find ourselves on a weekend night. To make sure I have something I can eat, I have started stashing protein drinks at the in-laws’ house. I keep at least one in the fridge located in the garage. It means I always have something to eat.

I have also started to bring a bottle or two of Sobe water over with me, so I have something to drink. If I forget my own water, I use a shot glass of juice (usually cranberry) to flavor some water. My in-laws usually have cranberry juice in their fridge, and this water lasts a while for me.

This weekend, I also ate several hard-boiled eggs, which is something my mother-in-law had made. And a good snack for me are nuts. They have protein and fill that “snacky” need when playing cards.

This weekend, my mother-in-law made buffalo-style chicken nuggets. I thought this would work great for me, but I had a hard time peeling the breading off the chicken. I ended up shredding two smallish-size nuggets to get a tiny bit of breading-free chicken. It was a lot of work for little chicken, so I gave up on trying to eat the nuggets. It was such a tiny amount, I didn’t even record it in my food journal. I threw away most of the shredded chicken. I didn’t starve though because I grabbed a protein shake instead.

Eating Out is a Bit Trickier.

Frequently, we end up going out to eat with the in-laws. I have learned that some restaurants have more bariatric-friendly menus than others. But as we go to different restaurants, I learn that the options that I can order. It seems most sit-down restaurants have some sort of chicken dish on the menu. This is usually what I order. If it comes with any extras, I opt for cottage cheese instead of salad, and I opt for veggies instead of potatoes.

The big thing about eating out is that I give myself permission to not worry about what I don’t eat. I don’t have a problem taking my leftovers home, and I have plenty of hungry teenagers waiting to eat any food brought into my home.

Soups are also a good option in restaurants. When I haven’t been able to find anything I felt I could eat that would fit my diet, I’ve ordered a soup or a chili.

On The Go Eating

I often find myself in my car around meal time. I live in a rural area, and it requires a long commute to just about anywhere I want to go. This means I frequently eat on the go.

In the past (before surgery), I would solve my eating needs by pulling through a drive through restaurant. I no longer go there, but I still need a quick meal on the go.

I’ve found gas stations and grocery stores to be good replacements. I can get in and out of a gas station just as quickly as a fast food restaurant. Most stations carry some type of protein shake (usually Muscle Milk), and the other day I even found a new flavor (Banana!). They also tend to carry string cheese and/or chunk cheese as well as jerky. Although jerky and chunk cheese is VERY expensive in a gas station.

A grocery store can also be a great choice. It can take a bit more effort if I am unfamiliar with the store layout, but it gives me options for healthy meals on the go. I usually buy Babybel cheese, jerky or cheese of some sort. I can also buy protein drinks here, but they aren’t cold.

What about YOU? What do you do to help stay on your diet when eating away from home?