Traveling

Nothing beats a nice family vacation once a year...especially when you have never been to where you are going.  So exciting!

We spent last week in the Smoky Mountains and I have to say....what an astounding place!  There is so much to do, that we didn't even begin to dive into all of it.

This is the first vacation in a long time that I was looking forward to.  In the past..vacation usually means overeating and eating out way too much, feeling sluggish, not being able to keep up, and just wanting to lay around.  Most of the time we go on adventures that require the kids to be active, but I never did that much more than sit on the sidelines and take pictures. 330 pounds kept me off rides, out of chairs, out of breath and feeling left out.  Not this time!

I fed birds..I walked up mini mountains to feed those birds.   I sat in a tiny little car with my 7 year old and coasted down the mountain-I didn't need help getting in.  The seat belt fastened.  I explored caves,walked on trails,climbed rocks,made it up 86 stairs to get out of that cave.  I could go on and on.  Not once did I feel tired.

I felt AMAZING and ALIVE.   I let people take my PICTURE!  This is HUGE for me!

It was 95 degrees the entire week and now that I think about it, it never really bothered me.  I wanted to do everything, and I was afraid that the rest of them were not going to be able to keep up with me!!!

Traveling with weight loss surgery does require a little planning though,no matter what stage you are in.  The last time I was away for a few days it was 6 weeks after surgery and I was just moving in to regular foods.  That time, I bought food packets of soup,juice, hot chocolate and other protein from the office that I could just make up in the microwave and not have to worry so much.  This time, I had to plan more to stay on track since I can have whatever I want.  This is what I did to make vacation even more successful:

Bring a decent sized cooler and fill it up with your choice of protein drinks, shakes, lots of water, and protein snacks such as hard boiled eggs,ham pickle wraps,meat/cheese rollups, protein bars if you like them, greek yogurt,raw veggies,celery/PB

Make sure your hotel has a mini fridge and a microwave (if you have packets like I did from your doctors office)  Even better..if you are staying a bit longer in a hotel..some have mini kitchens and bigger fridges!  Well worth the extra cost. We had a cabin this time with a full kitchen and got groceries to make breakfasts and dinners.  Total control!

Snack ideas that don't need refrigeration:

Beef Jerky (watch sugar content though) Almost all gas stations have it too!
100 cal nut packs, or package your own nuts into snack bags. Nuts are easy to find on the road too!
Peanut butter/apples (if you eat fruit)
Dry protein cereal and chips (my surgeons office has lots to choose from)
Pre-made protein drinks..These are my favorite:

Isopure is like juice...thin and watery..good flavor..but leaves a film in your mouth .  I dont drink these much but they work great for protein in a pinch and are refreshing with ice. 

By far the best pre made drink I have had.  Tastes rich and chocolaty with no artificial sweeteners.  Higher in carbs than others but the taste is amazing.  I am the pickiest when it comes to protein and these go down really good!  Best super cold,but they are on the shelf if you cant refrigerate until you get there.

Dining out on vacation is daunting for me.  Dining out anytime is daunting for me!  Most of the time I will have my own food before and just order hot tea/water/or iced tea and enjoy the company I am with. But when traveling leaves you starving, it can get the best of anyone!  You do not always have somewhere to safely store leftovers either so it can be a a waste of food and money.  We usually went somewhere for lunch because it was a hassle to come back up the mountain to our cabin and then go back out.   Some options:

Many places are now starting to have unbreaded chicken bites and nuggets that work great for us! If not...almost everywhere has a grilled chicken sandwich of some sort. Just take off the bun and get some utensils!

Check out the ala-carte section or sides section on the menu.  Sometimes I find things here small enough to order.  Sometimes I just get a side salad and get my protein in other times of the day.

Kids menus can be not so figure- friendly, but Applebees has great selections for kids (and us!)  There is even grilled chicken and steak. Pick the veggies or salad for the side and you have a winner! I have a card from my surgeon to get the kids menu items, but I have never had to use it. Most places are nice about it.

Split something designed "for 2".  Fajitas are easy to do...I just eat the protein and a few veggies and I'm good.

I can honestly say though...I wasn't the *perfect*eater. I had one small piece of Pizza Hut.  I had a few pieces of taffy.  I had some chips and salsa.  I sampled moonshine (woah!!!)   But I more than made up for it with lots and lots of water and exercise.  It's all about balance, and not going overboard with food that does not benefit you. Don't feel guilty, but vacation is not an excuse for bringing back bad habits either.   I lost 3 pounds, and that makes me happy.  Tomorrow is Monday, I am home, and back to work eating right.