WLS Journal Part 10: Surviving Vacation Food and a Non-Scale Victory

Big news this week. I hit my first major goal weight. Yesterday morning I stepped on the scale and saw 250.0. I have not seen those numbers since my youngest child was a toddler. It feels SO good. 84 pounds gone forever. What feels even better was that this number presented itself to me after 11 days of vacationing in the Smoky Mountains and celebrating the 4th of July holiday with family and friends. 

"How was your vacation? Where did y'all eat?" That pretty much sums up how important food is to an average vacation in the south. I was pretty nervous about this going into our trip. Food is still fun and important to the rest of my family. I didn't want to be the stick in the mud that chugs a protein shake and says, "lets not go out tonight, let's all stay here and eat nuts and cheese." This is my life now. They live with the nuts and cheese girl every night of their lives... when they are on vacation they want the old Heather back. 

So, I had to stuff the new healthy me back into her shell for a little while and go out to eat practically every night for seven nights straight. It was a huge learning experience for me. I've eaten out several times since surgery but usually at restaurants that I know. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to eat before I walk through the door. This wasn't the case in the life of "lets drive around until we see something good." But, I survived.

Here's a few things I learned:

1. Order water, or no beverage at all. It saves you money on the bill and you aren't going to drink it anyway so get the free. When you don't order a drink you get a crazy look from the server so I just get water and let it sit.
2. Ask about the kids menu. Some places seriously don't mind if you order a child's plate. If it's in giant bold type on the menu that child prices are ONLY FOR CHILDREN UNDER 10 WITH BIRTH CERTIFICATES or whatever then, no, don't even go there. Some places are more reasonable than others and you just kind of get the vibe. Downside to kids plates is that typically they are the most unhealthy things on the menu. I don't want chicken strips and fries. So usually I order the grown up plate and expect to take it with me. 
3. Skip the salad if you order a big entree. I know salads are healthy but if you waste your three bites on leafy greens then your spouse is going to be really mad that you ordered that $40 steak. 
4. Order the best cut of meat on the menu. If you only get three bites make them count. 
5. Portions are HUGE. Don't comment to the rest of your dining companions about how much they are eating. On a related note, don't order the salad off the dinner menu because they literally bring you enough to feed you for three weeks.
6. Slow down. Seriously. Restaurants, especially in touristy places, want to rush you out the door so they can make room for the next patrons. Don't let them do this. Chew til you are tired of chewing and put your fork down between bites. They'll wait. Your family will wait. Enjoy your meal but don't rush.
7. Skip the chips at the Mexican place. 
8. Try not to push your leftovers on your spouse. It's hard but you don't want them to overeat just because you can't anymore. Get the to go box and enjoy your meal another time or two after you leave.
9. Trust your pouch. Your tummy is designed to restrict your eating. Don't try to eat around your restriction. Don't drink with meals. Listen to your body and let your new tummy do it's job.
10. Protein first, always. If you want to splurge on a bite of something Carb-filled and delicious you can, but always eat your chicken, beef, fish, or pork first. 

I didn't always abide by my own advice, but I know now what to expect the next time. I took protein filled snacks with us everywhere we went. The kids and husband enjoyed them just as much as I did. They didn't miss the chips and chex mix that usually accompany our road trips. I packed my protein shakes and had one every morning to stay ahead of the cravings. It wasn't as bad as I worried it would be. 

A bonus to the location of our vacation was that it was centered on getting out and moving. We hiked, tubed in the rivers, swam in the mountain creeks, we did a LOT of walking and I was able to do all of those things because of this surgery and the weight loss that followed. 

My journey so far... from 314 pounds on the left to 250 pounds on the far right.  Always document your journey with photos, you won't regret it.

I have to share we were at a river near Townsend, TN. We had been there for a few hours and were sitting to dry off before we left. I watched a family come down the bank to the rocky beach area and couldn't help but notice the mom bringing up the rear. She was obese. She was cautious about every step. She couldn't keep up with her family and in their excitement they had left her behind. They jumped from rock to rock as they looked for their perfect place to unload their gear. She started to follow them but as she stepped up on the first rock she groaned with what I'm assuming was knee pain. She stepped back down and called for them to go on without her. She put down her towel and sat there, out of breath. She watched her family from afar as they laughed and played. She took pictures and was in none of them. She had on a swimsuit under her cover up but she never took off the cover. She smiled at her kids and her husband but I could see the sadness and regret behind the smile.

I noticed all of this because this woman was me a year ago. I was the mother that watched from the safe spot because I didn't trust my gigantic body to be able to make it out to where the action was. I was hidden under a hot cover up because I was ashamed and worried about what everyone else would think if I took it off. I don't want to miss out on life anymore because of what this disease called obesity does to my body. I'm going to fight every day to not be the mom that can't get out with her kids. 

My husband and I this year versus our anniversary trip to the mountains two years ago. We have lost a combined total of 150 pounds since the pic on the right. I couldn't have ever come as far as I have without his support and encouragement along the way.

On a lighter note after all that fun and food and laziness that vacation brings I came home and weighed in 3.5 pounds lighter, even after the holiday weekend. I probably could have lost more if I had been more diligent about exercising and what I was eating but I'm claiming it as a win. 250 has loomed out of my reach for so many years and now I can't wait to NEVER see it on the scale again. Onederland (for those of you that aren't in the WLS community that's what we call weighing in less than 200s) is in my sites and I can't wait!!