Ideas for family picnic

I second the deviled egg... and I just smush mine up and make it like an egg salad... YUM!

Stuffed cabbage usually has rice, and believe me, you don't want to go there yet.  It can hurt.  If they can make some with something inside like quinoa in place of rice, you should be home-free.  The ricotta bake sounds like a delicious alternative, though.  Take a taste of everything you want, but not more than a taste, so you don't feel deprived, and fill up on something high-protein.

I make a skillet version of cabbage rolls with no rice. I use 90/10 burger, cole slaw mix and low sugar pasta sauce. It is delicious!

I do something similar! Only I just use a head of cabbage... my family LOVES this... including the teenagers...

I opted for "never try a thing for the first time when I'm out" when I was first out of surgery, and I think that's the best plan!

Too much rice in a stuffed cabbage - prob sodium too.  I would take my own food (you can more than just for you, but no one will eat it and you will end up taking it home, - and drive myself.  I would leave if being around all the food for a long time became a problem.  Excuse yourself after spending sometime and the rest can stay.  It's your first major food event, so control your environment to prevent overeating.

This is a good idea, but I think it would look bad if I left earlier than anyone else since it is my grandma's 75th birthday party. I mean, I could use the "I just had surgery, and I don't feel so well" excuse. 

My message is - do what you have to do.  There is only so much people pleasing you can do.  If it is easy for you - Congrats.  But if it difficult for you to be around all the food - talk with Grandma and do something with her alone in a few days and leave reminding her of that.

I am trying to say that you and your health and staying on your food plan are the most important things for your entire family right now - you had surgery because your health was at risk and you need to think like this for some period of time.  Remember the 'cure rate' for obesity without WLS is the same as for pancreatic cancer.   You had surgery to save your life -so you can live to 75 and YES, it will look OK for you to leave to protect that future for you and your family.