Month 2

When I first decided to do this surgery thing, I thought the procedure would be one of the hardest parts.  In relationship to the past 2 months, the surgery was a piece of cake. I have healed nicely and have no problems from the surgery itself.  The challenge is finding something I can eat now that I've reached the point where I can have anything I can tolerate while staying within the grams of fat and sugar boundaries.

Each week I try to add something new to my diet and each week I end up throwing something up.  It's a fact that I am not able to tolerate dairy products.  Macaroni and Cheese was one of my favorite dishes, but not any more.  I used to love a cold glass of milk, but no more.  A grilled cheese sandwich is a quick meal with a bowl of tomato soup, or it used to be.  Finding things I can eat and not get sick in the process has been a challenge.  The foods I loved in the past have now been moved to the "Not Right Now" column of foods that used to show up on our grocery list.

One reason for the change in food choices is the fact that I must chew everything very well in order for it to sit well in the new pouch a.k.a my stomach.  The more I chew, the worse it tastes, so I eat less.  Have you ever chewed a piece of baked chicken 127 times?  If you did, you'd never eat it again.  

Since I take in far less solid food, the liquid protein drinks are still very much a part of my life.  However, if you add unflavored protein whey to Tropicana Light Orangeade it tastes just like a Dreamsicle.  This is not a bad thing!  And, it satisfies my sweet tooth.

It's been 2 months and I've lost 41 pounds.  Needless to say my pants don't fit anymore.  This is a good and bad thing.  Good that I'm down 4 sizes but not good that I need to buy clothes before my goal has been met.  Thank goodness for friends who have gone through this and are passing down their clothes.  :)

The challenge continues.  So what do you do?  You find something you can tolerate and stick to it.  Yay for rice and shrimp!