REAL food :)

Yesterday was my three week visit with the psychologist and nutritionist. In our group, we talked about our experiences post surgery. Most of us were at three weeks, but there were two at three months and one at six months. It was reassuring to hear that other people had some problems in the hospital too, so I didn't feel like I was the only one who had complications. Kelli talked with us about the importance of minimizing distractions while eating, so we can really focus on chewing well, taking 20-30 minutes to eat a small amount of food, etc. I'm going to spend some good time the next day or two, figuring out what times to eat these foods when I'm back at school so that I have time to eat it without a lot of distractions, and I have to space it out to eating every 3-4 hours. With being busy at school that is going to be a challenge, but I know I can do it.

With the nutritionist, Patrick, he talked to us about how to introduce food back into our diet. He gave us the list of foods that we can start with in the next three weeks, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was a variety. Protein-wise, I should start with flaky fish, shrimp, crab, and scallops. Seafood is the best tolerated after surgery. Then I can move onto eggs, lean ground beef and pork, and then ground poultry. Cheeses are a good source of protein too, and I can have most kinds that are soft or shredded. They're supposed to be no more than 2% milk fat. I can also have some low carb items like oatmeal, cream of wheat, whole grain crackers, soft fruit with no skin, applesauce, cooked veggies, etc. I will basically be eating 1/4 cup to a 1/2 cup at each meal, and consuming about 800 calories a day and 40-60 grams of protein. I can't drink 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after my meal.

Okay, so here's how it's going. Yesterday, on the way home from the group session, Chris and I went to Food Lion to get some of these groceries. Around 5:30, I started with cottage cheese for my first meal. I put 1/4 cup on a small plate, and put a little salt and pepper on top. I spent about a half hour eating that cottage cheese, sitting alone at the dining room table while Chris went to go pick up Spencer, trying to chew it as best as I could. One thing that was a little scary is that as soon as I felt full, I had to stop eating. They told us at the seminar, that even a half a bite past feeling full could result in us throwing up. I HATE to throw up, so I really wanted to listen to my body and make sure I was feeling full after each bite. One weird thing now about being full, is that I don't feel it in my lower stomach. I actually feel full right under my breast bone, and it just feels like pressure is being applied there. So, with two bites left, I felt full, and I put the rest back in the container, and went on my merry way. Around 8:30, I had my second meal. I tried some imitation crab meat. I chewed that really well, and again, for measuring about 1/4 cup, I left about two bites on the plate. This time I did eat while watching TV, but I was very mindful about chewing well, and putting my fork down between bites. Both of these meals went really well, and I did not feel queasy or sick. I have to introduce foods back one at a time, so I can identify which things work well for me, and which I need to try again at another time. 90% of foods that might not work for me now, could work again later, so you just have to do a trial and error on each thing.

This morning, I had my breakfast at 8:30. I made some cream of wheat, with cinnamon and sweet and low on top, and ate 1/4 cup. This time I was able to finish the whole thing, and I'm wondering if that is the case because it is a carb, and a little less filling than protein. I did add milk when I made it, and dried milk to add more protein to the dish. The only set back to eating for 25 minutes, is that it is cold by the end, but I guess in the future I can re-warm it back up. The pouch made two servings, so I can put the rest in the fridge and have it tomorrow. My little pampered chef covered prep bowls are perfect for measuring out foods, since there are measurements on the side of them, and they're pretty small and come with lids, so I can stick them in the fridge. I'm also going to buy today some more snack size baggies and small tupperware containers, so I don't put such a tiny amount of food in a large container, and have to end up scraping it all from the sides the whole time. :) Half of this battle is going to be mind over matter.

Yesterday as we came home from the seminar, I felt very overwhelmed and I had to take a Xanax. I just really want to do this well and have it work! This is the perfectionist part of me--I want to do it perfectly, so I don't feel sick or have to throw up. I'm sure as I relax about this more, I'll be fine, but for right now all I can do to help my feelings of anxiety is to plan, plan, plan, and also get involved in things that can take my mind off it. I need to exercise today and they gave us some guidelines for what to do, so that will help, and I also have some orders to work on as well.

I got on the scale this morning, and I've only lost .2 since Sunday, so that was a little discouraging, but I know that it's not going to be a pound a day anymore. I know I'm doing the right things, and I think adding consistent daily exercise to the routine will definitely help. I wore one of my new shirts with a skirt yesterday, and I felt fabulous, so I know I will see it in my clothes and not always on the scale.

Well, that was a long post, but I thought it would be good to document everything new about this next stage. :) Have a great Wednesday!