6 Weeks Post-Op. Learning to eat again.
Weight: 258.4
I can't believe it's been 6 weeks already! I've been on the soft food diet for a week now and the way it's been going makes me wonder if I'll actually be able to eat solid foods when I get to the 8 week mark Dec 21st. It may be that some foods may just be off the list.
One thing I've noticed is that I can't tolerate dry foods at all, even chewed to a pulp. At least I think that's the issue. One of the first soft meats I was able to tolerate was fish. I mixed it with some salmon cream cheese (1tbsp to 2oz fish) and I thought I died and went to heaven. What a treat to actually eat real food! So I cooked up more fish but I think I overcooked it and it was pretty dry. PAIN! Substernal and left upper abdominal pain that laid me out for about an hour. Tried again this time mixed with a little water and mushed up better. Success!
Baby food is my friend. Eggs are not. That is the theme this week. I have tried all different ways to eat eggs and I think the reaction is what people term an "angry pouch". Pain as described above complete with a weird "I need to be burped" sensation. Not a fun experience. Now I think of eggs and feel sick at the thought. Off my list for awhile. When I'm really hungry and my pouch is not feeling too good about food I can eat stage 2 baby food and it soothes it. Yes, I feel like a baby just learning to eat and digest!
The other thing I've noticed is that letting myself get too hungry is a really bad mistake. It happens a lot at work when I can't stop to eat even a bite. Used to be I'd pack protein bars but I can't have them at this stage. Not exactly a soft food! When I get too hungry the pain in my stomach is really strong. Eating when it's like that sends me into "angry pouch syndrome" (APS) yet if I don't eat the pain gets just as bad as APS. What to do? Number 1...Don't eat too fast trying to shut off the pain. Makes it worse. Number 2...Baby food is your friend. Foremost...Don't let it get to that point in the first place!
Next issue is protein. There is no way to get my protein in the amount needed from just the foods I eat. Maybe when I can eat meats again but right now the majority of my protein food sources come from dairy especially since eggs are off the menu right now. There's only so much Greek yogurt I can eat without gagging at the thought. So I'm adding the fruity type protein powders to my water jug twice a day. It's not exactly a shake, it's more like just protein water. Lemonade, pink grapefruit, fruit punch etc. mix easily with water and that way I get both the water I need and the protein supplementation. Two/day gives me 46gm protein and 64oz water. Problem solved.
On the exercise note, I get to start lifting again now that I've passed the 6 week mark. The sad part is now that I can finally go back to strength training my trainer / "son of another mother" is moving to Las Vegas in 2 days. My heart is breaking though I'm very proud of him for following his dream. It's not an easy thing in this day and age. He's joining a Cirque D'Soleil type acrobatic group that he's been working with intermittently flying back and forth. So Sam and his girlfriend, who is also his partner in his act, are moving down there. I knew it was coming but the original plan was spring. This took me by surprise. I can train on my own but my whole family has been with Sam for years and I miss him already.
I can't believe it's been 6 weeks already! I've been on the soft food diet for a week now and the way it's been going makes me wonder if I'll actually be able to eat solid foods when I get to the 8 week mark Dec 21st. It may be that some foods may just be off the list.
One thing I've noticed is that I can't tolerate dry foods at all, even chewed to a pulp. At least I think that's the issue. One of the first soft meats I was able to tolerate was fish. I mixed it with some salmon cream cheese (1tbsp to 2oz fish) and I thought I died and went to heaven. What a treat to actually eat real food! So I cooked up more fish but I think I overcooked it and it was pretty dry. PAIN! Substernal and left upper abdominal pain that laid me out for about an hour. Tried again this time mixed with a little water and mushed up better. Success!
Baby food is my friend. Eggs are not. That is the theme this week. I have tried all different ways to eat eggs and I think the reaction is what people term an "angry pouch". Pain as described above complete with a weird "I need to be burped" sensation. Not a fun experience. Now I think of eggs and feel sick at the thought. Off my list for awhile. When I'm really hungry and my pouch is not feeling too good about food I can eat stage 2 baby food and it soothes it. Yes, I feel like a baby just learning to eat and digest!
The other thing I've noticed is that letting myself get too hungry is a really bad mistake. It happens a lot at work when I can't stop to eat even a bite. Used to be I'd pack protein bars but I can't have them at this stage. Not exactly a soft food! When I get too hungry the pain in my stomach is really strong. Eating when it's like that sends me into "angry pouch syndrome" (APS) yet if I don't eat the pain gets just as bad as APS. What to do? Number 1...Don't eat too fast trying to shut off the pain. Makes it worse. Number 2...Baby food is your friend. Foremost...Don't let it get to that point in the first place!
Next issue is protein. There is no way to get my protein in the amount needed from just the foods I eat. Maybe when I can eat meats again but right now the majority of my protein food sources come from dairy especially since eggs are off the menu right now. There's only so much Greek yogurt I can eat without gagging at the thought. So I'm adding the fruity type protein powders to my water jug twice a day. It's not exactly a shake, it's more like just protein water. Lemonade, pink grapefruit, fruit punch etc. mix easily with water and that way I get both the water I need and the protein supplementation. Two/day gives me 46gm protein and 64oz water. Problem solved.
On the exercise note, I get to start lifting again now that I've passed the 6 week mark. The sad part is now that I can finally go back to strength training my trainer / "son of another mother" is moving to Las Vegas in 2 days. My heart is breaking though I'm very proud of him for following his dream. It's not an easy thing in this day and age. He's joining a Cirque D'Soleil type acrobatic group that he's been working with intermittently flying back and forth. So Sam and his girlfriend, who is also his partner in his act, are moving down there. I knew it was coming but the original plan was spring. This took me by surprise. I can train on my own but my whole family has been with Sam for years and I miss him already.
Replies