Day Four: Soft Solids (1)

I did not take out the blender this morning; I made scrambled eggs instead. Yum! When I sat down to eat, the excitement of solid food overtook me, and I inhaled my breakfast in about 30 seconds. Tomorrow, I'll try a poached egg on toast. Maybe that will slow me down.

I also finished the last few ounces of the Naked Protein Mango Juice Smoothie I bought for breakfast on Sunday. It took me 4 days to finish 16 ounces!

On the way to work I stopped for a coffee. Caffeine is not good for the bariatric stomach, so I had to get a decaf. Coffee lovers like myself consider drinking decaf to be a mortal sin, but I had to compromise.

Did you know that Starbucks sells a drink size that's smaller than a Tall? It's called a Short, and it's not advertised on the drink menu. Why not? Because who would want only 8 wussy ounces of coffee? Me. I do. The Japanese do. In Japan, Short is on the menu! It's no wonder we eat so much. Look at the options we're given.

My lunch options were no exception. At the soup stand in Penn Station, I had a choice between a large lentil soup and an extra large lentil soup. Um, I guess I'll take the large and throw half of it away.

These are our fast food options. And unfortunately, most of us eat fast food most of the time. I always eat less when I prepare my own food. You probably do too.

Here are the soft foods I ingested today:

• Breakfast: 1 Egg, scrambled and 4 oz. Naked Protein Mango Juice Smoothie
• Snack: 4 oz. Low-fat vanilla yogurt with 1/2 banana
• Lunch: 8 oz. Lentil soup
• Snack: 1 Skim milk mozzarella string cheese
• Dinner: 8 oz. Veggie chili
• Snack: 8 oz. Chocolate milk

Right now I want a salad – not french fries, not ice cream – I want something fresh that isn't a blended banana. Fibrous vegetables and fruit skins are too difficult for the Bariatric stomach to break down at this stage, so although my meal options have increased, most fresh fruits and veggies are still off limits. Bummer.

Rachel

Day Three: Pureed Foods (again)

My protein smoothies are already improving. I added berries this morning. Big move. I also made more than I did yesterday – enough to use some for an afternoon snack. I can foresee this developing into an easy routine, a task that doesn't require much thought or the use of measuring cups. But I'll still have to clean the blender. Bummer.

Having consumed small portions for only three days, I've already noticed a difference in my appetite. I'm not as hungry as often, and I feel fuller faster. I had trouble finishing 8 ounces of soup, and I almost forgot to eat an afternoon snack. However, the desire to eat is still there. I want to eat even though I'm not hungry.

I also want to eat something other than liquid or mush. Last night, I had a dream about about a big, beautiful Italian sandwich. Roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and arugula on a giant semolina roll. Apparently, my psyche isn't satisfied with pureed peas. And why should it be? Deep down, I know that I only like mushy peas because I usually eat them with fish and chips drenched in malt vinegar, not mixed in with a pathetic portion of whipped potatoes.

The post-surgery diet, like many others, is not emotionally satisfying. I know what feeds my soul, and it is not protein shakes. The diet also affects social health. While my coworkers enjoyed a few beers after work, I sipped the remainder of my breakfast smoothie from a plastic container. My strange drink initiated many conversations about the diet. And while it helped to have the opportunity to explain myself, I would have preferred a beer and conversation about anything other than food.

Tuesday's menu:

• Breakfast: 8 oz. Fruit smoothie with protein powder
• Snack: 8 oz. Chocolate milk
• Lunch: 8 oz. Roasted red pepper and tomato soup
• Snack: 2 oz. Whipped potatoes, 2 oz. Mushy peas
• Dinner: 8 oz. Fruit smoothie with protein powder
• Snack: 4 oz. Low-fat vanilla yogurt

Tomorrow, I can begin introducing soft solid foods, which are characterized as anything that can be easily smushed with a fork. This includes one of my favorite foods, scrambled eggs. Breakfast just got a whole lot better.

Rachel