I feel like I waited my whole life for this phase.  Then, I realized it was so much more work!  🙂  Knowing you only have a handful of choices does make things easier in the beginning.  Realizing you have to be creative and efficient and prepare and meal plan is a beast!  Thankfully I have a ton of time on my hands these days!  This face is centered around reintroducing soft foods, planning meals and making great choices in order to keep up the success.  The list for this phase is really long….so I’ll just summarize what I was most excited about:

• eggs, soft scrambed (YESSSSS!)
• flakey white fish
• tuna (cooked)
• small shrimp
• low-fat deli meats, thinly sliced
• oatmeal
• cauliflower (soft/mashed)
• soft lettuce (green or red leaf or bib)

I could not wait to have an egg….or fish…or turkey.  I just wanted something close to what I had previously eaten!  Most of these foods agreed with me.  The oatmeal was the only thing on this list that I only tried once.  It was not very high in protein, needed to be fortified and was just very plain (even w/ Splenda and cinnamon)..just not worth the trouble in my opinion.  The eggs were amazing.  I started with egg whites only but am now on to real eggs…the yolk doesn’t agree with everyone and some people are just more careful than I am.  I feel like the yolk is the least of my worries.  If there was a Hershey’s kiss inside, I’d avoid it for sure! 🙂  Again, tons of time spent scheduling meals this phase.  Having any kind of appointment or structure means packing a bag and taking food on the go.  You have to let go of worrying what people think, for sure.  I have eaten in waiting rooms, my vehicle, Target, Costco….when it’s time, I’m eating!  I won’t let a silly thing like worrying what others thing ruin my success!  (This is such a change from the old me!)  Here’s my bag when I took my Mom for a procedure at the hospital:

This reminded me – STRING CHEESE!  This is a staple for any weight loss surgery patient.  You have to have it with you everywhere you go.  Lowfat Sargento is my favorite.  Two sticks is the perfect snack size and that is 12 grams of protein!  Not too shabby!  I have them stashed in any refrigerator I’m near.  (My sweet hubby bought me a small fridge for our room since it’s upstairs away from the kitchen…having popsicles in the freezer for a bedtime snack is my jam.)

My go to cooler is my Pack-It (in the pic above).  You freeze the actual bag so there is no “sweating” or mess.  It’s the best.  I have a few so that one is always ready for me.  I take bottled water everywhere I go, too.  Never want to be dehydrated, even this far out from surgery.  It is constantly a risk.

Tuna salad was a big deal for me during this phase.  I have not made it (still, at 10 weeks out) to having a “meal” yet…..meaning a meat and two veggies because I am 100% focused on protein.  I will have a “salad”…and I use the term loosely because it’s really just 2-3 oz of chicken and a few sprigs of spinach!  That’s as adventurous as I have gotten.  It is really fun to figure out new ways of eating, meal planning and trying new things.  Me and Pinterest are besties at this point!

Learning to listen to your tummy (which many refer to as their pouch or pocket or sleeve at this stage!) is a new thing for most people.  Knowing that hiccuping when you are eating means you’re likely eating too fast or taking bigger bites than you should be.  Gurgling in your tummy might mean you are hungry.  A tightness in your chest means you’re full.  Every body is different and ever surgery is different and every success story is different.  Comparing is unhealthy and usually leads to disappointment or arrogance – so just, NO!