Soft Foods and Long Walks.

First let me say,

I am surprised how many of you are reading this blog!

I am amazed at how many people in life are so interested in this journey. 

Seriously, unexpected. 

Welcome-but unexpected. 

This week went by too fast and before I know it, people are asking me

"Why haven't you blogged???" 

and I'm like...

"Oh ya! Its been over a week....I'm on it!"

This week was the my first week that I have entered what we call 

"Phase 3" of the post-op diet. 

This means I can eat soft solids.

(This includes deli meats, cottage cheese, low fat cheese etc...) 

I am supposed to focus on protein foods,

so I have been eating a lot of deli meats and cheese.

Ooooooh was I excited to eat deli meats.

That last leg of the liquid diet had me DYING.

I was CRAVING protein.

For some reason my thumb sized tummy would hurt every time I tried to drink protein shakes,

and my surgeon let me off the hook and said "if it hurts, don't force yourself to drink it".

I feel like after being on an "all liquid diet" for an entire month, 

its easy to stick to any other type of diet. 

This week I have been eating a lot of:

eggs

light cheese sticks

deli meats

cottage cheese

yogurt

and my calcium chews (from Costco and taste like candy) 

I told my best friend Emmalee about my diet,

and she started to laugh, 

because it is basically the opposite of what she eats.

(shes a vegan)

Lots of meat and cheese.

It's been my on-going joke that diet is almost exact opposite of the food pyramid they taught me in elementary school:

They taught us:

LOTS OF GRAINS!

FRUITS AND VEGGIES! 

A BIT OF DAIRY 

HAVE SOME PROTEIN!

After gastric bypass your diet is more:

LOTS OF PROTEIN!

 (60 g a day! Exhausting for this thumb sized tummy!)

EAT THAT CHEESE!

LIMIT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES!

NO CARBS ALLOWED!

Weird, right? 

It feels backwards, but it makes sense.

I can get nutrients that you need from fruits and veggies from multi-vitamins,

but you can't "fake" protein. 

So with the limited space I have,

gotta focus on 'dat protein. 

Truth me told,

I'm still malnourished,

and dehydrated. 

I get lightheaded any time I stand up too quickly.

Its hard to eat and drink all that I am supposed to!

I would essentially have to be consuming something 24/7

and that's just not easy. 

I had been feeling really good. 

I had been walking the dog and it seemed to be going well.

So a few days ago, while I was walking, 

and feeling good,

I decided to keep walking.

I ended up walking 2 miles.

At first this felt like a victory,

until I came home and essentially crashed for the rest of the day

and it wiped me clean for at least the next two days.

geeeeez.

2 steps forward, one step back.

I've also started feeling sick this week.

I eat try something new,

I eat something a little too fast,

and I puke. 

Not fun. 

On the plus side,

I've already dropped a LOT of weight.

30 pounds in one month.

Can't complain,

but don't you dare think it came easy.

It came with a lot of sacrifices 

and a lot of tears. 

This is definitely not the easy way,

but it's proving to be effective.

I love feeling like the worst is behind me.

I will slowly learn what I can handle and what I can't,

which will lead to less sickness. 

I get less and less sore every day.

I can do more and more every day,

and so the transition continues.

#awkwardbathroomselfies 

The embarrassing part

Disclaimer: This post is incredibly embarrassing and a little bit T.M.I. (Too much information). In an effort to share my experiences, I think its important to share things that are not always comfortable or exciting. If you are easily embarrassed, you don't know me that well, or are a future potential dating prospect please do not read this post. 

So here is the deal:

My surgery was what we call Laparoscopic which means they make multiple small incisions

(which I will not post pictures of)

and they use tiny little instruments to cut my stomach out. 

This is awesome because instead of having to cut me all the way open,

I basically will only have a few smaller scars.

Rockin' and Rollin'. 

To make sure that the tiny instruments get the job done 

first, they fill my abdomen up with a gas so they can have lots of room. 

When the surgery is done, they try to get as much of the gas out as possible.... but....

some of it has to come out naturally.

On Monday, I honestly didn't feel that different,

but Tuesday and Wednesday had me feeling like Aunt Marge

Honestly it was super uncomfortable and a bit painful.

And no matter what I did, I just could not get any of it out. 

Seriously though it wasn't pleasant. 

My nurses insisted that all I would have to do is to get out of my bed and get moving 

and the rest would come naturally.

But let me tell you, simply walking around was not cutting it.

As weird as it sounds I think that part of the problem 

is that I still can't say I completely understand my own anatomy. 

Plus it didn't help that the Timehop dinosaur was totally taunting me.

Are you kidding me Timehop? 

Are you trying to make me feel even more frustrated with the situation? 

Rude.

By the time that evening came around, there was seriously too much pressure and it was painful.

This is about the time that my dad, my aunt Grace, cousin Isabella, 

and the brother in law Casey came to visit. 

My dad had me sitting on couch patting my back like he was trying to burp a baby

ok, because honestly that is exactly what he was doing.

Grace and Isabella thought the whole things was hysterical.

Before I knew what was happening they were chanting

"fart! fart! fart!" 

with the door wiiiiiide open for the entire floor to hear.

Next came the paper towel "inspirational" posters trying to motivate me.
"fart on"
"get the fart out!"
and simply just
"fart!"
Now I wish I had taken pictures, but I think I was so embarrassed that I didn't even consider it.

#awkward.