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 

All Liquid Diet-Day 9

Day 9 and we are hitting the home stretch.
It was a BEAUTIFUL spring day today.
This morning almost right when I woke up I need to take something to the mail,
because our community mailbox is just a bit down the road,
I decided to put on my tennis shoes and take my dog for a little walk around the neighborhood.
It was so nice out, and we were enjoying ourselves so much,
that we ended up walking for 2 miles
just enjoying the sunshine and the breeze.
Could there be a better way to start off your morning?

My dog Lucy- never ever willing to look at the camera. 

Stinker. 

I also came across this HYSTERICAL quarter life poem:

Picked up some more vitamins at Costco today
I'm a child and buy the gummy's
and also a new box of the Premier Protein.
Decided to try the vanilla
"jus' fo' fun".
(if you didn't read that in Nacho's accent you are doing it wrong)
It's good! I like it.
I still feel like chocolate is my favorite flavor of protein shakes.

Hardest part of the day:
Pizza and work today smelled SO good.
What the heck is the deal? Since when am I surrounded by pizza
ALL THE TIME.
I swear I wasn't around it this much before now.
Schmmmurg.
It's gotta be challenging though, right?

You know what I'm really missing right now?
Some quality meat.
Like turkey, steak, or chicken.
Anything that I can chew and just feel the protein.
But it's going to be a while until.
And until I can actually have meat,
I'll just keep on swiggin' these protein shakes and soup broth.

Fitbit stats:
Steps: 9.421
Water Intake: 66.3
Calorie Intake: 839