what/how much i eat 1 1/2 years post op...

I've been asked by a couple of different people what I eat or how much I typically eat now days. So I thought I would blog about it... Today I am one year 4 months post op and down 146 pounds. I lost 6 pounds last month and thought I was done. I think I'm done now... LOL Satisfied, happy, feel great and I don't even feel like the same person sometimes anymore. Same but different (make sense?) Things like just walking feel so different now. Walking to the fireworks I told mom and Derrel "holly shit I don't even feel like the same person anymore". I don't mind walking a mile to the fireworks. It feels great not to dread moving. I want to walk now. Still strange but I can deal! I'm going with it! I feel in control now. My surgery really gave me a chance to make all of me healthy, and that I am still working on today and enjoying every minute of it these days. A BETTER ME, a happier with ME kind of person.

BREAKFAST
Everyday I start my morning out with my EAS chocolate protein drink. It's my morning coffee now. I blend ice, one scoop of protein powder, benifiber and soy milk. Spend a hour drinking it watching the news and playing on my puter first thing in the morning's. I figured out what my morning protein drink has in it with all ingredients together.
EAS protein drink:
*300 cal
*10g fat
*34g protein
*14g sugars.
I also make a O.J/yogurt drink some mornings. I go back and fourth.
My O.J Yogurt Blend:
*6 ice cubes
*1 Yoplait light orange cream yogurt
*1 - 2 cups or so of O.J.
*Throw some Benefiber in there
BLEND
Sometimes I don't drink it all. I don't always eat actual food in the mornings. It matters if I'm heading right out the door or not. If I have something else it would be a SouthBeach breakfast bar or I do cook egg's alot too and that would be 2 hours later after that morning "protein drink". One egg and 1/2 piece of toast will do me good now. I share all my food with my doggie Rufus now. Today I had a small bowl of chex cereal with soy milk.
LUNCH
1/2 of sandwich. So one piece of bread, light mayo, one piece of swiss cheese and 2 thin slices of ham. I don't eat all the bread, I pick at it at throw the end pieces back on the plate. Also 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with the sandwich. Sometimes I add shredded carrots to my cottage cheese. I know- ??? weird but I like carrots in my cottage cheese???? That's it, don't need the chips or the other fillers anymore to fill me or if I do it is just a small something else. A can of tuna fish lasts me two meals. Tuna, light mayo, and 2-3 pickles and one piece of bread. I put the other half in the fridge for the next days lunch. I would have something else on my plate with a half of sandwich. Maybe 10 chips/crackers, or fruit, or 1/2 of cottage cheese. If I go to McDonalds or Subway or something like that I get grilled chicken, throw half the bread off and eat the chicken with about a quarter of the bread (bite or four). 6 inch sub... turkey and ham, no mayo, lettuce, tomato...DONE I tear off the bottom half of bread off the sub and eat the turkey and ham like a open faced sandwich. Salads I can eat a good size bowl of if that's my meal. I always eat the protein off it and eat till I'm full and everyday is different in the life of a bypass patient when it comes to eating. Some days not so much food and I throw my meal away and other days I eat a nice sized healthy portion of food. Chinese lunch when we go out. 35 green beans (Garlic green beans), maybe a 1/2 cup of rice, 4 strips of bbq pork and I eat half of my cup of egg flower soup.
DINNER
If I eat canned soups, chili things like that. I still only eat 1/2 the can. With 8 crackers if needed for that meal. Had steak the other night. I'd say 3-4oz of steak (shared with Rufus), 1/2 cup or so of red potato's, and about 4 bites of cottage cheese. Hamburgers... If were out I order a garden burger. Love em! Can not finish the garden burger. I could if that was the only thing I ate, minus the bread. But usually there is something else on my plate besides just a plain burger. Cucumbers, tomato's, salad, something... At home I patty a small hamburger for me. Smaller than my palm of my hand. Little salad or cucumbers, tomatos and I'm good. Don't forget the kethcup! Mmm
I'm making myself eat in between meals now more. My doctor told me to eat every two hours. "it's not always fun eating anymore, but it's what you have to do", he told me. If I was feeling shakey I will have another iced soy protein drink throughout the day. Some other snacks I might have through out the day are a 1/2 of a EAS protein bar or some kind of protein bar low in sugar for a snack. 10 cherries, only 15 grapes after last weeks spell. 1/2 apple, peanuts, roasted almonds. I don't know, things like that. Not all at the same time, these are just some snacks I find myself eating.

I do make pretty good food decisions now. I still sometimes want crappy foods but know it will just make me feel not so good. I really do feel better if I just stick to the basics. It's usually when I'm tired and to tired to cook. And to eat good you have to work at it. Can just drive through or whip it up so fast anymore. I have to go into the kitchen. I still think about what and how much I'm eating as I've done the thinking part for years and years. Life time of diets. So some of this is because I have too now since surgery and some is cause I want too. I look at it but I don't count calories yet these days. I'm sure as I get farther out I will have to look at that again. The bread I throw aside because I know I'm throwing up to 100 calories aside when I do that and # 2- bread fills me to fast. I still love bread. Now when I shop I just buy the damn expensive tomato's, veggies, cukes, bell peppers and don't even look or I'll get pissy about the cost $$$. I only buy 2 or so at a time so I know they will get eaten before they go bad. I just make more trips to the grocery store now. Jeez I work at a farmers market but never get to shop anymore now that I'm the assistant manager. I'm working and if I leave during market hours there is no mastercard/visa machine girl. That's me during market hours. Before and after the market I'm so busy I don't find even time to pee. I just want fresh veggies and I'm so close. LOL guess I should ask for a break...

Anyway, jeez I'm long winded... there you go!