Doc knows best.

First... thank you all for your kind words, love and support and all the comments on my last few posts.  Your comments helped me through 'the Sting' and got me to a much better place.  Love you ladies.  :)

I've been back to work a few weeks now.  I was off for 4 weeks and I dreaded going back for many reasons.  One being, I was afraid with having to be at work all day, that I wouldn't be able to get all my liquids/foods/protein, etc. in like I need to.  Well... my doctor assured me that once I stepped back into the office, I would meet my requirements easily every day.  I had my doubts, but she was more than right!  Not a day has gone by in the last few weeks where I haven't been doing everything by the book.  She told me that I would figure out a schedule and that schedule would even work on the weekends.  Right again!  I've developed a routine that works for me and my job and am loving it!  I'm feeling great and the weight is coming off very steadily.  I'm not weighing myself very often (maybe once a week), but my clothes are showing me the weight loss and I'm very pleased with how everything is going thus far.  :)

I've gotten several emails asking questions about what I eat, how much I'm eating and how it all works.  I thought I'd answer some of them by going through a typical day.   Feel free to message me or leave a comment if you have any other questions.  I don't mind answering at all.

My daily requirements are:
1.  Eat 3 meals a day, 2 ounces at each meal.  The amount will increase over time. But for now...
     Breakfast is 1 ounce protein, 1 ounce fruit.
     Lunch is 1 ounce protein, 1 ounce vegetable.
     Dinner is 1 ounce protein, 1 ounce starch.
2.  Drink at least 64 - 80 ounces of fluids a day. (I average 75 - 80 ounces!)
3.  Consume at least 75 - 90 grams of protein each day.  (I average 90 - 95grams!)
4.  Take a bunch of chewable multi-vitamins, calcium, vitamin D, etc., etc.
5.  Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

First thing in the morning, I take some meds.  Because my stomach was rearranged, the opening from my new stomach (or pouch) to the intestines is very little.  I have to split up my tiny pills and take a 1/2 pill every 15 minutes.  It takes me 1 hour to take 2 tiny pills.  Woozers.  It's not a problem.  I use this time to start drinking my liquids for the day.  I just start sipping on my water and get ready for the day.

My tiny pills.

My vitamins.

After my meds and my first set of vitamins, I drink a super yummy protein shake.  I use this website and I am loving my protein.  Each shake has around 32 grams of protein or more, is easy to make and they all taste great! These drinks are a major reason why I can get all my protein in each day without any problem.  On work days, I might do a combo of milk/dry milk, but for now I'm enjoying these.  Yummo! Here is a delish strawberry banana shake! I also love the lemon, banana shakes and blueberry shakes... and so do Sew and Ann!

Next up is a little more water and then breakfast!  When I'm at work, I typically will do 1 ounce of cheese and 1 ounce of some type of fruit.  Since I was home yesterday, I made myself a special treat.  I had 1 ounce of egg beaters and 1/2 ounce of cubed ham and 1/2 of cheese.  Put them all together and I had a tiny little omelet packed with protein!  

2 oz. omelet!

After each meal, I have to wait 30 minutes before drinking any fluids. After breakfast, I drink my first 20 ounces of water and then I'm back for another protein drink.  Yesterday, I had a chocolate/peanut butter protein shake from the same website as above.  It tasted so good! And it had a whooping 38 grams of protein.

Seriously delish!

Next up is lunch!  The chocolate shake I had yesterday was so filling, I had to wait a bit after I drank it to eat.  It had a 1/2 T. of peanut butter in it, so that is what probably filled me up so much.  After that all settled, I had 1 ounce of chicken with a tiny bit of fat-free chicken gravy and 1 ounce of cucumber slices.  

Next up... more water!  I think water is so important!  I feel so good when I drink a lot of water.  So, I sip and I sip and I sip.  I also take some more vitamins at lunch.  I drink water until dinner time.  If it is a work week... I go and walk at the gym 1 hour before heading home.  While I'm there, I drink 20 ounces of water as well, especially if I meet with my trainer.  They work my butt off... literally! 

Dinner time!  DH and I aren't always eating the same thing, but now that I'm eating more than beans and cheese, I can make a dinner that we can both enjoy.  Mine is just 2 ounces and he eats a bit more.  Last night we had chicken (I made mine into chicken salad) and some mashed potatoes.  I had sweet potatoes last week and they were so yummy as well.  I take more vitamins and some other meds at dinner too. 

Yep, that's a baby spoon!

So... some of my pictures make the food look a little big.  I always eat on a tiny plate with my little one ounce dishes.  The glass bowl and the little plastic cup are both one ounce items.  Here is a picture of my little dishes on a regular plate with a regular spoon.

After dinner, I drink water until I'm ready for bed.  If I'm still needing protein, I might drink some milk/dry milk combo or do another protein shake.  Normally, by dinner, I've had more than enough protein in for the day at this time and just try to get as much water as I can.  Yesterday, I had 98 grams of protein and 84 ounces of water.  So far, so good.  :)

I feel like I am always eating and or drinking.  It's funny that I feel that way, given the fact that I only eat 6 ounces of food a day.  How can I eat so little?  I'm not hungry at all.  I have no feeling of hunger, which is how this all works.  Eventually, as my pouch gets larger, the feeling of hunger comes back, but not for a long time.  I can take a sip of water and feel full.  Two ounces of food is almost too much.    Next month, I move up to three ounces and I do not even know how that if going to work... but it will.  Eventually, I'll have around 8 ounces at a meal.  For now, I don't mind the small amounts.  I still take a long time to eat.  I take everything very slow and it has always worked without a hitch!  I've been very lucky.

Then I go to bed and start all over the next day!  Now I'm off to the gym... have a good day!