Starwarsandcupcakes

Dinner tonight was homemade mandarin chicken and rice. Definitely picky eater approved in my house. Came in at about 235 calories and 13g of protein for what I ended up eating.

I tried to eat more of my salmon today as I thought about it on the way home from the grocery (of which I forgot to buy more kale and spinach!) 😱 I didn’t make it too far. I ended up throwing the rest away as 2 meals is kind of my limit with leftovers…. Unless it’s soup.

I ended up with a hiatal hernia (I’m prone to hernias) a few months after my surgery that was most of my sleeve. It caused gerd so bad that I had esophagitis and hiccups. Hiccups every waking moment for several months. I was on 20mg of protonix twice a day along with 40mg of Pepcid and sometimes 10 tums a day until I had a revision to RNY. The nausea and feeling sick all the time was much better after revision and I wasn’t as anxious anymore about the heartburn. I’m 14 months out from revision now and if I wanted to chug a water or something else I totally could. I eat what I feel like having in that moment and I feel so much more “normal” now. Maybe see if your doctor (or a different one) will send you for imaging to see if there’s something that’s causing the heartburn that can be fixed. Hoping things get better for you soon.

When I had my VSG I was 278.2 the week before surgery, 271 when discharged, and 258.3 at my post-op appointment 10 days later. I had very minimal bruising or swelling that time. When I had my revision (8 months later due to gerd), I was 222 a week before surgery, left the hospital at 234.4 (was there 4 days due to needing iron), and was 215.7lbs at my one week post-op appointment. I had loads of bruising this time around. The picture is from a week post-op and I still had visible bruising at 20 days post-op (second picture) though it never hurt.

I couldn’t do whole scrambled eggs for a long time after my revision. They just didn’t sit well so I’d do either just egg whites (which I still do!) or plant based egg substitutes (if you can find “just” egg I recommend that one). I’m 14 months out from revision and I still don’t eat much of most things that are dense but give me soup or salad and I’m good to go.

This lovely uhhh “warm salad” is just what I needed today. Massaged kale and spinach in avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and Himalayan pink salt. Sautéed for about 30 seconds to a minute. Topped with pan seared, skin-on salmon and balsamic vinegar caramelized red onions. Would’ve been about 415 calories and 35g protein if I had finished it all but I’m saving the rest for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. Definitely made my heart happy.

For me there’s a weird thing that happens with working around so much sugar and fat- I end up not wanting to eat it. The smell gets to me and I end up wanting dark leafy greens and vegetables after so much baking. However, today has been a different story. With broken sleep and the loss of a patient at the beginning of my shift yesterday and not being able to communicate with the family due to language barriers…. I definitely indulged today but feel like crap because of it. I don’t like feeling sick to my stomach and like all of my energy has disappeared. So for that reason I don’t indulge often. I’d rather eat a salad or drink a smoothie full of fresh tasting goodness that is going to nourish my body and soul.

It really depends on what your surgeon and your insurance requirements are. Mine was 6 months supervised diet and testing. I know some who have just made an appointment for pre-op assessment and then have a surgery date. Good luck at your appointment!

My meals which I may or may not eat all of and the mini cupcakes I frosted that tipped over on the way into work. 😩

I sort of am. I work in a hospital so my coworkers include just about everyone. I try to vary what I make when I bake so that way everyone has something they can enjoy.

Sour patch kids crinkle cookies, chocolate Reese’s cookies, mint chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate espresso espresso biscotti, mini vanilla cupcakes (I’ll top with buttercream before work), and I tried my hand at royal icing on top of pumpkin shaped sugar cookies… definitely need to practice with the royal icing. … I did end up eating the small ends from the biscotti, a sour patch cookie (holy sour sweet!), and an unfrosted sugar cookie but still only ended up eating around 1500 calories with the cookies and meals I ate yesterday.

I did! I also just added the whole bag of shelled edamame and the rest of the frozen corn bag I had. And I used shredded carrots I had leftover from a something else I made. https://www.savorywithsoul.com/panera-turkey-chili-recipe/

While I may be in the middle of a baking spree (I’ll post pictures later), I did make a potato leek soup and this here Panera knockoff turkey chili.

Either poached or in a baked good. Lately though I’ve been contemplating making a deviled egg salad to top some crispy pita chips.

More packed meals- green smoothie beef roast with carrots and celery and rosemary honey roasted turnips spiced chickpea soup seaweed snacks, s’mores protein bar, kodiak oat and honey granola bar, apple chips, a fruit and grain bar; a protein shake for coffee (not pictured) I might add another protein shake for coffee depending on how the night goes and end up not eating the soup….

Yesterday was 💩. I had planned an entire day of baking earlier this week but was sidelined with having to spend the day at the bank because of fraud. 🙄 I only managed 3 dozen cookies that came out crispy because I didn’t account for the humidity from rain. And I over baked the cinnamon rolls. 😭 That’s ok, later this week I have have time to make up for it. Death by chocolate cookies and chocolate cookies with peanut butter and milk chocolate chips.

Hey, no judgement here. I HATE making pie crust so I almost always buy it.

I’m not sure how long you’re on clear liquids for (I left the hospital on full liquids) but if they haven’t really given you nutrition advice and are blowing you off the full liquids might help- milk, yogurt, creamy soup bases, … anything that when left at room temperature becomes liquid. The yogurt might help with the probiotics it offers in making your stomach/intestinal issues calm down. Hopefully you’re feeling better soon.

I use loads of spices in pretty much everything. I hate bland foods. Nothing is more boring that bland food.

Nutritional yeast, less cheese than recommended and an immersion blender.

Another day of packed meals. Green smoothie this time with kale, spinach, unsweetened almond milk, strawberries and chocolate protein powder a cheesy broccoli spinach soup I threw together in the instant pot while making the kids dinner (they had Mac and cheese and chicken nuggets). Have to say the soup reminds of the ooze from the TMNT secret of the ooze movie from the 90’s an egg white with furikake and American cheese on an everything bagel thin protein shakes, chocolate almonds, seaweed snacks, a protein bar, freeze dried tangerines, and a beef broth packet my exercise calories look off because it doesn’t account for the fact I sleep during the day and do most of my walking and stuff at night. I’ll break even before i clock in at work.

😂 I also sew and paint of which these are some of my favorite projects- A nightmare before Christmas tote bag, this landscape with gold glitter, a watercolor city skyline, and these super fun pants.

Not this year but I have in the past along with watermelons, tomatoes, and peppers. I’m slowly adding more things to the list.

I’ve always loved soup so I make it a few times a month (even pre surgery I loved soup!). And I keep in the fridge and usually end up eating it for a meal a day while I have it. Meals don’t have to be hard after surgery- yogurt, curries, eggs, roasted meats in light gravies, and smoothies are all staples in my diet. If I make a roast on Sunday I can use it for different things trough the week. One cook and meals for a week with the only though being do I want a burrito bowl or have it with gravy and a veggie mash. It all depends on how much you do or don’t want to do.

I grew my own lettuce for salad! I have enough more for a salad a day for at least a week. 😳 No leftovers for me as it was stolen by a child…. Who is now eating my pumpkin seeds. 😒