Before & After - Pix of my meals

[ccjll 177]

Hi y'all!

So I made my favorite meal tonight and a few interesting things happened so I thought I'd share. First of all, cooking, for me, is a labor of love - I love food, I like to experience it and I find cooking gives me a sense of comfort, especially now that I am very limited in what I eat and how much I eat. Some might think that it's torture - kind of like an alcoholic around a pitcher of margaritas, but for me I'm coming to terms with the fact that I can still cook and make fantastic food - I just will only eat and taste a little bit - as much as my band will tolerate and lately it's not much - thank goodness, since that's the reason I got the band to begin with... so here is a picture of the plate of food that I would have eaten 4+ months ago before my surgery: . I would have followed this an hour or so later with Cookies and milk or ice cream or cake.

And here is what I ate tonight and I won't eat anything else until tomorrow after 10:00 and be satisfied (well almost)

Still very tasty and satisfying only so much less for my body to process and break down - see this is what it feels like to be happy with the band.

I'm a good cook and my family is lucky to have me - LOL. Oh - so what is it, it's homemade chicken cordon blue with chicken au jus, rice and roasted brussel sprouts & asparagus with pancetta and a balsamic glaze - it was fantastic - I used Tyler Florence's Ultimate CCB recipe - it's been my fav for 7+ years - definitely company worthy but I felt like cooking today so made it for our Tuesday dinner LOL.

so the other interesting tidbit...

On a different note but same dinner - curious if you ever feel like this - I got a little pissy at the dinner table because I just cannot eat it like a used to (I would say normal, like take normal bites and eat fork after fork over a 10-15 minute period vs cutting each bite up really small and chewing and chewing until it's mushy) and it's an adjustment and I just got short and snappy and kind of took it out on my husband - I'm self aware but disappointed that eating gets me edgy b/c it's hard to eat and I have to accept that I just cannot eat anymore than a little bit - that's what I signed up for but when the food is that good it kind of sucks - just being honest - I'll get over it - already am - but just wanted to voice that I think it sucks tonight - such is life for chubby me it's worth it but just part of the work that it takes. I hope some of you can relate... curious???

peace

[2muchfun 8,927]

Looks yummy whatever it is?

[terrydumont46 1,954]

I too am a cook. I make food whenever I am hungry for it. I don't ever eat it I make it for my family. I discovered baking after I had surgery. I love the rise of bread and the smell it makes as it cooks. my neighbors really enjoy it too. I never leave anything for long. so they get whatever my husband can't eat in one day. and now my daughter has moved just miles from me so I have someone else to chop, dice and slice for. tonight I made a peach cobbler from scratch. so as you, my cooking is a labor of love and it makes me feel good to make good food.