I made my favorite venison chili this evening, and thought I would share how much I can eat and what it actually looks like. It takes me about 20 minutes to eat this amount of chili.

1 cup of chili w/ 2 tbsp. shredded cheese and 3 saltine crackers.

These little bowls are fabulous. They measure 2 cups evenly. They came in a set of bowls in various sizes made by Reynolds. They are to-go bowls found near the Gladware stuff in most retail stores.

Nutritional info on the chili: Serving size 1 cup

395 calories 51 grams Protein

14 grams of fat

12 grams of carbs

Crackers

36 calories

7 carbs

1 fat

1 protein

Shredded Fiesta Cheese 1/3cup (I only used 2 measured tbsp):

110 calories

<1 gram carb

6 grm Protein

9 grm Fat

I'm 4 months out I can only say that for me it has only begun to get easier to injest solid food after about 2.5 months out. You need to take it very slow and easy but eventually chewed food moves through. Many times even after eating a half of a scrambled egg, I would need to get up and walk and stretch my arms up and tap by my esophagus. I was so concerned that I had my surgeon do an upper endoscopy to see if I had any strictures or obstructions and needed stretching. Everyone including my surgeon said it takes time and to have patience. At 4 months I am only beginning to feel "full" like a "normal" full would feel, actually in my stomach! When I tried to move forward sometimes and it got rough I'd just take a step back to mushies even full liquids at times and then slowly progress again with better results...because time passes and I guess the stomach and entire digestive process is adjusting. This was not a minor surgery. Best to you....keep trying and take it slow.

Hooray for me girls! I had tuna!!! and it didn't even hurt me. . . went down really well. . .I left some of the Water in it and mixed some yellow mustard with it, 2oz took me about 20 minutes to eat and 1 stick of string cheese. . . wow it was amazing! Sorry just a little victory thingy here for me. . . sounds stupid i know. . . but at least i know tuna isn't going to kill me. . . hehehehehe

Congrats to you I know it feels great when I am able to eat something without discomfort...good for you!

Tiffykins,

I'm told you can find bison at Whole Foods in Florida....probably expensive though. I'm fortunate that there's a bison farm here in the area.

I have not tried tuna yet, mainly because it does not sound good. I think sometime next week I will give it a try. I usually love it, so I'm sure it will be fine. I'm stuck on refried Beans, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds. That is about it.

Good luck everyone!

Tiffykins,

I'm told you can find bison at Whole Foods in Florida....probably expensive though. I'm fortunate that there's a bison farm here in the area.

Unfortunately, the closest Whole Foods from us is either in New Orleans, LA, (4 hour drive) or Birmingham, AL (5-6 hours, or Jacksonville, FL (about 5.5 hours).

We're up in the NW panhandle of Florida, and it's pretty rural and all military. I asked the commissary manager yesterday, and she said she would see what could be done, but she's never seen it carried at commissaries. I'm checking some of the higher end grocery stores in our area.

YAY, I found some ground buffalo at Publix supermarket. They have a good variety of organic and higher end produce. Looks like I'll be making a trip up there within the next couple of weeks. I only have 3 pounds of ground venison, and a couple packages of some venison round steaks.

He said they carry frozen bison steaks and buffalo steak strips in their frozen food department.

I'm so excited ! ! !

Thanks for the tip.

I have not tried tuna yet, mainly because it does not sound good. I think sometime next week I will give it a try. I usually love it, so I'm sure it will be fine. I'm stuck on refried Beans, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds. That is about it.

Good luck everyone!

Almonds? Are you allowed that? doesn't that hurt? the tuna went really good, just take really small amounts and chew like nobody's business. . . took me about 20 minutes or so, but did it ever sit good. . . . kept me full for 6 hours too. . . loved it. . .

Thinoneday

You know I thought it was okay to have alomonds, and then you wrote that. I looked it up on my list and they are NOT on there! OMG I don't know why I thought they were. Oh well I have not had many and I chew everything to smithereens!!! Lap band teaches you that! I guess I better take them off of my nummy list, I still can't believe I ate something not on my list. I think I will try tuna, I just looked it up and yup it's on there!!

Thanks for the heads up!

Almonds? Are you allowed that? doesn't that hurt? the tuna went really good, just take really small amounts and chew like nobody's business. . . took me about 20 minutes or so, but did it ever sit good. . . . kept me full for 6 hours too. . . loved it. . .

I have not tried tuna yet, mainly because it does not sound good. I think sometime next week I will give it a try. I usually love it, so I'm sure it will be fine. I'm stuck on refried Beans, fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds. That is about it.

Good luck everyone!

I hope you will still be able to enjoy tuna. I used to really like solid white tuna and since the surgery it repulses me. Your fortunate to be able to eat fruit. I can't eat any fruit at all since the surgery unless it is out of a baby food jar. Let us know how the tuna goes.