I FINALLY got a job (after almost 2 years of being unemployed). This is my first job since surgery and I'm having a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to handle eating and making sure I'm not starving myself or overeating. I just started working on this past Monday and this week, I've brought the following for food:

Monday: carrot sticks, sandwich (chicken lunch meat and cheese), yogurt

Tuesday: ummm....nothing. It was birthday, along with another woman in the office, so we went to Olive Garden. I ate capellini pomodoro and chocolate cake. Yeah, I know.

Wednesday: leftovers from Olive Garden

Thursday (today): egg salad on a bed of lettuce, mandarin oranges.

And of course Water ALL DAY.

I've been getting up and eating Breakfast, usually consisting of egg white and either 1/2 a piece of wheat bread with sugar free jelly, or egg whites with 1/2 a bagel. I'm kind of lost on what to eat for breakfast, other than eggs, which I'm already sick of. However, by the time 10am rolls around, I'm ready to eat my arm but I just suffer until it's time to eat lunch at 12:30.

Any suggestions on things to take to snack on, or perhaps more filling foods to eat for lunch itself?

Thanks everyone!

I was just sleeved yesterday but the booklet we got from our NUT has breakfast snack, lunch, snack, supper and a snack you can do some lowfat yogurt or cottage cheese or even like string cheese or unsweetened applesauce. Also you can try sugar free jello or pudding. They gave us a guideline of food with less than 15 carbs and less then 5 grams of fat per serving. Hopes this helps.

I get Premier Nutrition Protein bars at Costco and munch on them at my desk during the day. They have 30grams of protein, so they're filling and these actually taste pretty good. Sometimes I also keep some nuts at my desk and eat a few when I feel that hunger twinge. I also try and eat an Activia yogurt every morning, but sometimes I just wait and eat it as a snack between breakfast and lunch.

I usually have turkey sausage for breakfast. I got tired of eggs, and I don't like cottage cheese or oatmeal (things my NUT suggested). I asked her about turkey sausage and she said its fine. Its really filling and I usually eat 3 links or 2 patties. I think its under or around 140 calories, 7 g fat, and 9 g of protein (I think). Maybe try that if its something you like. I also tried turkey bacon and turkey pepparoni, all which are yummy. I put those on a thin tortilla and make pizza...yum! Just a thought. Right now, my snacks are protein shakes. My NUT still wants me on those 2 times a day, and 3-4 meals. I am not working right now and I am worried about going back to work as well. Good luck and congrats on the new job! Keep us posted on how you do.

I'm often gone at school all day, and my favorite approach is to go get a burrito bowl or a pita with lots of vegs and lean protein and pick at it every 3 hours or so. A 9" pita will generally feed me from breakfast til bedtime.

Thanks everyone! I will be trying to incorporate a lot of these in the following weeks.

The worst part about it is I only get 1/2 hr for lunch. Is that normal? LOL it's been so long since I've worked so maybe that's standard, but I feel like I have to wolf down my food. But having some healthy Snacks with me should definitely help out.

Ideas for portable protein:

cheese sticks

greek yogurt

Protein bars (be careful about ingredients, calories, carbs, sugar alcohols, etc.)

hard boiled eggs

protein shakes RTD (ready-to-drink)

beef Jerky (again being careful about nitrates, sugar added, etc....I usually make my own)

cottage cheese ( you can buy little individual cups or just use your own tupperware and fill it and keep it in a cold pack)

I hope you actually get a BREAK ...you SHOULD be having a snack at 10am ...esp. if you are feeling hungry. I think they are legal rules that employers must follow in regards to working x number of hours and getting x number of breaks per hours worked.

I think .5 hour lunch is fine, but then again I'm a contractor (I work for my former employer on a contract basis...no benefits, or legal lunch breaks, etc.) and I used to work 10 hour days and take only .5 hour lunch. It seemed like more than enough time. Now when I work, I never take a lunch break but hardly ever work more than 8 hours in a day. I eat at my desk, because my job is in front of a computer so it's not a big deal to eat and work at the same time. I don't take a lunch because I only get paid for the time worked, so I would rather get in, do my work and get out than take any type of unpaid break.

Ideas for portable protein:

cheese sticks

greek yogurt

Protein bars (be careful about ingredients, calories, carbs, sugar alcohols, etc.)

hard boiled eggs

protein shakes RTD (ready-to-drink)

beef jerky (again being careful about nitrates, sugar added, etc....I usually make my own)

cottage cheese ( you can buy little individual cups or just use your own tupperware and fill it and keep it in a cold pack)

I hope you actually get a BREAK ...you SHOULD be having a snack at 10am ...esp. if you are feeling hungry. I think they are legal rules that employers must follow in regards to working x number of hours and getting x number of breaks per hours worked.

I think .5 hour lunch is fine, but then again I'm a contractor (I work for my former employer on a contract basis...no benefits, or legal lunch breaks, etc.) and I used to work 10 hour days and take only .5 hour lunch. It seemed like more than enough time. Now when I work, I never take a lunch break but hardly ever work more than 8 hours in a day. I eat at my desk, because my job is in front of a computer so it's not a big deal to eat and work at the same time. I don't take a lunch because I only get paid for the time worked, so I would rather get in, do my work and get out than take any type of unpaid break.

I get two 10 minutes breaks, outside of my lunch break. I thought about eating then, but I wasn't sure if 10 minutes was enough time to eat a snack. I'll probably wind up eating at my desk. Too bad I don't even have one yet LOL

Oooooh, I hadn't thought about that. Maybe try to just eat what you can in 10 minutes.

I'm super-fast eater - - I know, I know...not good post-op, but some habits are hard to break and I don't have any trouble eating fast...but mentally I know I need to slow down.

So even if it's only half a cheese stick (or half of whatever snack you bring) at least it would put something in there to get you out of that long zone of empty.