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I realized that every night when I make dinner I make my dinner plate look "pretty" and well balanced. Tonight we had grilled chicken tenderloins and grilled carrots. I know I will not eat the carrots, I'm only 6 weeks out from surgery and will barely get through 3-4oz of my Protein much less veggies.

Yet, every night I put a teaspoon of veggies on my plate to make it look like a "proper meal".

Anyone else do this or am I the only crazy one? lol

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I had the sleeve, so I am generally having a little room for veg, but yes, I like to make things look balanced too, and I use a saucer or small plate to make my serving look more normal, and I bought a few really pretty ones just for me before surgery.

We eat first with our eyes.

I am just so amazed that ONE saucer fills me up, instead of three plates. I am so happy about that!

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I had the sleeve, so I am generally having a little room for veg, but yes, I like to make things look balanced too, and I use a saucer or small plate to make my serving look more normal, and I bought a few really pretty ones just for me before surgery.

We eat first with our eyes.

I am just so amazed that ONE saucer fills me up, instead of three plates. I am so happy about that!

I was sleeved also and I use desert plates ! I would use a saucer but the indentation in the middle for the cup bothers me. I must say smaller plates means less to wash!

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I still have trouble judging my serving size and put too much on my plate. I must admit that my dogs love it because they get the leftovers. They are the first rinse cycle in the washing process.

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I try not to put anything on my plate that i cant or shouldnt eat because if its on the plate im going to want to eat it

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Right now, I am staying with my daughter and her family, so at mealtime, I put a "balanced" meal onto my small plate. I want the boys to see "Granny" eats her veggies. We all should take "one bite" of everything before we decide we don't like something.--just trying to set a good example, I guess.

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@@Nurse_Lenora

After surgery, I love to cook again. I'm almost 2 years out. My salad plate has all my portioned food groups. Some day's I cant eat the whole meal. I place it in the fridge and eat it later. I prefer a fresh ingredient homemade meals.Who needs a fancy restaurant when you can make a plate presentation healthy and pretty.

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I know a lot of people use small plates and utensils but I really like using normal sizes. It keeps me mindful that I am eating small amounts, and I really enjoy that I can be satisfied on so little, it makes me feel more in control. Also it helps for when I am in situations where a plate might be prepared for me. I know how much I should leave (like at a restaurant). Also a small amount of food on a larger plate appears to be fine dining. I have some really nice dinnerware and flatware I purchased not long before surgery and I love to use them.

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Nothing wrong with that, you will be eating that way in the final phase.

Now if you picked up a fork full of food and said "here comes the airplane" as you made it go through airplane loops and turns towards your own mouth, well that might be cause for concern of the people you are eating with to slowly, walk backwards away from the dining room while keeping eye contact with you. :)

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I use my daughter's old Winnie the Pooh plate. Pooh's big stomach sticking out of his shirt reminds me to keep the food to a minimum so I don't end up looking like him...HA HA!. I only put on my plate what I intend to eat. Sometimes I can't eat it all...but if I prepare food for the family I know I can't eat or shouldn't eat...I don't put it on my plate at all. I try to be realistic in my meal portions, because if I take too much...my family won't have enough for seconds...and they all know I hate to waste food.

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I'm only a few months out from surgery myself and I have a hard time gauging appropriate portion sizes so I stick with my salad plates. Even then I fill it up and think "That's not enough" and remind myself I can always get more if I want it. Then I eat and can't finish it. It is still very surprising. I'm one who always loaded up a regular sized plate and still went back for seconds so it's a bit of a mind bender for me!

Edited by needtorecover

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I weigh my food so how it looks on the plates doesn't matter. I do like to see how small 4oz of meat looks on a plate so I can better judge it when I am eating out.

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I always prepare a pretty, balanced plate of food. You are not crazy! We eat with our eyes first.

My nut also taught me from the beginning that I need to eat balanced meals. She does not believe in Protein first. She believes in 2 bites of Protein to every 1 bite of veggies or fruit.< /p>

I always end up with leftovers on my plate because I have very good restriction. I wish I had a dog! LOL!

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    • LeighaTR

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      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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      · 1 reply
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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