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Thanksgiving stories



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A few years ago, I decided what I needed was some Elfin bread -- that bread the elves gave Frodo and his pals where one bite keeps you full all day?

Well, today it was as if I had that bread! I had some butternut squash/pumpkin Soup, pureed turkey, pureed mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, and deviled egg. It sounds like a lot but it was actually only two or three very small bites of each. After we went for a walk, I had a couple of bites of chocolate mousse cake and pumpkin cheesecake. I was perfectly content -- not hungry, not stuffed! If this continues, then I'm in heaven! :)

How about you?

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My first two weeks after surgery are what they call the "straw diet" or liquid puree. As long as it can pass through a straw, I can have it (within reason, of course!), but obviously can't use a straw because of extra air. I am allowed to have liquified meat, too, so I didn't miss out on the turkey. ;)

Where I do patrol, there is a restaurant (that has THE best bbq, btw) that does free Thanksgiving dinner every year. So DH and I came up here early before my shift and got dinner. I snagged some turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and like 3 (MUCh tinier than I used to consider "bites!") bites of pumpkin pie. All liquified before going down. It was really nice to not gorge myself. I was still tired after eating (carbs!), but I was not uncomfortable like years past. It was NICE. The food all looked so good and it smelled good, too. But I was able to enjoy just sitting there with my DH, seeing a whole load of friendly people (small town), watching some Cowboys, and not making it all about the food. :) I think I may have had 3 bites of each food I listed.

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Yum Yum all that food sounds delicious :hungry:.

I didn't have any Thanksgiving trimmings this year. But I still had some good conversations and good laughs with family and friends.

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banded 11/21. Thanksgiving day was spent in the hospital. dinner consisted of crystal light, tea and chicken broth....a different kind of celebration but still a celebration

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Well, my family was suppose to go to my parent's, but I just didn't feel like sitting in the car for 3+ hours. On top of it my youngest, Ian was sick. We ended up calling Cracker Barrel and ordering 3 dinners for the 4 of us. We ended up only eating 2 of the dinners. LOL

I had a few bites of turkey. I was afraid it would get stuck. I also had some mashed potatoes with gravy, a little stuffing and sweet potatoes casserole. I also had a couple of bites of pumpkin pie.

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WTG Bobp! And what a celebration it is!

I had a great Thanksgiving. I had a tiny bit of dark meat turkey (my favorite anyway) which I chewed to death, yams (which I have never previously like, but which tasted superb), some green bean casserole, one bite of stuffing and some Jello (just for nostalgias sake). I did also get the stuffing for a deviled egg and a couple of crackers with cheese ball. I ate a total of about 1/3 - 1/2 cup over about 3 hours. (I know more than I should have eaten, but really.....). Then a few hours later I had a couple bites of banana cream pie, and a couple bites of pumpkin cake. Everything was delicious, but it was so nice to just enjoy the company, and not go into a "turkey coma". The only thing I was really sad about was not being able to have homemade rolls. But my darling sister in law made them for me a few ago, so I would have to miss out completely.

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It was definately a different Thanskgiving, but one I didn't mind at all! As we were driving home after our second meal of the day I told my dh that I was absolutely stuffed!

At 11:30 we were at my sister-in-laws. Everything looked and smelled great. The only things I felt like I could eat were a spoonful of sweet potatoe casserole, a spoonfull of green bean casserole, and some mashed potatoes w/ gravy. The turkey looked a little dry, so I was afraid to try any of it. I ate real slow and chewed a lot. Other people with more food on their plates, took less time to eat than I did. Then I had a couple bites of pumpkin pie minus the crust.

Later that night we went over to my mom's house. There I had some cranberry Jello salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and a little bit of turkey shredded and mixed with some gravy. It was heavan! I still only had about a teaspoon of each.

It was so nice to be able to eat basically the same dinner that everyone else was eating, but in way smaller quantities. As I said on the way home I told my husband I felt stuffed like in past years even though I ate a fraction of what I used to.

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I hosted my hubbys family for Turkey Day this year, and they don't know about my surgery, so it was an interesting day to say the least. They are used to seeing me eat 2 plates full of food, and snacking on all the goodies in between. This year, there was No snacking on anything, and I did put small portion of food on my plate and move it around during the dinner conversation, I ate some mashed potatoes and greavy, maybe 3 bites, and I snuck in 1 itty bitty bite of turkey. That was it. Nothing was asid, and I really don't think they noticed, and if they did, nothing was said. Desert time came and it was pie and cake because it's my twins birthdays same day as Thanksgiving this year, I had FF Jello with FF Cool Whip, and again nothing was said. They know I have been trying to lose weight for a long time. Anyways I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgivng !!!!

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Longhorn I love Tolkein by the way!!!!

Thanksgiving was at my house and everyone who came knew about my surgery. My duaghter and mother made the dinner. I was feeling really tired and was very sore for a couple of days prior to Turkey day. I think it was the long days of work I was just worn out.

When it came time to eat, I first fed my 1 year old grandson. While everyone else was diving in to huge plates of food.

I took a small plate and put a small teaspoon of dressing and mash potatoes and gravy and sweet potatoes, and a small bite of shredded turkey that I masticated before swallowing. I ate it slowly and savored the tastes.

I had a baby spoon bite of coconut creme pie and pumpkin pie and that was it. I was not stuffed, never felt hungery and had no pain. It was wonderful not feeling stuffed and wanting to sleep afterwards.

The whole day was fine.

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I was only 2 days post-op so I had some broth and some mashed squash casserole and runny mashed potatoes. It didn't bother me a bit. I stayed out of the kitchen while my mom and sister ate so I wasn't tortured by seeing my favorite meal. We have the same thing at Christmas so I can have a small portion of my favorites.

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I was still on Clear liquids, so I think I had some chicken broth while everyone else ate, but I was ok with that. My family is so supportive. We had a ham dinner at my parents' house this last Monday and I did have some mashed potatoes (now that I'm on full liquids) and a couple very small, well-chewed bites of ham. I am also enjoying not feeling stuffed after a meal, although I rarely feel full, either, which I don't enjoy as much. I'm supposed to eat only up to 1/2 cup of whatever Soup or liquid I have and I am often still hungry. Sometimes I have more because I find I need just a little more to feel satisfied. Sometimes I wait the half hour and drink lots of Water to try to fill up more (or I'll have a Protein drink, since I find it hard to get enough Protein in the soups).

I am looking forward to being able to eat small amounts of almost everything at Christmas, but not overdoing it for the first time in forever!

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    • LeighaTR

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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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