Craving A Big Salad! When? How much?

[momof3_angels 465]

At 1 month post op, I was told I can eat anything (healthy of course) that my stomach could tolerate. Water and Protein first... but then veggies were slowly re-introduced. I actually did quite well with firm veggies pretty early on, but lettuces took months for me to be able to tolerate! I think maybe 4.5 months? I could even eat celery before lettuce believe it or not!. Anyway... once permitted, try soft veggies first and slowly increase to firmer ones. Anything you don't tolerate, set aside and then try again in a few weeks. I sometimes enjoy a good salad now, but I don't eat them too frequently yet.

[Lily66 425]

Here’s an interesting development:

When I started this post 3/26, I was 2 weeks post op, still on liquids, dreaming about eating real food again, never yet having overstepped my Portion Control boundaries with new pouch.

Fast forward to now 5 weeks post op, and my new pouch having made me KEENLY aware that SHE is the new sheriff in town making the decisions on what and how much I will eat, not me. And if I didn’t believe her? Just try it. I did, a few times, I took that last bite that I shouldn’t have taken...😩

Whoa, at 5 weeks I would no more ask when I could eat a BIG salad!😖 The very thought of it reminds me of how sick I would be. The beauty of this “new tool” we have, is that it truly is like Pavlov’s dog...a few times of hearing the bell has a way of shaping behavior, because you sure don’t want to revisit torture again.

Moral of the story, SO much changes in the weeks following surgery, the behavioral changes that I certainly needed. Thanks to all of you veterans who already know this stuff, and patiently guide us newbies along! And yes, of course they “told” me this stuff, but some of us hard heads only learn hard lessons through the fire of experience.