One week from today I will continue on my phase 5 journey with food but adding another ounce to my intake making it 4oz. So after eating real protein for a few weeks now I wonder if anyone else is dealing with the mindfulness issue of chewing, and choosing and thinking so much about food. I’m allowed 3oz. Per meal 3x a day. No breads, pasta, rice basically no carbs and some fresh veggies. No fruits, sugars, juices. And then I have to chew my protein til it’s the consistency of applesauce and taking about a half hour to eat it. I’m still supplementing protein, taking vitamins 3x a day etc etc you get the picture. I feel so overwhelmed with all the thinking I have to do about food. I’m not a grazer but I used to be grab and go. And I miss my coffee?. Any stories to share about how it’s going with you?

Edited February 26, 20215 yr by Cherié H
Forgot a word

Hi Cherie,

I was just telling my boyfriend that even though I'm not eating as much I feel like I'm always eating or drinking! I'm still on puree/ soft foods so I have to chew everything up to mush. I prefer to chew then blend it down but then it takes 1-2 hours to eat every meal. It also takes some time to drink. I thought I drank a lot of water before but clearly that was a lie. Lol. If I don't put a timer for my water, I don't reach my goals. The only time I feel like I'm not eating or drinking is the 30 minutes of wait time between food and water. Thankfully I teach from home so its doable. When I taught in the building I barely had 10 mins to myself, I couldn't possibly do this.

I'm 7 months out from gastric bypass, and my new relationship with food is still a challenge, but a little easier as I get used to it.

I was told to eat 3 meals per day and avoid snacks, and I've been really strict about sticking to that. The only things I have between meals are sugar-free Jello or popsicles, 0-calorie or low-calorie beverages, and protein shakes. And of course the three meals I eat are still very small (~4 ounces each) and have to be mostly protein. I have a rotation of go-to meals that I eat all the time, and they're mostly things I can prepare and freeze in individual portions. It feels really limiting sometimes to know that I can only pick three things to eat each day. I keep finding delicious-looking recipes on Pinterest that I want to try, but there's sort of a waiting list to get new meals onto my menu. It's especially hard when I buy fresh vegetables and it's a race against time to eat them before they go bad.

I usually eat with a tiny fork or spoon to help me take small bites, and I set a timer to go off every 30 seconds. I take a bite, chew for ~30 seconds, then wait 30 seconds until the next bite. Now, I've read about the benefits of "mindful eating" and how you should eat without distractions, not eat in front of the TV or computer, etc., but I would go INSANE if I tried to eat this way and had nothing to do while waiting for the next bite. I'm always doing something else while eating, whether it's watching TV/YouTube, scrolling through Facebook, working, etc. Sometimes I eat lunch while working, and I don't take my next bite until I finish a task. I can make a protein bar last over an hour that way. I don't know, maybe this is a bad habit, but it's how I roll...

It's also kind of hard to get used to taking so many pills, but I've gotten a pretty good routine down. The challenge is that I have to take calcium 3x/day and iron 2x/day, which have to be at least 2 hours apart from one another and at least 4 hours apart from my thyroid medication. I use an app called Medisafe to remind me at specific times (at this point, I remember on my own, but I still like to track when I take them), and it also tracks how many I have left so I know when to refill or reorder.

It does kind of feel like this stuff has taken over my life sometimes, especially if I include my daily workout plus walking, and it seems like A LOT because I spent so many years not thinking much about what or when I was eating, not taking any pills, not exercising. But it's gotten a little easier over time as it's become part of my life and part of my routine.

Ty Sue I got a lot out of your share. Some good tips/ideas. Good to know others experience some of the same issues