Feeding My Sleeve

It is simply gorgeous in Southern Illinois today.  The temperature is a comfy 70 degrees F, the sun is out, wind is mild and it's just beautiful.  When I got dressed this morning, I found that I had no clothes that were really appropriate for this weather.  Almost every piece of clothing I own is too big for me now.  I'm down to a couple t-shirts and a couple pair of jeans.  So, I decided to go shopping.  I went to Cato (one of my favorite stores) and right there in the fitting room, I felt like crying tears of joy.  I could wear a size 20!  Only four months ago, I was in a 26/28.  Wow, just amazing.  So, I bought two pair of capris, three shirts and a pair of flip flops.  I wasn't going to buy any new clothes for awhile, was going to hit up some thrift shops, but I just couldn't resist.  It really has been a happy day because of this, so proud of myself.  Yet, I'm still in disbelief.  My mom says she's very proud of me, everyone says I look great.  Even a former boyfriend (who I'm still on good terms with obviously) said that there is a dramatic difference.  I really needed this today.  I've been a little discouraged because I've been on a stall.  The stall came about a week and half ago, while I was sick with the flu and just starting purees.  Now, I'm on soft foods and the scale still isn't budging.  I hope it starts back up soon.  I will go see my surgeon tomorrow for my one month followup.

You may be wondering what I can eat now.  I've moved on to soft foods.  Things that can be chewed easily and are soft. Tonight, I made dinner for my family for the first time post-op.  Actually, that's not true.  I've made convenience foods for them, but last night is the first night I've actually made something nice that I can sit down and eat, too.  I made steak, green beans and au gratin potatoes.  Wait, you say?  I'm not supposed to eat steak?  Well, this steak is incredibly tender, and I could actually cut it with a fork.  It's simple to chew and feels fine in my sleeve, so I'm counting it as a soft food.  It's Loggins New York Strip Steak and I found it in the frozen meat section at Walmart.  They were a little pricey, but considering I used to pay about $8 per ribeye, I figured it's a fair trade off.   They aren't as tasty as a ribeye, but it'll have to do for now.

Above, you see a photo of my dinner plate before I began eating.  Note that it's not a full size plate, it's a salad plate.  Also, please excuse my table.  It's a hand me down that's been handed down many times.  I'm planning on buying a nice dining room set in the very near future.  What you see is 3 oz of New York Strip Steak, 1 Tbsp of green beans and 1.5 Tbsp of au gratin potatoes.

 

 To the right, you see my finished plate.  I ate about 1/2 of the 3 oz. steak, most of the green beans and about 1/4 of the potatoes.  I'm full.  Notice my fork has some potatoes on it.  I was about to take another bite, but then I started to "feel" it and knew it was time to stop.  Okay folks, here's the tally for my dinner:

Calories:  68
Protein:  8.4 grams
Carbs:  3.3 grams
Fat:  2 grams

I was very satisfied.  Dinner was great!