So by now I am a few weeks into my new Lap Band and Plication Surgery and have noted several interesting tidbits:

• I get full on liquids pretty quickly
• I can sit at a table in a restaurant with others ordering some of my “favorite things” and be totally repulsed by the food when it shows up no matter how good it smells or how beautifully it is presented
• With a cheesy pizza on my right, a barbecue pork sandwich with onion straws and black beans on my left, the only thing besides my yummy tomato bisque soup that looked good to me was the stir fry with tofu.  Interesting because I don’t like tofu.  I think it was the broccoli calling to me
• Last week I was at an upscale restaurant in Riverside CA where their special of the evening was a beautiful seafood buffet.  Shrimp, crab legs, fish prepared several ways, salads and a dessert table worthy of a wedding party and none of it was actually appetizing yet.  The shrimp and crab legs called to me a bit, but I knew I couldn’t eat them so it was easy to just walk by it all and note that it was nicely done.
• If I miss getting some calories in at about 3 hours since my last I start getting cold, shaky and headachy.
• I am looking forward to starting soft foods but not with the intense need of the first time I had surgery.

Those are just a few of the differences I noted. 

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day I started soft foods.  My first non-liquid food was 1 egg scrambled with some lite mozzarella cheese.  Had some soup later as I prepared for my dinner guests, and just before they were due to arrive I made a protein shake.  They had cheese spreads and crackers, veggies and Tzaziki, wine, and root beer as I sipped first my protein shake, then water.

Dinner was served - curried pumpkin apple soup, turkey, chestnut dressing, maple glazed yams with pecans and cranberries, green beans with slivered almonds.  And, my dinner was a small baked yam mashed with a little cinnamon to sweeten it.  It was delicious and filling. 

We cleaned up from dinner after a while and proceeded to spirited egg nog, more wine, and water for me.  We were playing a hysterically funny game of Trivial Pursuit in teams and did more laughing than question answering.  It’s all about family and fun.

Here comes dessert - pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and for me a little pumpkin protein pudding.  Hot chocolates, lots of whipped cream all over the place, and coffee for the others - while I waited my 30 minutes to start drinking water.

It was a great day!  Everyone had fun, the food was good, the company fabulous, and I stayed totally on my program.

What could be a better start to a successful holiday season?

Another random thought as I headed back to the gym for the first time since surgery.  Had a BIG Learning today.  At 7:40 when I left for the gym I had had 3 cups of warm tea before I made my protein drink.  First sip of the protein drink...HMMMMM my new band is not super happy with it.  Had to take teeny tiny sips in order to get 1/2 of it down before my gym time.  I needed the fuel for my body.  My first food has been an hour or two later than this, and has been warm.  I still have half of it sitting next to me and will finish some more water before I attempt it - or I may toss it, and make something warm when I am hungry again - NOT HUNGRY NOW and loving it!

I got 16 minutes done on the elliptical my first day back to the gym, did a mile in 15:30.  Not fast, but done.  It felt great to raise my heart rate and to sweat a little.  Back again tomorrow and I’ll shoot for 20 minutes as my goal.

Tuesday got 21 minutes on the elliptical and 1.25 miles total.  I’ll take it.  Slow and steady will win the race.  Still easily staying under 900 calories a day, creating fun soft foods that I never thought of first time around.

Wednesday I did 16 minutes on the elliptical.  My mile was in 14:30 so I am getting faster without pushing myself.  The first 5 minutes still are HARD!  Then I did a ½ hour of strength training with my trainer.  We are respecting my doctor’s weight restrictions and going very easy.  It was even more difficult than Day 1 on the elliptical.  Felt like a weak kitten when I was done, and had to stop several times to rest.  My fitness goal for 2014 is to return to my pre-surgery fitness level.

Stay tuned.