Time to Eat @ Work?
I am in the process of getting my required appointments in for my insurance before having my RNY surgery. I am an elementary teacher and my lunch schedule time is 1:10-1:30. I am worried and wondering how am I going to get my food down in that period of time? Also, I will need snack time since I eat breakfast at 6:00? Any suggestions? Do I need a blender at school for purified foods? Just trying to look at the road ahead before it comes and be prepared. Any suggestions would be so helpful. Thanks!!
I eat most of my meals in 20 minutes so I think you should be fine. You will only be eating small amounts in the beginning anyway.
What time does school start? If lunch isn't until 1:10 I'm guessing maybe 9 or something? So you could eat a small snack right before you start work. You could also have a protein shake at your desk in class, I would think.
I'm not sure what your surgeon's meal plan is or how long you will be off work. I was only on pureed foods for one week, the second week post op. Most people take at least two weeks off work. But if you do go back to work while still on pureed foods, I would just puree whatever you need to puree at home rather than try to do that at work. I didn't actually puree anything myself, I just ate stuff that is already that consistency, like yogurt, refried beans, mashed potatoes, applesauce, ricotta cheese, etc.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
You will be shocked at how easy it is to not worry about eating early out. I personally drink a protein shake in the morning on my way to taking son to school. At work I eat almonds, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, Pb and Celery, cheese stick with lunch meat for snack. Then for lunches I tend to do chili, ground beef with beans and taco sauce, beef with spaghetti sauce, hard boiled egg with bacon and cheese stick, or sometimes just another shake if the day is super busy. But I always drink my water and eat about 1000-1200 calories at almost 2 years post op.
The amounts of food you will be eating will be very small, so 20 minutes is way more then enough time, even with all the chewing.
Good for you for planning ahead! I doubt you'd need a blender at school - but you willl need to prep stuff the night before. And I'd be prepared for snacks, 6 to 1 is a long time - it sounds like some people, way far out, can go longer periods but I can only go 3 hours before I feel like I'm going to pass out, though I am only a year out. I love Nature Valley protein bars and Kind nut bars, just enough fat/protein to last me several hours, and most of them are low sugar (check carefully though, not all of them are), and you can keep a box in your desk. If you have a fridge, plain greek yogurt with splenda and berries added makes a kicking snack. Good luck!
Definitely find some RTG protein shakes that work for you (I like Premier Protein). A container of greek yogurt, a snack cheese are all you will be able to eat for quite a while. Twenty minutes will be plenty of time. You won't believe how fast you will get full. It depends on your surgeon's plan, but I find 5-6 small meals a day works best for me.
You probably will not be so hungry right off that you need a snack time. Later on you might find you do mostly to keep your blood sugar stable. Maybe not.
20 minutes is doable. You really don't want to take to long to eat. Your new pouch will be like a funnel. If you take too long food passes through and you end up eating more.
