December 20, 2009

December 20, 2009
Me, after losing 53 pounds in 2.5 months.

June 3, 2010 (8 months after surgery)

June 3, 2010 (8 months after surgery)
Me, after losing 102 pounds.

January 2011, Zoë's 5th Birthday

January 2011, Zoë's 5th Birthday
Zoë's 5th Birthday, January 2011, 130 pounds lighter and feeling good!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Tiny Pouch VS. Sunday Brunch

  • Keep reading after my post for details on The Eggface Birthday Giveaway!!!

My daughter and I took my husband to brunch at Pickwick & Frolic for Father's Day, yesterday morning.  My parents met us there, which was really nice.  With brunch costing $30.00 per person (except for Zoë, who was free) I knew I would not get my money's worth out of the food.  But we had a good time.  I started with a nice, hot cup of tea.  While everyone ate their first course, I enjoyed my Earl Grey with lemon very much.  After waiting for 15 minutes, I went up to the bar and got a western omelet with tomatoes.  The girl making the omelet must have been new, because what I really got was scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  I also grabbed a mini banana nut muffin, a mini cheese danish, some rotisserie pork, and a piece of bacon.  (Yes, it's a lot of food.  No, I didn't plan to eat it all.)

I sat down across from Zoë, who was eyeing the chocolate fountain.  I very slowly ate 1/3 of my "omelet" and 3 bites of pork. (which was cold, but still yummy.)  Then I ate my mini muffin, and took one bite of the danish, making sure to get the cheese part.  The bacon was just way too greasy, so after one bite, I gave up.  I must have left over 2/3 of what I took (or rather, what was given to me) on my plate.  I did go back for 3 tiny pieces of watermelon and a mini cappuccino cheesecake, of which I had one very tiny bite. (I literally dipped the tip of my spoon into the tiny cheesecake bite, then handed the rest to Bob.)  Oh, and I did dip one strawberry in the chocolate fountain and ate a couple of bites.  That was heavenly!  The chocolate was more dark than milk, and super melty, which was just right for my tastes.

The whole experience was very interesting because I really wanted to eat a bit more, but absolutely could not.   Zoë is the only one who ate less than me...she eats hardly anything.  (1 1/2 rolls, and a marshmallow.)  This is such a different way of life, and I'm still getting used to it.  These days, my pouch can hold 1/2 c- 1 1/2 c of food, depending on the type of food.  Protein fills me up fastest, and that's good.  I don't drink with my meals, because that washes the food through the pouch and then one can eat more than one should.  That's why I had my tea before I ate.

The waiter probably didn't know what to make of me, because he never tried to take my plate, even though it sat untouched for over an hour.  I finally had to tell him I was finished.  What I've learned is that in America, we are expected to be big eaters.  It is the norm.  Now that I am no longer a big eater, I draw concerned looks from waiters at restaurants who think I don't like my food.  Sometimes, I will explain my situation, and sometimes I won't.  Yesterday, I did not.  I simply paid the man, left him a big tip (hey, he did crawl under the table to retrieve the lipstick I dropped) and left feeling satisfied, but not bloated and uncomfortable.  Pretty cool, if you ask me!

Oh...the other thing I've learned is that most of the time, I'll be eating cold food, because I take too darn long to eat!!!  LOL!

And on second thought I DID get my money's worth of food, because everything I ate, I enjoyed very much.



Me, Bob, & Zoë at Pickwick & Frolic.

Zoë at the chocolate fountain.


Father & Daughter.

 ONE MORE THING:  Shelly, who is know to us "losers" as Eggface, is having a fantastic giveaway in honor of the 4 year anniversary of her gastric bypass and her birthday.  For a chance to win an awesome ice cream maker, go to www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com and leave a comment by June 27, 2010.  While you're there, do yourself a favor and read her story.  If she doesn't inspire you, no one will.  Happy Anniversary & Birthday, Shelly!