Pass the Gravy, Please...

So, I'm now on the last phase of the recovery diet plan. This means that I can begin to introduce real food to my life again. WOW! that sounded so wonderful! ...and I could not wait to have an actual dinner with the family. 

Thanksgiving was lift off.  

I love Thanksgiving. It is the only time that I enjoy cooking. My grandson could eat an entire turkey by himself! He LOVES food and it is a joy to watch him. His football coach continues to encourage him to bulk up, so eating is not an issue for him. I cooked for two days with heavenly anticipation. I was careful... sticking to soft foods (easy at Thanksgiving — mashed potatoes & dressing!) and making certain the turkey was moistened with gravy. No problem there!!! And then I think I ate about 5 bites and was done. That was a good thing.  I felt satisfied and was thrilled.  

Fast forward to the next day.

Blood sugar was elevated a bit, resulting in an insulin injection which always makes me ill. Needing to eat, I tried a scrambled egg and apparently ate it too fast. The resulting pain is up there on the same scale as a kidney stone. I swear — it does not let up — and is excruciating. It takes time for the food to pass through the itty bitty opening — so add being nauseated to the pain and it was a day to remember.  That is the bad part of all of this. Every day is an experiment with my new body (planned or unplanned!).

Remembering to eat slowly and chew to a pulp is something that I struggle with.  I've always grabbed something to eat on the run and washed it down with a glass of water. Not so much anymore. All these behaviors that we have known for years and never follow are now coming back in spades. Eat slowly... Put your fork down between bites... Do not drink while eating.  

When I was in Italy, dinner was a two hour affair.  Everyone visited and enjoyed the time together — how did we get so far away from the old traditions?  Now food is gobbled up in less than 10 minutes and no one talks about their day.  Unless they text.  No wonder we are an obese nation!