I survived my first week back at work.
It was actually pretty nice to be back. I love my job. Just in case you don't know what I do -- I run the Affinity Federal Credit Union Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Affinity Federal Credit Union. With 135,000 members, $2.3 billion in assets under management, and over 400 employees, we are the largest credit union headquartered in New Jersey. Affinity is regularly voted among the best places to work in NJ -- last year we came in at #15. Affinity takes great care of its employees. In addition to the Cadillac of health plans, its generous leave policy made it possible for me to have weight loss surgery and take the time I needed to heal without causing a financial hardship. In fact, it cost me virtually nothing (just my regular $20 co-pay for doctor's visits).
So I was excited to get back to work, back to my amazing team, and back to a more normal routine (though I did enjoy sleeping late, taking naps on the screen porch, and breathing in that refreshing sea air). What I was not excited about, however, was food (I know, who would have ever thought those words would come out of my mouth!).
I really struggled with both the pre- and post-surgical liquid diets. Moving to soft foods gave me more options, and wasn't bad when I was down the shore, and could eat or drink at my own pace. I started reintroducing regular foods the same time I went back to work. Regular for me, though, has a new definition -- mostly lean proteins in the form of fish, chicken, reduced fat cheeses, and eggs. I have also discovered turkey jerky, which tastes great and has 13 grams of protein per ounce, though it is really hard to eat an entire ounce (another thing I would never had thought I would say!).
That is the crux of the challenge for me now -- getting in enough food to hit my daily protein goal of 60+ grams. I can only manage to eat 2 - 2.5 ounces of food at a time. Pushing it to 3 finds me running to the nearest ladies' room. Same with drinking water too quickly, or too soon after I ate. Fortunately, when something needs to come up, it is mostly liquid with just a tiny bit of food. Unfortunately, I get very little warning, so I am becoming quite adept at choosing a seat closets to the door during meetings so that I can make a quick exit. And of course this only happens when I am with other people. Good thing I have great, understanding co-workers.
I don't really miss anything. I haven't had tea or coffee since surgery, though as the weather starts to cool I think I might find myself yearning for a nice cuppa Irish tea. My tummy has so little room in it that I am unwilling to waste it on any food that does not contain large amounts of protein. Though I did have a moment yesterday, while I was in the grocery store.
As I worked my way through the deli department looking for low-fat feta, I rain across a wheel of St. Andre -- a beautiful triple crème cow's milks cheese that is a little more intense, a little more buttery, and a little softer than brie. I discovered this cheese during a visit to Seattle. It pairs beautifully with smoked salmon, a warm crusty baguette, and a nice cold oaky chardonnay -- one of my favorite Friday evening meals, especially after a particularly busy week. In that moment, I was sad.
But then I remembered how well I am doing. As of today I am down 33.6 pounds, and my blood sugar is hovering between 116 and 121 -- almost normal! I am able to walk with relative ease, even choosing parking spots that are further away from the entrance of whatever building I am going to. I am regularly walking over 5,000 steps a day -- not the recommended 10,000, but given that less than a month ago a couldn't walk from here to there without getting winded, I am pretty proud of myself.
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