Wow, it has been too long friends! I’m sorry for my long absence but I have been navigating life differently since I had RNY Gastric Bypass in January. It was a decision I debated for over two years, and now that I am four months out from it I can tell you that I have zero regrets. It is the best decision I’ve ever made for myself. A quick note, if you just want the recipe then feel free to scroll on down for it. If you’d like to hear more about this journey, keep reading.

With this major life change has come many ups and downs. For one, I don’t enjoy food like I did before. This is coming back as eating gets easier (eating is a huge, high maintenance chore right now). Along the past few months I’ve developed a unique vocabulary. This mainly comes from surrounding myself with my bariatric support groups, but I have noticed it has leaked into my daily lingo, which I find quite amusing. So here are a few things you may hear myself or a friend of yours say, and what they mean.

“My pouch doesn’t like that.” My stomach is now a small little pouch. My husband hates that a call it my pouch but I think it’s funny and I can’t stop. Sorry Patrick, the pouch is here to stay.

“It will make me sick” or “It will make me dump.” After gastric bypass when you use the word “dump” you are referring to Dumping Syndrome, which is basically a horrible feeling of rapid heartbeat, hot flash and vomiting rolled into one. The word dump refers to when food (usually sugar or excessive fat) goes from your pouch to your intestine too quickly. It’s our new bodies new way of saying, “haha, told you that was a poor food choice!”

“I can’t afford to eat that.” Translation: my pouch doesn’t have room for that nonsense because I can barely get my protein in for the day.

“Stacking” When eating: protein first. Always protein first. If you’re still hungry, then you can eat your veggies. Still hungry? Go ahead and have a carb. You shouldn’t still be hungry though, if your getting your fluids in. Which brings me to my next topic…

“Is it Decaf?” Because right now, I mostly drink decaf. Why? Well, fluids with caffeine don’t count toward my fluid intake for the day because they’re dehydrating. See “I can’t afford to eat that”, above.

I know this is a strange post but I wanted to share how different my daily life is now. Don’t worry, I’ll still be posting “regular” food and desserts (I am still part of the Cake Slice Bakers group), but there will be some changes to my regular style. You’ll see more healthier and bariatric-friendly options in the future.

This is also why I chose to post these trail mixes as my first real thing back. One is bariatric-friendly mix that I’ve found extremely helpful on my near-daily hikes. It is packed with protein and healthy carbs and has a small bit of sweet for a well balanced boost. It is the perfect thing for me to have to get through a long hike. The second is a berry chocolate trail mix that my husband loves. It doesn’t have much nutritional bang for the buck but it’s a nice sweet treat for those with a “regular” stomach. Making your own trail mix is so easy and you can customize it to fit any preference or dietary restriction you may have.