Post Op Recipies
 

I've been browsing around looking for good post WLS meals so I can put together a little recipe book of sorts in advance, because I don't want to have to eat the same things over and over again! So my question to you is, what do you like to eat now that you've had surgery? I know protein comes first at meal time regardless of your procedure, so how do you like to change it up? What's your favorite way to prepare your veggies? How about snacks? Share your favorite recipes, ideas & links here! :)

oh honey. it changes from day to day. some days what you think will work doesn't, and what you are convinced will upset your system does just fine. so for the beginning, don't worry about recipes. just keep trying things and see what happens.

having said that, be sure to follow your surgeon's recommendations for getting in your protein and water. most of us have found that the plainer the better - thinly sliced deli roast beef might work for you [or it might not]. a little gravy or sauce can help as well.

after that, you can pretty much eat a little bit of anything that you like - as long as you stick to the protein, carb, veggie rules

oh I know, my surgeon/nutritionist has handouts and lists of what to eat and stuff for the first few weeks after surgery, I'm thinking more of once the healing's all done. My diet consisted of lots of frozen, pre-made foods before I started this process. I'm not that experienced at cooking from scratch and I'm kind of a creature of habit, so I've mostly been eating very basic chicken & veggie meals.... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wanna be able to change it up down the line! I've found a lot of stuff so far that's good to cook in bulk & freeze into small servings, good crock pot meals, muffin tin recipes, etc. Basically I'm just looking for some variety once my stomach's all healed and ready to try new things.

though I have also found some puree recipes, which I hope come in handy cause let me tell you, I'm dreading that phase! :lol:

My two favorite websites to look for WLS friendly recipes are:
www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com and www.bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com

Perfect!! I think I'm gonna be saving things from those two links alone for days haha. Thank you!

just a heads-up. I'm all for freezing in single-serve portions and planning. BELIEVE me, i am. However, some of us have this problem with leftovers or frozen things - they just don't sit right. I have no idea why. some people suggested that the food might be drier. so i tried adding more liquid, and SOMETIMES that's worked.

there are some changes in texture that don't alway sit right, too. It's easier if you're cooking to share with other people, though. And i've been doing that, but i still have to be very careful not to have too much stash.

And if i cook something [like 1/2 of a chicken breast on the bone = three meals for me], i plan VERY carefully what will become of that meat. But remember, i'm cooking for me only - there's no one around to eat stuff.

I've been now seven months post op and I thought I can eat everything...but last couple of days nothing agrees with me..not even water...so as Jiffy already said someday one thing agrees with you the next day it just won't ;) I am trying to eat everythig.. All the phases pass so quickly there is really no need to worry about any of them..;)

sleepy - try a temperature change. sometimes eating foods warmer or cooler than usual will help. or drinking warmer water or colder water.

Really? Havent heard that one yet...I will try..thanks Jiffy!

For this reason, my boss (who had WLS) eats a lot of soup.

Thank you very much for the tip! I'll steer away from focusing on make & freeze options and more on small portioned recipes.

Ick, sorry you're having a hard time, that doesn't sound very comfortable at all. Well I suppose that's all the more reason for me to try a little bit of everything post op. I hope so! I mean I know a week or two is nothing in the long run but ugh haha.

Sarah - you'll have to try a lot of different strategies to find the best way for you to live with the surgery. We can only tell you what's worked for us and what hasn't. in fact, no one ever mentioned that food or liquid temperature would come into play. and for you, it might not. and you might do fine with making a meal one day and eating it 3-4 days in a row.

Joe - soup isn't always the best choice for several reasons, although i agree that it really does go down well [at least the smooth ones do]. first of all the food doesnt' stay in the pouch, so there's not as much absorption of nutrients as there could be, and that can be a problem. there's also the issue that we don't re-learn to actually EAT when we consume soup.

but i admit, it's easier, and sure tastes good

I'll be sure to try every route, but seeing what has an effect on other people helps me mentally prepare myself for the possibilities.

My last dietitian visit is tomorrow, it's all coming up so fast!