IDEAS FOR QUICK AND EASY PUREED FOOD AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS

Pureed food can be boring and uninspiring, and when you can only eat a few teaspoons of it anyway it hardly seems worth making it ,

Here are some extra ideas which involve minimum effort and which you can use in addition to your post-op diet sheet for more inspiration when you really feel like you can't be bothered!

• BABY FOOD - yes really! The stage one / 4 month+ food is completely pureed, otherwise you will have to puree it yourself to make sure it is completely smooth. The pouches you can get are especially brilliant for measuring out a small portion from. I have taken a liking to the cottage pie - it has protein, vegetables, a lovely smooth texture and, once mixed with gravy to make it thinner, a lovely taste! Yum!
• PLAIN YOGHURT WITH PUREED FRUIT (use soya if lactose intolerant). Again, the pouches of pureed fruit for babies are great for this purpose as you can squeeze out the amount you want and then put the lid back on, no mess. Much cleaner and easier (but lazier!) than making your own puree!
• CREATIVE MASHED POTATO - puree it if necessary to make sure there are no lumps then get creative! Cheese spread or Philadelphia mix in well and add protein, as do pureed baked beans. Make sure you also use plenty of liquid when mixing so that you end up with a consistency that will run off a spoon rather than being gloopy and thick.
• SMASH - all of the above but quicker! I had a really tasty combination of smash, philadelphia and bbq sauce yesterday, with plenty of milk to make it thin enough
• THICK SOUP with added protein powder / milk powder if made with vegetables only, or try to include high protein ingredients such as meat or beans. I also found that a CUP A SOUP with protein powder added and milk to make it creamier was actually quite a tasty option, especially when still on liquids but even now as a snack.
• BREAKFAST CEREAL such as weetabix or porridge, mixed to a runny consistency with no lumps.

DONT FORGET THAT MOST FOODS ARE SUITABLE IF THEY CAN BE PUREED TO A CUSTARD-LIKE CONSISTENCY, SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF SPECIAL MEALS.

 

These are just extra ideas in addition to the ones your dietitian has already suggested, as sometimes we just need a quick and easy fix!

Three Weeks Post-op (after gastric bypass revision)

So, that's the background story!

It is now three and a half weeks since my surgery, and everything seems to be going well. I have lost over two stone in weight (yes, really!) and already had to buy a few new clothes so I have got something to wear that doesn't resemble a clown's outfit!

Food-wise, I don't feel physically hungry at all and a meal at the moment consists of 3-4 teaspoons of pureed food before I am full. I am finding it difficult to juggle meal times plus taking all my medication and getting enough fluids in, but I guess over time it will get easier. I am sure I feel more restricted this time, possibly due to the fobi ring?

I have had a few mental cravings for food, mainly when I see family members eating something nice or smell their meals cooking. I seem to be able to cope with this better than I did after the first surgery, possibly because I have more of an idea of what to expect from the surgery and know that my food intake will increase slightly in the future. I can see why it would be easier living alone though! They had pizza hut takeaway yesterday and I really felt like I could sit on the floor and cry!

But it will all be worth it! The feeling I got from needing to buy smaller clothes already was amazing!

My incision wounds have healed well with no infections or problems. I am looking forward to 6 weeks post-op when I can go swimming so I am glad that my wounds will not be a problem in that respect.

At the moment, I am very glad that I made the decision to have revision surgery. My life had become intolerable due to my weight, and it was holding me back from making positive changes that would help me recover from depression. Or it seemed like that anyway. So hopefully losing weight will contribute to helping me find a life for myself that I actually want to be living.