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Hi all, I am struggling with what to eat for the stage 2 diet which is soft/pureed foods. what are some tasty things? fulfilling? Let me know Thanks!

What soft foods did you eat ?

Just wondering if anyone has experience using one of those 'Baby food maker' appliances to make the pureed food after VSG surgery? They are quite cheap on Amazon.ca and look very easy to use - I know if there is lots of effort involved I will find it hard make a varied diet of pureed foods.

Ok, so my pre Op plan allows for free grazing on low carb veggies, salad items etc, and one serve of healthy fat per day. So rather than munch on celery orcarrot sticks (which I do also love) I thought why not make them into a faux wrap with Lettuce and avo. I only ate one with broth for lunch, but wow it was great! Anyone else getting a bit creative with their diet?

Like weight loss before and after photos but of your new diet ! I'm especially interested in before and after meal photos (take a pic at the point you feel restriction) but it can be of recipe substitutions, your refrigerator/pantry/shopping cart/etc VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

I am really struggling with tracking my food. I have tried many different trackers, both digital and paper but I just can’t seem to stick to it. I have ADHD, time blindness and object impermanence (out of sight out of mind). The crazy thing is that even when I eat, I do not think “Oh I need to write this down” never. It just doesn’t occur to me. I recently switched to clear acrylic tumblers because I still wasn’t meeting my water goals. I bought (2) 40 ounce tumblers so I only have to refill it once. This has been working for me. The goal is 64 ounces of water per day so if I don’t completely finish the refill as long as I get below 1/2 on the second round I am good. Switching to the acrylic tumblers helped with my out-of-sight-out-of-mind issues so now I can see exactly how much water is in the tumbler as opposed to others where I had no idea… it’s just a bottle… wonder how much is in it? LOL I have a huge aversion to meticulous counting. I bought Japanese-style condiment dishes to use as plates/bowls to control portion sizes. They hold approximately 3 oz of food. I also purchased multiple sets of pretty “toddler” flatware that matched my regular flatware… it’s just smaller…. This controls my “bite size”. So, how I do go about hacking my brain to be able to track food? Because even if I do remember to do it at the end of the day, it is inevitable that I will miss something or not remember exactly how much I ate. The memory clarity/issues are a daily struggle. I struggle using digital apps with my all or nothing brain. I have an iPhone and iPad and use native apps like Reminders, Notes and Calendar to move through the day. I really don’t want one.more.app.to.keep.up.with… but I am willing to try if someone has found something that works for spicy brains. Does anybody else struggle with this? How did you work through it?

What did a daily day look like? Mine is mainly chicken nuggets and string cheese both because of restriction and limited recipes despite searching When did you have bread? Even low carb? The only I found is sarah Lee? Low carb tortilla? Did you start eating out? What were your favorite bariatric friendly go to?

I've always loved a little kick to my eats, but about a year post-op it hit me that I ONLY desire to eat foods which are spicy. Mexican, Thai food, and everything in between! Last time I had pizza it was pepperoni with jalapenos, I then showed it in red peppers, then even put sriracha on it! Any one else feel an affinity for spicy food post-op? I wonder why this is.. (definitely not pregnant)

So I am day 6 into soft food and I am very quickly remembering how much food I wasted with my sleeve since my hubby eats like a bird too and it’s just us. I am going to try freezing stuff this time. I made Turkey meatballs and lean beef chili and froze them already but I’m wondering if I can freeze the Turkey Taco filling I made last night. I assume the Guacamole and Pico I will just have to make less next time but I would like to at least freeze the meat if I can. Is there a trick to it or will the freezer ziplocks work?

When you guys log your food into the tracking apps when do you weigh or measure food. For instance meat weighs the most out of freezer and the least after it’s cooked. I assume I’m not supposed to input the frozen weight but do I use the thawed weight or the cooked weight. Also with like rice, do I enter the dry measurement or the cooked one which is twice as much. Further for like veggies would I measure in cups before or after it’s cooked?? Just trying to be the most accurate I can but these seem to make pretty big differences.

Hi - Protein shakes were driving me NUTS. I am at the very end of full liquids and beginning to introduce pureed food. However my purees are on the liquidier side because it is what I can handle. You can add less liquid to this recipe if your tummy can handle thicker stuff. I was so wanting something savory. I've been basically living off premier protein chocolate shakes and broth based soups with flavorless protein added (for awhile this was truly all I could handle otherwise I would feel quite ill) but - now I am trying more things gradually. Note - this serves probably like 6-8 servings? Maybe more? I haven't measured. I just eat a few spoonfuls and don't over-do it. Ingredients 🔸4 hard boiled eggs 🔸1.5 tbsp mayo (I used chosen foods - because it's paleo and doesn't have inflammatory oils - I was paleo before surgery and before pre-op even to help manage my PCOS symptoms) 🔸1 stalk celery chopped 🔸A dash of Himalayan Pink Salt 🔸A dash of Onion Salt (I used Trader Joe's brand) 🔸1/4C Pickle Juice (this is the liquidy element that helped me) Directions 🔹 Throw everything into the blender and blend until completely smooth. 🔹 Store and refrigerate. I tend to eat 2 oz servings at a time. Additional notes - you can probably add more seasoning to this if you're able to tolerate. Since I am so early on I wanted to keep it very simple and easy to digest. I loved loved loved this meal. Hope yours turn out great 👍

Ever since switching to more of a plant based diet, I've noticed some positive changes. For one, its been easier to stay hydrated. I eat quite a few vegetables daily that have the highest Water content of any food. Below is an interesting article that lists such foods. Cucumbers just happen to be number 1 since they are about 98% water. I actually find that I crave cucumbers and apple cider vinegar during the day. Apple cider vinegar is wonderful for vitality and overall health. I've already written a long post about it a few months back, but I do recommend it for decreasing hunger and increasing energy. Ever since hitting goal, I've grown respect for fresh fruits and vegetables. The surgery has perhaps made them more appealing? Anyone else notice this? http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html

Ok...so...when you have a food allergy, even a "mild" one, take it seriously. I'm allergic to peanuts and shellfish. With shellfish, it's literally life and death. I can't even be in the room when it's being cooked because the proteins in the air set me off. It's really that bad. I go into anaphylactic shock and I was told if it happens 1 or 2 more times, I could very likely die. So...no shellfish, which breaks my heart because me an crab legs...omg. Love affair for the ages. But peanuts.....that's not bad like shellfish. My mistake was comparing it to the shellfish. I was told my shellfish allergy is the worst case my doctor has ever seen. So comparing anything to it is not smart. But that's what my stupid a$$ did. I forgot that every time I eat something I'm allergic to the reaction gets worse. Well, I'll never EVER forget it now. I ate 2 Kind bars. I bought them because there was no mention of peanuts (ordered them from the Starbucks app). Only mentioned almonds. YUMMY!!! We love almonds. WooHoo!!! Hubby goes to get my Kind bars and my drink and comes back and tells me there's peanuts in them. I think "well, there's not a huge amount because there's more than 1 kind of nut, and my reaction has always been fairly mild, so I should be ok" (tingles in my lips and tongue, slightly nauseous and mildly light headed, but over in 15 or 20 minutes) so I figured I could eat them and deal with the reaction for maybe 30 minutes or so and then be on my way. WRONG!!!!! To be fair, hubby said I shouldn't eat them but I did anyway. Within 10 minutes of eating them, my usual symptoms set in. Ok, I was ready for that. Within another 10 minutes, the nausea got worse, I got super shaky, and the light headedness increased. Sucks, but still not the end of the world. 10 minutes later, the absolute sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach started. It hurt so bad I couldn't catch my breath and I couldn't stand up straight. It increasingly got worse and worse. I couldn't sit, stand, or lay comfortably at all. It took 30 minutes for it to get this bad. I dealt with it for an hour, then the throwing up started. And throwing up. And throwing up. OMG... Once I was done and brushed my teeth, I went and laid down and fell asleep until now (3:30am). I slept for about 6 hours (not peacefully, but still slept). I feel a lot better except I'm weak, tired, and a little nauseous still. Hoping to go back to sleep soon. But let this be a reminder that even MILD food allergies can escalate out of nowhere and become major ones. Anything peanut related is like the devil as far as I'm concerned. Now I know I have a major peanut allergy and will NEVER even think about testing it out again. Hoping to feel better soon because OMG this is absolute bull$%#t!!!.

What to do when food gets stuck? I ate this morning and it feels like its still there!! Stuck right in my chest area!! Should I go vomit!! I can't take this feeling!!! HELP!!!

Hi all! New to the forum and this site. So, I just had roux en y gastric bypass on Monday, and I'm feeling a bit lost, scared, and anxious. I'm so worried I'll never be able to enjoy some of my favorite foods again. I guess I didn't realize that gastric bypass was so restrictive. My Dr recommend it because I have trouble with heartburn and said this would be a good option. I guess I'm just looking for encouragement - if I know I can have some of my favorite foods at some point down the road, I'd feel a lot better, but everything I look up seems like I can never eat again. Do any of you have experience eating any of the following foods sparingly, or are they gone from my life forever? Tacos, mac and cheese, ice cream, chips and queso or guac, falafel, pad thai? Please know I am aware these are not healthful food choices and my love for these foods got me to where I am today, but can I ever eat them again in any capacity? Thanks for your kindness to this emotionally struggling newbie. I'm scared I made the wrong choice and just reaching out to the void for people who have experienced these panicky feelings. Thanks!

So I have been making sure that I hit 100g or more of protein every day. I typically am low carb (under 60g) low fat (under 20g). I like to be adventurous with my food and I enjoy finding new recipes that fit into my macros. However, this last month I have been trying to find recipes that are yummy and fulfill my sweet tooth without going for the ice cream, or candy. One that I discovered was a Greek Yogurt Cheesecake: 1 container of Greek yogurt (i have used Dannons light and fit , 1Tbls of SF FF Cheesecake pudding mix, 1TBL of reduced fat whip. its 115cal 12g of protein, .5g fat and 15g carbs. (you can use any variation of yogurts and pudding mixes). Carbs are higher that I would usually eat but if you have a hard workout day and have it to spare this is the best treat! Also I did not know that Splenda made a brown sugar?! So diced up apples with some spray butter and 1tbls of that brown sugar and bake to soften. You can add it to a little plain Greek yogurt or eat it as it with a dollop of low fat cool whip. I have been finding that I need to have stuff like this in my diet in order to not go off track. Not everyday, but days where all I want to do is eat chocolate or ice cream. I have been following this mom of 3 that lost 50lbs through exercise and diet, she has a ton of recipes. All her single serving recipes easily make 2-3 servings for us bariatric folk, but its healthy and realistic for those people who don't want to restrict forever. Anyone else have some yummy recipes?! Or does anyone think this might cause a slippery slope?

Hello everyone. I am post-op, had my first doctor's visit one month ago and scheduled for my second on 04/19. I am doing my best to read all of the literature provided to me as well as what I can find online. I am struggling with the thought of pureeing food. I just don't think I could bring myself to consume meat, vegetables or eggs that have been pureed. It sounds disgusting! Is this something that is a MUST or can we supplement with protein drinks? All input is appreciated. :0)

Hi, just looking for ideas of what might be going on. Side the day after surgery, I've been having issues with vomiting for several hours after eating. Not every meal, not even every day, but usually one a week. I do ok with purees now, but no solid food patterns are appearing. Even I say hours, I mean hours. Like, up to 12 hours is the longest so far. Throwing up food for several of those hours, then water the rest. I can eat or drink during this time - it comes right back up. I've had to get fluids, thiamine, and anti-emetics by iv twice now in 3 weeks. I've had an upper gi/ small bowel study done - liquids only - and everything was fine. My labs are fine, mainly because I'm diligent about my meds on days when I can take them. My surgeon won't do anything else because the gi study came back normal. Has anyone else ever dealt with this? Or any suggestions from anyone? I have an ultrasound scheduled to check my gallbladder, but I dint think it's that since my liver enzymes are perfect. I'm at my wit's end - I can't sleep, can't work, can't lie down, can't do anything except sit there and vomit every 10-20 minutes - literally. Just looking for some kind of hope at this point. Thank you for reading this far.

Since I know I am going to have track my food, weight & supplements etc. very closely, I wanted to combine this with my love of journaling so it wont be such a pain (hopefully!) Does anyone use journals for tracking post surgery? looking for ideas on page layout, what's necessary to include, cute stickers etc. I figure the more fun I make this, the more likely I will actually keep at it and do it properly 🤞😉

What are safe foods at Mexican restaurants? 3 week post op

Starting 26 and can’t wait - allowed decaf tea and coffee as tolerated - what’s your experience with coffee? How did you make profee? What was a days eating like to wean off shakes and switch to food like? How was the first bite?

I tried lots of pureed foods but as I had already had issues with food smells, the look of pureed food was not for me. I managed home made thick blended soups with lentils and cheese for the protein. It was an unpleasant time for me. On here I heard about protein yogurt and puddings. Life savers. Just do the best you can because it isn't the best time of year when there is so much food around.

I had surgery 3/22/2024 and have only been able to drink a few ounces an hour. This morning I woke up hungry and drank a 12 oz Protein Drink with 35 minutes, I have NOT been able to do that since before surgery. Have I inadvertently stretched my stomach? My eating yesterday was still only 3-4 oz per meal and Water in between. I really don’t want to mess up this surgery. I am 8 weeks post op and I thought my stomach could only hold 4 oz - but the drink is 12 oz.

i skipped puree cuz it grossed me out. i barfed a little in my mouth when i saw the beef i pureed for my first foray into that stage. in the end, i just extended my full fluids diet an extra week then went straight to soft foods afterwards. though others have had great success an joy in this stage, so it cant be all bad?

Two months?! No, my diet changes week to week. Second week after surgery, I started full liquids. Third week, pureed foods and things like soup, yogurt, pudding, applesauce. Later this week I can start with soft foods: eggs, white fish, mashed beans. The week after, I can try tuna, salmon, chicken, cooked veggies. The week after that, I can try beef and pork. Every doctor has different post-op directions.