gsusser

Thanks for the comments and great suggestions.
I took a quick look for a crock pot and I'm intrigued by the smart crockpot, though it's probably for crackpots. -) ---http://www.crock-pot.com/slow-cookers/wemo-enabled-smart-slow-cooker/crock-pot-6-quart.-smart-slow-cooker-with-wemo/SCCPWM600-V1.html?source=igodigital
Like I said earlier, I know nothing about crockpots. What I like about this, though I don't know how necessary it is, is the ability to control it from anywhere. I spend up to 15 hours away from home sometimes at work and am wondering if being able to control it remotely would be a good idea. I'm all ears, and thanks again for the suggestions.

The Crock Pot brand is a good choice. You don't need many features but given that most recipes call for no more than 8-10 hours on low and you are generally gone 15 hours, a built-in timer that will switch to warm after 10 hours would be useful. Crock Pots/Slow Cookers are very forgiving in general, and flipping it on low and leaving it would probably still turn out okay. My fool-proof recipe involves filling the Crock Pot with frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs (straight out of the freezer is fine; my Crock holds about six thighs) and then pour about a cup of bottled salsa over the thighs and stir around so it coats the crock and the meat. Cover and turn on low and leave it alone for 8-10 hours. Don't lift the lid or stir the crock during cooking unless instructed to in the recipe as that changes the internal temperature drastically. After the 8-10 (or 15, whatever) hours, use two forks to shred the chicken. If you're feeling fancy, add a handful of chopped cilantro and the juice of a fresh lime. Salt & pepper to taste. You now have a week's worth of healthy Protein to top salads, mix with quinoa, or wrap in a tortilla. Good luck!

@@gsusser
6+ weeks PO
and still around to talk here??
that's good!!
many people don't eat processed food
or eat less of them
it IS healthier NOT to eat them
this grammy does eat processed food
cooking??? i mess up boiling a pot of water!!!
pkg of pre-mixed tuna is great
love my Dannon lite and fit greek yogurt
Quest Protein Bar as a snack-they CAN be a trigger for me - gotta be careful
in a bigggg hurry
pre-made btl Protein shake are great
swiss miss to die for!!
25 gr protein
i buy frozen foods/pkg
don't remember brand name)
i will buy frozen chicken breast
similar salmon pkg
pkg of 10 (6 oz individual pieces wrapped)
easy, easy, easy
delicious to me
i totally follow all the rules
protein, Water, carbs etc
luckily for me, processed food isn't a rule
crock pot is a great idea
you can find cook books for bariatric surgery
cooking for dummies (word bariatric is on the title)
there are also sitess on the computer
always can google bariatric foods
you'd be amazed at how many areas there are with suggestions/recipes
if recipes get complicated with too many spices etc
i usually omit them
good luck
kathy

I was never much of a cook either but I am trying to do more. I also have a small apartment kitchen (with no stove/oven). I am learning to do a lot with a microwave, toaster oven, and crock pot. I used a rice cooker a lot pre-op. Now I use it less often because I don't cook as many grains, but it is great for oatmeal, quinoa, etc. The toaster oven is great for cooking fish, meat, and vegetables under the broiler.
Check out recipes in Pinterest for sheet pan recipes in addition to crock pot recipes.

Then make simple dishes.
Get a Foreman Grill so that you can grill meats easily and quickly - and it drains the grease off. Then all you need is some plain meat and keep a small assortment of Condiments, herbs and spices. Really, just salt, pepper, minced garlc in the fridge, onion powder, paprika, cayenne if you like hot stuff you know the deal - just a few that you like more than others.
Do get a food processor, a crock pot, and a blender. Right now is the best time of year because every place has them on sale. You will not get a better price all year.
A processor makes small stuff out of big stuff and mixes stuff better than you can by hand.
A crock pot is great for people who are gone all day. Just throw a buch of stuff in, put it on low heat, and dinner is done when you get home. You will find a ton of recipes online for stews and casseroles.
I use my blender almost everyday to mix up smoothies.
Here is the principal on processed food: as much as possible, do not eat anything made in a factory. You can have quite a variety with grilled meats and fresh or frozen veggies.
If you can, pick one of your off days and make up a couple of batches of food you can pick all week on. If you want something like a roll-up made with deli turkey and swiss cheese, make several at one time, enough to last a few days.
Get a Betty Crocker or Good Housekeeping cookbook that has basics for beginners and learn to cook. It will be much more rewarding when you can function with some basic kitchen knowledge. This new way of eating is important enough to learn how to sustain it on your own. Besides, a man who can cook adds several points to his "sexy" quotient.
Now , it is just as easy to fall in love with a partner who cooks, as much as it is to fall in love with a partner who can't cook. I can cook, but my companion of nine years is a much better cook. So, we settled into an arrangement where he cooks and I clean up. Fair enough.
If you work in a full service restaurant where actual food is cooked from scratch and fresh ingredients, befriend the chef and pay attention to what they say.
Cooking is not that painful or scientific and can be an outstanding means of personal expression and creativity, but you gotta start somewhere. So....Basic small appliances, non-stick pots and skillets, and Betty Crocker.
My grown daughters (ages 38 and 40) still call me once in a while just to clarify favorite recipes from their childhood. My personal favorite resource on line is the website for Taste of Home.
Also, keep this in mind to make kitchen clean-up easir. It is the primary rule of custodial science: Get it before it dries!
Good luck. You can glean some usable knowlege from us kitchen veterans, too.

Where can I find appropriate crock pot recipes? I never used one. [And what's a food processor, haha.]
Are Protein shakes considered processed? I still have one or two a day.

Google is your friend @gsusser.
Type in high Protein low carb one pot meals and see what comes up

Warning: not for the squeamish or those who don’t want TMI.
My apologies, it’s been a while since I posted. I’m 5+ weeks post-surgery and things have been going generally well. That is, except for an unending pain from a hiatal hernia (so sez me about the cause, though not my surgeon – I know better, ha!) and some discomfort from eating. I lost 32 lbs. since surgery and 50 since pre-op. I didn’t wanna post here how fantastic I was doing since that would seem to be boasting and minimize the problems for those that have very real problems, especially those not caused by stoooopidity.
I have no real complaints except the pain from the hernia. Until today! While this is extremely embarrassing, I’m posting it with the thought that it might help someone else.
I’ve been following the diet instructions from my nut and getting lots of exercise. However, last night, my craving for chocolate got the better of me. I wasn’t really hungry, but my craving was real. I did something I knew I shouldn’t – I made chocolate pudding. I know I’m a sucker for this stuff and one or two or five spoonfuls doesn’t suffice. But I thought I could control myself. This time.

I used My-T-Fine sugar-free with skim milk. It’s sooooo good. It’s on my approved foods list. I haven’t had it since pre-op where I repeated the same mistake though not with the same consequences. Before that, I hadn’t had it since my mom started making it on the stove. Ten-years-old and I’d spoon out the left-overs from the cooking pot after mom poured the pudding into cups. She wouldn’t allow me anymore. Smart mom.
I proceeded to do the same last night. But after spooning the leftovers from the pot, 15 minutes later I had one of the cups that I poured. Another 15 minutes and another cup. Until it was gone. I ate the whole friggin’ batch! However, no side effects and I went to sleep feeling fine. I woke up this morning feeling fine and planning on going to the gym. Then, the cramps started and worsened.
I went to the toilet and a few pebbles came out, but no ease of my discomfort. I sat on the toilet for 45 minutes and nothing. I kept on feeling worse and worse. I took Gas-X and the anti-spasm medicine for the first time, the medicine I had gotten at the hospital. No let up in the pain and I was ready to write in blood that f890’ing chocolate pudding did me in! Really, the pain was so bad that I was getting ready to call the emergency number for the surgeon’s office.
The longest hour of my life seemed to go by with increasing pain and discomfort. Then, miraculously, I had a bowel movement of boulders and it was over. I don’t know if was any of the medicine or things just ran the natural course. All I know is that I’m cured of chocolate pudding or doing anything so stupid again. I hope.

Miss Tummy has given me some lessons along the way, too. A doctor told me once that "pudding is for little children who need to gain weight!" My post-op weakness is fresh bread out of the oven. It sits in my stomach like Play-Doh It is my substitute for Krispy Kreme Donuts, but every now and then I cave in, and Miss Tummy makes me miserable for hours. At two years out, she is still the boss of me, especially when I behave like a petulant child.

The extreme reaction was your body telling you it is no longer used to eating an entire batch of chocolate Pudding!

Warning: not for the squeamish or those who don’t want TMI.
My apologies, it’s been a while since I posted. I’m 5+ weeks post-surgery and things have been going generally well. That is, except for an unending pain from a hiatal hernia (so sez me about the cause, though not my surgeon – I know better, ha!) and some discomfort from eating. I lost 32 lbs. since surgery and 50 since pre-op. I didn’t wanna post here how fantastic I was doing since that would seem to be boasting and minimize the problems for those that have very real problems, especially those not caused by stoooopidity.
I have no real complaints except the pain from the hernia. Until today! While this is extremely embarrassing, I’m posting it with the thought that it might help someone else.
I’ve been following the diet instructions from my nut and getting lots of exercise. However, last night, my craving for chocolate got the better of me. I wasn’t really hungry, but my craving was real. I did something I knew I shouldn’t – I made chocolate pudding. I know I’m a sucker for this stuff and one or two or five spoonfuls doesn’t suffice. But I thought I could control myself. This time.

I used My-T-Fine sugar-free with skim milk. It’s sooooo good. It’s on my approved foods list. I haven’t had it since pre-op where I repeated the same mistake though not with the same consequences. Before that, I hadn’t had it since my mom started making it on the stove. Ten-years-old and I’d spoon out the left-overs from the cooking pot after mom poured the pudding into cups. She wouldn’t allow me anymore. Smart mom.
I proceeded to do the same last night. But after spooning the leftovers from the pot, 15 minutes later I had one of the cups that I poured. Another 15 minutes and another cup. Until it was gone. I ate the whole friggin’ batch! However, no side effects and I went to sleep feeling fine. I woke up this morning feeling fine and planning on going to the gym. Then, the cramps started and worsened.
I went to the toilet and a few pebbles came out, but no ease of my discomfort. I sat on the toilet for 45 minutes and nothing. I kept on feeling worse and worse. I took Gas-X and the anti-spasm medicine for the first time, the medicine I had gotten at the hospital. No let up in the pain and I was ready to write in blood that f890’ing chocolate pudding did me in! Really, the pain was so bad that I was getting ready to call the emergency number for the surgeon’s office.
The longest hour of my life seemed to go by with increasing pain and discomfort. Then, miraculously, I had a bowel movement of boulders and it was over. I don’t know if was any of the medicine or things just ran the natural course. All I know is that I’m cured of chocolate pudding or doing anything so stupid again. I hope.

I had both a hiatal & umbilical hernia repair during my sleeve surgery (yes, I was a mess!). It took about three weeks for all the weird twinges and uncomfortableness to go away. Sometimes I will turn a certain way and feel a little reminder that I shouldn't whip around so quickly. I'm five weeks post-op today and feel great.

Fat free refried Beans with some cheese melted on top, hummus (with some unflavored Protein Powder mixed in), pimiento cheese (with unflavored Protein powder mixed in), Greek yogurt (with vanilla protein powder mixed in), Sugar Free Chocolate pudding snack (with chocolate protein powder mixed in). I also had some Soups and tried to mix in protein powder or pureed chicken and that was a total fail. (Ugh. Still makes me shudder to think about it. ). I didn't do so well with the eggs. They got cold too quick. I finally solved that with a coffee cup / candle warmer and put my dish on it. That helped. Good luck!

I had cottage cheese (low fat), Greek yogurt (Total Farg which is high in protein), fish and chicken, thicker Soups pureed, as well as keeping to the full liquids for a while and introducing a new food slowly. I tended to stick to what worked for me, for a number of days. I chose high Protein foods and made sure they were pureed well.

Did you get meal plans from your bariatric team?

Edited to add eggs, eggs and more eggs.

Next Friday starts week 3 and a BIG change in diet, basically moving on to pureed foods and apple sauce consistency. Can someone point the way to resources on meal suggestions for beginning this diet through week 4? I assume there are recipes somewhere but I can't find them. I want to start planning now so I can start stocking up on food.< /p>
Also, and this might be a tough one, I'm pretty handicapped in the kitchen. I can do basics, like turn on a blender, haha. Just joking, but you get the idea.
Thanks,
Glenn

Ditto. I take Gas-X still at 5 months out. Haven't heard of any side effects from it. By the way, the gas from the surgery should mostly subside by day 5

I've never heard of taking gasX as being harmful. I took it when I was still in the hospital, and I still take it occasionally now.

this.. Thanks for the info. I was a little surprised to hear I could order from costco online without a membership. However, when I tried to order, a warning message came up that I may be assessed a non-member surcharge. I suppose that could be taken to mean that I may not be assessed, haha. Their prices are nothing special, at least on the premier, that I would pay for a membership. How do you manage to order without a membership with no surcharge?

Is anyone interested in joining our secret nov 2015 vsg page on FB? If so, please send me your name as appears on FB and I'll add ya! Can't wait to chat with you all!

I'm still not getting it, but I'll go by specific recommendations.
I ordered the starter pack from unjury. Do those drinks meet the criteria.
As far as Isopure, is this an example of what is being referred to? I'm gonna need a whole bunch of drinks for 2 weeks, so I'd appreciate as many recommendations as possible.
Thanks to everyone.

I stocked up on Premier Protein shakes, Light Greek Yogurt (more Protein than regular yogurt), and no-fat Refried Beans. The Beans have a surprising amount of protein and I could eat them in little tiny containers and they filled me up and gave me a savory fix. I also got no-sugar-added applesauce and ate it daily for the first two weeks. After that, I got over it and gave that up. I still eat the other things regularly though.
I bought little 2 ounce containers to split my yogurt and beans up into and it helped a lot psychologically. Now I use the 4 oz containers for food I make in advance on Sundays for the week. Yay 4 ounces!!
I am also single and a mess in the kitchen but I have come a long way! You will too. Good Luck.

I like the premier shakes too. Wally world sells them. Also, I like Pure Protein Shakes. They have a rich and creamy texture. Something to add to Water for sipping try New Whey Protein Shots. 42 g Protein each. If you can down 1 a day (add to water, very sour otherwise) with a shake or 2, you'll be doing great. Good luck!

Some things vary according to your tastebuds and also according to what your plan allows. I would recommend no more than 2 weeks supply of whatever Protein drink you like. Do a test run on unflavored Protein powders. That sweet Protein shake taste got real old real fast. Being able to have some broth or Soup with unflavored protein added was a real lifesaver for me. Major brands are Isopure, GENEPRO, Syntrax nectar and unjury. In the event that your tastebuds change post op, you have enough to get by. Stick up on broths and clear Soups, greek yogurt, kefir (if you like that sort of thing) and a variety of herbal teas. Speak with the discharge coordinator about home nursing. If you are single and live alone, most plans will cover it. I didn't buy Popsicles, pudding or mashed potatoes even though my plan allowed for it. Read the directions and prep your vitamix. I don't have one but I have a nutra bullet that has been a saving grace. You may need to sleep propped up a bit so perhaps buy a wedge pillow or extra pillows for comfort.

I like the premier shakes as they are pre mixed and 30gms per serving. You can buy them on line especially through Amazon or drugstore.com. Bariatric Advantage is a powder, and you can use to mix your own shakes, lots of ice, you can add fruits and veggies if allowed on your plan. I had ice pops, no sugar added everything, applesauce, Jello, clear Soups, and later down the line creamed Soups. If you have trader Joe's, Whole foods, or Sprouts, they have better choices for you, even Ralphs has some more variety, thats here in California. I was on Clear liquids plus shakes 1st week, then full liquids for 1 week, which means you can add creamy stuff, like Soup, then weeks 3 and 4 were pureed, but I never did really puree in a blender just chew, chew, chew. eggs, soft things. Then week 5 we could eat fish, chicken, vegetables. I know I am getting a little off track. Good luck

I bought a Ninja early on and started trying to puree things. I was making meats in the crock pot and saving the broth for veggie purees. I got a case of Apple Melon Isopure. That is the only one I really liked. I also have unjury chicken Soup, GNC Lean 25 vanilla and banana. I just went to pick up Unjury Vanilla for this week during liquid diet. It has less calories and I am mixing it in Silk light soy milk. So, I needed to reduce the calories.
Certain flavors don't taste that great to me with just Water. So, I tried the soy milk. Did your clinic give you a book? I have an entire list that includes both types of foods and meal ideas per meal.
Hope this all comes together for ya soon!