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Hi, I'm just cooking and freezing purees right now. My nutritionist basically said if you can puree it it's fine.
I'm trying to make things as nutrient rich as possible - using organic beef, fish and chicken (plus homemade broth of each) and cooking with lots of vegetables. So far I'm using (and apologies, I'm in the UK and I know we call vegetables different things):
Onions
Peppers/Capsicum
Garlic
Courgette/Zucchini
Tomatoes (sieved)
Mushrooms
Fennel
Carrots
Squash
Butter beans
Green beans

The purees I'm making are very fine textured and while I cook with a wide variety of herbs and spices I'm careful not to use anything that has hard seeds (so no fennel or caraway seeds and sieving the tomatoes) as I imagine that could be an irritant at the healing stage.
My philosophy on all of this is that, if I'm eating very small amounts of things they should be bloody tasty and good for me!

Hi BMC,
I hear what you're saying about not talking to folks though, part of this for me is that this is the new normal and you don't spend your time talking and explaining about what's normal. I'm not avoiding talking to people about it - right now i'm just 'dieting' as far as anyone's concerned - but if they ask once I've had the operation I'm happy to talk about it (I say this now - who knows!). I'll talk about it as and when I want, and how I want - not making excuses to accomodate some damn fool's ignorance. So I won't make excuses and I certainly won't hide it.
For me, I know we're all different, hiding it just plays right into the shame/embarrassment cycle that has made me so effing unhappy. I feel an amazing energy right now and I'm going to keep that. If people want to think I took the easy option or that I'm somehow weak or defective, let them. This is my reality and I'm not just taking control of my body I'm taking control of how I feel about it.
You've got me ranting now. :-)
But I have given this a lot of thought. I don't know how well I'll live up to my plan, but I'll keep trying and not judging. A lot of us have been hurt by people's attitudes and we know what it's like to turn that into something painful. My head, right now, is on the start of a big journey like my body is.
Here endeth the sermon!
Love & peace,
Jx

Hi @Toby585
I can only speak as someone who is two weeks away from the operation rather than old hand, but I know what's helped me so far. I've spent a lot of time working out exactly what I want from the surgery and what I'm bringing to it. It strikes me that to make this a success you need to do a lot in your own head, these are big changes we're making and if the only changes we make are the ones forced on us by the limitations of our new digestive systems then we're probably not going to succeed in the long term.
I've been inspired by the people on here who haven't fought those changes but, instead, have embraced them as new opportunities to live a different life. Working that stuff out is helping me, I feel enormously positive. On that note I also started seeing a therapist. Curiously we've talked very little about the surgery but what we have talked about has given the surgery a context for me -and that's helping to motivate me and allows me to get my head around this strange new world.
Peace,
J

Kudos Noel, you look amazing - that's inspiring.

You look fantastic mate, how do you feel?

I've just been in for my pre-admission screening (ECG, bloods etc) and as a result my surgeon, who called me at 8pm, has decided to postpone my operation. It seems I have high blood pressure (I never have before, but then I've put on a lot of weight recently) and that combined with a couple of other risk factors has made them a little nervous. The nerves come, partly, from my surgeon's usual anaesthetist (who is an internationally renowned specialist on anaesthetics and obesity) who is on holiday.
So I now have three weeks to go before the Op, and have been put on medication to reduce my blood pressure.
I have mixed feelings. I feel less anxious knowing I'll be in a) a better state and b ) will have the A-team working on me. That said it does feel disappointing and I need to get my head round my new timeline. At least my pre-op diet has been successful (26lbs so far) and is, with a little imagination, pretty easy (I made seared cod with an asian salad this evening). So the next three weeks should mean more diet and more weight loss. With the gains I've made so far I've already started to ride my bike again, so a few weeks of that in the English summer is quite motivating.
Oh well. All for the best I suppose!

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

Hey AZBlackhawk
I haven't tried it myself yet, just downloaded and registered, but my nutritionist recommended a smartphone app called BARITASTIC it's got timers and food logs and recipes. My op is in a week and I'll definitely give it a go.
Jx

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

Kudos Noel, you look amazing - that's inspiring.

I've just been in for my pre-admission screening (ECG, bloods etc) and as a result my surgeon, who called me at 8pm, has decided to postpone my operation. It seems I have high blood pressure (I never have before, but then I've put on a lot of weight recently) and that combined with a couple of other risk factors has made them a little nervous. The nerves come, partly, from my surgeon's usual anaesthetist (who is an internationally renowned specialist on anaesthetics and obesity) who is on holiday.
So I now have three weeks to go before the Op, and have been put on medication to reduce my blood pressure.
I have mixed feelings. I feel less anxious knowing I'll be in a) a better state and b ) will have the A-team working on me. That said it does feel disappointing and I need to get my head round my new timeline. At least my pre-op diet has been successful (26lbs so far) and is, with a little imagination, pretty easy (I made seared cod with an asian salad this evening). So the next three weeks should mean more diet and more weight loss. With the gains I've made so far I've already started to ride my bike again, so a few weeks of that in the English summer is quite motivating.
Oh well. All for the best I suppose!

It's swings and roundabouts @jimp444 !
Your puree stage will probably feel like a luxury, while I'll be cursing where all the textures went!
Stay strong with that soup!
J

Good luck mate, can't wait to follow your successes.

I'm consigning them to history.
My Dad was a baker so this is a challenge but I know bread is a very particular weakness of mine, I mean when I've travelled round the world I have asked to go into the back of bakeries!
Adios doughboy!

That's lovely to hear@Joann454. It seems like the operation is really about opening up and releasing the inner happier you.

That is fantastic! I too have enjoyed many unexpected "side effects". Little things like how my body moves differently and with so much less effort. My Husband commented that I walk differently and I can feel that also. So worth it!

Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

There have been some interesting side effects post op.
I care much more about myself.
I've cut my hair to my shoulders (I'm sure I kept it long to "hide").
I've had my nails and toes done.
I've bought new clothes, perfume, jewelry.
I've gone to the dentist and had some cosmetic work done along with a good cleaning.
All of this keeps compounding and helping my self esteem.
I laugh and smile more. I move more. I'm friendlier.
I wasn't expecting any of these side effects!

7:30am EST it's showtime. Dropped 20lbs during this hellish liquid diet and I'm sitting at 298 right now. I wanna get down to 220 or lower which sounds right since I'm 6'3!
To everyone that's gone before me I hope you all show me the right path because I plan on helping those who come after me. Pretty pumped up right now just wanted to post so I can update you all in the following days! Wish me luck.

Hi BMC,
I hear what you're saying about not talking to folks though, part of this for me is that this is the new normal and you don't spend your time talking and explaining about what's normal. I'm not avoiding talking to people about it - right now i'm just 'dieting' as far as anyone's concerned - but if they ask once I've had the operation I'm happy to talk about it (I say this now - who knows!). I'll talk about it as and when I want, and how I want - not making excuses to accomodate some damn fool's ignorance. So I won't make excuses and I certainly won't hide it.
For me, I know we're all different, hiding it just plays right into the shame/embarrassment cycle that has made me so effing unhappy. I feel an amazing energy right now and I'm going to keep that. If people want to think I took the easy option or that I'm somehow weak or defective, let them. This is my reality and I'm not just taking control of my body I'm taking control of how I feel about it.
You've got me ranting now. :-)
But I have given this a lot of thought. I don't know how well I'll live up to my plan, but I'll keep trying and not judging. A lot of us have been hurt by people's attitudes and we know what it's like to turn that into something painful. My head, right now, is on the start of a big journey like my body is.
Here endeth the sermon!
Love & peace,
Jx

Too funny... but kind of sad as well.
I've just decided I really don't care what other people think. This has taken me a lot of thought and soul searching to get my head round, I'm fairly sure that whatever I say isn't going to make that much difference to anyone else's preset opinions.
I reached a point where my weight peaked and the judgement of others, often implicit, was dragging me down. I'm not letting that happen with this - pride is the name of the game!

Because men have never been known to be shallow or picky. What a glorious time to be alive.

Hang in there! It can be an emotional time. Hormones are off the charts. I dreamed so hardcore about nachos after my surgery I thought I had eaten them (I've never really eaten nachos), I cried. My hubby had to prove to me that I hadn't eaten them, it was just so real. Then I laughed so hard about being upset about nachos I hadn't eaten, followed by hysterical tears about why I found it so funny.
Good news is that it all evened out. I don't laugh or cry about nachos anymore...lol