Resources for partners/family members?

[D-mel 0]

Hi Folks! I've been browsing the community for awhile now, but with my sleeve scheduled in two weeks (May 30), it's time to dig in.

Does anyone have any recommendations for resources (articles, videos, books? ) for partners/spouses/family members who might benefit from a bit more education (or, reality check?) about what they can expect as a support person for a sleeve patient? I have tried to explain as much as I can to my husband and I believe he wants to be helpful, and he's taking off the first week to help me recover and deal with the kids and household, BUT I would love for him to understand the sheer gravity of this life change. I feel like hearing this information from someone besides me would be really valuable. Like, I am not going to want to cook meals for the two of us the way I used to. He may be on his own for meals A LOT, especially the first 6 months to year. I've told him this, but I wish he could hear it from another source.

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[Arabesque 6,445]

Dr Matthew Weiner & Dr John Pilcher have excellent videos (you tube) on a range of bariatric topics really aimed at you & not so much your family members but they are very informative & an excellent resource.

As for food, you may find by soft food you will be able to eat some of the same meals. Soups, stews, braises, mince dishes, etc. You may have to make ingredient substitutions, change cooking styles as you slowly reintroduce certain foods & ingredients but generally meals the whole family can eat - you’ll just have a much smaller portion. Great opportunity to try new healthier, more nutrient dense recipes & new/alternative ingredients. I live alone but regularly spent weekends with my 80+ yr old mother. She ate whatever I cooked & ate without issue or difficulty. I’d often have dinner at family or friends or go out to eat I just made sure my friends new what I could or couldn’t eat & made careful choices. I’d check menus before going out so I’d know what I could eat or what I could ask to be modified. I ate many of the meals I always did simply by making modifications to the recipes so it would be appropriate for my needs. My friend cooked for her family & basically ate that same meal from solid foods. For example making a Pasta dish - she’d use zucchini noodles or would just eat the meat sauce component. Having tacos - she’d eat the filling not the taco shell.

A bonus of your smaller portion size is leftovers. I freeze leftovers all the time. They are easy meals fir you to have when you don’t feel like cooking or for when your family wants something which isn’t a good option for you.

Your weight loss period is the time you use to establish better eating habits & food choices. When you stop losing you don’t go back to eating how & what you used to eat. That’s why every other diet we were on failed & we’d regain weight.

All the best.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Arabesque