Puree Stage is not a picnic

RENAEJAE

Great advice - thank you both. I am counting my bites today and watching for cues. I also find that I may need some Benefiber added to my water. Just one more nasty side effect from all this protein.

rpyle111

pawoodhull wrote: »

RENAEJAE wrote: »

Thanks - I've tried to listen to by body. That over full feeling is delayed by about 5 minutes so I guess I need to start counting my bites. I just had to throw up for the first time after lunch today. I keep making the mistake of trying to wash my food down with liquid. An old habit that is much harder to break than I'd imagined. It will take me a while but I'll get it. As far as my pouch size I'd have to say VERY SMALL!! Using a baby spoon and I'm luck to get 7-8 spoonfuls in at one sitting. It also depends on the food. Today it was tuna and cottage cheese. The isopure I sipped on after didn't fit very well. Live and learn.

One thing I learned early was my "full cue". It's not the same for everyone and the person who turned me on to this said hers is when she starts hiccupping. Well I found out that by the time I start hiccupping I'm overfull and need to throw up. For me, the full cue is when I feel like I need to burp and if I don't stop eating at that point I will throw up. I won't lose the whole meal, just the "too much". Even if I do burp, I still need to be done at that point. And adding liquid after I hit my full cue? Another not so good idea for me. Again, everyone is different, so as others say "listen to your body", figure out what your cue is and then watch for it as you eat. Knowing this makes your life a whole lot easier.

I learned this from Pat and I also learned that there is a 10-15 second delay in my body between eating something and getting that 'full' cue. If I do not eat each bite slowly, I can already have eaten the 'too much' bite when I get the cue. Another reinforcement of the "rules" about eating slowly and mindfully. Sometimes, rules are learned best by negative reinforcement !

Rob

cmchandler74

How true this is! I'm almost five months out and I'm still learning this occasionally. I threw up for the second time since surgery last night because I ate too quickly and missed the cue. By the time I felt it, it was too late and the "too much" came right back up.

I do like that I have to be so hyper-aware of what food does to my body. I personally find it crucial to retraining my poor eating habits that got me where I was in the first place.

RENAEJAE

Yesterday was much better. I counted and took extra time between bites. I agree that having these built in cues will help me keep things in check in the future. I never want to go back to those horrible habits! Thanks for all your wisdom guys.

joysie1970

I am still learning my full cue too after three months but like others have said texture plays a big part for me, and no liquids forf at least thirty mins the heavier the food the longer the wait, it's such a journey isn't it well worth it though

RENAEJAE

Phase 4 started this week. Ground foods. I'm sticking with 2-3 protein shakes a day and adding bits of food here and there. Really paying attention to my cues this week. I drank too soon after eating last weekend (again) and up it came again. Lesson learned. Slow down . . . be patient . . . no drinking after eating.

sinderstorm

@Ranaejae When I was having that problem for awhile, I set a timer app on my phone that I usually use for my kids to go off 40 mins after I was done eating. It really helped me be mindful and not drink too soon. The drinking while/right after eating was a very hard habit for me to break.

RENAEJAE

Thanks - I may need to give that a try. I wake up so dehydrated. I need to focus on taking in more liquid between meals I guess.

anbrdr

Was given permission to begin pureed foods today, awesome. First meal was some black bean soup, tossed into the blender for a few seconds. Looked horrid, but tasted so good. I need to buy some unflavored protein to add in.

sinderstorm

@anbrdr I really recommend the unflavored Musclegen protein powder, it is more temperature resistant and has less of a texture than the Unjury powder. Amazon has it the cheapest I've found. Just make sure you heat your food first, then mix it in. It has explosive results in the microwave.

RENAEJAE

I'm thinking about getting the Mesclegen Genepro Protein also. I wasn't sure if it's a whey protein and if it's approved for bariatric patients? It sounds like a dream product! 30 grams of protein in 1 TBSP!!! Sign me up!!

In order to get 60+ grams a day I feel like I'm adding the unjury unflavored to everything and I'm not a big fan of the pasty taste it leaves in my mouth.

pawoodhull

RENAEJAE wrote: »

I'm thinking about getting the Mesclegen Genepro Protein also. I wasn't sure if it's a whey protein and if it's approved for bariatric patients? It sounds like a dream product! 30 grams of protein in 1 TBSP!!! Sign me up!!

In order to get 60+ grams a day I feel like I'm adding the unjury unflavored to everything and I'm not a big fan of the pasty taste it leaves in my mouth.

I did add the unflavored protein powder to everything for the pureed and soft food phase. I used Syntrax brand as my surgeon likes that one. Totally no flavor but it can change the consistency of some foods.

anbrdr

Despot despite being in pureed stage, I've managed to continue on the liquid diet. I'll have a snack of hummus or maybe some blended soup. Feel like I've been dragging my feet on getting back in to real food.

RENAEJAE

@anbrdr - I'm in stage 5 (ground foods) and I'm still 80% liquid. Just take it at the pace you can tolerate. As long as you're working towards your protein / fluid goals.

tat2cookie

I know that I've shared this before, but my saving grace was my protein purée. It was awesome cause it could be soup or mash.
In a crock pot fill with a package of chicken sausage, a sweet potato, an onion, garlic, a couple carrots, (pretty much what ever root veggies you like), and a turnip. Add 1-2cups of low sodium chicken broth. Cook all day or till soft. Purée in a food processor until smooth, adding 2-3 scoops of unflavored (or chicken flavored) protein power and seasoned as desired. I used jerk seasoning.
It's great cause when I was still in the soup stage I just had to add water, broth or milk to thin it out.

klingerman73

I am going to have to try that tat2cookie!! I start my puree tomorrow.

CEK0220

You're probably about done with this stage and have moved on to the soft food stage. I still have trouble with eggs, and have given up on them for a while. I will try again in a few months. Hoping things are much better for you now.

RENAEJAE

Just this week I have regained my appetite a bit and can eat more of a variety of foods. Eggs still make me nervous so I may wait a while longer to try again. I'm thinking I may try a small salad this weekend. I really miss my greens and so does my digestive track!! Benefiber can only do so much if you know what I mean.

anbrdr

Just posting some awesome recipes to help anyone else stuck in the blah-ness of pureed food land:

Liquid Burrito

12oz Grilled Chicken (I used the Archer Farms Natural Chicken Strips)
1 Can Drained Black Beans
1 Avocado (medium size)
1 Can Low Sodium Chicken Broth 14oz
1 Stalk Celery
1 Tomato (Medium)
6 Baby Carrots
2 Banana Peppers (medium)
1 Jalapeno
1 Yellow squash (medium)
Cube up your meat and veggies. Throw them in the Food Processor with a little broth, to help them liquefy. Depending on your processor, you may only want to add a little at a time, then dump that into a soup pot. Blend more, then dump, etc. Once everything is nice and pureed, add it all to your soup pot. Sprinkle in the seasoning, and feel free to spice it however you prefer. Cook through til hot. If you have a Vitamix, this will be super easy.

This recipe made 7 cups, which for me is 14 servings. I put 1 cup per freezer bag. I have one half at lunch (12:30) then the other serving before leaving work (4:00).

Each serving has 89 calories, 2.3g fat, 8.4 carbs, 8.4g protein, 20mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium.
As a bonus, add on a little bit of salsa (blended down), Greek Yogurt (better than sour cream), and low fat cheese.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

1 Onion
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
2.5 c Pure Pumpkin
2 tbs Grated Ginger
1 clove Garlic
3 c Chicken Broth
2-3 Thai Peppers (to taste)
1 c 0% Greek Yogurt
3/4 c Lite Coconut Milk
1 c Tofu
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
8 tbsp PB2 (powdered, fat-free peanut butter)

Process everything, then cook through. Makes 8 cups/16 servings. I think this would also taste great with some chicken thrown in.

1 cup (2 servings) has: 100 cal, 3g fat, 413mg sodium, 7g protein, 6g sugar, 13 carbohydrates.

Add unflavored protein when heating up your serving, if you wish to buff the protein number!

The best thing about it, was that in under an hour, we had made 30 servings of food. Efficient!

CEK0220

Renaejae - I DO know what you mean! LOL I had been hesitant to try salad. For some reason in my head it just wasn't going to go down. But the other day I had a lettuce wrap from Jimmy Johns and it went just fine. I am quite a bit further out than you, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work at first.
anbrdr - interesting recipes you posted. Very good of you to share!

cmchandler74

Holy cow. Those two recipes look fab, @anbrdr! I'm well past the pureed stage but I may be making these just because. Thanks for posting them!

RENAEJAE

Thanks for the recipes @anbrdr - I had to laugh at the name of the first one though... liquid burrito? YUK! Let's rethink that one - LOL How about creamy burrito or blended burrito?

Things are getting easier to eat these days. I really enjoyed a small greek salad over the weekend. Plenty of feta - lots of flavor! I'm going to give tuna another try today. So strange some of the things that don't bother me at all and those that just sit heavy. I'm 7 weeks out so I'm able to try all foods now and it's just trial and error.

Loving all the ideas here!

CEK0220

Renaejae, I have also found that day to day may be different for me. One day I can have something, and then try the leftovers the next day and not be able to tolerate it. That's not to worry you, but to let you know that if it happens it's normal. I've had this happen a few times. Also, the nurse that runs our support group said that eventually EVERYTHING will go down. Just take heart and know that this too shall pass.

anbrdr

Oh man, I attempted tuna, and it sat on my stomach like a lead weight. I have handled fresh salmon pretty well. It was cooked a little rare, intentionally. Was able to eat some ground chicken last night too.

ki4eld

I'll be honest, once I got to the puree stage, I just tried whatever I wanted. Sometimes, it was a bite and nothing more. On day 18, I ate 2 bites of Chipotle and was so immensely happy, I couldn't stand myself. It tasted good, it sat well, and it wasn't bad for me. My doctor said, "Did it hurt?" I said, "Nope," and his reply was, "Well ok then, enjoy. If it hurts, don't eat it."

The "maybe or maybe not" stage lasted through the 4mo mark. Since then, I pretty much know what I can tolerate and I know my go-to foods that will always stay just fine... 1 scrambled egg, 1oz asiago cheese and an egg white, grilled lamb. I still try new foods, but I don't stress over it. I know I can get my protein in every day. As long as I make that goal, I'm good. If that means I eat tuna all day, then I do. The Starkist flavor packets are a life-saver some days. If I can have eggs and bacon today, great. If not, try something else.

I still drink protein shakes every day. I never gave up one stage of food, especially if it worked. I simply added little things to it until I was into the next stage comfortably. I'm always going to drink protein shakes, because it's an easy way to get my protein without getting too full or literally having to eat all day long. Once I found Bariatric Fusion protein, I never hesitate to drink all of it I want.