Your favorite post surgery gadget, water bottle, kitchen tool or whatnot?

creepykbear

I've seen people talk about the ninja blenders and freezing food in ice cube trays or using baby spoons... but what works for you? What is your favorite food prep item to use post - op?
Also - anyone got a good water bottle recommendation? I'm worried about going without a straw (it seems a silly thing to worry about, but who knows where your head is going to go in this process).

garber6th

I bought small plates and children's utensils for use after surgery and they really helped me to eat small bites and eat slowly. I also bought a small frying pan for cooking small amounts of food. I bought very small containers for freezing small portions of what I cook to have it handy. Just having smaller things for smaller amounts of food has really helped me. I bought a Magic Bullet blender but I ended up killing it, so I went back to my Oster blender. What I really can't live without are my measuring tools - food scale, measuring spoons, and measuring cups.

gdnplnty

I love my zoodle noodle thingie.

I also have a small personal plate that I use. It has dragonflys on it, and I got it at a festival. It is the one that I fix my meals with, and eating with it makes me feel like so out of place having a huge plate and a tiny meal.

As far as my water bottle? I use a large tupperware 32 oz. water bottle. (crazy Tupperware lady here) I 'try' to do two bottles per day, but that is sooo hard to do for me. I carry it everywhere with me so that I always have something to drink. I also use the lunch containers that have the three portions already done so that when I cook something, I already portion out for the next few meals so they are ready to go.

I have a bullet. I use it for everything but the shakes. I tried the powdered shakes and really couldn't stand them. Like total yucko for me. Perhaps it was the frothy blah blah that it was, I don't know. I switched back to the pre-made premier shakes, and so far, no problems with them. But, I haven't really done very many smoothies. I have made some hummus with it and a few other things like blending up my tuna and such, but that is about it with that.

Lastly, my favorite thing is my protein drawer in the fridge (not really sure if that is a gadget, but it works for me). In there, is my stash of goodies. My babybel mini cheeses, my laughing cows, my cheese sticks, my crab sticks, my yogurt sticks, and my hard boiled eggs. They are always ready to go if I need that little bit of something.

murphyraven

food scale, blender bottle for mixing shakes/protein powder, hard eyeglass case for carrying my protein bars in my purse so they don't get squished.

My favorite "tool" so far has actually been my smartphone because I can log on MFP from it, track my steps, listen to music while exercising, read WLS forums, watch VSG vloggers, the reminder app for my vitamins and water intake, etc, etc.

gdnplnty

murphyraven wrote: »

hard eyeglass case for carrying my protein bars in my purse so they don't get squished.

Hey - that is a great idea!!

sinderstorm

I really like my Design for Living silicone water bottles. They hold up really well and I love the locking lid. I picked mine up at Costco when they had them this spring, but you can also get them on Amazon.

My favorite tool is far and away my Musclegen Genepro protein powder. 30g per 1T, and it dissolves so much better than any other powder I've tried without the grit. I put it in coffee, soups, and even juice if in a bind. I get it on Amazon as well.

I used my immersion blender instead of investing in a bullet or ninja, and I've been fine with it. I am glad that mine has the removable, dishwasher safe blades so I don't have to hand wash it all the time. I'm not a big shake person, so I haven't had many of them since getting out of the puree stage- I'd rather add my powder to other stuff when I use it.

anbrdr

I have a small bullet-type blender that I use for my morning shakes. Beats the hell out a shaker ball. I do like my digital food scale, and plan on buying one to keep in the office. I never bought in to the small plate/utensil stuff.

Trayjay33

I really like my contigo water bottles they keep fluids cold or hot for hours depending on what you put in them. They are pretty sturdy as I have dropped it a few times. Also my L.L. Bean lunch bag is a good size to carry food in so I healthy items to travel with.

ThinGwen

Right after surgery, I used a shaker bottle a lot. I got one with measuring marks on it so that I could easily measure how much I was drinking. I used one for shakes and one for water. I also have a ninja that I make great morning smoothies with - fair life skim milk, flavored/sweetened protein powder, some spinach (it doesn't add much taste) and some fruit. I take a couple hours to drink it. If I have a strong flavored protein mix, I add some spirutein.

grim_traveller

Over time, there have only been three things I couldn't do without. A food scale, a Fitbit, and my MFP account.

AngryViking1970

grim_traveller wrote: »

Over time, there have only been three things I couldn't do without. A food scale, a Fitbit, and my MFP account.

QFT. I also really really like my Brita hard sided water filter bottle.

ThinGwen

I do agree with qft - it doesn't have to be a Fitbit, but a step tracker is great, and I can't live without MFP and a scaler/measuring cup.

cmchandler74

gdnplnty wrote: »

I love my zoodle noodle thingie.

This times 1000. Definitely my favorite post-op kitchen gadget.

Editing to add a YES to the fitbit as well. I had mine pre-op, but I cannot do without it.

blairmundy

I have a Sunbeam egg-cetera from the 70's that will make me one (or two) soft boiled eggs. Or hard, or poached, but I can only do the soft right now. I like my target brand water bottles - I have an 18 a 24 and a 32 for different occasions. MFP and runkeeper on my phone. A cloth measuring tape I keep in a desk drawer as well as my scale in the bathroom. We already had a bunch of toddler eating stuff, but I do use it more.

martabeerich

They were selling those egg things on QVC last night!

cabennett99

A spatula made specifically for omelets. I share two eggs with my dog every morning. Our special time and my favorite meal.

mjks_mom

I'm so worried i'm not gonna be prepared. I have shaker bottles. A scale but it sucks its not digital and not very accurate, and small eating utensils. I want to get a fitbit, but they seem so expensive. I need to get a small blender of some kind for smoothies because i really enjoy the ones my friends make but again not sure of what kind to get. Just seems so over whelming.

ThinGwen

You can just get a regular pedometer, just to keep track of your steps. I would get a bullet type blender (I'm a couple months out and use mine daily), and a scale that works well to measure you. Eventually, it will be helpful to have a scale to measure your food. The pedometer gives you feedback on how active you are. The scale gives you feedback on your weight loss.

klcovington

I really like my blender bottles (one year out). They mix up my protein drinks and keep them from ever clumping. I have about three smaller ones and three larger ones to rotate. Helps me out.

martabeerich

I thought about a fit to rotate. But my Omcron pedometer does it all. Total steps, aerobic steps, distance walked, calories burned, and a memory so you can check steps for the last week. So much cheaper than a fit bit.

And I couldn't use MFP without my digital food scale.

mjks_mom

martabeerich wrote: »

I thought about a fit to rotate. But my Omcron pedometer does it all. Total steps, aerobic steps, distance walked, calories burned, and a memory so you can check steps for the last week. So much cheaper than a fit bit.

And I couldn't use MFP without my digital food scale.

What do you mean digital food scale?

ThinGwen

It's one that displays the weight as a number, and needs batteries, as compared to one with a needle that then points to the correct number.

martabeerich

Yes. And it switches between ounces and grams. Because many foods are listed as one but not the other. Additionally, one of the easiest things is to put a container on the scale, zero it, then remove the amount of food i want. It makes it easier to measure without a ton of measuring spoons/cups. Or, putting a big bowl on the scale, then adding ingredients, zeroing it between each. It makes building a recipe so easy, and it's all scrupulously measured and accurate. And I put a refrigerator magnet up with conversion chart: cups, ounces, measuring spoons/cups, grams... (ex. 1 teaspoon = 5 grams, tablespoon = 15 grams, 4 TBS = 1/4 cup = 60 grams, etc.) I do this so I stay accountable for everything I put in my mouth.

akindofmagick

Best thing I bought for this journey: NutriBullet (not MagicBullet - that model is underpowered and useless). Least useful device: immersion blender. I also like my Contigo blender bottles to transfer my smoothies into for drinking in the car. They are easy to clean, and have a nice wide mouth to drink from. No straw needed.

gldngrl7

I love my 32 oz CamelBak Chute water bottle. Two of those a day and I'm gold. And no straw! Just a mouth shaped spout for drinking.