Question:
preparing meals post op
how does it feel when you have had the surgery , returned home and reality sinks in. is it difficult to prepare the meals for the family, knowing that alot of the stuff you cannot eat. do you feel cheated or upset or just accepting? my op is next tuesday, i am having panic attacks over it all, dont get me wrong, my mind is made up and i know this operation is the best thing for me, but like today i was having a chat with a so called friend and expressed my concren how i may feel post op when i return home and no nice dinner! she upset me by saying omg, you are obsessed with food. people are awful. they just dont understand. i didnt ask to be born this way, sorry, i needed to vent. thanks to everyone who has answered my previous questions and for all your support. — JULIE B. (posted on May 12, 2003)
May 12, 2003
Dont beat yourself up! I thought the same thing about making meals. My 3rd
day back home I made meatloaf for my hubby. NO PROBLEMS! You really are
not hungry. I had no problem with making him dinner. Now, he made himself
cookies and that was hard to smell. I love choc chip cookies! Bad Hubby,
Bad! LOL Good Luck! Dont worry, you will find that it's easier to respect
food and yourself. LISA
— Lisa R.
May 12, 2003
Hi Julie, I am almost 6 wks post op and have found this to be hard at
times. I have a large family and cook a big meal every night except for
Saturday. Many others express loss of appetite or aversion to food but I
have not experienced that. I tend to taste al ot when I cook and I have had
to be very aware NOT to do that. Also, the food looks good even though I
could only eat about a tsp of it! It is getting easier but I have found
this to be the most challenging. I envy those who don't need to keep their
kitchen so well stocked for 6 teenagers and a husband!
— krogers56
May 12, 2003
hi,
just to let you what i experinced,I 2 have to children at home one 15 and 9
AND A HUBBY WITH A HUGE APPETITE i have to cook for them and sometimes it
is very hard it is easier if you are not hungry,but there are times i would
just die for a taste,but believe me that urge does pass.i am 6 weeks out
today and just starting pureed,so just keep the faith and hang in because
time really does go fast. good luck.
— GRACE M.
May 12, 2003
I am also six weeks out and can totally relate to your question. It was
difficult to cook for my family, however, I keep reminding myself that
because I have bad issues with food it shouldn't mean that they have to
stop eating the things that they like. I know that in time, when I am in
control of my eating. I will be able to try some things again and this
phase won't last forever. One really neat thing I've noticed about it is
the LEFTOVERS! I can make one meal last two nights and it sure makes it
easier to know that the next night I'll only have to heat up a meal instead
of cooking again! Sometimes I will prepare the meal and head out to the
gym- that way I won't have to watch them eat. hee hee. Most of the time it
is really ok but on the other hand....I feel my self becoming a bit
resentful having to clean up the mess afterwards! Believe me 13 month old
twins, a 2 year old, a 4 year old , a 7 year old and a 38 year old can
leave a mess! Good luck
— lyndaleigh
May 12, 2003
I was cooking for my family 3 days after surgery. In the beginning, it was
hard. Everything smelled so good! I wanted to taste it, I wanted to have
a bite...but I didn't. The worst part was cooking & not being able to
sit down with my family & enjoy a meal. I would just cook, then go
back and sit in front of the TV to take my mind off the food. After 3
weeks, it stopped bothering me so much. I could cook for them, and eat
something for myself while still enjoying their company. Now, it doesn't
faze me. I cook, we all eat, I just eat less. There is some resentment in
the beginning...all normal. Don't fret. It gets better...really. Good
luck! (Amy ***LAP RNY 04-09-03)
— Amy A.
May 12, 2003
I am almost 7 months out and it is still hard for me. But I keep reminding
myself when I'm struggling that for long term success, whether I had the
surgery or not, there are foods that I just should avoid. So, I've never
regretted having the surgery, but I do sometimes end up feeling sorry for
myself that I have this problem with obesity while my skinny brother in law
shovels junk in. My family functions center around food and I allow myself
a little bit of everything around the holidays and a small piece of cake on
birthdays, but the rest of the time I stay away from these foods and don't
keep them in the house. I'm too afraid that I'll fall off the bandwagon.
The first few weeks when you are on liquids are difficult, but that ends
right when you're ready to throw jello across the room if you have to eat
it one more time. Good luck to you and know that your feelings are normal.
— Yolanda J.
May 12, 2003
I am 5 1/2 wks post op. I say it can truelly be a struggle Exp. the first
few weeks. I even cried over spagetti- I don't even really like the stuff-
It just smelled so good. I think it does get easier. I am now able to eat
regular food-following the guidelines given to me by the nutritionalist-
and I basically prepare meals for the entire family off my meal plan. I
won't lie- It is hard but well worth it. Good luck with your surgery.
— Jan S.
May 12, 2003
I admit, it was hard at first, but it gets MUCH easier as time goes by. I
had surgery on December 11, 2002. I made a Christmas dinner on the 25th,
and cried because I wanted to eat, and eat, and eat. I had to settle for a
bite of mashed potatos, and pureed ham. I also cried over Taco Bell
commercials. It was SAD, but also funny. My husband got up one night to see
where I was. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and crying. He said,
"Oh honey, which was it this time. Taco Bell or McDonald's??" He
said it a VERY caring, concerned way, with the utmost sincerity, and then I
couldn't stop laughing. So.. hormones are a problem too. LOL! Just remember
that it gets easier every week, for the most part. After a few months,
you'll be able to enjoy dinner with the family. :)
— Diana L.
May 12, 2003
Diana L,,,you're response CRACKED me up. I could SOO see myself doing
that, as well as my hubby. TOO FUNNY!
— [Deactivated Member]
May 12, 2003
— vitalady
May 12, 2003
Want to know how memorable this period in time will be to you? Well for me
anyway, I can't even recall if it bugged me or not. Unfortunately I didn't
comment about it in my profile so <shrug>. The only reason I'm
answering you is to offer you hope that it will become a very insignificant
thing to you some day (and not all that far post-op). I hope that helps
some and GOOD LUCK!!!!
— [Deactivated Member]
May 12, 2003
Ha! I made my family suffer along with me! (No, not really!) What I did do
was cook stuff they could eat and that I could also fit into my plan. I
cooked a turkey breast in the crockpot, made gravy, mashed potatoes, etc. I
had some turkey pureed with gravy and mashed potatoes. They had the turkey
sliced, of course. I just did stuff like that.
— koogy
May 13, 2003
I handled this differently. I stocked up with lots of frozen foods, cereals
peanut butter, cream cheese and deli meats, and usually my family (two
girls, 14 and 7, and my husband) will just take what it wants to eat. If
the family wanted something special, my husband usually made it. Now that
I can eat solids, I will try to make nice meals on weekends, but generally
make foods I can eat too. If my 14 year old wants pasta (which I can't
eat), she makes it.
— Beth S.
May 14, 2003
I totally understand where you are coming from but I think you will be
happy to hear you won't be hungry when you get home. I am 3 weeks post op
and find it hard to get all of my liquids in still. I started cooking for
my family the day after I got home because it actually kept me busy and
kept my mind off of losing weight! I enjoyed cooking for them and didn't
have any interest in eating anything I made for them (even though they used
to be my favorites!) Hang in there and best of luck - congratulations on
your decision!
Kim
— Kimberly B.
Click Here to Return