Before bariatric surgery, you will likely hear a lot about the importance of eating enough protein. You might this is easy enough to accomplish pre-op. Meats and protein foods may even be some of your favorite foods.
But then surgery comes and comes, and something unexpected happens. After surgery, things are… different. You might find that everything but protein works well. Mashed potatoes and refried beans (otherwise known as “slider foods”)are okay, but high protein foods—not so much. You may be getting nauseated or you may even experience vomiting. This doesn’t encourage you to keep trying, but you know how important protein is. This leaves you in a tricky predicament.
Over the years of talking with people who are post-op, I have discovered that many things influence tolerance. This includes everything from how to you eat the protein, to how your prepare the protein to which protein foods you choose.
Moreover, in this post I have summarized the most important points in the easy-to-remember 4 M’s. Here it is:
Now that you have an idea of the basics, I would like to share some tools and recipes for each that will help you practice these principles.
Munch to mush – A number of tools are available that can help you eat more slowly and carefully.
- Use the timer feature on Baritastic. This will time each bite for 30 seconds. This may sound tedious, but it can help you get a sense of how slowly you may need to eat. If you are having tolerance issues, try the next meal you have with the timer. If there is a big difference, this is a sign that pacing is likely one of the root cause of your tolerance issues.
- Pick up some smaller utensils. Amazon even carries smaller utensils specifically made for weight loss. However, if you have something at home such as children’s utensils or another small utensil, this works as well.
- Eat on a smaller plate. You can get bariatric-specific plates with helpful visuals reminding you to eat protein-forward meals. You may even opt for more stylish small sectioned plates. For that matter, if you already have a 8 to 9 inch salad or dessert plate you can utilize, this will work as well.
Marinate your Meats – See the following examples of marinade recipes and pre-made products.
- Here are some good recipes: Teriyaki Chicken Marinade , Healthy Steak Marinade
- And here is the link to the G Hughes Marinade
Moist Cooked Methods – Here are some recipe ideas that exemplify moist cooking methods;
- Crockpot French Onion Chicken
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili
- Braised Tomato Chicken Thighs
- Old Bay Seasoned Steamed Shrimp
- Moroccan Poached Fish
- Classic Beef Stew
Make the Right Choice – Here are some recipes for foods that are typically well tolerated
So there you have it! I hope if you are struggling with poor tolerance after bariatric surgery that you have found something of value here that will help expand you options. Until next time!
