Are you the family cook?

Hi Everybody, This is a topic that was on another board the other day and I thought it was interesting. The question is, If you are the family cook, did you have to change the way you prepare your family's meals after wls? I know allot of pre-ops wonder how much their life will change after surgery when the reality of day to day living sets in. Will you prepare the meals differently? or will you make a separate meal for yourself? or do you tell everybody to fend for themselves from now on?? Just wondering what you guys have done. Please share..inquiring minds want to know!! Hugs and Skinny wishes to all Ginger

Hey Ginger, Thats a good topic concidering we need to know how others survive the family ordeals with food. I personally havent had it that bad. My husband and I are the only ones here at home now. But if had to raise these three girls I had and have weightloss surgery years ago.... Well I dont know what the changes would have been. My husband is very layed back( nearly 30 yrs of training lol) when it comes to eatting. He will pretty much eat anything I cook. I have nono's that I dont do anymore for sure. Like fried food but he eats fried when we eat out if wants. I have been very good about making sure he has his foods that he still likes even though I dont do well with them. I have become a crockpot queen lately. Example of adjusting.... All my girls were down for the week and we grilled out alot. Well I dont do beef well yet. I just have fish while they have there things. I am also like sandra. We eat pots of things that last a few days or meals made that hang around till we are like " dont think I want that anymore lol" but there will be challenges. I still have the lil debbie snack drawers for him and doesnt bother me (yet!). But the main thing I guess we have to learn is food will always be there. Just have to be inventive and dont feel deprived while others are sucking on sugars and fried lol.. Hugs Marge

Well hello fellow crock-pot queen! Is there room in this country for two queens?? I do allot of crock-pot stuff too. For instance, I can handle beef or chicken easier if it was cooked in moist heat aka crock-pot. This way I can grab a taste of the potatoes along with the soft shredded meat. I made a roast in the crock-pot on Sunday and tonight is last night eating the stuff. My mother-in-law calls serving left-overs "Must-goes" This MUST Go..That Must Go...etc. Here's to cooking economically HugsGinger

I am the cook, My Bob would strave to death if he had to cook. Just refuses to step foot in the kitchen. ( And I know he knows how to cook.) He expects it to be brought to the table and served just as in a restaurant. Three times a day. Well he dont get it three times a day. But he would if I would type thing. I just dont go there he is too spoiled already. Anyway, I have been cooking different, actually less, I buy a lot of deli food. And make up Bobs plate with that. And we eat a lot of tuna, crock-pot, and soups. which last for days. plus I freeze alot of stuff, that I can just bring out later and pop in microwave, keeps a variety going so that he dont have to eat the same thing for days. . I was really supprised when this worked for Hamburger helper real well. Since it is just me and Bob most of the time. I can pop one in microwave and serve. Then since I dont eat hamburger helper. I just make me something WLS friendly like a can of tuna. Since we both love bean salad. I almost always have a bowl of it in the fridge. I have also been using equal in everything that I can instead of sugar and I dont tell anyone any different on that. I have been told some stuff is real good by my SIL to be when he says he can taste that nasty stuff in everything and he cant stand it. . So in the long run I think everyone is eating better. love marie

hi ginger this is easy for me -- no kids, not married, live alone (except for furry, 4-legged kids)! i hardly ever cook anymore. i was just thinking the other day, "i could get rid of my stove!" i do think it has made things easier for me to change my eating habits as i don't have to think about, or buy food, for anyone other than me. nothing tempting around the house, either! deb

Chief cook and bottle washer here for the last 38 years. Now though it's just myself and my "roomie" (Daughter Dearie #2 - 35 ... we're pooling resources right now), In truth, I haven't really been a "cooking mom" in years ... you know, the balanced meal kind of spread on the table? I do that just once in a while when I feel like it or for holidays or birthdays. Otherwise, it's mainly 1 meat and 1 vegetable, and she eats what I fix because she's watching her calories and fat intake as well, and she hates to cook. It's worked out ok, except she says she's getting sick of chicken, chicken, chicken, and pretty much hates fish. As for the crock pot, it gets used once in a while, but mainly I bake things ... even baked salmon patties the other night and they weren't half-bad. Myra

I used to do all the cooking before my surgery, but now....7 weeks out...I barely cook at all. It's just me and my significant other (plus the critters) and she really enjoyed getting "creative" in the kitchen right after my surgery...so now she has taken over my stove! We eat pretty much the same kinds of "meat" (except no steak...my tummy cant handle it yet...and maybe a little more chicken then usual) but we have all but eliminated the mashed potatoes and pasta side dishes. We replaced them with salads and veggies and fruit. Much healthier! We are also doing the crock pot thing...nothing like a crock pot to reduce meat to falling apart tenderness. Lisa L. 380/330/170

Hi Lisa, A gal on another board says that instead of yelling "dinner is ready!" She yells, "Protein's on!" She says that if anyone wants sides/carbs..they do the fix'ins themselves. On the whole, everybody in the house can actually eat a bit healthier if you get just alittle pro-active. HugsGinger

Good question Ginger! It's me, my hubby and three kiddos. I have a 9 yr old son who weighs 60 lbs (and it's all BONES), 7 yr old son who won't hardly touch a thing but tacos, pizza, and breakfast food, and a daughter 4 who will eat just about anything. I was frying chicken a week out of the hospital. I wasn't much of a fryer before I've always baked our french fries and things like that so frying is a definite treat. My grandmother was here and that's why the fried chicken so close to leaving hospital. It didn't bother me too bad the smell was good but I've tasted it since and it was awful!! (THANK GOD ) I tend to cook just the way I did before surgery. I will sometimes have a protein drink for dinner or some of what their having if I can. I've found that NOTHING tastes the same and I spend a good amount of my time spitting into a napkin. I hate to be nasty and rude but I will put it in my mouth and nearly gag. My husband gets annoyed because he says he never sees me eat. I eat A LOT of chili. I make my own without meat or Wendy's small chili. It takes me FOREVER to eat mine and the Wendy's will last me for 3 or 4 meals. I can't even imagine me not cooking the food they enjoy especially my husband, he is very much a meat and tater's kinda of guy. I make beef stew, pork chops, chicken alfredo, meatloaf...things like that. We have started having fish alot more though and I think that's the only change. My oldest son keeps offering me things and he says mom I'm sorry I keep forgetting. I think they are so used to me being the vacuum that cleans up all of the leftovers and it's hard to break that habit for them. I try to explain that my tummy can't hold as much and things just don't taste good anymore. They ask me the same things that my relatives keep CONSTANTLY asking me.."Will you EVER be able to eat "normal" again??" We'll see and it depends on what their verison of normal is. I won't be able to outeat everyone at the table anymore, I will be able to eat until I'm full and get up. I will be able to eat the way I was meant to eat. What's that saying "eat to live not live to eat." So basically I'd say no my cooking hasn't changed and yeppers I'm still head chef and I think I always will be!! It doesn't bother me too bad. I LOVE to cook and I LOVE to watch people enjoy the things I prepare. Jamie

Awwhhh Jamie, I was so thinking about you when I did this post. I remember you had a growing family so you would be the one the pre-ops would want to ask. I can see your cooking hasn't changed much. We can't really change everybody's diet....after all, they didn't have the bypass right. It's kinda fun to sneek the healthy foods in without the rest of the family noticing. I only have a husband and a teen-age boy who doesn't mind grabbing his own food. If it wasn't for hubby, I wouldn't have to cook at all. He doesn't like to cook..he knows how...lived on his own for awhile before we got married. Oh well, I'll just pick the protein out of the food I cook, can't eat much serving size anymore anyway. Hail to the chef!!! Kiss the cook!! HugsGinger