Surgery Update (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy)

[torobyn1]

What you can re- learn from tasting real food exists! Peas taste like peas... carrots taste like carrots... as a mom... adding milk and cheese helps but that’s only cause I wanted my son to have extra calcium It is what it is. Re thinking about how great it is to pick a corn off the cob and cook it is awesome I wish you the best in your journey :)

[FantasticBabblings]

@torobyn1 Thanks. I know what you mean. I grew up in the south and we always had a large garden, a couple of acres. We never bought vegetables at all. We grew everything we ate and the taste and freshness of any food bought in a supermarket can compare with something that was alive up until the last minute.

I didn't appreciate it until I no longer had it.

[torobyn1]

Hi from Canada... One do not use frozen veggiesWhy would you unless we are in the middle of Jan! You will be fine to eat anything that is natural. No junk food. Hold off on the great pizza you can get and not me ... J/k Everyone knows that the shit we eat has too much salt to much sugathat’s the way they own the millions of dollars of fast food places. To learn what your body needs.

[battim]

i love gerbers banana but the ravioli (why do they even bother pureeing ravioli?) is awful. thinking of you. praying to the godless universe for you.

[canucktunes]

I absolutely love Mott's fruit flavored apple sauce, my favorite being pear. It's probably sweetened though. 23g of carbs per 113g serving.

[fehquig]

It's no wonder that babies spit it out LOL

[TOMMYfromtheBRONX]

My thoughts are with you Phil, keep us informed, wishing you all the luck!!

[genmama1955]

Beans and rice give you complete proteins, that's why they mix the beans with rice. That poached egg looked so delicious, I want to go make one right now!

[schnukele]

Wow Phil, you're a brave man; it all sounds so scary to me. I'm wishing you a very speedy recovery and that the results are everything you wished for.

[FantasticBabblings]

@schnukele Thanks. It was a difficult decision, but now that I am past that I am getting excited about it.

[debbiez112]

I hope it all goes good and you get a second chance at feeling good in your body again. just think a year from now you will be feeling so much better you will be able to get out and enjoy like again. I wish you the best of luck! :)

[FantasticBabblings]

@debbiez112 Thanks. I am optimistic and look forward to just being able to walk wherever I want and sit wherever I want and be energetic and comfortable again.

[qiranger]

I hope you come through this with flying colors!

[FantasticBabblings]

@qiranger Thanks Steve. You and Jo are the best.

[edenbainbridge]

cool @ss tip with the poached eggs

my son ate earths best when he was little and i did not have time to make his food. ohh the sweet potato one is delish

i like the peaches and pears one best, i had many kisses from his messy mouth over dinner and those were the nicest.

xoexo

[FantasticBabblings]

@edenbainbridge The problem is the good baby food has the most sugar, which I need to avoid. Ain't that always the case? I did get some turkey, which I will try later this week when I experiment with pureed poultry and fish.

[FantasticBabblings]

@TheGachiman111 I hope she is doing well now. Send any suggestions along.

[AnarchoHumanist]

When you do cauliflower or potatoes, you could add parmesan, milk, chicken stock, seasonings, etc. for more flavor. I like squash pureed as well, especially acorn and butternut, but they need some brown sugar and butter or or maple syrup, and it sounds like you're trying to avoid sugar.

[FantasticBabblings]

@AnarchoHumanist Especially in the period after surgery I am supposed to eat low fat, low sugar foods. I'll try spicing up the cauliflower as you suggest. I'm also thinking roasting it might make it less watery.

[SWTPEA64]

My Friend Jen Had The Same Surgery ( 11 months ago) And I Just Meet With Her For Lunch Last Week She Has Lost A Total Of 135 Pounds!! She Looks Great & Feels Great! "It's Been A Journey But All Worth It " As She Says ...Good Luck & We'll All Be Thinking Of You... Joe

[FantasticBabblings]

@SWTPEA64 Congratulations to Jen! Thanks for your support.

[kenrg]

Oh, my, the end was too funny. But a noble attempt :^)

The eggs, meanwhile, do look very good.

Best of luck!

[FantasticBabblings]

@kenrg Thanks Ken. The new poached egg technique still has me excited. It solves I problem I have been trying to solve for years. It's the little things :)

[PaintedRavensong]

The way you have planned on heating them (the bowls) up sounds like it will work just fine. That was about the only way I could think of to do that short of bags you could put in hot water. All the best to you for your surgery and weight loss goals. See, now if you as an adult thinks that the green beans and rice is disgusting, what baby would eat that?...hehehe All the best!!!

[FantasticBabblings]

@PaintedRavensong I think the green beans and rice qualifies as child abuse. No wonder babies spit out baby food.

[sunsetlover]

when doing the baby food... watch out for the sugar count..

[FantasticBabblings]

@sunsetlover I know what you mean. I have to be really careful about sugar.

[sunsetlover]

I am glad you tried my suggestions... A slow cooker works well warming them up

[FantasticBabblings]

@sunsetlover It was a great suggestion. I will spend the week before sugery freezing up as many cubes of puree as I can fit in the freezer.

[viddareff]

poltergeist eggs! poultrygeist?

[FantasticBabblings]

@viddareff Well played.

[StLennyBruce]

Hey I'm really excited about all this! Pretty amazing time in your life, I bet. I'm going to try that poached egg idea-brilliant. Looked good.

[FantasticBabblings]

@StLennyBruce Thanks Theo. I'm still excited about the poached eggs. They look so perfectly shaped I almost don't want to cut into them. Very tasty too.

[carrolly2k]

Good luck to you!

[FantasticBabblings]

@carrolly2k Thanks!

[FantasticBabblings]

@carrolly2k Thanks!

[oneiblind30]

Best thoughts for you on this. btw I have a closet full of 29" Levi's I outgrew if ya need some cloths down the line!

[FantasticBabblings]

@oneiblind30 Are you inviting me to get into your jeans?

[freitasex]

I wonder about a pork puree... like take pulled pork and really put it through the food processor with a bit extra watered down bbq sauce.

Water it down with some mild vinegar or water.

You could have a bite of mashed potato on the side!

Or water the pork down with mashed potatoes!

[FantasticBabblings]

@freitasex Sounds interesting. I certainly like pulled pork. I will experiment with meat this week. Sounds kinda sexy.

[giaco44094]

Sounds like things are really coming along ! I'm so excited for you. It is such an amazing changing event that will add years to your life.

[FantasticBabblings]

@giaco44094 I had a little anxiety at first, but I am getting excited now.

[wildheart5]

It sounds like things are moving along nicely for you! I am sure the insurance company will give you the green light. I can never make a good poached egg either and I think you have solved the problem!! Thanks for the update and I look forward to seeing you again with another update! Take care! xo

[FantasticBabblings]

@wildheart5 Thanks. I will probably have another update by the end of the week.

[FantasticBabblings]

@Denvonn Thank you. The support of the YouTube community has been very helpful to me.

[Xone7]

I wish you well during  your surgery and the recovery afterwards! Hurry back and give us more of your wonderful videos. We love you!!

[FantasticBabblings]

@Xone7 Thanks. I will be making more videos about the surgery, especially afterwards.

[RDJim]

"Get in my belly!" LOL.... made me chuckle.

[FantasticBabblings]

@RDJim Funny thing is I usually don't even have to command. The food just gets in there somehow.

[TheMouthonWheels]

((Hello Phil)) Mum was just asking me today if there was any more news about your surgery and I saw your video :). I've found a few interesting recipes but YT won't let me put links in comments so I will post them to you via your blog :).

I hope the surgery comes soon and you get on with the business of healing xxx

[FantasticBabblings]

@TheMouthonWheels Yeah, the no links rule sucks. I'll look for them on the blog.

[ABombs1]

Awesome! That must have cost a pretty penny.

Far more organised than I could ever be...

For me, to FORCE myself to do sometihng, I just paid... equivalent of 350 dollars I think, for a year contract at a gym, which I'll have to attend about 3 times a week if i want my moneys worth I reckon. And *only* eat korean food, which is pretty darn healthy and tasty.

One of these days I'll be able to do 5 press ups. Maybe more...?

[ABombs1]

@ABombs1 Oh and GOOD LUCK

[FantasticBabblings]

@ABombs1 Thanks!

[FantasticBabblings]

@ABombs1 I don't know much about Korean food. I work near a Korean district in NY. It looks tasty and healthy. I need to be educated on it.

[skeletonmom]

Wishing you the best, sweetie. Thanks for taking us on this journey with you.

[FantasticBabblings]

@skeletonmom Thanks for going with me. I will take your thoughts and good wishes into the operating room with me.

[Boyntonstu]

Yes, you are very, very, brilliant.

The big question is why did you choose to get to this position?

If I were you, I would consider this: start eating the purees for the next 6 months and if the weight comes off, I would avoid surgery.

$29 will get you a microwave.

Good luck, whatever your choice.

See the foodwishes channel on how to poach perfect eggs.

You are much to anal about unimportant food details.

It does not matter what you eat, it matters how much you eat.

[FantasticBabblings]

@Boyntonstu I understand your points. In fact, I have made many of them myself. I have struggled with weight for 50 years and struggled with the decision about surgery for three years. I have made the decision after balancing the facts with my experiences. I see the other side. I have been on the other side. I explain my reasons for the surgery a bit more in the first video of this series (titled Surgery). I will have more to say about that.

[jenniferashley99]

Your face was so funny tasting the green beans. You don't show your emotions too much..but your eyes gave it away lol

[FantasticBabblings]

@jenniferashley99 I guess I won't be getting any endorsement deals from Earth's Best, will I?

[andymooseman]

Thanks for the update.

I haven't had a poached egg in years. I used to love them. That's got me thinking :)

[FantasticBabblings]

@andymooseman I love them. Especially soft poached with runny yolks.

[Cerulean0987]

Are you able to have things like oatmeal or cream of wheat?

[FantasticBabblings]

@Cerulean0987 Yes, cooked cereals are on my list of acceptable foods post surgery.

[Cerulean0987]

If you are worried about microwave cost, they are really cheap. In addition, my guess is that the microwave uses a lot less energy than an oven. It'd probably pay for itself very quickly.

[FantasticBabblings]

@Cerulean0987 I can afford a microwave, I'm just not sure I want one. I am trying to minimize my material possessions and I I have lived without it for a couple of years after having had one for 20 years. I may get a small one.

[LeSaMilano]

hahaha baby food really does suck.

Take your sweet potatoes (in jackets), microwave for 6 minutes, wrap in foil and put in 350 oven for 30-40 or so minutes until very soft, should scoop really easily out of skin. Practically won't need much pureeing, Season. Put in stomach.

Poach salmon/ fish and whip up with a little fresh greek yoghurt and lemon juice. Chill. Put in stomach.

Some people puree pre-made things like soups and chicken pot pies, then strain them. Has plenty of salt!

[FantasticBabblings]

@LeSaMilano I had a baked sweet potato for dinner last night (before the baby food). It was a lot better.

The salmon sounds good.

"Put in stomach". Did I create a meme?

[thornekatt]

Try roasting fresh veggies and pureeing them...especially sweet potatoes. It brings out their natural sugars. And of course, summer fruits with hemp protein powder would be a great snack-try grilling them.

[FantasticBabblings]

@thornekatt Hemp protein powder... I like hemp :)

[thornekatt]

Thick soups are great after surgery. I made lentil soup, bean soup, split pea. Also refried fat-free beans, ricotta cheese with pasta sauce. All protein rich and easy on the stomach. I pureed them all and put them in ice cube trays.

[FantasticBabblings]

@thornekatt Soups are on the list of things I can have, but they need to be completely pureed. I will be stocking up.

[Prodigyexam12]

Adjusting to your new stomach size will be the hardest part of the recovery process. Either way, good luck.

[FantasticBabblings]

@Prodigyexam12 Thanks. Because of the reduction in ghrelin, the hunger producing hormone, I have heard from many who had this surgery that they aren't very hungry afterwards so eating small meals isn't so bad.

[FantasticBabblings]

@xBlake4 :)

[CJCA915]

I read that most stomachs are between 1 and 1.5 liters in size, when full.

[FantasticBabblings]

@CJCA915 I have to think that mine has stretched a bit. After the surgery, though, it will be quite small.

[CJCA915]

@FantasticBabblings Yea, have you seen that one Mythbusters episode, where they test the myth of eating mentos and drinking coke, can cause your stomach to rupture?

They find out it's physically impossible, as you'll get full far sooner than is needed for your stomach to rupture, a rather neat episode.

[FantasticBabblings]

@CJCA915 In the early stages I'm not so worried about rupturing the stomach as the staples popping before the incision heals. So I can't have mentos and coke for a few months :)

[CJCA915]

@FantasticBabblings Yea, have you had surgery before, for anything?

[FantasticBabblings]

@CJCA915 I had surgery to repair a crushed nose after a taxi accident in 1997. That was the last time I was fully "under" general anesthesia. I got really sick afterwards, but I think it was because I swallowed so much blood in the surgery. But it left a bad memory about anesthesia.

[CJCA915]

@FantasticBabblings ouch, yea, like I said, with me, it's the recovery that'd bother me, seeing stitches or staples holding my ass together, lol.

[CJCA915]

I'd be scared to death about surgery... not the surgery itself, but the recovery, with the stitches or staples... :/

[FantasticBabblings]

@CJCA915 I have some anxiety, but the surgeon I am seeing is very experienced at this procedure and has a good record. I know it will not be easy at first, but I've prepared myself psychologically for it.

[CJCA915]

@FantasticBabblings Yea, that's always good.

I try to think if I ever have surgery, that it can fix me, lol. Makes it less bothersome to me.