So, I went through bariatric surgery. Yeah, one of those. And let me tell you, life changes. Eating, especially, becomes this whole new puzzle you gotta solve every single day. My doctor was all like, “Tiny portions! Protein first! No junk!” Easy for them to say, right? I was just trying to figure out how to exist without my stomach throwing a tantrum.
The Search for Sanity (and Food)
Cooking? Forget about it. The first few weeks, I barely had energy to shower, let alone play chef for my new, super-sensitive tummy. That’s when I started poking around online for “bariatric meal delivery.” And wow, what a rabbit hole. So many companies, all promising the moon. Some looked like they were selling airline food, others looked way too gourmet for what I needed.
I wasn’t looking for Michelin stars, you know? My list was pretty basic:
- Meals had to be small. Like, really small.
- Protein, protein, protein. That was the mantra.
- Hopefully, it wouldn’t taste like sadness in a plastic tray.
- Easy. I needed EASY.
It felt like a bit of a gamble, picking one. Spent a good few evenings just staring at websites, feeling overwhelmed. You read reviews, but who knows what’s real anymore, right?
Unboxing and First Bites
Finally, I bit the bullet and ordered from one. The first box showed up, all insulated and packed with ice. Felt a bit like getting secret agent supplies. I opened it up, and there they were: a bunch of little containers. My first thought was, “Is this it? Am I gonna starve?” Because, old habits, they die hard, even when your stomach is the size of a walnut.
Heating up that first meal, I was skeptical. It was some kind of pureed… something. Looked a bit like baby food, if I’m being honest. But I took a bite. Then another. And you know what? It wasn’t bad. Actually, it was kinda decent. More importantly, it stayed down. That was a huge win.
The real kicker for me was the sheer relief. Suddenly, I didn’t have to stress about what to cook, how much to make, or if I was getting the right stuff. It was just there. Grab, heat (or not, some were fine cold), and eat. It freed up so much mental energy when I really didn’t have any to spare.
The Ups, Downs, and the Bill
Over the next few weeks, I worked my way through the different meals. Some were definite hits, others were… well, you eat them because you have to. Variety was okay, better than I expected, but let’s be real, after a month or two of tiny, specific meals, things can get a bit samey-samey. That’s just how it is.
The biggest upside? Convenience. Hands down. It helped me stick to the plan religiously in those critical early stages. No guesswork, no temptation to just grab something I shouldn’t because I was too tired to prepare bariatric-friendly food.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: cost. These services aren’t cheap. You’re paying for the specialized food, the portioning, the delivery, the whole shebang. It definitely adds up. For me, in that initial post-op fog, it was worth it. I viewed it as part of my recovery cost, like meds or follow-up appointments.
Would I use it forever? Probably not. Once I got my sea legs back and felt more comfortable with my new eating habits and cooking for myself, I phased it out. But for that transitional period? Yeah, it was a solid choice. It did what it said on the tin, mostly. Made a tough time just a little bit easier to manage, and that’s saying something.
