Food issues after WLS!

Yes Kathy- I do have days like that too.  I think that you are doing a great job, and I hope that your Dr. is proud of you! Enjoy all your new foods!

Well, I'm not known for my brevity, but here goes.  At almost 3 years (where DOES the time go?) post-op, I still have "issues" with food.  Some of them are because my sense of smell/taste changed immediately post-op.  The smell of certain foods (anything fried and onions), makes me want to hurl.  The smell of ANYTHING cooking once I'm full (full, not stuffed), makes me want to hurl.  The smell of yeasty breads makes me gag, as does anything greasy.  Likewise, if someone told me I'd ever have to do pureed again, I'd hurl.  Same thing with gritty chewable vitamins, calcium chews and protein powders!!  If you ever want to punish me, by all means, make me drink a protein shake!!! I read so many posts where people say, "Will I ever be able to eat normally again?" and most of the time, these posts are from people who are not that far out from surgery.  Trust me, you will.  But the caveat is, do you still WANT to eat the way you used to?  Did you have invasive surgery to be able to eat 8 pieces of pizza?  That's what I could eat pre-op, along with salad, because in my mind, that made it healthy.  Now, 1 piece of thin crust and MAYBE the topping from another piece, and I'm full (full, not stuffed). I can honestly say that as long as I get in my fluids and my required protein every day, I AM NEVER HUNGRY.  I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED STOMACH HUNGER SINCE MY SURGERY.  Now head hunger, that's another thing.  And believe me, I would've payed extra had DVR operated on my head!!!  At my first meeting with DVR's nutritionist, she asked me what my biggest trigger was, and I told her sweets.  She then said, "Well, you know you won't be able to eat them anymore, right?  In fact, you won't even want them!"  THIS was exactly what I'd waited to hear.  Sadly, I didn't realize at the time, so caught up in the dreams of being thin, that every WLS patient is different, hence, our results are different.  I still want sweets and I can eat them.  However, the biggest difference for me is that I realize my stopping point and know that too much s/f candy is going to give me horrible gas and diarrhea.  Likewise, too much of the good old sugar filled stuff makes me gassy.  I've never gotten ill from eating too much or the wrong thing, but stuck food, that's another story.  Getting food stuck is the quickest way I know to learn to avoid certain foods.  At almost 3 years post-op, chicken, beef and pork are still not my friends, regardless of how they're cooked.  I can eat ground beef, but not meatloaf or burgers, I can eat grilled chicken cut up in a salad, but I can't eat a grilled chicken sandwich - makes a lot of sense, huh?  I eat salad, all kinds of veggies, fruit, cheese, bad carbs (yep, I do, just not in the enormous quantities that I used to) and good carbs.  I drink a ton of water, but I also gotta have my Starbucks!!  They have lots of s/f syrups now and I go for skim milk.  Donuts?  No, but don't get between me and a piece of chocolate!!!  Ice cream?  Yep, but not a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's, eaten in hiding in my bedroom with the container then thrown in the trunk of my car so no one can see.  Now, sometimes, just a spoonful of ice cream will do it. I think the main thing, beyond being compliant with your doctor's orders, is to listen to your body.  Trust me, our pouches will let us know when they don't like something.  Don't be afraid to try new things, your meals will get pretty boring if you don't, and keep in mind that it's a roll of the dice - what bothers you today, may not tomorrow and vice versa.  If you eat something early out that doesn't like you, write it down, along with the date, and try it at a later time.  You'll eventually see a pattern, and you may have to decide, "Hey, (chicken, beef, pork or whatever) is NOT my friend anymore."  Trust me, there are enough alternatives out there for us.  You will not starve, I promise you!!! So don't get discouraged, this is the best thing you could've done for yourself and your family and it will get better eventually, although eventually may seem a long way off!!! Hope this helps! Tia

Not too long at all, in fact, keep going .  Hearing this from you, who has been in my shoes already helps me more than anything.  Hearing that I'm not the only one having trouble with protein shakes, etc. gives me hope.  Thanks!!!

Wow Tia, is your pouch and mine related?! Lol- thank you for this. It really was helpful. And I agree I don't want to be my old normal again. But I sure do look forward to the "normal" of just being able to look forward to eating and not dreading it quite so much.  Man, I was hoping the meat thing would get better too. The one thing I have found that works great is crab. Yummy!

It is funny, before wls all I ever thought about was food. Now I have to remember to eat. I guess it is that way for all of us. Althought like Kathy there are some days when I am really really really hungry. But the volume is sooooo much less. I find that I get bored with food too. I am sticking to very low carb food choices right now because with the DS that is the best way to make the use of your weightloss window. Before wls it was almost impossible for me to stick to that, now it is easy because I have no craving for anything anymore. So you are just like all of us I am afraid. LOL But everyone says it does get better and the enjoyment of food returns.

Oh, How I wish  those  first 6 months were back. I would just about give anything to have that feeling again.....

Amen, Ellie!  Me, too!!  That's why I always tell people to maximize that honeymoon period, because once it's gone, it's gone!!!  Granted, we can still lose weight, but never at the initial rate!! Hope all is well with you, Tia