Will food ever be enjoyable...

Hi All, I'm 3.5 weeks out with a RNY. It seems that eating has become such a chore with wondering what to eat, will it go down, will it hurt, taste good, etc... Will it ever be enjoyable to eat again or is eating always going to be such an ify thing? I am not trying to whin because I would do this all over again and wish I would have done this years ago. I'm just wondering. Is eating ever fun again? Tracy

Hey Tracy, I know where you are coming from. I am 6 weeks out from Lap Band. Just had my first fill this week. I think at this point it is kind of trial and error. I know there are certain things that just won't work for me to eat (at least at this point), but I think my tastes are starting to change. I actually am craving veggies (well, craving is a strong word - let's just say I like them better now). And just a little bit of sweets seems to satisfy me. I guess we knew that things would have to be different, its just the getting used to it, right? Give yourself some time. If you are like me, you have had a lifetime of eating whatever and whenever (except when dieting!), so this will take time. Take care, Robin

Ever get a car that was new to you? Radio knobs work different; windshiield wipers are in a different place; where's the cruise control?; have to grab manual to find the headlight swtich?

Same, same. You learn, you enjoy, have to refer back o the manual (every 6 months when I reset the clock!), but eventually, you have learned it and you can go to parties, pot lucks and smoothly take only what you can trust and experiment with new things at home.

It just takes awhile to learn how to work the new equipment, but eventually, it works so much better than the old stuff, you'll be delighted!

Now *I* am the master over food, not it over me.

Hi Rosie (im in the valley too) .. YES  it gets enjoyable.   I wondered that my 2nd month..when everything i'd been eating from week 1 suddenly made me sick, as my stomach healed. Im able to eat alot of salad..and they are good salads.  About a cup of greens,bleu cheese, prawns, etc.   Find things that dont bother you (shrimp and chili seem to be what most tolerate well)  cheese, etc.. and put it together :)  I do better (especially when salad was new) chopping the lettuce up fine, like slaw.. (helped with my not so great learning process of chewing well) I didnt have the diet restrictions many seem to have.  By the end of week 1.. was trying about anything. Had pork and saurekraut last night.. mmm :)

Trust me it does.  But I remember very clearly how much of a chore eating was in the beginning and honestly I still really have to think about how big of bites I'm taking, if I"m chewing well enough...those things have not become second nature to me yet (I'm ten months out).  But I've figured out what food I can't tolerate and make sure I stay away from them.  Unfortunately it will change as you heal too.  Things you are fine with now might be intolerable later and visa versa.   I think to a certain extent I will always have to think about what I put in my mouth and honestly that's a good thing!! One thing to think about too is that eating being fun is what got us into this situation in the first place.  Food really should just be for nourishment but we (as a society) use it as rewards, when we celebrate anything big or small it's with food, gatherings with friends always have food involved and yes you can still enjoy those gatherings but it can't be about the food anymore, it's got to be about the people you are with.   I don't mean to lecture and I'm sorry if that comes across as such but the reality is that you really do have to change your whole mindset about food. Yes, you will get to enjoy your food again but it's never going to be fun like it used too.  I sometimes crave the ability to sit down with a huge plate of pasta and eat the whole darned thing, not think about small bites or chewing thoroughly...but I can't and I can't let it be important to me.   Anyway, it's hard in the beginning and I do sympathise with you!!!  You get sick of eating the same stuff all the time or being ill because you ate something that didn't work.  It does get easier I promise. Corinna Q

Hi Tracy, Sorry to be replying so late to your post but i haven't had much time for reading the boards lately.  You aren't whining, you are just in an unpleasant and unusual phase right now.  Yes, eating definitely does become pleasurable and enjoyable again.  I stick to a really low-carb way of life now and by doing that I now taste all the natural sugars and salts in foods that were always hidden before.  Food is so incredibly tasty now!  Hang in there, you will get to this point too and be amazed at what immense satisfaction you get from such small amounts of food.  Who knew we didn't really need to gorge ourselves with heaping platefuls of food in order to be so satisfied???   Molly

HI, Tracy... I'm in Cali, and for some reason felt like peeking at the WA board!!   YES...food will be enjoyable again!!  Almost like normal... but with a quicker feeling of FULL which is the great thing about RNY WLS. You are just at the beginning...like a baby w/liquids...then a toddler with pureed... you get the idea!  Solid food and mature eating will come...just down the road a bit... hang in there...enjoy the process..... Lori