I Miss Food

I'm about 4 months post-op and in truth am doing fine, so I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I figured that if anyone would "get it" it would be the folks on this site.

I MISS FOOD.

Although I'm able to eat enough food, there is a long list of foods that I cannot tolerate, including many healthy foods that I loved pre-op.  Thus my meals pretty much consist of the same few items every day.  I miss variety, I miss flavor!  I miss the convenience of throwing together a PB&J or grabbing a banana when I need to eat in a hurry, or a few carrots to chomp on when I am craving "chew."

No garlic, no onions, no spicy foods, no bananas, no quick crunchy snacks like carrots (these are the things I miss the most).  No fizzy water.  No dairy products (other than lowfat hard cheese for some reason), no oils, no more than 1-2 g sugar, no sugar alcohols, no sucralose....  That's not including all the other "no" of foods (e.g. beef, pork, bread, etc) of foods that I didn't eat a lot of before.

Pretty much all I can eat and KNOW that I'll be okay consists of fat-free beans, baked chicken, well-cooked broccoli & cauliflower, baked or mashed potatoes, crunchy lettuces, and fresh oranges & strawberries (neither of which are very good this time of year).

I'm a little embarrassed to complain, because with the exception of chicken, I love all these foods.  It's just that eating only them, and without garlic, onions, or spices to flavor them, is getting old.  Plus I can only be sure I'll be okay if I prepare the food, because restaurants are often way too generous with oil and sugar, which I don't detect until my "pouch" objects.  

Yes, I am still glad I had the surgery.  And I don't mean to minimize in any way those who are dealing with serious problems (my husband would refer to this complaint as being a "first-world problem," lol).  I just needed to complain to some folks who won't jump to the conclusion that my complaints mean I am not going to stick with my diet!

OK, whining session over.  Thanks for listening!

Why no onions, spices, or garlic?  Why no dairy, oils or sucralose? 

Because they all make me sick.  Garlic, onions, "hot" spicy food, dairy, & sucralose make my stomach hurt, cramp, and gurgle.  Food containing sugar alcohols or too much oil (e.g. a tsp of margarine) sends me into full-on dumping syndrome.  Once you've experienced that, you NEVER want to again!

R U sensitive to spicy food or become lactose intolerant now? Maybe you can speak with your Dr, maybe you need a ppi or maybe just more time for your new pouch to get used to food again? Sometimes what you can't tolerate now you can tolerate later.

I'm already on a PPI - my surgeon requires it for 6 mos. as for maybe tolerating food later - I hope you are right!  Especially garlic and bananas (tho not at the same time, lol). 

until about 6-7 months my list of nos was way longer than my list of yesses. I would say give it time and then try them again one at a time. I just now(14 months) can tolerate an egg. I have always had a wonky stomach so none of this surprises me....

They don't call it the mourning period for nothing. Hang in there, it will get better  

I missed a lot of food too when I was a few months out.  It took about 8-9 months before I was able to tolerate fresh veg.  Now I live on the stuff.  I eat cucumbers and carrots as a snack every day.  It can be daunting and boring and a SLOG when you're working through the weight loss phase, especially if you're having intolerances.  

Be patient and kind with yourself.  Try preparing the things you CAN tolerate in new ways, and don't think that just because you don't tolerate something today that it's a "no go" forever.  Some days I can't tolerate eggs to this day, but most days I'm pretty good on most things.  

I look at this experience as a very long (maybe even lifelong) experiment.  I'm trying new things and old things and all things and seeing what happens and how I handle it.  You have to find what works for you and be open to that changing as time goes on.

Thank you. Your answer was Very reassuring and helpful. Hopefully bananas and garlic may be in My future!

Why can't you eat those foods? Do you have a personal intolerance? or some LOL strange sadist surgeon or dietitian? 

Onions (perhaps minced a little finer in the beginning), garlic, spices are wonderful, low calorie ways to add flavor to meal post-op. Oils (in moderation) even sweeteners (sucralose/Splenda) are allowed on most post-op diets. Dairy is a staple in most people's post-op diet. Carrots (well not right away raw but after a time.) Bananas (higher in sugars and carbs but usually fine in moderation, frozen hunk in shakes I do often) Peanut Butter (again fine in moderation though I'd suggest powdered for shakes same flavor less fat.)