Worst before it gets better?

OK...so I'm super excited about my upcoming surgery (July 19). I know it's the right thing to do and that I will do my best to utilize my new tool effectively. BUT.... I find myself mourning all the foods that I won't be able to eat, at least not right away. Each meal I have eaten since I got my date has been full of thoughts like..."What on my plate will I be able to eat after surgery?", "I won't be able to eat this anymore!", or "I wonder if this can be made sugar-free". Sometimes I'm ok with it and other times I'm sad. I'm a food-lover....not just the eating, but the baking, cooking and such. I know that I just need to retrain myself to learn healthier ways to feed my pouch, but right now that seems so overwhelming (at times). I find myself saying "well, just enjoy it for now....figure it out later." Avoidance much!? Has anyone else found themselves doing this? How do/did you deal with it? Advice? Christina S

Many of us can truly relate. Personally, I didn't have real time to speculate on the mourning of food after surgery or to have lots of "last meals" since I was required to lose weight before surgery since I was having lap RNY. I had to cut back and get weight off. I think in many ways that made it easier for me because I was on a low-carb diet and my cravings were gone well in advance of my physical surgery. With that said and done, I can tell you that Rich and I do enjoy food. We enjoy the process of determining a menu, shopping, cooking and yes eating - the sight, smell, texture as well as the taste. One thing you'll find after surgery is that the quality of what you eat will become much, much more important to you. Initially you eat so very little that you want what goes into your mouth to not only count towards your health (protein first!) but you really, really want it to be really flavorful. Taste becomes more important than ever. Pre-surgery, it was about "bulk"... after surgery - it is about taste (and of course physical toleration of the food). I say to folks don't think that there will be foods that you can eat now before surgery that you can never ever eat later. I think for most folks there will be a time in their post-op life when they can eat most anything. It is a matter of choice though. Rich doesn't dump from sugar. He had surgery in August of 2004 and had no sugar until one fork full of NY cheesecake at that first Christmas. He didn't dump. So, we assumed he probably didn't. Now jump another year to the next Christmas... he had a small piece of cheesecake and a bite of this and that. No dumping. While he enjoyed it and enjoyed be able to try it... he does not eat sugar the rest of the year. Believe me, it has been available at his work and he says no. He is happy with knowing that each Christmas... he'll eat the real thing and enjoy it guilt free. For the rest of the time... if he wants something sweet, he'll have something sugar free. We do some baking and have been very pleased with SF cheesecakes and pumpkin pie and even some cookies. We do not have sweet treats around all the time. Figure it is a good habit to skip. (As for me, I haven't tried sugar and don't intend to anytime soon.) The whole eating and cooking thing will change. But you can and will adapt to it and you can enjoy it again. Hope this helps a wee bit, Kathy

I can definitely relate to the issues you are talking about. I do have to say though that a big part of the fun is being able to experiment and adjust the recipes to make them pouch friendly. Another thing that I found was that during the first 2-4 months until I started to eat more regular foods I ws overwhlemed with how abnormal I felt. Everyone around me was normal and I was odd. It was really a struggle for me because I wasn't expecting it. The great thing is that it does go away after you prgress more with you foods. Courtney

I feel your pain - I went a couple of week before the WLS thinking I was going to miss it all .. Food was very important to me .. even soda pop ... but I went almost 5 months after the surgery just learn to eat somewhat normal food. I did not have the time to think about how much I missed real food. I was concreaned about just find foods I could eat and not come back up. But it is working its way out

You've already gotten some GREAT replies so I'll keep mine short... just wanted to say, YES, yes, yes, I can relate! Not only did I go through all the head games/thoughts as a PRE-OP - but then again, aggressively, right after surgery! It was hard for me, very hard, I literally "thought about food" 24/7. Our TV(s) ALL were programmed for the FOOD CHANNEL - good grief, before my surgery, Id never even watched ONE cooking show - much less hours and hours and hours, day in and day out, of the Food Network. LMAO - it was one heck of a LONG mourning, experience, some days were tougher then I'd like to admit, but NO day was ever worth going back to my OLD unhealthier and larger self. Even now. It's okay - what you're going through is normal. Food limitations and choices are just a few of the ramifications and challenges with your lifestyle changes but I hope you find it to be well worth it, when it's all said and done. - Lei

Hi Christina, I'm like Kathy, I had to lose weight before surgery so I had pretty much gotten in a better way of eating mode. But it's funny, at least for me, after surgery I had no inclination to eat the way I used to. I'm only 8 months out, but I still am not 'tempted' to go back to my old ways. Maybe that will change. I'm enough of a realist to know that other people, who are stronger than I am, have been at this point and now have to watch what they eat. You'll do fine. You go through so many emotions before surgery. And they're all normal!! I'm excited for you!! donna