Do you miss food? Do you enjoy food as much as you used to?

I am supposed to have surgery in 2 weeks and it just occured to me I might never enjoy food again??!!!! When I did low carb before, I pretty much lost all interest in food. I could totally take it or leave it and even when I did eat good stuff, I didn't really enjoy it anymore.

I am so worried about not even enjoying the little bit I do get to eat. I wonder how your acutal enjoyment of what you do eat has changed. I know for sure I will be able to eat a lot less, I was okay with that, but not even enjoying what I do get to eat, that sounds very frustrating.

I am worried since it is forever!

Please let me know how your enjoyment of food is now.

Thanks!

I enjoy it just the same, and my tastes never changed at all.. even for protein shakes. 

The only thing that is different is I can't eat breaded fried stuff & carbs.. and quantity eating (like sitting down to an app, & then main meal is out..) but honestly, I also can take it or leave it, I don't crave foods like I used to - but when I actually eat, I still love my food & still enjoy my little portions. I find I play around more with my food now, I make it taste really good since the quantity is so small, messing with marinades, sauces and herbs is fun.. more bang for the buck! Quality over quantity is the motto now.. 

The good thing is is that I still enjoy food but food is not my life anymore.  Before, I use to finish one meal and think of what my next meal was going to be.   Before, I would scarf down food so fast that I never appreciated the flavor for what it was.  Now, why I can't eat alot of food, I appreciate it for what it's worth.  Having to chew the food so well, I take into account every taste, seasoning, inch of flavor of what I'm eating.  Food does not control me anymore.  I still go out to dinner with friends and family but now, it's about the company and conversations, not about the food, which is as it should be! Now, when I see people eat the amounts of food that I use to eat before surgery, it makes me sick to my stomach because I see them shoveling food into their mouths, chewing as loud as horses, wide open mouths and sometimes it makes me sick, lol.  I like my new little portions, I think they are cute and hey, I'm a cheap date.  I have never felt deprived and have not had any issues with food.  I have found low carb and low calorie options to some of my favorite foods like pepperoni pizza and peanut butter and jelly.  I enjoy steak from the girll with my husband, and all types of seafoods and fish.  So will you enjoy food again? Yes.  Will you enjoy as much as of it as before? No! But that's a good thing and the whole point of getting 75% of our stomach removed, lol.  You will be amazed at your new outlook on food.  You now eat to live, not live to eat. 

If I may suggest, go to YouTube and search 'VSG success stories' and you will see a slew of video journals that will be most helpful. Specifically if you google OR search on YouTube ''GastricSleeveReviews' you will see a young lady's history who speaks quite openenly about her mourning the her relationship with food. When I heard her speak of this, and knowing how me and food have been best friends for a long, long time, I made this a topic of discussion when I saw my therapist pre-surgery. I would suggest that you do the same. I am able to now recognize that most (90%) of my cravings have been psychological. You will not like getting full so quickly when you are enjoying a certain food or flavor, but you will also learn to savor each bite. I read by one OH member that it will take about 6months for your brain to cathch up with this new way of life, and I believe it. It's going to take time to undo years of bad habits. But it helps to go into it with a clear and honest picture. Sorry for such a long response. Good luck!

Yes I do miss food but not the food itself, the quantity.  Now when I am home eating ( which is 95% of the time ) I don't really care much.  But when I'm eating out is when I miss being able to eat large quantities, but I deal with it.  I am quite slim now so that makes up for a lot, LOL.  And I really don't enjoy food as much as I used to, but this really is a blessing because I am not plagued with cravings any longer.  It's truly freeing.  But I won't lie, I do miss the old days...just for a minute occasionally.  Then I snap back to reality and look in the mirror and am grateful for this gift.

Laura

It is really bizarre for me to get full so quickly.  As I lose more and more weight, I feel equally more thankful for that restriction, though.  I'm so much more comfortable, I feel stronger, my health is better.  Tiny bites, chew super well--that's how I stretch my meal out.  I agree with Sept's post saying it's an issue to start addressing before surgery.  For me, I couldn't really address it completely until I knew what my sleeve was, and I started seeing such awesome benefits.  I'm less than 2 months out, and I'm down to a weight that it took me 5 months of dieting to get to.  I didn't stay there long before I started gaining again.  Now, I know I'm going to keep going down for months. 

I do enjoy the food I eat.  I'm just not a slave to it.

Totally hear you, I felt same.

Don't worry. I still love food and enjoy eating very much.

I just don't get hungry as much and I don't eat as much.

It's so much better now. Do not worry - you are going to be just fine.

I'm at 2 1/2 months out and get frustrated when I sit down to my meal that looks awesome, have a few bites and am full!  I know I'll get used to it, but I get sad!  41 pounds down in 10 weeks, though, and a momentary flash of sadness is doable! 

 god i miss it.. i can't wait until i can put my apron on again and cook and be able to taste my creations.  for me, food is an art that i over indulged in.. and now that i have this tool to help me with self control i can only think that my food will be that much more pleasing to the senses :D

September posted what I did.   My doc gave me instruction on how to re-learn how to eat and how to mourn food.  It kind of sounds hokey, which is what I thought, but it works.  I guess it comes down to how you gained weight.  For anyone that has thyroid issues this would not be for them.  

So I'm really testing it since I am almost 3 weeks snipped.