Question:
I am pre-op but am a major fast food addict

I will actually crave fast food badly if I don't eat it frequently, I'm wondering if anyone was like this pre-op and how they dealt with it post-op. This is my major downfall currently.. I can't stay away from hamburgers, mexican, etc etc....    — [Anonymous] (posted on January 11, 2002)

January 10, 2002
Hello: I am a major convenience eater also. I find myself just making smarter choices. You'll find that just post op it won't sound good AT ALL....but as you get further out from surgery it will sound good. I now eat a bean and cheese burrito instead of a cheeseburger or an enchilada and beans. If I have to have that burger thing going on, I will order it and tear it apart. Ditch half or better of the bun and eat the meat and veggies. Not a good choice I know, but if you just gotta have it you might as well make it as "healthy" as possible. One of my favorite fast foods is a piece of chicken(oven roasted) and some cole slaw from KFC.....sort of healthy but I could have made a worse choice and besides, I never can finish it anyway....but I feel like I am eating NORMAL.....don't deprive. if you gotta have it....HAVE IT...just in moderation Good Luck
   — Joi G.

January 10, 2002
You will still be able to have those fast food items you want... although after surgery, you'll find yourself REALLY considering what you're eating. I used to LOVE Whoppers (my favorite), Combo burritos, etc.. Pre-op I could eat TWO whoppers WITH fries and a drink. NOW I still occasionally want fast food, but I'm getting the plain burger instead of the 'deluxe' (no fries).. or a soft taco instead of the big guy.. I'm only able to eat about 1/2 of it and I'm TOTALLY satisfied. You'll find that after surgery, you will not have those cravings for things that are not good for you in any quantity.. and find yourself seeking out things that you normally wouldn't have eaten PRE-op. You'll be AMAZED at how your tastes will change.. FOR THE BETTER..!! Good Luck...
   — Diane E.

January 10, 2002
Oh... I was the same way! Pre op it was a daily thing for me. First post op, I was scared to death to even think about eating anything, now I am few months out I can actually eat a hard shell taco (reg size) without lettuce. I can eat 1/2 a combo burrito. Or one fajita. I LOVE Mexican food! The only thing I can't really eat is pasta. :o( You'll be fine!
   — [Anonymous]

January 11, 2002
Post op, fast food is extremely convenient and inexpensive. You can get an entire meal for about a dollar or two. When I was about 2-3 months post op, I would frequently (4-5 times/week) have a hard shell taco without lettuce from taco bell. My surgeon felt that it was a good choice. (it also semed to satisy my craving for FLAVOR-everything early post op is so bland!!)I would remove the excess shell and enjoy the rest. This cost about $.79. Pretty good deal. When you are cooking for your family and cannot eat what they are eating, it is much less expensive to go and get this item and enjoy it. I could never fix a meal for that amount. These easy foods were so convenient and also healthy and easy to eat. I would have tacos, pintos and cheese, wendy's chili, wendy's nuggets, wendy's baked potatoe with cheese, mcdonald's broccoli soup. Remember, although it sounds like I was eating a lot. I would buy one of these items (all under $1.00) but only eat a few bites of it. At home, after feeding the family, I wanted to be fed, too!! I didn't feel like fixing something for only me to eat and then only to eat such a small amount. I had surgery in January and my family and I went on vacation in March, the fun game was for my kids to find "mom's taco bell". It was a lot of fun and it felt like they were participating in my recovery. Still to this day, Taco Bell remains my favorite fast food. I can only eat the crunchy items. Now, I can eat a whole taco for a meal. Early post op, you will at times wonder if you can ever eat normally again. It is scarey and a little depressing. I remember the first time I went to a taco bell- I got their beans. It signaled to me that I would once again be able to eat like a normal person. It was a significant moment in my recovery. Now, I am NOT advocating the whoppers, big macs, etc... Although I am a firm believer in anything in moderation. I just don't have a desire for them anymore. Best of luck. Shelley
   — Shelley.

January 11, 2002
I was a MAJOR fast-food addict before surgery, sometimes (good lord) eating it three meals a day. I am almost four months post-op, and I can count on the fingers of ONE hand the fast-food items I still enjoy:<ul><li>Wendy's baked potato, plain<li>Wendy's chicken nuggets, 2</li>Wendy's fries, fresh and hot, about 5</uL> Before surgery, I loved Burger King double cheeseburgers, cheese sticks, fries, etc. Wendy's almost everything, usually I got a double stack with cheese, AND a 5-piece nugget, and fries... those were my two favorite places but when pushed, I would eat chicken from McD's or fried chicken from Jack-in-the-Box, and I loved getting a sausage biscuit and a hash brown from McDonald's in the morning... and of course always a big soda to wash it all down... the upshot: none of it really appeals to me anymore. Really greasy things (which basically all fast food is) DISGUST me. Literally turn my stomach. And I have ZERO interest in soda now, which still amazes me. I was a 10-12 can a day gal for YEARS but haven't had ANY since September 17 and I don't miss it. I always have my bottled water or Crystal Light.<p>As far as the craving part, there's a definite biochemical reaction caused in your body by high-carb, high-fat food. Your two days of liquids-only before surgery and then one week of basically liquids-only after surgery will break that biochemical reaction and will ease the need. Further weeks of purees will keep you away from that crap. By the time you're ready to eat solid food, you might not even be interested anymore, or you will probably find that the fat itself tastes rancid and feels bad in your mouth. I still have a psychological craving for a cheeseburger from Wendy's but every time we go there, I look at them and the tablespoons of grease that I can see on the burgers just turns me off completely. Do I miss fast food? I miss the convenience and being able to eat in my car, but I don't miss eating that fast, and I sure don't miss weighing 310 pounds!!
   — Julia M.

January 11, 2002
There are some decent choices out there for fast food. The taco bell hard taco is one I have opted for a lot. People talk about liking the pintos and cheese too, but i'm not a bean eater so I haven't tried it. Funny thing is nowadays the smell of burgers and such turns me off. Every now and then I'll order a single cheesburger (plain) and eat the patty w/out the bun, but it just doesn't taste good to me anymore. Wendy's chicken nuggets are ok. I've heard a lot of folks talk about KFC mashed potatoes when they are on the pureed stage. So I think you have a lot of choices out there for what to eat fast food wise without getting off track. You will be amazed at how little it appeals to you after surgery. Now we want to talk about pizza which is still my favorite food. At almost 8 months out I can eat 3/4 of a slice of peperoni with extra cheese..delicious. And approx 200 calories depending on who makes it...not a bad choice all in all.
   — [Anonymous]