Question:
I don't want to eat, what should I do?

I am in my 5th week post op. I am having a difficult time eating. It seems that what ever I eat kepps me full for a very long time. Sometimes jsut the though of food makes me nauseous. i try to drink water too but can't seem to get in 40oz. Can anyone offer advice?    — Valerie M. (posted on November 16, 2003)

November 16, 2003
First I would check with my doctor. If he says everything is fine then I will say enjoy this period of the process. All too soon that will no longer be the case. As for the water, I found early out that a pull top bottle at my side all the time, even when I am in bed, helped me get it all in. I would work really hard to get the first 2 in (24 oz each) by dinner time, then take the rest of the evening to work on the last one.
   — Tawnda C.

November 16, 2003
My OPINION is I would not worry about eating as much as getting the protein in (supplement) and the water. Food will come in time. Just relax
   — snicklefritz

November 16, 2003
I think that many of us have gone through a period where we just didn't feel like eating and during which we battled nausea. Remember that you need to stay hydrated while also trying to get in enough calories so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. To help me through this period, I would try to eat some bacon (it was crispy and easy to digest, had no carbs and was high enough in calories) and would drink Isopure Zero Carb drinks as my liquid (very high in protein, no carbs and some calories). These two things worked and helped me to maintain pretty consistent weight loss during these lousy periods. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

November 16, 2003
Enjoy it while you can. Just be sure and take your vitamins and consider protein drinks.
   — Cosmo K.

November 16, 2003
What is your food plan, for example? If you are jamming in 4 oz, even over a long period, that might be too much food for you right now. You might be happier with 1 oz every 2 hours or 2 oz every 3. You can take the same total oz of food (if your doc has a certain total) and divide it up to fit you better, as long as you don't graze it. We all go thru periods in which we don't care much about food and it's an effort to get it in. I'm in one right now (9+ yrs), but I don't think about it any more, because next comes the HOLD ME BACK period and looky at the calendar? Do I want the appetite to return NOW? Um, no. Maybe wait til January or something. It waxes and wanes forever. Enjoy the down times when you can, as long as there are no other symptoms that make you feel bad.
   — vitalady

November 16, 2003
I'm in my 10th week post-op, and I'm still having some days like this, but it's gotten better. Sometimes, though, I just don't really care what I eat, or if I do. When I was at 5 weeks, water sometimes tasted nasty to me, so I tried to get hydrated using other drinks, like Crystal Lite (my favorite was/is pink lemonade), decaf tea, diluted orange juice. Soft foods usually were my choices when I just didn't feel like eating at all - soups, yogurt, string cheese, cottage cheese, thin oatmeal. Hang in there, it will continue to get better for you.
   — Carlita

November 16, 2003
Enjoy it while you can? lol. The other poster is right. It won't be long and then you might WISH you had this problem again. Sure wish food would revolt me again. Sigh... oh for those days again so I could lose more weight. Oh well. ;) Do make sure you drink alot. You can go without food for along time if you have to, but you won't last long without hydration. As far as not wanting to eat and nausia, it WILL pass. It is something that probally all, or most of us have gone through. I sure had my bout with it. RNY 5-8-01
   — Danmark