Question:
Is anyone else worried about never being able to enjoy food again?

Cooking to me is a form of creative expression and dining with friends or hosting dinner parties are among my greatest pleasures. As much as I want to lose weight, I'm worried about never really sharing a meal with anyone because my operation leaves me so restricted.    — Belinda H. (posted on March 30, 2001)

March 30, 2001
Although everyone has a different experience, my love affair with food has continued post-op. I enjoy so much about the food experience, the shopping, the cooking, the dining with friends, the eating <g>. At 9 months post-op, I still love all of those things. I definitely eat less, but still get the same amount of enjoyment. I'd say the hard part is recognizing how quickly I'll get full - I need to be more careful about tasting while I'm cooking. An afternoon of preparation can mean I'm too full for dinner! As an example, the other night my husband and I went out for dinner. We ordered one of those fried onions, and I ate maybe 6-8 slices. For dinner, he had ordered the prime rib/lobster/salmon combo. I ate the salmon with shrimp sauce and the broccoli; he had the prime rib and and lobster. For dessert we split a mud pie (well, I ate about 8 bites and he ate the rest). The best part of the meal?? My cuddling next to him while we ate, since I now fit with mucho room to spare in the booth we sit side by side <g>. I think there are a lot of people who feel "freed" from the food obsession. I never really wanted to be freed, just didn't want it ruining my life! - Kate - (BPD/DS surgery, -90 lbs)
   — kateseidel

March 31, 2001
I understand how you feel. I love to cook and we entertain at least once a week in our home. Many people have emailed me who are just like us... and tell me that they still cook, enjoy entertaining and go out to fine restaurants. They just eat less! I have heard that you have to watch with the tasting while cooking though.
   — SusanMaria

March 31, 2001
You'll still enjoy eating and cooking -- you'll love the experience of eating too. That's how it is for me. The only restriction you'll probably have long term is the quantity of food you eat at a time. I actually enjoy every bite! And, I love new recipes and new taste sensations. So, don't worry.
   — Cindy H.

March 31, 2001
I would think that if you feel cooking is a form of creative expression, you will enjoy the challenges of finding or creating recipes for preparing dishes that coincide with your post-op diet. I am almost one year post-op. I am having a barbecue next weekend and am making several entree dishes from Victoria Bowen's Gastric Bypass Cookbook and some of my own - grilled sirloin with citrus salsa, spicy barbecue meatballs, New Orleans shrimp, grilled orange roughy with roasted onion dressing, tropical pineapple & lime pork chops, jamaican jerk chicken. I'm not going to tell anyone they are "diet foods" (for lack of better term) so I can prove that eating healthy is both fun and tasty. Sounds like a great menu, huh?! Fire up the grill!
   — [Deactivated Member]