Question:
Am I ever gonna stop craving certain foods?

I am 5 1/2 weeks post op from open RNY. I am basically not ever hungry but my mouth is wanting all kinds of foods that I know I cannot have. Cheeseburgers, pizza, rotel dip, Chinese food, you name it & I am wanting it. I know it is all psychological but will it ever stop or at least get any better?    — Lori M. (posted on January 3, 2002)

January 3, 2002
I am just preop but have heard that you CAN have things...maybe not at 5 1/2 weeks but later. Isn't the deal that you CAN have what you are craving but it will only take a couple of bites to satisfy that craving? I guess it might cause this dumping thing and then I guess you will never crave it again. Sorry..i think i just answered a question with another question.
   — Jill B.

January 3, 2002
I am just over 5 months post op and felt the same way you do. I find now that I can eat a little bit of just about anything I want that I do not crave things as insanely as I did when I was unable to eat them. I used to be a nacho girl pre-op...at least once a week. I've had them maybe three times in the past 5+ months and can honestly say I'm kinda indifferent to them now despite craving them badly early on. They still taste good to me...but I don't feel I need to make it a weekly habit now...and that is true with all of my old time cravings. Just my expirience...hope this helps. -Kim open RNY 7/17 -78
   — KimBo36

January 3, 2002
Lori, once you get past purees and your stomach stabilizes you will be able to have all of that stuff... but you'll be surprised, much of it will no longer be interesting to you at all. I keep thinking I want a cheeseburger, but then I see or smell one and it's just disgusting to me. It's more an old habit thing than a real desire, and even that's fading after 3.5 months. I WAS craving pizza early on and my favorite solution was to have instant mashed potatoes with tangy spaghetti sauce and melted cheese. That really hit that craving for me; I was missing the sauce more than anything else. After you have a few dumping episodes (if you do dump) fatty things will look REALLY bad and you will no longer be interested. Relax and enjoy the ride! :-)
   — Julia M.

January 3, 2002
I'm 6 months post-op (down 140 lbs.) and I had the same experience early on. I agree with the other posters. Once I could eat regular food I found that my tastes had changed and I was not interested in a lot of the high fat foods I craved (and indulged in) before surgery. I loved fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and fries. Even though I could eat a burger now it just doesn't interest me. For me the head hunger has never really gone away. I still often think I want to eat even though I am not hungry. I am a compulsive eater and although it is much better now (I just can't eat large volumes of food), I'm not sure the "head hunger" will ever go away. Hang in there - it gets better.
   — Jonathan M.

January 3, 2002
Hi! I'm 10 weeks post op and down 54 pounds. I eat what ever I want,just in TINY amounts. I eat half a slice of pizza and I'm full. For Christmas I made rotel dip with LIGHT Velveeta and baked tostitos, it was YUMMY. After you have healed, eat what you want. You have to start learning moderation NOW before your pouch starts stretching and you can really over eat. Make sure you get your protein and water in first and after that have what you like! Good luck in your journey.
   — vbenedict0208

January 4, 2002
Why is it that you cant have these foods? Cheeseburgers and pizza are high in protein. If you are worried about carbs leave the bun off , eat the topping off the pizza. I dont know what rotel dip is but some chinese food is very high protein. I had surgery to be healthy and to eat normally not to punish myself. as long as you arent eating a ton of these kind of foods they are good for you.
   — [Anonymous]