Question:
Are you ever hungry for...
I can't imagine not craving a juicy steak or a piece of choc. cake. After the surgery and when you're back on regular food, do your past cravings just go away? What about eating dinner out? Is it hard to do? When you get sick from eating to much or fast, do you have enough of a warning to get to the bathroom before throwing up. I know this probably sounds silly, but I'd be embarrassed to death to throw in front of someone. Haven't had the surgery yet but soon!!...Really scared, but excited. — Jan B. (posted on August 19, 1999)
August 19, 1999
Cravings pass within like 3 minutes. Having a craving doesn't mean you have
to act on it! I still want hot choc chip cookies with ice cold milk every
now and then. But you know, I've never wanted it BAD ENOUGH to: dump from
the suagr, get gas from the milk OR take the chance that they'd make me fat
again. And it's the last that keeps me sane when I get silly ideas. AS to
vomiting. I always had enough notice to get down the hall. When I was 7
days out, a girl in the doc's office was talking about her first vomiting
experience at a snooty dept store. She said she noticed that she was very
quiet, but her feet were pointing the wrong way in the stall! Ever since,
whenever I've had to use a public restroom, it's all I can do to keep from
laughing out loud as I try to be "smooth" with my feet pointing
the wrong way! It's not like "the flu". You don't vomit from
your toes, only from the esophagus or pouch. So, it's fast & you get
quite good at being able to "fetch it back" without even
disturbing your mascara! Hahah! Eventually, you learn to chew better or
discreetly deposit trouble makers in your napkin. At 5 yrs, I rarely send
something down that hasn't broken down properly.
— vitalady
August 19, 1999
Hi,
I'm 8 months post-op (Wow - where did that 8 months go?). As a pre-op, I
always had food cravings. I loved chocolate, was addicted to sugars, sodas
and fast foods. You will hear varying answers as to whether the cravings
go away post-op, for some they do and some they don't. They went away for
me....! For about the first month post-op I craved sweets and my other
favorite foods, but then the cravings went away. I get fleeting cravings
now but they are easily controlled or once in a while I just eat a very
small amount of the food I crave(as long as it doesn't have sugar in it).
I have problems with two foods - string cheese and popcorn and give into
those entirely too often. But I am happy to say most of my cravings have
disappeared - I haven't had chocolate in 8 months, almost no refined
sugars, eat fast foods only rarely. I dine out often and find no problems
in making choices from the menu - I simply eat much less than I ever did
before and mostly I like healthier foods now. I have had some problems
with post-op vomiting, but I have always had plenty of warning. I never
get nauseous - more my stomach hurts and if it doesn't go away within about
10-20 minutes I usually throw up.
Initially, I followed a post-op diet that avoided all refined sugars (and
only had a little bit of fruit), and I ate very little carbohydrates (there
was simply no room after getting in the protein). I have a theory that
even small amounts of sugars cause you to get hungry and trigger cravings
and now after experimenting with carbs I believe they do the same to me.
So because I was afraid of dumping and didn't want the cravings, I avoided
all refined sugars and still do. Now I am experimenting with eating more
fruit to see if that affects my cravings or appetite. Even small amounts
of refined sugars make me very sleepy and tired - just give me an exhausted
feeling, I can't imagine what large quantities would do to me. I tried
eating more carbohydrates for a while and found they cause the same affects
as sugar, so now I'm cutting back on the carbs - it wasn't until just
recently I realized I was carbohydrate sensitive. So my intake is mainly:
Protein, milk/yogurt, vegies, fruit and small amounts of carbs. I'm still
trying to figure all this out... I find it pretty easy to do and don't feel
deprived at all. I'm very happy that I don't crave the old foods or want
to eat all the time.
— Jennifer L.
August 19, 1999
Hi--I'm six weeks postop, and doing great. I haven't had any sweet
cravings yet, but I have craved steak, in fact, I went to Quincy's Steak
House tonight and ordered the 5 oz. steak strips, baked potato (plain) and
green beans. I ate half of the steak strips (chewed VERY well), about 1
oz. of plain potatoe and about 1/2 oz. of green beans (I've gotten so used
to measuring my food that I can usually "eyeball" it pretty
closely now.) It quenched my craving, yet still stayed within my nutrition
guidelines. (heavy on protein, light on carbs) As to vomiting, I haven't
vomited yet, and I've tasted many things once I got off the liquid diet. I
studiously avoid sugars, milks, junk food, and popcorn, though. I do make
sure I chew every piece about 30 times and I take 30 minutes to eat my 4
oz. meal. Hope this helps--I'm really feeling great and am amazed that I'm
truly not hungry most of the time! Charlene
— charlene M.
August 19, 1999
I had an open RNY with a 1cc micro pouch 16 mo ago and have lost 159#. I
still have cravings but not very often. I had to learn to eat very healthy
because if I didn't I would get sick and I don't like to throw up. I work
in a hospital where we always have goodies around from the patients
families or the Dr.'s or salesmen etc. I can not eat most of what is there
and don't even want to because it is just not worth it to me to feel so ill
afterward. I eat sweets that have nutrasweet instead of sugar, I eat alot
of fruit now. Before if it wasn't chocolate it just wasn't worth eating. I
had alot of trouble tolerating fats so I watch what I eat. I real labels on
everything. I eat steak but mostly chick. and lean pork. I haven't had alot
of foods that I used to eat, but then again if I did, that would get me
right back to the shape I was before the surg. I went for a lifestyle
change not just a quick fix.I still have a battle with my mind every once
in awhile, but I conquer that too. Life is filled with so much more than
food now. Hope that answers some of your questions. Good Luck, keep in
touch.
— Jan T.
August 19, 1999
Hi, Well all I can say is I wish they would have disconnected my nose
also! After my RNY in June of this year, I have not even been able to
think about anything sweeter than a suger free popsicle. Nothing else
looks or sounds like anything I could handle, but I still REALLY want a
hamburger and spaghetti. The smell of some regular foods is enough to make
you drool! As far as vomiting goes, I have and you have about 1 minute to
excuse yourself before you need to be in the bathroom. I have had it
happen several times because I eat too much or the wrong thing. Like foods
I am not supposed to be eating yet. Do you remember tha last time you were
sick and you got that horrible tast in your mouth just before? Well that
is the time to leave. Hope I haven't offended and hope this answers a
little. Cheri
— Cheri H.
August 19, 1999
Some of the cravings have gone away. I crave carbs now instead
of sweets. Not the meat, but that is mostly mental since I
know what happens when I eat it. I have never not made it to
the restroom when necessary.
— dboat
August 19, 1999
Jan, Please write to me in reference to your question about food.
— Peggy W.
August 19, 1999
Hey Jan - I don't know if this is exactly the answer to your question; but
I just found a great web site! Check it out: www.sugarfreeparadise.com
I'm sure some of the cravings can be satisfied with what these folks offer.
:o)
— Fran W.
August 19, 1999
Jan, Goodmorning.... I am almost 2 years post op, I have gone from 397 to
175 pounds (I am 6' ... so this is goal) .. my BMI went from a 47 to a 24.
I feel fantastic and have an entirely new life, and YES ... I crave stake
and sometimes sweets. What do I do? I eat them. I eat anything I want,
with an eye toward nutrition, always keeping in mind that the better I eat,
the better I feel. When I crave a steak, I have a little bit of Filet
Mignon, yes, its more expensive, but its much more tender and you eat a
heck of alot less, like about an ounce. One forkful of chocolate cake
usually takes care of any cravings, be really careful with sweets, they can
make you feel pretty crappy, but the good news is ... folks do not usually
crave stuff that makes them feel crappy, so eventually, the cravings
leave.
I go to restaurants pretty often, and yes, I have had to throw up while
there ... you will know as soon as you put something in your mouth if its
not going to "work" as I put it. You have plenty of time to head
to the ladies room. When you "lose" something that did not work,
its not like vommiting when you ill, its more like burping ... why am I
telling you this, because Its not like there are wretching loud noises
coming from a stall in the ladies room, you can be very discreet. The
trick... be careful when you order, you will learn what works for you and
what does not. I have never had a problem getting what I want at a
restaurant or grill. Many times I'll order an appetizer and have them
bring it to me when others are served dinner, its really no big deal. I
know it seems like a HUGE deal now, but you will find that priorities
change drastically and it all becomes very second nature. You will begin
to eat to survive and help you body run well ... and stop surviving to
eat. This is the best thing I have ever done, good luck on your journey,
and remember..... Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much.
M
— Mary Anne M.
August 21, 1999
I can only tell you how it was for me. After I had surgery getting hungery
was not a problem. There were times when I was eating something and wished
I could eat more of it because it tasted so good. A little trick I used
that worked for me was if I was eating something I wanted more of or
something I know was not going to go down well like steak, I would chew it
up and then spit it out. The dog became my best friend. I asked my doctor
about it and he said it was perfectly acceptable. Eating out was a
challenge in the begining, I was afraid to order my own food because I knew
I could note eat much, so I would order a plate and sample stuff off of my
kids plate or my husbands. He would usually order something I wanted, I
ate my little bit and he ate the rest. Or I would order soups or an
appetizer. As for warning before you throw up, it is not like that at all,
usually what happens is you over eat and the food will get stuck and make
you feel very uncomfortable, sometimes if you are patient it will
eventually pass and you will feel better but if it does not you may have to
make yourself throw up just to get it out. Overtime you learn what makes
you uncomfortable and when to stop eating. One suggestion I have that
worked for me, if you are going to eat solid food, use a little plate like
a salad plate and a little fork like the kind you would use if you were
eating crab, it forces you to eat slow and take small bites, and the little
plate will give you the illusion of a full meal but you wont over do it.
Good luck and keep in touch [email protected]
— Kim C.
August 21, 1999
Cravings for sweets like ice cream or cake have gone away. They make me
think of nausea now. Steak taste good but after a couple of times of
getting stuck, it trains you to look to other types of meats.
I have never thrown up without a warning. Usually I am trying to throw up
due to getting something stuck. Happens much more at first than later on.
— Ken C.
August 22, 1999
Hi. I had my surgery in Oct. of 1998. I have lost 143 pounds. I weigh
175. I can eat or dink anything I want. It's not what you eat but how you
eat it that makes you sick. If I eat too fast or don't chew properly I
throw up. And yes, you have enough warning to get to the bathroom in
time.
I get cravings for steak and chocolate and other things and I will eat
them. You can't eat enough of it to make a difference. This is the first
time in my life that I eat whatever I want and lose weight. Good luck.
— Kathy K.
August 22, 1999
Hi, I had my surgery 1 1/2 years ago. I still get the same cravings for
steak and choc. cake but I am satisfied with just a couple of bites. Before
I wanted the whole thing. I get a warning before I get sick too. Once it
has happened, you know it is coming.First it feels like something is stuck
half way down. Then I keep getting a thick saliva in my mouth. There is no
where for the saliva to go , if your food is stuck in your throat. It
gradually gets worst until you vomit. My problem is usually gas below the
food , preventing the food from going down. Once I get rid of the saliva
and sometimes the stuck food,I am able to belch (alot) and continue with my
eating. I know it sounds gross, but that is what happens. If you try to
drink something to wash it down, it doesn't work.
— Ellen M.
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