This was part of another thread, but I decided to ask it here to perhaps get more responses.

I am eight days post op and while I haven't had a meltdown I am feeling pretty blah, dealing with the reality of what I have done. I have very little interest in food and it kind of scares me. Is this the way I'm going to feel forever? So many things I liked before don't seem so great now and some things make me want to barf.

I usually work part time and cook for my hubby every night since he has a brutal commute and is hungry when he gets home. Am I even going to want to do that anymore? I am hopeful that when I can eat "real food" things will get better. Has anyone out there had this happen--tastes and desire for food gettting a little more "normal" down the road?

I wasn't interested in food at all for the first two weeks. I finally started wanting to eat in the third week. I was definitely ready to get off of liquids at the end of week three. I can finally eat this week and am interested in food when I am hungry, in fact I kind of use that as my gauge for hunger as I don't ever feel hungry like I used to. After eating a little, then I start becoming disinterested, sometime before I feel full. I usually quit at this point. I throw away food every meal now. I never used to do that. I am only 3 1/2 weeks out so hopefully others further out will respond as well.

It does get much better. I really hated to eat. I felt like I was force feeding myself, plus add in that my tastes changed dramatically post-sleeve, eating was a downright chore that I dreaded.

Something changed around 5-6 months out. My tastes went back to normal. It probably had a lot to do with the fact I was eating more carbs, and coming out of ketosis trying to get my weight loss to slow down since I lost so fast. I found it was easier to eat, and my "appetite" returned. I was still not hungry, but food "sounded" good again. Hang in there, and know you're body is still reeling from the trauma of the surgery. Your hormones are out of whack, and everything will straighten out. Just one day, one meal at a time is my best advice.

I had a real problem with appetite for several months. Now that I'm five months out, I actually do have a bit of an appetite. I get the urge to eat and I do enjoy at least a small portion of most things I eat. I've even oohed and aahed over food recently - something I haven't done since surgery.

It takes time, but you'll eventually get past this. I asked the same question a few months ago, and wasn't sure I believed Tiffy when she reassured me that it passes, but she was right. Just give it time, and focus on eating the right foods until eating sounds appealing again. I think Tiffy is spot on - once I started introducing a few more carbs (and branching out and enjoying a wider variety of food) food starting sounding better.

I did continue to cook for my husband and my kids, though a little less regularly and much smaller meals than before. I didn't mind it at all - I had no appetite so even when I was on liquids the food wasn't a temptation. The only real change there is that their meals have become healthier now that my own eating habits have changed.

It really does get easier - just hang in there!

~Cheri

I'm nearly 5 months out and after 2to 3 months my hunger and desire to eat came bacck, as well as taste for certain things (sweets for example, not good!) My taste for wine hasn't come back yet, I hope it does at some point cause I like having a glass now and again!

I definitely still like food and embark on occasional culinary adventures, as well as look forward to going out to dinner for specific things. Yesterday I was in the mood for Indian food, and tonight I'm pretty excited about going out for sashimi. The difference is that I care about sweets a lot less - on occasion I'll still want a shortbread cookie or a few dark chocolate almonds, but I never have out-of-control cravings for these things anymore - and I seem to be a bit pickier about food. E.g. my friends and I always scavenge for free food at school, and we used to load up on these hospital cafeteria sandwiches at catering events, but now as soon as I put one in my mouth, I get grossed out by that cheap deli meat, butter on the bread, and overabundance of mayo. After spitting out a couple, I learned to limit myself to the fruit and veggie trays with my scavenging, lol. I've noticed that with a lot of foods that I'd eat before even if I didn't find them to be particularly good per se - now I can't handle crappy, low quality food, it grosses me out even when other people think it's edible. But I still enjoy some raw oysters, a nice spicy beef curry, or ripe, good quality fruit! I'm definitely still a foodie post-surgery.

This was part of another thread, but I decided to ask it here to perhaps get more responses.

I am eight days post op and while I haven't had a meltdown I am feeling pretty blah, dealing with the reality of what I have done. I have very little interest in food and it kind of scares me. Is this the way I'm going to feel forever? So many things I liked before don't seem so great now and some things make me want to barf.

I usually work part time and cook for my hubby every night since he has a brutal commute and is hungry when he gets home. Am I even going to want to do that anymore? I am hopeful that when I can eat "real food" things will get better. Has anyone out there had this happen--tastes and desire for food gettting a little more "normal" down the road?

Rejoice!!!! Right now you cannot eat food, so it would be terible if you were wanting it!!! Eventually you will enjoy food again, hopefully you will eat because it tastes good and because you know you need to. I am six months out and still am not hungry. I have always enjoyed the smell, but i eat because of the things I mentioned and because I like the social aspect, just like before. I just eat, much, much less but I enjoy every single bite!! I started cooking and enjoying cooking for us again when I got home from Texas, I was three weeks post-op. I felt good and it was summer time, so he was grilling for himself quite a bit. I can't remember how long it was before I could start eating chicken and shrimp etc.....but for now, be thankful you are not focusing on food, some people apparently have head hunger and have real food compulsions they have to deal with from day one. Count yourself lucky, I did!!!! I hope this helps!!

Thank you all for your encouragement. I am now 10 days out and tolerating food and the thought of food a little better, even though I have no great interest. If this lack of interest keeps up, I realized that this in itself may be enough of a tool to keep the weight off, so I see it as a good thing.

My friend wanted to know if they couldn't just cut out the part of the stomach where ghrelin is produced and still leave most of it there. Who knows, that may be the surgery of the future.