Hi again! I apologize that I keep posting my fears/questions on here. I'm a little over a week before surgery (May 30th) and I'm still excited/nervous. My question today is: What if I can't eat the foods I need to after surgery? For example, I like cottage cheese now. What if I can't eat it after? I love chicken, but I know sometimes people can't eat it after. Same thing as the Protein shakes...I drink them now with no problem. What if?

I am worried that I will not be able to eat/drink the sources of protein that I can now. People have said that their taste buds change. I'm scared that I won't have anything to fall back on for protein like eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, shakes.

Can this happen? Am I totally overthinking this?

Thanks!

I just wanted to reassure you that my taste buds stayed the same! I am only 11 days post-op so have only been adding the Protein shakes so far. Was worried my taste buds would change & I wouldn't like them. But still like them just as much as pre-op!

So it does vary by person, but doesn't necessarily mean your taste buds will change!

This is definitely the place to voice your fears, so don't apologize!

For awhile after my surgery I couldn't tolerate sweets. Sadly, I now love them again. I also didn't like seasoned food, but that's over with now, too. The only things I continue to have trouble with are chicken (feels like a board in my stomach) and other dry meats. I haven't eaten bread, rice or Pasta yet, either, as I was advised to wait 6 months because those things expand in your stomach.

I think you'll be fine. But if there ARE things you don't like, it won't matter, because you won't want them anymore!

If nothing else, look at it this way. If your taste buds change and you don't want X anymore, you won't care, because you won't want it. It might cause anxiety now because you still enjoy the food and you're imagining yourself at a state where you still enjoy it, but not wanting/able to eat it. When you truly no longer have a taste for it, it'll be like anything else you don't like -- it won't bother you to not eat it.

There aren't many solid food intolerances with the sleeve procedure. Some procedures, like the band, have many more. And of course some sleevers have some, but for the most part solids are tolerated the same. You'll just be chewing them more, eating them much more slowly, and of course eating them in greatly reduced portions. FWIW I don't have any intolerances yet, even milk - which I sort of expected I would have. (I had some minor lactose intolerance before, well-managed by using skim milk, which I can still do (I can still do whole milk too, just tried it this weekend).

The thing I've seen giving the most people problems are eggs. Eggs are fine for me, I've had them in all forms. Actually everything is fine. The only thing that really gives me trouble so far are thick liquids/creams... like most Protein drinks, anything "cream cheese", etc.

Taste buds do often change, with or without surgery. Yes - many people find their tastes change. A lot of it (IMO) has to do with the new rigorous chewing. That can really make some foods lose their appeal. Like for me, when I had my lapband, I completely gave up red meat. By the time I had chewed it well enough to feel comfortable swallowing it, it wasn't tasty. You'll probably find - especially for the first few months - that you graviate toward the same foods. That doesn't necessarily mean they are all you want, but you'll find "menus" that fit your lifestyle well, and still deliver the nutrients you need. They become easy standbys. I'm only 8 weeks out and already have 2 "standard" breakfasts I usually choose between (not really favorites, but handy and healthy), and 2 lunches as well. dinner is still a complete wildcard.

Protein Drinks really changed for me. Part of it is the thickness that I mentioned before. In fact, most of it is the thickness. They just don't feel good on my sleeve, no matter how slow I go. I still enjoy the flavor, I just have no desire to deal with the discomfort. So I've been trying to bulk up on high protein foods, like sashimi. A meal or snack of sashimi gives me the same protein as a drink would. I've also found a much thinner (like Water, maybe a bit thicker) Protein Drink that goes down much more nicely.

Long story short - I went into this with all sorts of "have to understand it could happen"s. Things like - lots of nausea, or vomiting, or intolerances (esp. milk/dairy), complications, etc. And other than the things above, I've had none of it. I haven't had nausea or vomiting once. Pain/discomfort - yes - I'm still learning to adjust bite size/swallow speed. I've had some reflux, but it's not nearly as bad as what I had with a slipped band (but still not as good as no reflux). And my weightloss has been stalled for weeks now, not fun. But all in all it has been an easy transition.

Hi again! I apologize that I keep posting my fears/questions on here. I'm a little over a week before surgery (May 30th) and I'm still excited/nervous. My question today is: What if I can't eat the foods I need to after surgery? For example, I like cottage cheese now. What if I can't eat it after? I love chicken, but I know sometimes people can't eat it after. Same thing as the Protein shakes...I drink them now with no problem. What if?

I am worried that I will not be able to eat/drink the sources of protein that I can now. People have said that their taste buds change. I'm scared that I won't have anything to fall back on for protein like eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, shakes.

Can this happen? Am I totally overthinking this?

Thanks!

You may or may not have any want for your favorite foods after WLS - but what you need to ask yourself is do you need the foods you are talking about? if they are healthy things I would say you will still want them, as most of us seem to begin to want the better, more nutritionally valuable foods as we progress.

Our head hunger can be another issue. What yo uneed and what your head tells you you need are two different things.

This topic is actualy more core to many people than I think we realize. We need to use out tool, or sleeve, to help us control the things we "want". Don't be afraid if you can't eat something - just focus on what you can.

Just my opinion

Good old trial and error is all you an do. I personally didnt lose the taste for anything...except my fav beer...weird huh? I wasnt much of a carb or sweet person so it was eas fr me to give those up...no loss! I pretty much eat what I want just not much of it and I am losing steadily. I of course make better choices but I wasnt really a super unhealthy eater before. Good luck.

It's so funny because after surgery you will find that food is not as important thing in your life. Preop I would day dream for hours about what I wanted for "my last meal". Now at 6 weeks out I think how the hell am I going to get this protein in. I have tried a lot of things. Eggs don't sit with me well. The feeling in my new little stomach doesn't like the feeling of the protein shakes. Don't get me wrong I would love to eat the breads, rice, cakes etc but I refuse to even introduce those because that's what got me in my situation. so I don't want them. I love my sleeve because food is not my center of the world right now for the first time in my life : )

Thanks for your responses. I should have clarified that I wasn't talking about breads and cakes and cookies. I meant the food that I need to eat like eggs and cottage cheese and protein shakes. Here I am, thinking I'll be fine post-op, and my 'what-if's' are kicking in, and now I'm paranoid that I won't get in protein and my hair will all fall out. I know it's all in my head, that I will be fine. I'm 100% on board with the surgery. No second thoughts about it. I'm just a worrier.

You really don't need to eat anything in particular. I don't know if that's helpful or not. There's nothing saying you need to eat an egg, or cottage cheese. So if you end up not liking them, you'll still be just fine.

You will probably need Protein drinks. That's why so many people go with sampler packs, or find someone willing to give them a scoop or two, or samples at the store, or whatever. Especially with protein drinks there's no telling what you will/won't like post-op. Even the protein drinks you won't need after a fairly short time, though you can opt to keep drinking them. It'll be 6 - 8 week at least (guesstimate) before you can get your protein in through foods... varies by your post-op diet, of course.

And this probably won't make you feel any better, but even if you do get your protein in, your hair's probably still going to fall out.

So: you'll deal with foods when you get there. Try lots of protein drinks/types. Prepare to have thinner hair temporarily. You're good to go!

Thanks for your responses. I should have clarified that I wasn't talking about breads and cakes and Cookies. I meant the food that I need to eat like eggs and cottage cheese and protein shakes. Here I am, thinking I'll be fine post-op, and my 'what-if's' are kicking in, and now I'm paranoid that I won't get in protein and my hair will all fall out. I know it's all in my head, that I will be fine. I'm 100% on board with the surgery. No second thoughts about it. I'm just a worrier.