Tell me how your Taste Buds have changed.

[css95 0]

I am going to be Sleeved Sept. 9th. I have been told that your Taste Buds change. Things you use to like to eat, now you don't care for anymore. I find that very interesting. So tell me about your Taste Buds? Did they change at all. Or do you like things that you never before would have eaten.

[JoiaRox 430]

I'm only 2 months out, but I find that I can't handle sweet things anymore. Diet Coke is too sweet (yes, I'm allowed carbonation), ice cream doesn't appeal to me, etc. Heck, even a frappuccino is too much for me now!

I also eat a TON more hummus now. I don't think I hated it pre-op, but I sure use it as my go-to snack now!

[clk 3,519]

I've gone back and forth. The initial post op diet really destroyed my taste for certain foods. Later, when I wanted to eat again, I found that I preferred more spice and more flavorful foods than before. That's not a bad thing. That persists even now. If I'm only going to eat a small amount of food, I want real foods with great flavors and textures. I simply don't like to waste my space on sub par food. Tasteless things I used to gobble down and crave, fast food in particular, are just disgusting to me now. I don't avoid them 100% but instead of being a rare treat, they're something I do because circumstance doesn't give me a better option. There's almost always a better option!

I used to really enjoy very rich sweets. Now I think they're just okay, and in moderation at that. There are only a few sweet foods that really tempt me.

But I do prefer crunchy salty Snacks these days and never cared much for them before. I think that if the will is there in the brain to eat emotionally or to graze because you're bored or whatever your motivation is, your body will demand something that fits the bill. And truth be told, I can fit huge amounts of salty, crunchy slider foods if I wanted to, so I'm careful about my intake of these things.

I eat a huge variety of foods now and was more wiling to branch out post op because my diet of chicken breast got boring very fast. I also taste any and all artificial sweeteners in my food and prefer not to consume them at all. I no longer buy anything that is low fat or sugar free. Yuck. I'd rather eat the real deal. And I prefer homemade anything to store bought. I can taste everything now - the metal of the can the green Beans were in is noticeable, so why not just make fresh?

And I developed lactose intolerance and despite the fact that it's mostly faded by now, I still don't like to eat things like ice cream or rich, creamy sauces because they made me ill early out. I'm still unable to drink cow's milk, even Lactaid, but I don't really miss it, either.

In almost all cases, the change has been positive, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

~Cheri

[kathp 81]

I'm with Cheri - I want spice and flavor. I've noticed if I have to chew it forever, and get such a small amount, I want it to be worth it. My issue is more that not feeling hungry, I'm not sure what I want, and I have a hard time deciding what to eat. And with the need to plan to make everything work (if you don't plan your meals, it's harder to meet Protein goals, and to eat outside of your house) you really need some inspiration. I wish someone would just tell me, some days.

I think our tastes change a lot less than the RNY folks, because we're not rerouted at all. They have all kinds of issues with smells and tastes. I think we just have to watch for burnout.

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

I am going to be Sleeved Sept. 9th. I have been told that your Taste Buds change. Things you use to like to eat, now you don't care for anymore. I find that very interesting. So tell me about your Taste Buds? Did they change at all. Or do you like things that you never before would have eaten.

I don't believe it happens to everyone. I still love the things that I did before surgery but I prioritize what I consume now so a lot of those things are out.

[No game 14,437]

Yep a Oreo still tastes like an Oreo to me!

[Indigo1991 1,612]

Four months out and i can say with certainty I prefer savoury flavours to sweet, huge change. My biggest disappointment is that I struggle with the taste and texture of bananas - previously my favourite fruit :-( Upside is anything remotely sweet and one taste is enough... like Cheri I can taste artificial sweeteners in one tiny bite so I avoid at all costs. Probably better for me anyway.

Like Kathp, I think carefully before I put something in my mouth and consider if I really want it and whether it is worth eating. Funny place to be as it's not really a conscious practice but as I fill up pretty quickly, I want to make my food count rather than eat some cr*p and regret it until my next meal...

[TwinsMama 483]

I can't do lactose any more (except very mild cheese in tiny bits). I have always loved spicy foods but now they tend to taste a bit "extra" sometimes, like hot for no reason and not really flavorful. Kind of hard to explain.

I can now taste when things aren't fresh. So many places I used to eat, I can't because now I know they freeze their food.

Sweets and breads were my problem pre-op. I now have ZERO desire for sweets. I mean cake in my face and I start feeling sick.

bread still smells good to me but it just doesn't do it for me. Plus I can't keep it down so that makes me happy.

Biggest thing now, I can taste things much more just by smelling them. So if something doesn't smell quite right, I taste that before I even take a bite. That's pretty weird for me because while I always had a sharp nose, now I taste more through my nose.

[HoosierGirl 780]

It's been interesting to me that my taste hasn't changed per se, but my choices sure have because certain foods just don't sit that well anymore. For example, I love the taste and texture of potatoes fixed al most any way. However, they make me physically sick after I eat them. It's almost the sensation of a hangover - really weird. Would not say before surgery that I loved fish, it still tastes the same to me, but makes me FEEL good after I eat it. Post surgery, food is less enjoyment/satisfaction related and more of a "it's time to eat this food" like "it's time to get up". Eating is now just something that I do vs. something I enjoyed before. Hard to explain for sure.

[LifetimeLoser 208]

Obviously everyone is different. At first, everything was super sweet. I am 6 months post op and feel my taste buds changing again. I tend to crave fish a lot. I don't want to eat chicken at all...I have had some sugar cravings, but it just isn't as satisfying as it was before surgery. I don't feel the endorphines anymore!

[gamergirl 4,609]

I'm really really really hoping we hate sugar post op! That's my biggest downfall. I hope and pray we hate sweets after we start eating.

[1gorgeousgodzilla 192]

I'm really really really hoping we hate sugar post op! That's my biggest downfall. I hope and pray we hate sweets after we start eating.

You and me both honey!

[pantala 125]

There is a difference between changes in how things taste and how things agree with my new tummy.

I am very sensitive to salty and sweet now: almost all processed foods I find are overwhelming in either salt, sugar or chemicals. Blech. No (or very little) artificial sweetners for me!

I still love spicy food but my tummy can't handle it I'm four months post - op so maybe soon I can do salsa but not now.

[TwinsMama 483]

That's funny about salsa. I tried some last night on my ground turkey. I almost spit it out. I don't like the taste of salsa any longer.

It tasted like it had gone bad but no one else in my family experienced that taste. So that is added to my list of things I no longer like.

[lilbandit 3]

I was sleeved 2/4/13, before the surgery I could eat anything. Since the surgery I can eat sweets and they don't bother me(I have not found any food that bothers me) but I absolutely can not stand the taste of sugar now. I have also found that I like foods with alot of flavors(nothing spicy).