Hey everyone! Here's a bit of background on my I had my surgery July 25 ( so 7 weeks tommorow ). I started at 336 and am now 293! Which is amazing!! But my problem is I don't get any enjoyment out of food ! Nothing tastes the same as it used to! I have pretty much been able to eat anything. I also find that all I'm eating is protein to try and get my levels up! Any idea how I could get some veggies in or something!! I guess the best way to explain it is I eat cause I know I have to but not cause I want/enjoy it!! Anyone else have this? Does it go away? TIA

I used to eat for hunger and enjoyment. Well, I ate a lot for enjoyment. Now I eat because I have to. I don't really crave any special foods. I also eat a very limited variety. Just not interested and I ate a lot of carbs before. So now I just focus on proteins. I can't hold very much so that here is little chance of cheating. Ever so often I grieve the lost of a certain food (a toasted bagel and cream cheese with my huge mug of coffee on a Saturday morning). I fully realize that I ate to comfort myself. Now that I no longer do that, it's a huge relief. I would so love a crunchy salad. But can't do that yet. Like you my whole focus is on the protein level. Once I do that, there is no more room.

I've also found that I have little room for anything other than protein at meals. And. That. Gets. Boring. So, how I deal with it is to make sure I get enough supplemental protein in my snacks or whatever. I dump a scoop of chocolate whey in my 1 cup of coffee in the morning. Bang 25G! I have a quest bar in the afternoon for another 23G. I buy P28 high protein bread, you can get protein'd pasta an other products as well, so I sub with these sometimes, but I find if I do 2 protein supplements per day, I'm covered for protein even if I choose 1 meal that's not particularly high in it.

I think what you are going through is very common. Even now at 6 months out I am just now starting to get interested in food again. CRAZY! I used to revolve around food! Anyway, you will eventually be able to get some veggies and fruit into the mix with your Protein. No worries. And FYI, my tastes changed post surgery but then they changed again a few months out. So hang in there! and Congrats on your weight loss!

Thank you ladies I'm glad I'm not alone! Anyone have some interesting choices of protein!

Even if it is a little bit, I tried to work some kind of vegetation in with each meal. With Breakfast, I will have a couple of cherry tomatoes, with lunch I will squeeze in some green Beans, at dinner I may likely add a sprig of broccoli or a spoon of cole slaw. I am allowed one serving of fuit per day, so that will usually be applesauce with my evening meds. Occasionally I will have a small banana at bedtime.

For a mid-morning snack I may have something like 1/4 cup tuna sald with cucmber slices instead of crackers. An evening snack may be a thick slice of tomato broiled with melted mozzerella and basil. Yeah, my tastes have greatly changed since surgery, but I force some variety on myself to keep from getting bored.

I understand where you are coming from im 4 weeks and 3 days in from my surgery and at this point its like nothing even taste that great but like you i eat because i have to. It is getting a little better but its like nothing taste the same.

Yeah it's weird tonight I made some ground beef, and but taco season and I used to love it! And tonight it just gave me a bad taste in my mouth!! I just want to eat something that I somewhat enjoy besides cottage cheese! Lol

I woukd consider it a blessing and use it to your advantage as long as it lasts. I am year out and I find myself wanting to eat because something tastes good. That is what led me to bariatric surgery. I would love to have the days back when I only ate to sustain my body and eating for pleasure was not an issue.

That being said.....can you give us a sample menu? Maybe we can help you tweak it.

Are you drinking any Protein drinks to supplement your intake? I still start my day with a premier Protein Drink...gives me 11 ounces towards my liquid intake amd 30 grams of protein towards my protein intake.

Edited September 12, 201412 yr by Chele H

Chele H....

My typical day is protein shake in the morning. A yogurt as a snack, lunch is some chicken or maybe some ham sausage and cheese, then my next snack is a cheese stick, then dinner is some kind of meat. My other staples that I rotate around are cottage cheese, turkey bacon and Swiss cheese roll ups, luncheon meet ( turkey or chicken) and eggs! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

If you enjoy (and can tolerate) beef Jerky, I find it to be a fun change in my Protein routine. My main problem is that if I buy a big bag, I tend to eat too much of it until the bag is gone. It now takes a longer than it used to to polish off a bag, but it's still "old thinking", so I'll have to get that in check. Smaller bags are expensive, but give you just the right amount for a snack. For example, one ounce of Jack Link's Teriyaki Beef Jerky is 80 calories with 14 grams of protein, plus 1 gram of fat, 5 grams of sugar, and here's the kicker, 600mg of sodium. But as an occasional protein snack, it's pretty darned tasty!

If you enjoy (and can tolerate) beef jerky, I find it to be a fun change in my protein routine. My main problem is that if I buy a big bag, I tend to eat too much of it until the bag is gone. It now takes a longer than it used to to polish off a bag, but it's still "old thinking", so I'll have to get that in check. Smaller bags are expensive, but give you just the right amount for a snack. For example, one ounce of Jack Link's Teriyaki Beef Jerky is 80 calories with 14 grams of protein, plus 1 gram of fat, 5 grams of sugar, and here's the kicker, 600mg of sodium. But as an occasional protein snack, it's pretty darned tasty!

I actually tried some beef jerky this past weekend, it was pretty good, I may have to try some more! Haha thanks for the suggestion

hmmm... I guess I am a creature of habit and eat a lot of the same things every day and do not get bored. Your menu looks pretty much like mine. But I do believe your taste will return, it takes time. You are very early out. Looks like you are getting plenty of protein...don't forget your Water. Your weight loss is great.

Does your plan allow some fruit yet? How about half an apple or banana with some Peanut Butter as a snack instead of a yogurt. i would peel the skin off the apple. I find I really enjoy these "treats" but only eat them sparingly because of the carb content.

Tuna salad on cucumber slices? have you tried making your meat with some type of sauce or gravy? Chicken marsla, lemon chicken, meatloaf, meatballs with either brown gravy or spaghetti sauce....so you are not eating plain meat? One of my favorite and easy ways to cook chicken is to cut up boneless breast into cubes, season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, brown it in a little oil and then add a can of cream of chicken soup(and the water or milk as directed)and let simmer until done. I add dumplings for the rest of my family but the chicken is moist and tasty from the Soup.

Google some crock pot recipes...makes meat moist and juicy and the cooking liquid/gravy adds flavor.

You'll get there!

Edited September 12, 201412 yr by Chele H

hmmm... I guess I am a creature of habit and eat a lot of the same things every day and do not get bored. Your menu looks pretty much like mine. But I do believe your taste will return, it takes time. You are very early out. Looks like you are getting plenty of protein...don't forget your Water. Your weight loss is great.

Chele H....

My typical day is Protein Shake in the morning. A yogurt as a snack, lunch is some chicken or maybe some ham sausage and cheese, then my next snack is a cheese stick, then dinner is some kind of meat. My other staples that I rotate around are cottage cheese, turkey bacon and Swiss cheese roll ups, luncheon meet ( turkey or chicken) and eggs! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Does your plan allow some fruit yet? How about half an apple or banana with some Peanut Butter as a snack instead of a yogurt. i would peel the skin off the apple. I find I really enjoy these "treats" but only eat them sparingly because of the carb content.

Tuna salad on cucumber slices? have you tried making your meat with some type of sauce or gravy? Chicken marsla, lemon chicken, meatloaf, meatballs with either brown gravy or spaghetti sauce....so you are not eating plain meat? One of my favorite and easy ways to cook chicken is to cut up boneless breast into cubes, season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, brown it in a little oil and then add a can of cream of chicken soup(and the water or milk as directed)and let simmer until done. I add dumplings for the rest of my family but the chicken is moist and tasty from the soup.

Google some crock pot recipes...makes meat moist and juicy and the cooking liquid/gravy adds flavor.

You'll get there!

Thanks so much Chele I will try playing around with more sauces! I tried some butter chicken sauce yesturday but didn't like the taste I guess I just have to keep trying until I find one that works!

mine would normally consist of eggs with mushrooms and reduced fat cheese or oatmeal for breakfast, chicken with green beans and brown rice, or tuna with crackers for lunch, and some type of fish or chicken with vegetables for dinner and i eat fruit or greek yogurt for my snacks.

In the early days, I felt like that. Nothing tasted good, and it was more of a chore to eat than it was worth to me. Those days are gone. I now eat like a normal person, with small portions. I still start with Protein, then vegetables, and I avoid rice/pasta/bread, but I can pretty much eat anything, and for the most part, it tastes fine.

One thing I do like, though, is that my tastes have changed and continue to do so. I often will eat something that I think I used to love but was fattening (McDonald's fries, for instance) and now when I try one, I just don't like it that well and I don't waste the calories or space on it. That's a huge win for me!