Can you ever eat "Normal" food again?

[smoggie 11]

I'm due to have my surgery Jan 7th and I'm petrified, both of the opp and post opp, I know my eating habits need to change but can you have the rare treat of say french bread? Or steak (grilled of course) just that all I've seen in this forum is talk of puréed foods and not how anyone can tolerate certain solid foods, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanx ????

Edited December 28, 2014 by smoggie

[Golflady 19]

I am only 12 days out from surgery but I have a friend who is 2 years and she eats salads, hamburgers etc.. only just a few bites.. That is the difference. Her tummy is big so by the time she eats some salad and the burger shows up she only eats about 1/2 of it and takes it home to her hubby. She also is able to eat bread but chooses not to since she would rather eat the good stuff (unless it is really good bread ).

[jess9395 5,450]

I'm due to have my surgery Jan 7th and I'm petrified, both of the opp and post opp, I know my eating habits need to change but can you have the rare treat of say french bread? Or steak (grilled of course) just that all I've seen in this forum is talk of puréed foods and not how anyone can tolerate certain solid foods, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanx ????

Yes. A year out here and the only thing I really can't tolerate even in small amounts is rice. Though I haven't tried Pasta so I don't know about that.

[maggie0210 117]

It takes awhile, but yes you can eat other things again. I do still have trouble with rolls, Italian bread etc...but regular bread is okay. Even steak is okay, in small amounts. Everyone has different experiences.

[Cheryll 5]

I'm 17 months post surgery and will be very honest with you - everyone is different. With that being said, my weight loss has progressed pretty well. I have had a few major stumbling blocks that required hospitalization but given the choice I would go through it again. My appetite and tastes have definitely changed for the better but every now and then I have something that isn't necessarily on the "good food" list. The texture of some foods have also changed, like hamburger, but eventually I was able to eat it (I have to admit this was once a favorite food of mine but since the surgery I seldom eat it because it just doesn't sound good - hopefully that will make sense to you after 1/7/15).

I have taken steps to make healthier food/beverage choices and now I need to follow up by getting into an exercise program to tone up, looking into yoga and swimming.

You didn't specify why you were nervous about the upcoming surgery but would suggest either contacting your bypass doc office to speak with the Nutrition Dept or perhaps the Psychologist who interviewed you to answer your concerns. I was fortunate enough to have a great surgeon and team who have continued to stay in touch with me. I can call them at anytime for any reason; I know they mean that because I've had to do just that. The reintroduction of different foods will take time but you really will only want a little to begin with so don't rush yourself, slow and steady will get your results.

I wish you good luck in your journey, what a great way to start a brand new year - remember to treat yourself now and then for the accomplishments and goals you reach along the way, it means a lot. If you need an online buddy just let us know, I'm sure there are plenty of others who will also be willing to step up and encourage you along the way.

[jacileggs 402]

I will be one year post op in January. I can eat pretty anything. Just in very much smaller portions. I avoid fatty foods and high sugar foods as they make me Dump or feel ill. Otherwise I'm feeling like I can eat fairly normally which was what I had hoped for.

[ready2B 263]

I am only 7 weeks out and there's not a whole lot of foods I can't eat. The first few weeks were a challenge, and I remember getting really down thinking I would never be able to eat my favorites again. But after talking with my nutritionist at my one month check-up, I very cautiously have had a small slice of thin crust pizza, a taco, some kung pao chicken with a little fried rice, a cookie, a half of a PBJ sandwich, a slice of bacon, and some of my other absolute favorites with no ill effects. (Not all at the same time, obviously! LOL) That's boosted my morale considerably! Granted, I can only eat tiny amounts, but that doesn't matter since I don't really have much appetite anyway, but I can TASTE the foods I love again and don't have to give anything up "for life" like I thought I would.

[SuzeMuze 338]

I think there are two big things to keep in mind as you nurture your "baby tummy" throughout recovery. I'm 8 weeks post-op and still learning what I can and can't tolerate & I'll be in line with the others in saying that everyone is different. What you'll be able to eat comes about as a trial and error process (rice is one of my favorites, for example, and a prior poster who's much further out from surgery than I say they still can't tolerate it). Going hand in hand in the trial and error process is being patient with yourself and being able to accept the possibility of the "crapshoot" role food might play in your life. My biggest frustration is eating something that went down fine last week, but now makes me feel awful. It doesn't make me regret my decision (one of the best decisions I've ever made) but it does get disappointing sometimes. I'm learning to recognize my body's reaction to foods & know when something will be a successful eating experience, or if I need to choose something else...pronto!

I can't speak for everyone here, but I bet all of us were worried about something prior to surgery, and we're all dealing with our own post-op battles. It's a major deal to undergo bariatric surgery, but it's also a major deal to make such an important decision to better overall health. You'll find fantastic support, ideas, opinions, and listening ears on these boards- keep us posted, and we'll do everything we can to help and support!

[Merlin1963 1]

I am 3 years out and can eat most things except for meat it still doesn't stay down and white bread. Everybody's journey is different it's all just trail. If it doesn't stay down first time try again in a couple of weeks.

[Beni 1,484]

I am 8 weeks post RNY and I can eat anything in small amounts. I have to eat slowly and chew very well but so far so good. My most difficult foods are banana, baked salmon and noodles from chicken noodle Soup. But I can eat both but only one or two bites as part of a meal. At times after chewing, I spit out something too textured like pineapple, orange or the skin of red Beans. My NUT says I should be okay but I am a little afraid.

I have also tried pizza, steak, all the "meats". I have tried dessert: pie, chocolate, cake, fudge. But only one bite. I did have two bites of fudge once and my heart was racing. Now I now my limit is one bite. I think it's because it's so sweet. But just being able to savor that small bite is so satisfying I am actually very happy about it. As you know, we can't eat too much of anything because our stomachs are so small. It works!

Take it slow and easy. Even if something doesn't work right now try it again in a month.

[Samantha Ann 46]

I'm almost three months out. I cnat wait to eat real food again, lol. somedays I can tolerate certain foods.and then the next day it doesnt work. However, I love fish right now and Beans. I found that ginger rice is good on my stomach as well. I found that a local resturant

[esskay77 785]

So, the pureed food phase only last a little while. After that, you start experimenting with real food. However, there is a difference in being able to eat or tolerate food and being "allowed" to eat those foods. I say allowed only because I didn't know how else to say it. My NUT has told me to avoid white flour and white sugar so something like french bread is not something they want me to eat. I probably could eat it and feel fine but it's something they want me to avoid. Have I had it? Yes, sometimes I have and it's fine but I want to keep losing weight and keep off the weight that I have lost so I have had to reprioritize what I will eat. I do indulge in some things that I shouldn't and I haven;t gotten sick but I luckily can't eat very much of it!!

So, while your body may be fine with you eating some of these foods, you should remember that you have to change the way you eat. "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got." In other words, if you end up eating like you used to, you will gain your weight back. So, feel free to experiment but really try to change how and what you eat for life.

(And that is sort of me, reminding myself not you, to eat right!! lol Sorry about that)

[VASCRN 22]

I am 9 weeks out and was doing ok until the last week. The thought of eating eggs will make me sick to my stomach and I have been nauseated the better part of last week. I feel like I am regressing a little. Today, I had a yogurt, 3 bites of fish and for dinner 2 oz of pork roast and a few cubes of potato. liquids are a struggle as well. I am going to have a Protein Drink to try and get hydrated and some Protein in. Anyone else experiencing this.....I have NO APPETITE at all.

[smoggie 11]

Thanks for your advice and personal experiences everyone, it has helped me a lot, the only thing that's really freaking me out now is the opp itself, the being put to sleep bit, and with having sleep apnea I'm afraid of taking my mask off when I'm still under the effects of the anaesthetic as it's very rare I can keep the mask on now without taking it off in my sleep, anyone else have this problem?

[esskay77 785]

I used to pull my mask off too but finally got the mask that has the 2 little nodes that stick inside your nostrils instead of that big thing covering up my whole nose area. I don't pull the mask off anymore because I don't feel like I am suffocating. Don't worry about the surgery--you have professionals in there watching your every movement and breath and they will take care of you. The surgery itself was a breeze, for me anyway! You sleep right through it. The next few days are uncomfortable to say the least but they have you up and walking very quickly. The faster you get up and walking, the faster you will heal. Once I got home, I stopped taking the pain meds because I discovered it was the pain meds that were making me nauseous and the pain wasn't really that bad. But, everyone has a different experience.

Best of luck!