I’m having a really hard time

[aberry 52]

I’m really struggling with things right now. I’ll be two weeks post op on Monday. I have my appt on Tuesday.

Everything tastes so bad. It makes me sick. Like, actually eating is fine. My stomach doesn’t get upset, it doesn’t hurt, nothing like that. But it tastes so bad that I don’t want to eat anything. Is mental nausea a thing? I don’t get sick sick, but I’m still very repulsed by it. I’ve tried soooo many things and it all tastes awful. Various soups/broths, yogurt flavors, Protein Shakes, flavored water w/unflavored Protein, pudding, jello... I force myself to drink one Protein Drink and a greek yogurt cup every day. Although, that’s even a struggle. So I’m averaging roughly 200 calories a day. And again, physically I absolutely think/know I could eat more but the tastes are just so bad.

I was really, really sensitive to smells before hand so I don’t know if that has something to do with it? So, I haven’t found anything I remotely like... my friends all talk about their pizza and burritos and I really miss it especially not being able to find at least one thing I sort of like to eat right now. But even then I don’t think I’d like the taste of that stuff. I put cream cheese on a bagel for my daughter and licked a tiny bit off the knife and about gagged. And I freaking LOVED cream cheese before.

I do take my Vitamins twice a day. I mean, to be honest my chewable vitamins are the least offensive thing I eat each day... they taste like flintstone ones.

Idk, I guess I’m just feeling down or frustrated. I hate all the food, wish I could just find something I like, and of course I just miss being able to eat normally.

5’6”

25 yo

SW: 256

[ShelbyMoore 84]

Hi aberry,

I was the same way after surgery. Smells of anything bothered me really bad and NOTHING tasted good. Everything was thrown off. I became nauseous easily and like you said.. I didn’t throw up but felt like I wish I could have.

I’m now 7 weeks out and all that is gone. It seemed like the 6 week mark I felt back to normal. All my regular tastes came back and I’m not sensitive to smells either. But I remember those days when it all did... it was horrible.

Hang in there and trust it will get better. Do the best you can to get some food in. I averaged 400 - 500 calories a day. I phoned the Drs nurse when I went through it and she told me to eat the best I can but Water was the most important. It was important to drink. The nurse told me it would get easier each day and it did.

Popsicles were refreshing to me. I had a lot of them. Maybe try a popsicle to see if that gives you a better taste.

[Stella S 613]

Suggest things without preservatives For me that smell still makes me gag Also washing vegproduce a ridiculous amount to remove preservative pray. Ditto - hang in there.

[James Marusek 5,244]

The three most important elements after weight loss surgery are to meet your daily Protein, Fluid and Vitamin requirements. food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight.

It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even Water changed. In the hospital water tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. For others it is their sense of smell that is altered.

If you are only consuming 200 calories per day, you may be throwing your body into starvation mode and that is unhealthy. Follow the guidelines that you were given.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

((hugs)) So here's what's happening. You read a lot about changing tastes after surgery. I "think" it's due to ketosis. You are in ketosis as much because of low cals as you are low carb. It gives us a metallic taste, etc.

If it were me, I'd concentrate on getting in my liquids to make sure I stay hydrated. And hydrating will also lessen the ketone concentration. But you just have to drink, cuz you MUST! And you have to force yourself to eat--cuz you have to eat...

You just "do it" cuz you have to -- it's non-negotiable.

BUT (and it's a big but)! You can reframe the way you choose to think about it and to glom onto it!!! Yay!!! You have an icky taste. Embrace it, cuz it's cutting your appetite to hell! It won't always be this way. And soon, you will struggle with recidivism and sliding back into bad habits and dealing with stalls and regains! Embrace the now! Love it! Look forward to only eating cuz you MUST. It will help make this time way more tolerable. I swear it will!

Make sure you drink, drink, drink!!!! Find something--even flavored teas (unsweetened) and diluted help!

[karen_marie 220]

Weird but effective short-term solution: hold your nose when you eat/drink. Not having the sensory input from your nose will either eliminate any taste or severely reduce it right now, which will make it easier to get your fluids and Protein down. Maybe finish with your chewable vitamins, so the taste left in your mouth is mostly pleasant for you when you let go of your nose. And it wouldn't hurt to call your doctor and ask about it. They may have some other suggestions to deal with this short-term annoyance/frustration

[gwbicster 257]

I can't add anything that others haven't. All I can say, 100% for sure, is

It gets better

Hang in there champ!

Edited December 16, 2017 by gwbicster

[Hannah83 214]

as everyone else has said yes, the taste the first two weeks just is awful. But Water is your number one priority. (I tried propel water and it helped a lot first two weeks for me) Reason for readmission is being dehydrated. (soft hug) I'm day 44 out from surgery and it is getting better albeit slowly. Be patient with yourself and the process (again easier said than done) go for short five or ten minute slow as heck walks find things you love to do sensory wise that will get your mind off of it. I took up knitting 2 years ago and am glad I did. Also, I highly recommend face to face flesh and blood support from those going through what you are.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Hannah83

[lromero1989 24]

as everyone else has said yes, the taste the first two weeks just is awful. But Water is your number one priority. (I tried propel Water and it helped a lot first two weeks for me) Reason for readmission is being dehydrated. (soft hug) I'm day 44 out from surgery and it is getting better albeit slowly. Be patient with yourself and the process (again easier said than done) go for short five or ten minute slow as heck walks find things you love to do sensory wise that will get your mind off of it. I took up knitting 2 years ago and am glad I did. Also, I highly recommend face to face flesh and blood support from those going through what you are.

Hannah! I am so glad to see this I totally agree water is so important I’ve been trying to intake as much as possible and it gets easier day by day!

[lromero1989 24]

I’m one week post op and smells don’t bother me, taste hasn’t bothered me but I’m trying to determine what will be good for me moving forward, I’ve watched tons of YouTube videos and read my manual front to back but I kinda feel like my stomach is strong enough to handle some things just in super small portions.

[aberry 52]

Hi, thank you all for your advice and support!

Things dipped really low for me over the weekend. Yesterday I didn’t eat anything except a fudge pop and two tastes of some yogurt and I only choked that down because my friend was concerned and insisted I eat something.

I meet with my doctor tomorrow, but today is technically my two week post op mark. So I went to the grocery store and grabbed some soft foods per my manual.

I just had 4oz of cottage cheese and it was AMAZING. I pretty much snarfed it down and had to remind myself to slow down or I’d regret things.

I think my issue is with sweet things? The cottage cheese was a pretty flat flavor and perfect. Anything remotely sweet is just making me gag. I’m not entirely sure on that though because I hated broth and creamed Soup too...

Anyway, thank you again. I’m just super excited that cottage cheese seems like a winner for now.


5’6”
25 yo
SW: 256

[Hannah83 214]

winner winner chicken dinner! (I kid) I'm happy that you are working through this bump, it's a bumpy ride at first. Propel Water still is a great go-to for me. Highly recommend it.

[PJsgirl 1]

I find that sugar free hard candy is some what helpful.

[fabnfit 41]

I'm only 5days post op and I'm so hungry how did you deal with this part

Sent from my LGLS775 using BariatricPal mobile app

[ijgetsfit 5]

I'm only 5days post op and I'm so hungry how did you deal with this part

Sent from my LGLS775 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, I am 15 days post op and it gets better. Be encouraged!!!