No pleasure at eating anymore

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

Hello, everyone, first of all I'd like to say I'm from Brazil, so please, if I make some mistakes, overlook them or you may correct me.

I underwent gastric bypass surgery on May 19th this year, it's been only one month. I have no energy, no motivation, my mood is terrible. I start a (semi-)solid diet which includes ground meat, rice, bread, light cheese, but I don't want to eat any of these foods, actually, it's been 10 days since I've been ingesting barely anything. I don't feel like eating, I'm tired of eating what I don't want to eat. I'm craving pizza, burger, especially, chocolate, not lots of it, but I asked my nutritionist if I could eat one Lindt truffle, which weighs only 0.42 ounces, twice a week and she said no. I can only eat a healthy chocolate truffle that she prescribed me, which tastes awful.

I don't feel like eating because everything I eat is not pleasant at all. I also need to have so much Protein and Protein Shakes every day, I'm tired of the sweet taste of whey protein, protein yogurt, protein smoothies, fruit smoothies. I told my nutritionist that I can't eat anymore, but she insisted that I must eat, even though I keep skipping meals otherwise I will certainly throw up. I pretty much regret undergoing surgery, I felt pleased when I could eat, now I feel no pleasure. Even my antidepressants what I've been taking for years are not helping, not to mention that my psychiatrist has increased the dose of them. I feel more depressed than before surgery. I don't want to work, study, I just want to stay in bed all day long and skip meals.

Does anyone have a testimonial to share? Does it get better? Will I ever be able to eat chocolate, burger, pizza again, just a little bit?

Thank you.

[SummerTimeGirl 580]

I don't see why you can't eat a pizza burger minus the bun. I had my surgery the same day as you and am on soft foods and have had a cheeseburger the other day with sliced tomatoes on top. It was a small burger but it was good and satisfying.

I think you'd feel better if you start eating some different types of food you do take pleasure in. Why can't you have salmon, or some other soft fish? Refried Beans with some sour cream, taco sauce, cheddar cheese and guacamole in it? Chili? Deli meat? Greek Yogurt? tuna? eggs? Applesauce? Butternut squash? Green beans? Steamed carrots? Soups? Mashed potatoes? oatmeal?

Anyway, just named some of the things I'm allowed on my plan on the soft food stage. Do any of those things appeal to you?

Edited June 19, 2021 by SummerTimeGirl

[Arabesque 6,446]

Yes, for many of us food can taste terrible & even things we used to love taste disgusting. It’s because our taste buds & sometimes our sense of smell changes & becomes extra sensitive after surgery. This will pass. Plus your tummy can be pretty fussy for a while. A food that’s disgusting or makes you unwell this week maybe more palatable in a week or two so don’t give up.

I wasn’t hungry or interested in eating either. It’s a result of the surgery & the hunger hormone producing area of your tummy being removed. But I knew I had to eat. I knew I had to work at getting my Protein in otherwise I’d compromise my healing & my health. My food rotation was not very wide the first couple of months. I slowly tried new foods to see how I would tolerate them.

On soft foods your food should still be a bit sloppy. If it’s too dry the food could feel like it’s stuck &/or cause discomfort. Slow cooked casseroles, stews, etc. are perfect. I ate a lot of mince slow cooked with Tomato, celery, onion. I also made Soups with finely diced meats & vegetables - let them simmer for ages. I also ate rolled oats, scrambled eggs, yoghurt poached fish. Try tinned salmon or tuna, Beans, add herbs & spices. If you want salty try adding extra salt to what you’re eating. If you want sweet try some apple purée. Some people struggle with beef or chicken to begin so take them slowly.

Discovering why you eat is extremely important to your success. As is making changes to what you eat. It won’t be easy to work out how to manage your cravings & not succumb to them. Succumbing to them lead us to being overweight in the first place. As did eating the way we did. This is the having to do the head work we all talk about. It’s not easy. There’s not an quick solution. Those cravings will always be there. Many try therapy to help identify what’s driving the cravings & to develop strategies to support them to manage them.

It does all get easier but just not overnight. There’s a lot of work ahead but it’s so worth it.

Good luck.

[catwoman7 10,845]

there will come a time when you can eat all those things again (as long as your stomach tolerates them), but in much smaller amounts than you could pre-surgery.

I had no hunger or interest in eating food for the first five months after surgery. After that, my hunger came back. Honestly, in some ways I wish my hunger HADN'T come back. Although eating was somewhat of a chore those first five months, it was super easy to lose weight because I had no interest in food. Easier than it ever had been in my life...

for most people, hunger and interest in food DOES come back. Just give it time. Unfortunately, the return of hunger does make it more challenging to stick to your program, so you'll need to be diligent when it returns.

Edited June 19, 2021 by catwoman7

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

My nutritionist was very strict in my diet plan. I can only eat toast, light cream cheese, eggs, ground meat, chicken, fish (I don't like fish), fruit puree (only banana, apple, pear, or papaya), and whey Protein. But I can't eat them, I try and I throw up. Even if I drink 5 oz. of Water, I throw it up and it's been 32 days already. I can't drink water, not even eat something. My stomach feels full all the time, it's terrible. I can't stick to the diet not even in smaller portions. The worst part is the feeling I'm going to puke anytime, it's like the food is stuck in my esophagus. It's hell on earth. I believe it's easier to be anorexic and doesn't eat anymore.

Edited June 20, 2021 by BrunoPiccinin

[learn2cook 486]

Bruno,
You are very sensitive and eloquent in your writing even with English not being your first language. Our world needs more writers and artists like you. You are very important to the future of our world and to your family. I believe you feel so many things, or did before depression came like a loud thunderstorm. Maybe food was your previous creative outlet? Maybe it was how you expressed yourself in the past and feel blocked now?

Please, please, please get help right now. Call your doctor’s emergency number and meet him/her at the hospital. Tell them you don’t feel safe. Get the therapy immediately because you are saying you will harm yourself with a lack of food and Water. Let the hospital help you get your electrolytes and Proteins back in order to physically feel better. I love your writing. Please keep writing. Love, Meg

[catwoman7 10,845]

7 hours ago, BrunoPiccinin said:

My nutritionist was very strict in my diet plan. I can only eat toast, light cream cheese, eggs, ground meat, chicken, fish (I don't like fish), fruit puree (only banana, apple, pear, or papaya), and whey Protein. But I can't eat them, I try and I throw up. Even if I drink 5 oz. of Water, I throw it up and it's been 32 days already. I can't drink Water, not even eat something. My stomach feels full all the time, it's terrible. I can't stick to the diet not even in smaller portions. The worst part is the feeling I'm going to puke anytime, it's like the food is stuck in my esophagus. It's hell on earth. I believe it's easier to be anorexic and doesn't eat anymore.

contact your doctor. This sounds like it could be a stricture. They usually appear 1-3 months after surgery, so you're in the right time frame for it. They are easy to fix - I had two of them. But you need to get that fixed as soon as possible. If it's not a stricture, then something is not right - you shouldn't be vomiting all the time. See a doctor as soon as you can.

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

4 hours ago, learn2cook said:

Bruno,
You are very sensitive and eloquent in your writing even with English not being your first language. Our world needs more writers and artists like you. You are very important to the future of our world and to your family. I believe you feel so many things, or did before depression came like a loud thunderstorm. Maybe food was your previous creative outlet? Maybe it was how you expressed yourself in the past and feel blocked now?

Please, please, please get help right now. Call your doctor’s emergency number and meet him/her at the hospital. Tell them you don’t feel safe. Get the therapy immediately because you are saying you will harm yourself with a lack of food and Water. Let the hospital help you get your electrolytes and Proteins back in order to physically feel better. I love your writing. Please keep writing. Love, Meg

Thank you so much for you kind words, Meg, you are so lovely. I’m at the hospital right now. They are running some blood exams, they will perform a CT scan and maybe an endoscopy to see if something is wrong. I just hope I don’t have to undergo surgery again.

Edited June 20, 2021 by BrunoPiccinin

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

contact your doctor. This sounds like it could be a stricture. They usually appear 1-3 months after surgery, so you're in the right time frame for it. They are easy to fix - I had two of them. But you need to get that fixed as soon as possible. If it's not a stricture, then something is not right - you shouldn't be vomiting all the time. See a doctor as soon as you can.

Thank you. I’m at the hospital right now. They are running some blood exams and they will perform a CT scan and maybe an endoscopy. I hope I don’t have to undergo surgery again.

[catwoman7 10,845]

3 hours ago, BrunoPiccinin said:

Thank you. I’m at the hospital right now. They are running some blood exams and they will perform a CT scan and maybe an endoscopy. I hope I don’t have to undergo surgery again.

if it's a stricture, they'll just stretch it out during the endoscopy - takes maybe an extra five minutes. Let us know what they find out!

[amietatro 0]

Hello, everyone, first of all I'd like to say I'm from Brazil, so please, if I make some mistakes, overlook them or you may correct me.
I underwent gastric bypass surgery on May 19th this year, it's been only one month. I have no energy, no motivation, my mood is terrible. I start a (semi-)solid diet which includes ground meat, rice, bread, light cheese, but I don't want to eat any of these foods, actually, it's been 10 days since I've been ingesting barely anything. I don't feel like eating, I'm tired of eating what I don't want to eat. I'm craving pizza, burger, especially, chocolate, not lots of it, but I asked my nutritionist if I could eat one Lindt truffle, which weighs only 0.42 ounces, twice a week and she said no. I can only eat a healthy chocolate truffle that she prescribed me, which tastes awful.
I don't feel like eating because everything I eat is not pleasant at all. I also need to have so much Protein and Protein Shakes every day, I'm tired of the sweet taste of whey Protein, protein yogurt, protein smoothies, fruit smoothies. I told my nutritionist that I can't eat anymore, but she insisted that I must eat, even though I keep skipping meals otherwise I will certainly throw up. I pretty much regret undergoing surgery, I felt pleased when I could eat, now I feel no pleasure. Even my antidepressants what I've been taking for years are not helping, not to mention that my psychiatrist has increased the dose of them. I feel more depressed than before surgery. I don't want to work, study, I just want to stay in bed all day long and skip meals.
Does anyone have a testimonial to share? Does it get better? Will I ever be able to eat chocolate, burger, pizza again, just a little bit?
Thank you.

I don't know if you can order them in Brazil, but I felt EXACTLY the same as you. I hated the Protein Shakes. I couldn't tolerate any meat. I had surgery October 21 2020 and I still can't eat meat. Try Bowmar nutrition. I ordered from them and tried their samples. But their hot chocolate tub is awesome. It is not too sweet and is perfect for my protein needs. I have given up on meat. I have never been a vegetarian, but I decided this week I might as well do it. I don't WANT to be a vegetarian. I like meat... well, I used to like meat. Anyway...good luck.

Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

On 6/21/2021 at 1:16 AM, amietatro said:

I don't know if you can order them in Brazil, but I felt EXACTLY the same as you. I hated the Protein Shakes. I couldn't tolerate any meat. I had surgery October 21 2020 and I still can't eat meat. Try Bowmar nutrition. I ordered from them and tried their samples. But their hot chocolate tub is awesome. It is not too sweet and is perfect for my Protein needs. I have given up on meat. I have never been a vegetarian, but I decided this week I might as well do it. I don't WANT to be a vegetarian. I like meat... well, I used to like meat. Anyway...good luck.

Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

I tried to find Bowmar here in Brazil, but there isn't anywhere, not even online and it'd be costly to import. Thank you for the recommendation, but I'll have to stick to the Proteins I have here

[learn2cook 486]

So, are things getting better today? Was it a stricture? Is it more like good and bad days?

[BrunoPiccinin 6]

5 hours ago, learn2cook said:

So, are things getting better today? Was it a stricture? Is it more like good and bad days?

Thanks for asking. Things are getting better. It was really a stricture, I had to have it stretched twice and my surgeon told me I will need another endoscopy within a month to strech it again. I still have some ups and downs because my surgeon told me to stick to a pureed diet until everything is solved. So I will keep eating pureed foods for a long time and it is tiring to eat the same things with the same consistency.

[learn2cook 486]

I am glad it was something fixable that will heal with time. Yeah puréed foods are boring. In time you will have more variety.