Hello! I am wondering for those that experienced a change with your taste buds, did that happen immediately after surgery or at some point afterwards? TIA!

For me, I think it's just the sweet flavourings.

I have one powder that's unflavoured and only just a touch sweetened, that I can make a tolerable "iced coffee" with. The ones that are chocolate, or caramel, or blueberry or whatever flavours are just ... evil.

So I had bought a variety pack of Premier Protein shakes and decided I was going to drink them.

The cafe latte flavor was AH MAY ZING.

The cookies and cream flavor tasted like bagged popcorn. I got it down, but ewh.

The banana cream flavor tasted like sick and I poured it straight down the drain.

I'm 5 months out now and my taste buds never changed. I can still eat all the things I used to and more (more meaning I now eat fruit, rice, whole wheat, etc. things I used to avoid because it made me gain or stall in my diet).

I got the first signal mine had "changed" about a week in while I was still on liquids. Anything artificially sweetened (to include protein shakes, Propel, Mio, etc) began tasting like gross, bitter chemicals to me and I couldn't even begin to choke them down. I have been basically drinking plain water, and occasionally some juice and water that has been diluted like 4-1 water/juice just for some fruit flavor, and later, plain white milk, which I HATED before my surgery but that first small glass of skim milk tasted so fresh and nourishing after a week of water.

I'm almost to 4 weeks and haven't noticed any changes. I also never lost my appetite like so many people say they did. I broke down and ate 4 cashews right before I got to soft foods (I chewed them to death), but it actually did help and I went right back to doing what I was supposed to. So many things other people have had happen or deal with (good AND bad) haven't happened to me, that it is easy to feel like I haven't had the surgery. Some days I can follow the schedule and what I should eat and be fine, other days I just feel like I'm starving. Overall, I can tell it's good and better than before though, because I have to eat less.

Yea for me it was only the sweetness of the protein shakes I disliked and I have tried things I used to not like and I still don’t like them so no real change in taste buds for me either unfortunately.

I read this post earlier and it hadn’t applied to me. Until now. I tried to eat this Sunkist chicken salad packet with lettuce - I tried the tuna salad packet, too. And it was the same thing. The chicken had no taste to me. I didn’t take another bite. The space available isn’t to be wasted on things that don’t quench.
11 days post op today. The ricotta bake was good but that was the opposite situation. I had to change containers and put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. It did fill me, too. I’m putting all my food and recipes into MyFitnessPal for accurate tracking of macros and micros.

On 3/18/2022 at 10:21 PM, Hot Mess Bypass said:

I'm almost to 4 weeks and haven't noticed any changes. I also never lost my appetite like so many people say they did. I broke down and ate 4 cashews right before I got to soft foods (I chewed them to death), but it actually did help and I went right back to doing what I was supposed to. So many things other people have had happen or deal with (good AND bad) haven't happened to me, that it is easy to feel like I haven't had the surgery. Some days I can follow the schedule and what I should eat and be fine, other days I just feel like I'm starving. Overall, I can tell it's good and better than before though, because I have to eat less.

I also didn't lose my appetite and everyone kept telling me that it was just head hunger. It was not. The bariatric therapist said that about 20% of her patients (especially common in those with bipolar disorder) do not lose their hunger. They put me on metformin and topamax, and that seems to be helping. But I'm so sorry you're facing this. It's miserable to be hungry but unable to eat.

3 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

The bariatric therapist said that about 20% of her patients (especially common in those with bipolar disorder) do not lose their hunger.

That's interesting to me. I have rapid-cycling BPD, and at 17 days out, I've been trying to convince myself that this constant gnawing hunger is psychological. Hmmm.

15 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

I also didn't lose my appetite and everyone kept telling me that it was just head hunger. It was not. The bariatric therapist said that about 20% of her patients (especially common in those with bipolar disorder) do not lose their hunger. They put me on metformin and topamax, and that seems to be helping. But I'm so sorry you're facing this. It's miserable to be hungry but unable to eat.

Thanks, that is interesting. It's getting better now that I can eat some things, but I can still eat so much more than a lot of what I'm seeing from some people. But I'm telling myself that doesn't matter. I'm better than before, and I'm losing. That's the goal. If I have to eat 100 extra calories to feel normal, that's fine lol.

On 9/18/2021 at 11:06 AM, ms.sss said:

Well, if by taste bud changes you mean changing from wanting to eat everything to nothing at all, then yes, for me it was as soon as I woke up from surgery.

I had like total food aversion for about 2 weeks....I barely ate anything (we're talking like 300-400 calories in a WEEK, yikes) It slowly got better, by around month 3 i would only happen maybe 1/2 the time.

Food aversion aside, I did notice immediately that I couldn't stand sweet stuff (i.e., that effing Protein shake). Mind you I have been sorta cured of this by now (i'm almost 3 years out). I love me some Desserts, but i prefer less sweet ones. If I do have a super sweet, say butter tart, I'll have like 1 bite, maybe 2. Any more and I'll get sick.

I also noticed that I reeeaaaallly liked salty stuff when a hint of an appetite made an appearance after 2 weeks (still like salty stuff today acutally).

And while I enjoyed the salads regularly pre-op, it is now my go-to meal. Used to like creamy dressings, now I only like vinaigrette. Started eating salads almost every day around 4-5 post op to today.

Did you ever find it hard to eat salads? I am 7 months out and I find it really hard STILL to eat any lettuces. Am I eating too fast? Should I be trying to slice the lettuce into smaller bites? Is it just me? I love salad and it's an easy meal to get on the road, so I would love to make it work for me. I end up in so much pain every time!

I have not had any trouble with any food including salad.

6 hours ago, lizonaplane said:

Did you ever find it hard to eat salads? I am 7 months out and I find it really hard STILL to eat any lettuces. Am I eating too fast? Should I be trying to slice the lettuce into smaller bites? Is it just me? I love salad and it's an easy meal to get on the road, so I would love to make it work for me. I end up in so much pain every time!

I eat salads almost every day & have since maintenance so after 6 months. (I held off because I like salad dressing! ?) But I always chop my lettuce. I find iceberg lettuce the easiest to eat - almost too easy. But others like rocket, radicchio, romaine (unless baby leaves), pea tendrils too coarse & get ‘stuck’ so I can only eat a couple of pieces . Spinach is ok but the stalks have to be removed.

Edited April 7, 20224 yr by Arabesque