Living with a new stomach?

[HaseenS 7]

I am 8 weeks post op. I've lost 42 lbs. I am now at a stall weight which is fine I guess, I've read serveal post that say this stall is just temperary so I'm trying to remain optimistic. My biggest problem is "food". Nothin goes down right and nothing feels good in my stomach. I'ts very discouraging. And I miss the satified feeling you get when you eat something really good. Everything I try to eat taste okay but not good. Plus I get really full really fast.

[Arabesque 6,452]

Aah, this sounds very familiar. We’ve all been where you are & gone through much the same experiences & feelings.

Stalls are frustrating but they happen. Think of them as your body taking a break to catch up with all the changes. They come & they go too. Stick to your plan, avoid the scales for a few days & you’ll be fine.

Are you taking small bites (a teaspoon)? Are you eating slowly? Is your food moist? Eating small bites slowly ensures you’re not putting too much pressure on your much smaller tummy & helps to ensure you don’t eat until you are full. Try to eat until you’ve had enough & what you need. Do you need that next bite or just want it?

When you say nothing tastes good or satisfies do you you mean the food you’re eating does not offer the same comfort it did before? Coming to terms with how you see food & how you used food can be very challenging. Food should be enjoyable & tasty but shouldn’t offer an emotional support. Plus you’re making big changes to your diet. By following your eating plan you are eating very differently & likely avoiding a lot of the food you used to eat. This also can be upsetting & some experience food grief. In time you may be able to re introduce some of your old favourites occasionally or in much smaller portions.

Also, your tummy can be more sensitive & fussy for a while & you’ll have times where you can’t tolerate something you ate easily yesterday. I used to say my tummy was like a tantrum throwing 2yr old. If your tummy doesn’t like something, give it a break for a week & then try again. Many of us experience a change to our taste buds &/or sense of smell post surgery too & food we used to enjoy becomes disgusting. It does pass.

The first couple of months can be a struggle. So many changes. Everything is different. But it will all get better & much easier to manage. Don’t be afraid to seek the assistance of a therapist to help you.

All the best.

[StratusPhr 127]

1 hour ago, HaseenS said:

I am 8 weeks post op. I've lost 42 lbs. I am now at a stall weight which is fine I guess, I've read serveal post that say this stall is just temperary so I'm trying to remain optimistic. My biggest problem is "food". Nothin goes down right and nothing feels good in my stomach. I'ts very discouraging. And I miss the satified feeling you get when you eat something really good. Everything I try to eat taste okay but not good. Plus I get really full really fast.

I had surgery the day after Thanksgiving. I was 7 weeks out this past Friday. I'm struggling. I was/am dehydrated, severely dehydrated. I knew I wasn't drinking enough for a couple of weeks, my skin was very dry and my lips stayed chapped. Last Saturday at 4 PM I started vomiting uncontrollably and at the same time my head was pounding. We were out running errands, my husband had to pull over. I had to take a couple of drinking of Water so I'd have something to throw up. I kept heaving on the way home, luckily we were about 6 blocks away. My husband went to Walgreens to get Pedialyte and he was able to talk to the pharmacist. He said classic signs of advanced dehydration. Keep me drinking, so I was doing nothing but drinking this stuff, lactose free milk and chicken broth. Called and was able to talk to my doctor Sunday. He said what I was doing was good. If I started running a fever or 100 or more, go to the ER. Did good until I felt a little better Monday evening, then I made the mistake of trying to eat some stew meat. He wants me to start getting Protein Shakes in, 100 grams of Protein a day. I'm on my third brand, they all make me sick after about 1/4 of the bottle. I can't get in all my supplements; it feels like I'm eating a meal. I am at a loss. I cannot comfortably eat more than an oz of food at a time. Have you had problems with being sick?

[GradyCat 3,692]

You're supposed to feel full really fast. That's the whole point of the new stomach - to keep you from eating as much. You're still new to this, so it's going to take a while longer for you to adjust both physically and mentally to the new you. It's okay. We've all been there. You've GOT THIS! Good luck on your WLS journey.

[catwoman7 10,847]

I agree with Grady Cat. The whole point of the surgery is that your stomach is smaller so you won't eat as much. Also, as far as not enjoying food - unfortunately, that comes back for almost all of us. I say "unfortunately" because it will never in your life be as easy as it is right now to lose weight when you don't want to eat and don't give a flip about food. Take FULL advantage of that! Your hunger and appetite will eventually come back sometime during the first year (or at least it does for the vast majority of us - mine came back at five months out), and once it does, things will become a lot more challenging. So I know this sounds weird to say, but enjoy it while it lasts! I wish my hunger had never come back!

P.S. I should add that you do need to meet your nutritional requirements, so at least eat what you need to eat for that. But food will just be fuel for you for awhile...

Edited January 17, 2022 by catwoman7

[huskymama 149]

I drink sugar free Gatorade- I’ll take it and mix it with Water and my son got me a sugar free body armor I asked my surgeon and nutritionist if it was ok both said yes. So I get the big bottles and I’ll sip on 1/2 of one a day with my water. I’ve never had an issue to the water and hit my 64 ounce goal within in the first week but I drank a lot of water before surgery. Also I keep it on my night stand so if I wake up for any reason I take several sips of the water. It helps.