Post op no appetite

[Emi08 2]

I am 2 months post op RNY and I don’t have any appetite. I’m struggling. I had surgery then6 weeks out got Covid so I’m sure Covid had some play in it. But even now eating just makes some So uncomfortable. I am staying hydrated but I am struggling getting Protein. I’m truly trying. Forcing myself to eat.
Has anyone else had this happen? Any tips?

Thank you!

[catwoman7 10,939]

it's common to lose your sense of hunger after surgery - but it usually comes back sometime within the first year. Mine came back at five months out. I didn't necessarily struggle to eat, but I had zero interest in food and had to REMIND myself to eat. Honestly, I wish my hunger had never come back. It was so much easier to lose weight when I didn't give a flip about food! But if yours is causing pain or something, I'd let your clinic know - could be something else going on. Or if not, it'll just give you peace of mind.

[GradyCat 3,692]

It's a good thing that your hunger sense is gone right now. This is your opportunity to lose the maximum amount of weight. It'll come back later, so take advantage of this time now.

[lizonaplane 1,606]

I was one of the rare people who DIDN'T lose their hunger after surgery, but most people are not hungry for a while.

Even though I was hungry, food didn't taste good and it was uncomfortable to eat. That lasted about 3 months; now at five months out I can enjoy food again.

Try to find things that are easier to eat. I eat a lot of ground turkey, because solid, dry meat is harder to eat. You can make ground turkey, or chicken, or beef into so many recipes: I make chili, taco meat, spicy chicken lettuce wraps (I just make the meat part; I still can't do lettuce), ground turkey stroganoff... So many options.

Fish may be easier to eat than other Protein sources; just don't over cook it. Chicken thighs may be easier to eat than chicken breasts.

Good luck!

[Arabesque 6,583]

My hunger didn’t come back for ages - more than a year. Up until recently I still often had times I wasn’t hungry but now hardly ever which is sad. I also wasn’t interested in eating for a few months after surgery. I ate to a routine - stuck to three meals a day because I realised I needed to eat for my body to function. My calorie intake was pretty low for a while - barely 900 calories at 6 months & starting maintenance & was often less.

Eating to a routine did help change my relationship with food a lot. I looked at food for the nutritional benefit it would give me rather than for any other thing (comfort or soothe, or some other emotional reason, etc.). Food still had to be tasty because if it wasn’t I wouldn’t eat it or eat much of it. It may take time to see what foods you easily tolerate. Don’t be afraid to eat a small rotation of food options to begin.