Will I ever enjoy food again?

[Heatherhei 15]

3 weeks post op and anything that Im allowed to have just doesnt sit well with me and im nervous about what if other foods are the same way moving forward.

[Flamingowatcher2023 3]

I was the same way and, to some extent, still am. My bypass surgery was 5/24. I lived on Oikos greek yogurt for about 5 or 6 weeks because other foods, no matter how pureed (YUCK!!!) or how gently cooked, would get stuck right in the middle of my chest. I would generally do a lot of pacing and deep breathing until the pain and the danger of throwing up had passed. My doctor said it was perfectly normal and would get better with a little time. As usual, he was correct. I still can't eat most meat, though some have started going down without pain. It gets a little better each day. I rarely ever ate because I enjoyed food but more because of stress, boredom and habit. Foods I used to enjoy, like pizza, don't do it for me any more. I don't even particularly like french fries now. Never thought that would happen. I do still miss my sliced apples. I will continue to try them occassionally. Just give it time. As you heal, you will be able to enjoy a broader range of food.

[catwoman7 10,883]

it's almost always temporary. The first few weeks post-op are hard. And yes, unfortunately, you will enjoy food again, and at that point this all becomes a lot more challenging. I know it probably sounds odd to you now, but there are days I wish it was like at the beginning when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food.

[Arabesque 6,508]

This too does pass. Exactly as @catwoman7 said: it’s usually all just temporary. There may be odd things that don’t sit as well in the long term, like Pasta, bread & rice still sit heavily in my tummy but I don’t miss them - there are alternatives I can have if I want them.

At the moment you’re still healing. Your digestive system has been through a lot! Your tastebuds & also maybe your sense of smell have also temporarily changed & may be more sensitive to certain smells, flavours or textures. I had no appetite or interest in food either but that comes back - unfortunately.

The only thing that really affects what I eat now are my food choices - what I choose to eat or not eat, how often or how much to maintain my health & my weight. Doesn’t stop me going out to eat, socialising, celebrating events, etc.

[SleeverSk 618]

16 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

it's almost always temporary. The first few weeks post-op are hard. And yes, unfortunately, you will enjoy food again, and at that point this all becomes a lot more challenging. I know it probably sounds odd to you now, but there are days I wish it was like at the beginning when I was never hungry and didn't give a flip about food.

me too

[maintenanceman 280]

The first few weeks (months) post-op are not at all indicative of what life with WLS is like. At this point, 16 mo post-op, I can eat and tolerate pretty much anything I want. The thing is, my tastes have changed so dramatically.

I don't crave garbage food anymore. For Breakfast, I used to eat chicken biscuits, fries, muffins, and other junk. This morning, I had a bowl of greek yogurt with banana, berries, and granola, and it was the most delicious thing ever. I could force feed myself the garbage breakfast, but I wouldn't enjoy it.

Over time, you figure out your new anatomy and reshape your eating to accommodate it. Even now, almost a year and a half post-op, I'm still testing things out, seeing what works and what doesn't. That's the whole point of the surgery... to force you to make better choices.

[KDT10 1]

I guess I want to echo the sentiments of the initial post. I am 11 weeks post-op and everything tastes terrible. I can’t tolerate any liquid or powder Protein, so I am extremely limited in what I consume. I just want to know if I will ever be able to just taste something and it’s good and enjoyable? Please help