4 weeks Post Op Need Nutrition Advice

[ClarkRomulus 10]

Hey Bariatric family!!
I’m four weeks post op and the thought of food makes me sick. Protein and Water are my best friend. I have had some puréed stuff and a tiny piece of white fish. Once I eat something and put it up for “later” the thought of it disgust me. Will this go away?? Any food ideals?? Besides chili and fish?? The thought of chicken makes me want to pass out. I’m feeling good and everything is going well , just scared that this will not go away. Thanks in advance for all replies . These forums have gotten me through some of the hardest times of my life after vsg surgery.

[Arabesque 6,478]

This isn’t uncommon. Our tastebuds & sometimes sense of smell changes after surgery while we’re healing & our tummy is very sensitive. It is temporary usually about two months which is about how long it takes you to fully heal from the surgery. Unfortunately though it can make finding foods & drinks we can tolerate challenging. You may find something you easily ate yesterday you can’t face today. Don’t give up on that food. Just avoid it for a few days & then try it again. Some foods seem extra sweet or salty. Textures can be off putting too. Sometimes a food or flavour you didn’t enjoy before tastes delicious during this time.

Add to that our loss of appetite &/or interest in eating & it can feel like a nightmare & you’ll never be able to eat again. In a few weeks you’ll find you are enjoying flavours, textures & foods more. If you’re lucky your loss of hunger & interest in eating will last a 6-12 months +/- which helps with your weight loss but they too will pass. Actually after they return you often wish they hadn’t & you still weren’t hungry.

I embraced things tasting exceedingly sweet at this time. I gave up sweet foods - never reintroduced them. So no cakes, biscuits, Desserts, lollies, flavoured carbonated drinks, etc. except on very odd special occasion. Very little added sugar (<5g a day) & avoid artificial sweeteners or sugar alternatives where I can.

I ate a lot of Soup, yoghurt & extra milky scrambled eggs & extra milky instant rolled oats during purée. During soft foods I ate a lot of minced meat dishes (meat balls, savoury mince bolognese, …) with sauces & slow cooked stews/casseroles.

Give your self time to heal & recover & your tummy to be less fussy & sensitive. I used to say my tummy was like a petulant temper throwing 2 year old during that time.

[catwoman7 10,864]

^^ as usual, I agree with everything Arabesque said. I wish my loss of interest in eating and hunger had never come back!!

[summerseeker 1,848]

I had zero interest in food, If I am honest, apart from my Breakfast yogurt and fruit, I could easily go without food. I have little appetite. Early on I had serious nausea issues. I cooked and discarded so much food in the early days. I gave pureed foods a wide berth. Pureed meat just was not for me. My team were sympathetic and said to just do my best. At this time I found Protein yogurts and they helped me along.

eggs took me 18 months to accept. chicken took over two years for me to manage a small piece. Pasta and potatoes are still off my menu. I have just begun to eat homemade bread again and I can manage about a Tbsp of rice. Cooked salmon is seriously off my menu. Its made me ill so many times since surgery that I have a phobia. I force myself to eat meat, cheese is a huge favourite, especially paired with fruit. TBH, My weight is stable and my labs keep coming back ok, so I am skinny and happy.

You will figure it out for yourself. Don't feel pressured by others who you think are doing 'better' than you.

[Lily2024 115]

I was also not a fan of the pureed phase so I mostly stuck with Chobani zero greek yogurt, they have some really great flavors. I ate cottage cheese with some favorite Pasta Sauce. tuna with mayo and Pickle Juice helped, chewed very well. Adding spices to things really helped also.

Hopefully this will just be a phase for right now, maybe the dissonance between the brain and the stomach? My body tells me I need fuel, my stomach doesn't want any food, and my brain wants spicy indian food. It's getting easier.

[ClarkRomulus 10]

Thanks for all your input and suggestions!!!