pre-op question*do you still enjoy food or are you miserable?

I have not had my surgery yet but as I get closer I wonder, do you still enjoy eating? Do you not even care about food anymore? I know we have to do the majority of the work after surgery but i read so many posts and see how so many people say food tastes different,they have to force themselves to eat and they dread getting in the protien all day. i just do not want to see myself miserable when my family is eating or will i not care? all of a sudden i see these books with titles like"reversing my gastric bypass" or "the truth behind gastric bypass that your doctor won't tell you". I don't want to read them but feal so intriged to do so. I just want to know for the majority of you that life isn't miserable. thank you,sorry pre surgery jitters :(

I have heard more than one person say "I wish I never did this" in regard to WLS. You should try to find out everything -- the good, bad & ugly, the reasons people are glad they did it, the reasons people wish they had not, the problems and potential complications.  Do not leave any stone unturned.  You are making a FOREVER life changing decision in having this surgery - arm yourself with knowledge! Read the book, look at all the blogs, do the research, and then weigh the information and decide what is best for you. Your health is most important to YOU - not anyone else.

Just to offer my experience, I still enjoy eating and I do still care about food.  I'm 2 years out, have lost about 200 pounds, and I think I'm almost done losing.  Right after my surgery I did not enjoy food; I had to force myself to drink liquid protein and regular liquids.  But I followed my surgeon's instructions, worked my way back up to regular foods, and had pretty good luck doing so.  Some things did make me sick at first - raw veggies, heavier proteins - but I can eat pretty much anything now.  It was probably 6-8 months after surgery before I really began to enjoy food again, but it did happen for me.   Like Danielle, I encourage you to gather as much information as possible and then make the right decision for yourself.  Is WLS easy?  No.  But is it the right choice for some?  I say yes, and I know it was the right decision for me.  But there are people who do not have such positive results.  If that's nothing a risk you are willing to take, then WLS may not be for you.   Good luck on your continuing journey -  Kellie

Hi: Not everyone has difficulty with food.  I'm only 3 weeks out and I already enjoy food.   I am lucky that so far (knock on wood) I have not experienced any problems.  I do supplement my meals with 1 protein drink per day (e.g Isopure).  Per my Doc, I can only eat three 4 oz meals per day.  I look forward to those (with hunger) and then I'm fully satisfied with my 4 oz.  I eat whatever meat I cook for the family, but I skip the salad and the potato or rice. I've been out to eat a couple times... One for breakfast where I ate 1/2 omelette and ignored the toast/potatoes;  The other was for Chile Colorado, which I ate with no problem, again, ignoring the rice/chips.  Because I'm full after a small amount, I have not felt deprived. I don't know how much this will change over time and I guess I will have a big challenge finding interesting meals.  There are a few posters on this site that share fabulous-sounding recipes. Best of luck to you, Chickita

I would have to say that I am one of those who force themselves to eat.  I live on yogurt for breakfast, cooked shrimp for the protein, tuna, or cottage cheese for lunch-usually with a raw tomato.  Dinner is 2-3 ounces of whatever meat I make for my husband's dinner.  However I am never hungry.  I do have to consciously make myself eat even a small amount. I really don't enjoy the eating anymore.  If it is a dense texture like pork, chicken or beef, I have to eat really slowly or I get sick.  I just recently ate an egg successfully for the first time.  I am six months out from my surgery on April 17th.  I still tolerate milk poorly.  I cannot do whey protein without getting sick either. BUT DESPITE ALL OF THIS, I WOULD DO IT OVER AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT.  I am off of ten prescription medicines.  My blood pressure is normal.  My cholesterol is normal.  I am no longer diabetic.  My arthritis has stopped hurting me.  I have gone from size 26W pants to size 16 petite pants in six months.  I no longer have sleep apnea.  My asthma is under control without medication.   Do I miss being able to eat?  Sometimes--but since I have no appetite at all I don't suffer from missing it.  It is not like I want to eat but can't.  I just don't want to.  So I find something better to do with the time than stuffing my face--like making quilts for charity, calling my children, e-mailing my friends, etc.   I hope this helps.

THANK YOU, IT DOES HELP. EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION I GET HELPS. THANK YOU AGAIN AND CONGRATS ON DROPPING SO MANY DRESS SIZES!!!!