Palete Changes After Surgery

Prior to surgery eating healthy was easy. I grilled up my protein, had a huge salad or some steamed veggies and called it a day. After surgery, I can hardly bare the thought of eating meat. I have tried various different salad greens and almost without fail, they make me sick. The interesting thing is that veggies I would almost never eat ie Iceberg Lettuce, is something I can tolerate. I was told by many nurses and my doctor that this surgery changes something in people when it comes to eating. I never imagined that my love for protein would have been SO drastic. Eating healthy has become a major challenge and dairy for me has been a no go too. Protein shakes and bars have been my main source of protein but eating real healthy food continues to pose challenges for me. Just wondering what others have experienced. 

Thanks!

~ Mark

When was your surgery?  Initially things tasted different for me, it did get much better as time progressed.

I like beans and legumes a lot more than I use to.  Chocolate doesnt taste as good.  On the bad side I get cravings for salt but things that use to be too salty barely taste salty now.  

My surgery was on 09/09/2013. I too love beans a lot more than I use to. I also never cared for potatoes but now it's SO easy for me to eat. I find myself eating things I know I shouldn't because my new stomach can tolerate them. I tried all different proteins like fish, shrimp, different meats like chicken, pork and beef and no matter how they're prepared, I don't feel well afterwards. Mostly that I feel super stuffed for hours and hours. Sometimes I even purge from it. The desire for food is gone and I am trying to eat my protein instead of drinking it and exploring something I can deal with. 

Try eating a small portion.  Dense protein WILL fill you up more AND require you to eat less than a soft protein or even simple carbs.

Thank you so much for your insight and suggestion. I am thinking you're right and still working on changing that mind process. UGH. I was reading some other posts about the "flemmies" I think they called it and I would say this is exactly the issue I am having. I am still learning and I guess for me it's difficult to imagine that I could possibly be full after only 3 small bites but I will try your suggestion and see what happens. 

Thanks!

It sounds like you are overeating, plain and simple. I would guess you are at what, 1/4c for your meal volume right now? I am 6+ months out and just now moved to 1/2 c volume in the past few weeks. And I am still having trouble even getting that much down. I don't push myself, I often will eat 2/3 of my portion and then later have the rest, which was what I was advised to do until I could eat the entire 1/2 c without feeling overly full. 

Also, the way things are cooked make a huge difference. I could not tolerate certain things at all for a while and now I can, so give it a break for a while and then go back to it. Scallops and real crab were both very tolerable for me, but I know for others, they were a nightmare to eat. 

I also find that meats on the rarer side are better than those medium or beyond. I know others for whom only well done stay down. You have to sort of 'play' with options until you hit on what works.

But being super stuffed for hours says TOO MUCH to me. Work with your nutritionist to be sure your volume is right where it needs to be. 

i feel your pain. I am 5 weeks post op and meat is my enemy at the moment. I will conquer it! LOL. a half of a small meatball, no matter how moist is all I can manage. forget chicken, it just will not stay down, even chicken salad was too much for me. some salmon was okay and I am trying some tilapia tonight. Tuna was okay too. Maybe I should just become a pescatarian. LOL I too am good with the beans of all varieties. I think I will cook some lentils tonight too, they are high in protein.

I have been able to get in ALMOST all my protein in the day with just a small premier protein snack size shake that has 18 gm protein in it. some days I need to supplement a little more, but I get close with the beans and other protein dense food like greek yogurt, the occassional egg, small soft cheese like laughing cow wedges, and the occassional well chewed 5 or 6 almonds.

My palate is vastly different than it was. I can't wait to get to the point where I can eat a salad again, but I can live with it for now :-)

Good luck to you!

Thank you!!!!!!

I'm out 2 1/2 years and still can't love salads like before but I do love to make a dip of cottage cheese, cream cheese, little taste of horseradish sauce, and whatever and put  shrimp or crab meat with it.  I eat it with celery or broccoli or even a little baked potato.  Experiment with things like that if you are a couple of months out of surgery.

Re: change of taste.  I notice that all the vitamins that I take do change my taste buds and influence other flavors.