Question:
Has anyone had experience with losing your desire to cook?
My fiance and I love to cook really creative gourmet food. One of my fears is that I will lose interest in an activity that we love so much. It's not so much about the eating of the food, I know I won't have ability/desire to eat much, at least at first, and I can be creative with types of food. I am more worried about the process. Anyone else deal with this issue? I am pre-op DS. Thanks, — Vanessa C. (posted on July 6, 2001)
July 6, 2001
Vanessa, I don't think that I cooked anything at all for about 3 months
following my surgery, other than heating soup or microwaving frozen
dinners. I had absolutely no hunger and many kitchen smells made me really
queasy. Once I passed that initial post-op phase however, I found that I
enjoyed cooking more than ever! I have a collection of cookbooks and
recipes that would make a branch library envious, and have always read
these the way others read novels. Needless to say, that obsession with
good food and the art of cooking, contributed heavily over the years to the
development of my obesity. Now, I entertain more often; do a great deal of
cooking for church functions and holidays; and can devote time to truly
interesting and demanding gourmet cooking without having to give a thought
to gaining weight as a "side-effect". I don't taste and snack my
way through the food prep process the way I used to; I am thrilled to watch
others enjoy the meals I prepare; I still have no sense of hunger even 15
months post-op RNY (I'm not sure whether you'll find that true with DS
surgery); and the left-overs never tempt me....in fact, a fair amount of
food goes down the disposal at our house now, something that NEVER happened
in the past:-) Of course, the bottom line (for me) to pulling this off
without sabotaging the surgery, is maintaining the lifelong committment to
3 meals/day, small portions, no snacking, maintaining protein intake and
limiting fats/sugars. If you love to cook, I hope that you will be able to
experience the same joy and excitement in re-discovering the world of
gourmet cooking that I have and still maintain the wonderful results of
your surgery. Good luck!
— Diana T.
July 6, 2001
I'm 21 months post-op from DS, have lost all my weight and just about all
my desire to cook too. Just last weekend I gave all my cookbooks, except
"The Joy" to my daughter, together with most of my cookware to my
daughter. Granted, we may be at different stages of life -- I've already
done 20 years of raising a family and entertaining, and the drudgery of
keeping food on the table is definitely out of my system. For me, a lot of
my cooking was also related to my obsession with food, and that, thank god,
is now gone. As a DS I can eat anything that I want, but only a normal
portion size (I've just hit the phase where my stomach has stretched enough
so that I can occasionally finish an entree, but most of the last year I've
been more than satisfied with an appetizer) so cooking, as I did in the
past, so that I could have unlimited portion size and leftovers no longer
appeals to me. I used to not take advantage of some of the excellent
frozen meals (Stouffer, etc.) because a "portion" wouldn't
satisfy me. Now I am thrilled to be totally full with a frozen meal and
can often eat a restaurant meal more than once at home. I truly enjoy the
fact that I'm not always thinking about food (one of the reasons I chose DS
was not to have to continue with the dieting mentality and good food/bad
food values) and don't have the continued "planning" -- whether
dieting or binging -- about what my new meal is going to be. I'm just a
"normal person" at last, who get's hungry about 3 times a day and
responds to that signal by going through McDonalds for a Bacon Egg and
Cheese McMuffin in the am, going out to lunch with the girls for lunch, and
getting Chinese takeout, having a frozen entree, or going out to dinner.
In a pinch I'll make a grilled cheese sandwich, tuna or eggs, but this
Cinderella has definitely retired the frying pan! Please note, however,
that I consciously, and subconsciously now, always lead with protein. When
my diet conscious friends are picking at salads, I'm chowing down on
mozarella sticks, fried shrimp or the burger or enchillada. I don't waste
my limited stomach space on carbs -- they are the accessory now. If your
gourmet cooking is purely a hobby you enjoy, I guess you'll continue to
enjoy it -- or can become a caterer. If it's an outlet for food
obscession, as it was for me, you'll be developing new hobbies -- like
shopping for the new wardrobe you'll be needing!
— Jill L.
July 6, 2001
I've lost my interest in cooking because it's just me and my two daughters
- and you know how kids are. The 4 main food groups to them are Taco Bell,
McDonald's, pizza and cereal. Since I rarely eat fast food now, and the
kids really don't eat much (we eat about the same amount of food), cooking
is almost a waste of time. My 'gourmet' meals consist of throwing a piece
of meat on the grill and steaming some veggies. I suppose if I were
cooking for a man, I'd be more creative, but (hehehe), I really don't miss
it all.
— Allie B.
July 7, 2001
I enjoy cooking much more now, probably because I only think about what
would taste really good, as opposed to how much does it make! I still love
everything about food, although I do admit it's frustrating at times to not
be able to eat as much of the great stuff as my brain wants to eat! Like
the other responses, I tend to share a lot of my cooking with neighbors,
and more than I would like goes in the trash. With my husband just having
had WLS, and the kids gone for the summer, I am really loving cooking
simple meals of seasoned fish and meat and fresh summer veggies.
— kateseidel
July 7, 2001
I love to cook and was very concerned pre op that after surgery I would
lose my desire to cook and it would take away who I am. I love reading
cooking magazines and watching the Food Channel... we always have friends
over for dinner and drinks and barbeques... I am always planning great
parties. I am famous for my cooking and our friends consider an invitation
to our home better than going out to dinner.
Now... I am post op but only 25 days... what I found out by researching
what other 'Wolfgang Puck' wannabe's had to say post op was that if people
were gourmet cooks before they remain gourmet cooks after. When you read
about people making instant mashed potatoes or buying beans at Taco Bell
for post op puree ... it is because these folks wouldnt have the slighest
idea how to make a homemade low fat cream of potato soup with lite cheddar
and scallions. Nothing against you fast food and instant and frozen dinner
people... really.
I just made Chicken Cacciatore for my dinner tonight... lots of mushrooms,
bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions... and chicken pieces falling off
the bone. All very flavorful but very soft as I am still healing. I can
still cook but now I only eat a little bit. We had our first company over
for the 4th of July and I made a great barbeque that integrated foods I can
eat into a menu that my guests enjoyed.
Not a problem!
susan
post op 25 days
31 pounds gone forever (so far)
— SusanMaria
July 26, 2002
What a great question! Since having my surgery all of a sudden I want to
cook! I want to cook for everybody else and see pleasure in their faces.
Weird huh? I have already baked brownies for my neighbors, didn't even
sample them. I'd probably totally dump, ICKY. Took a refried bean, sour
cream,topped with cheese and served w/ tortilla chips to my work today to
thank everyone for the flowers sent to me. Enjoy watching the Food Channel
and looking at magazines for food ideas! Went to Starbucks yesterday w/ a
friend but couldn't drink anything. The pastery display was great, but
didn't interest me at all. Yippy! I am 15days post-op, minus 25lbs!
— Tania S.
July 27, 2002
I am like many others, I'm cooking like a crazy woman! I can't get enough
of the food channel and I am enjoying other people enjoying my food. I
haven't tasted anything I shouldn't (had a piece of carrot when making some
pasta salad) ... and its a great creative outlet for me. I did NOT,
however, enjyo spending any time in the kitchen in the very beginning. I
always liked to cook however, but it was such a chore for me in the past to
stand in the kitchen for hours. Now I can do it, still with a little back
pain but not what it was like.
— Lisa C.
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