Any advice from the veterans?

I am about 10 weeks out from surgery.  Weight loss is good - I hit the 50lb mark today....yay me!  But...and it's a big 'but'...I am totally struggling with food.  I just do not want to eat; it's almost like I've developed an aversion to food.  Nothing tastes right and after a few bites, I just stop eating.  I'm getting in 2 protein shakes a day but even those are a challenge because after drinking about 1/2 of it, I feel like I'm done.  I'm not in pain, no discomfort; just no desire to eat.  I feel full all the time.  I don't have any cravings, even for the 'junk' I used to eat.  Last night, my husband made steak on the BBQ.  It smelled heavenly and looked great.  The first 2 bites were wonderful; after that, I wanted to pu**** away.  I forced myself to eat about 1 1/2 oz. of it and I was done.  I'm wondering if this is normal?  The irony is I used to pray for the day I wouldn't want to eat.  Now it's here and I'm worried.  Has this happened to anyone? 

To me this was the whole BEAUTY of surgery. You are changing your whole relationship with food and are no longer living to eat but rather you are now eating to live.



Food is no longer your enemy. It no longer controls you or defines your life. Again I felt this was the most powerful and amazing thing about surgery. Embrace it!!! Relish in it. Eat for nutrition. Say no to cakes and goodies that you are offered. You have the most amazing power right now.

OMG...what a lightbulb moment!  I had never thought about it in that way.  Here I am worried that I don't want to eat, when that was the point of this whole process.  I've spent so many years thinking about what I'm going to eat next and I am now - finally - at a point where it doesn't matter to me.  I wasn't seeing it as powerful but I'm going to try to now.  Thank you.

Yeah Kerry for hitting 50 lbs.  I totally understand.  That is how I felt, and now I am so relieved that food no longer controls me.

Traci

hi Kerry congratulations on losing 50 lbs , what your feeling is normal.I agree with Dawn relish the feeling . as long as your your getting your vitamins and your doctors and dietians say your good , then dont worry about it , its 3 years for me and i still not hungry

Anna

Sounds totally normal to me.  I'm 2 years+ out and I can often go for hours without eating if I don't pay attention to the clock.  I'm hypoglycemic, so usually my low blood sugar is what tells me to eat.

And not being able to eat much steak is pretty normal.  That's why I focus on those types of food!

It was a real lightbulb moment for me - when I realized that my vacations and family visits were no longer about food!  My family is sometimes sad I think - I don't spend days cooking all their favorites anymore!  But it's good to not really CARE what we are eating!!

Thanks so much for the validation.  I feel much better about where I am now that I know this is all normal.  I don't think I ever expected to feel this way about food.  What a relief!

A year and a half after surgery I still don't feel hunger at all.  I eat because my body needs fuel.  I eat what I am supposed to eat and still weigh and measure my food to be sure.  I remember feeling just as you do now when eating a meal was a huge chore.  It does get easier over time and gets to where you can enjoy your food again without going over the top.

You do have the control now, the food does not control you. You seem to be right where you should be now.... in CONTROL of your life!

Here's to 50 pounds gone, and being in control!!!!!

It's such a mindshift to think about being 'in' control when I've spent so much time being 'out of' control.  But it makes sense.  Thanks all :)