Why do our tastes change?

I have no idea.  My taste for things OTHER than protein powders and bars did NOT change, but protein drinks that tasted ok pre-op were hideous post-op.

Lora

For me the main change was the sweetness of stuff.   The reason my protein shakes tasted bad post op was because they seemed much to sweet.  But I'm really curious about why this surgery would have that effect.

 My guess is that it is tied to changing what we are eating so drastically.  Even for someone who has not had RNY, if they eat only regular Jello, SF Jello tastes terrible, but for someone used to SF Jello, it tastes fine. Not related to the physical surgery at all.

Lora

 I have a theory... that part of our smell comes from our stomach, so thats why things dont taste the same.

I would put my money on the severing of the vagus nerve bundle (vagotomy) as the root cause of the taste changes you describe.  This severing occurs during most laparoscopically-performed RNY surgeries.

In one study, just a surgical vagotomy by itself resulted in significant taste perception changes (and a degree of weight loss): "Several patients have noted altered food preferences, in one case termed, 'finickiness,' in others, lack of craving for sweets or intolerance for milk and foods rich in fat." (http://www.ajcn.org/content/33/2/416.full.pdf)

As an aside, for some reason my tastes have not changed one iota since my lap RNY one month ago.  I also feel I have not experienced the appetite reduction most people with RNY describe (at least not yet) -- perhaps there is some connection between the taste changes and appetite reduction which is related to the degree of severing of the vagus nerves, who knows.

My tastes haven't change since surgery.  I find I have an aversion to foods (ie ground beef) due to how they make me feel but otherwise it's business as usual.  I think some of it may be due to a shift in diet.  You grow accustomed to what you eat most often.  I gave up sodas for the most part about 8 years ago.  Completely lost interest in them.  (HMMM Just realized I bought a 6-pack of natural sugar orange sodas on sale about 2 months ago.  Betting they are still in the fridge in the garage.  I drink the neck of the bottle and give the rest to my husband when I drink them).  Knew water was good for me but never was a water drinker, so I found a way that I enjoyed it (in bottles not glasses).  I became a big-time cold water drinker in the years before surgery.  Now it hurts my pouch, so while I sort of miss it, I now crave my hot teas.  I have about 12 different flavors in my pantry right now.

Just another direction to look at it all.