Question:
Does anyone get bored with eating?

I am eight weeks out and get bored with eating. I am not complaining at all, but was wondering if this is normal. I feel like eating is a waste of time and get bored with a meal very quickly. I am thankful for not having an appitite, but was wondering if it always goes back to normal. I am trying to convince myself that food is no longer my security blanket so maybe this is all mental??    — Marcy S. (posted on April 30, 2003)


April 30, 2003
Hey Marcie. I'm 2 weeks out and I'm definitely bored with eating. Maybe its just because I can only eat a few certain things, but I get so bored easily! I hope too that this feeling goes away , but since you're a few weeks past me and still feeling this way, I won't hold onto that hope, lol.
   — Jessica C.

April 30, 2003
Enjoy it while you can. I don't know of anyone whose appetite did not come back. Many of us, though, don't have the out of control appetites that we had pre-op but a normal appetite for food does return..for most it is by the 6th month. Some never lose their appetites and others don't regain it for a year or more. The good thing, though, is even when the appetite does return, if you can try to eat mostly good foods (and not the junk), with the small pouches, you get full faster and will be able to maintain a normal weight.
   — Cindy R.

April 30, 2003
I agree with Cindy - enjoy it while it lasts! I'm 5 1/2 months out and my appetite has come back with the vengeance! I still can't each as much as I used to, but it's not as easy to "forget" to eat anymore.
   — jengrz

April 30, 2003
Boy do I agree...enjoy it while it lasts cause unfortunately it will come most likely come back :>(
   — [Deactivated Member]

April 30, 2003
Just stay away from testing sugar and chips! The hunger does come back after a while. I was the same way until my 5th month, now I have to try to stay out of the kitchen. You can't eat much at one time, but the munching....oh boy! I am already getting mad at myself and trying to fight off the munchies :o) Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

April 30, 2003
At 2 wks out I am also one of those who has to look at the clock to know when to eat. I was kinda hoping it would stay this way. Food still smells & looks great to me so I've used the not hungry issue to my benefit. I hope I'm one of those that it stays this way....please please please.
   — Diane S.

May 1, 2003
Boy do I hear you on this one! I am about 13 weeks now and I try to schedule my meals so that I do eat. Then, when the time comes to eat, I wander around my kitchen trying to find any (mostly protein) meal that I think even remotely sounds good. What makes it even worse, is that by the time I decide on something and make it, I usually have to force myself to finish it because I am not really enjoying it. Sometimes I feel like if this is all I have to choose from (protein foods) then why bother eating!?! Let's just say that I've come to the place where food is no longer my freind...and hopefully, that will still hold true once my hunger does come back. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy the ride...I don't know that I can remember a time (or very few anyway) pre-op when I wasn't hungry (or just think I needed to eat), nothing sounded good, and then when I did eat anyway, I had trouble finishing it because it didn't taste good!
   — eaamc

May 1, 2003
I am 16 weeks out and am tolerating most foods including rice and bread . I thought that would make me go bonkers but it doesn't. Nothing really tastes good to me after I chew it to smithereens. I walk around the kitchen bored to death and nothing sounds good. I have my protein drink in the morning and more protein throughout the day but basically I could start just about any meal and lose interest within 3 bites.
   — susanje

May 1, 2003
Yes, I get that, too. I used to frequent fast food places when I was in a hurry. Now if it doesn't sound good to me I would rather just go home and eat cottage cheese. I feel like it's all the same to me. I got to a point where I was tired of the protein foods and still struggle with that sometimes but if I can't think of anything else I end up with a slice of cheese, a spoon or peanut butter, or a slice of ham. I guess it is a real switch to move from "food as entertainment" to "food as fuel." I still sometimes am disappointed when I go out to eat. It's just not as fun as I remember. If I am going out with someone else, 9 times out of 10 I will let them choose because I just really don't care. About one or two times a month I will really want something in particular and go on a mission to find it. The other day I just HAD to have a salad, so I went to a special place and paid $10 for a nice salad with chicken and black beans and corn, etc. It was really good. BUT I ate 1/3 of it and totally forgot the rest was in the fridge. My relationship with food is different now and most of the time it is GOOD different. But sometimes I would just like to have a nice, multi-course meal and enjoy it and I can't. Not that I am complaining, but it does sometimes make me feel frustrated!
   — ctyst

May 2, 2003
Definitely enjoy this phase while you can. Do not panic at 6 or 7 months out when your appetite returns with a vengeance. It takes us awhile to realize that we will eventually be able to eat more, the pouch is supposed to expand somewhat during the course of the first year or 2. You just don't want to push it beyond a "natural" growth spurt. As for dining out, I agree with the previous poster somewhat. I RARELY eat fast food anymore, with the exception of Wendy's chili or salads. The high fat content just makes me feel tired and queasy, not worth it. If hubby has some onion rings I might have one or 2 just to cure that craving that comes from smelling them. I find the most refreshing thing when dining out is that I want to order the best thing on the menu. LOL So much for being a cheaper date. I like filet mignon and grilled shrimp, absolute favorite! At 4 or 5 months post-op I could eat maybe 1/4 of the 6 oz. filet and maybe 1 or 2 jumbo shrimp. Now I can eat 1/3 to 1/2 of the filet and 2 or 3 shrimp. But boy that stuff sure is yummy the next day! And if I'm not in the mood for it, my hubby is willing to have it for lunch when he gets home from work! My feeling is, I only go out maybe once a week, if that. Compared to 3 or 4 times a week, maybe more pre-op. I'm going to enjoy what I have now! You're right -- food is no longer your security blanket, it is fuel which can be fun instead of stressful. I also highly recommend Orange Roughy when dining out. A nice mild fish that doesn't get hung up in the pouch like cod or salmon seems to with me.
   — Anna L.




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