[melanie6]

I am one of the few that never mourned the loss of my friend, food. I have never looked back and felt sad because I cant have a piece of cake or a donut and didnt get sad when I couldnt have a piece of cake on my birthday.

The strangest thing has happened...my brain has done a complete 360. I now look at eating as a way to bring nutrition to my body and thats it. I used to enjoy eating (lets face it, I wouldnt have gotten so big if I didnt), but now I dont. Im not really complaining, I guess Im kind of confused. I thought this was a phase, but Im beginning to think that this is just my new way of life. Ive been in this mode for well over a month and honestly, if I didnt actively THINK about my nutrition and what my body needs I probably wouldnt eat. Im 2.5 months out and still dont get hungry, I have to eat on schedule because my body needs it, not because I want it. This is such a foreign concept AND IM THE ONE WRITING ABOUT IT.

Another thing: I dont like putting anything bad in my body. I guess this comes from reading labels, you know we have to read EVERYTHING. I have actually asked for nutritrition pamphlets at restaurants...I dont just want to know how many calories it has, I need protein and sugar count too. FOREIGN! I cant watch anyone eating high calorie foods, in person or on tv...it makes me feel pukey...I cant even watch the commercials!

I have become a nutritrition snob. I havnt decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing. At this point Im just trying to wrap my mind around it.

I know that my pouch is working, its doing exactly what its designed to do simply because I cant eat much and I cant eat the wrong things. I never expected my brain to transform as much as it has in such a short amount of time. Part of me thinks that this sort of thinking could be dangerous...almost like a precursor to an eating disorder. I can actually picture myself witholding food even AFTER I get my hunger pangs back because I dont want to gain my weight back. I know I can literally survive on very little intake and since I dont enjoy eating...well, it just scares me. I was an anorexic teen, then gained all my weight having one baby after another as an adult and got so discouraged I just didnt care anymore and ate whatever, whenever.

Im afraid I may end up developing an eating disorder in the future. Is this common? Has anyone else ever felt this way?

[Tricia Igo]

being so fresh out, I'm not at all hungry - I can understand being worried about developing a new food disorder - especially since you were anorexic as a teen. Have you talked to your dietitian about your concerns or to a therapist?? Please don't take that the wrong way, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with you, just thinking it might be good to have a 'sounding board' to help you process all of this.

[ChristineM]

I am having the same issue Thursday 6 weeks for me...and I dont want to eat...I am afriad to eat...I am afraid of gaining the weight back, I know I am not eating enough, and well I just drink protien and water I do take my vitamins, I have done a complete 180 as well...I am afriad to eat any kind of food, it is a bit alarming I see my Dr tomorrow maybe this is more common. And I am starting to work out pretty regular, now...

[MotoCO]

Hi,

I am a few months more out. I had my surgery Aug 30th. At your stage I was completely not hungry. It was heaven and totally helpful at the same time. But for me the hunger came back...as I understand it does.

This was hard for me to admit but I did do it on here. But I am a former bulimic. I have struggled with eating disorders and yes we can have weight issues too! It is almost like an all or nothing mentality. But it sounds like you are just making good decisions. Maybe you haven't made them before and are worried about them. You are doing the right thing. As long as you are completely NOT eating or making yourself sick and you are looking at food in a healthy way and knowing your body needs food as fuel I think you are okay but I am not a medical person. If it keeps worrying you maybe you should talk to someone about it.

Just to make you feel a bit better. I HAVE NOT had dumping syndrome because I have not eatten sugar....cake, cookies or anything of the like. I want it to be the invisible line that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I, too, check the nutrition labels. As I am sure most of us on the forum do. We want to make sure that our new bodies get the nutrition we need. Do I not make the best decisions every now and then? Yup. But I start from scratch at the next meal...know what I mean? I have always had a love of the bread. But I don't eat it anymore but I do get a bite every now and then. But depending on the bread's texture I may or may not spit it out. (Texture is a funny thing for me- I feel it or I don't- haha)

I am happy that you checking your labels and learning to feed your body. Good for you! Keep it up!

[DocSanae]

You all sound totally normal for the stage you're at.
For one thing, "hunger" doesn't feel the same as pre op for most people, so don't expect that you should feel the same. Being turned off food is also a common reaction. There's a lot of new info that your brain needs to process all at once, so it's going in an overload. Take it slowly and one day at a tim, and you should be fine.

[pretty woman]

I feel what you are saying. Not being hungry is a new feeling for me and it is most wonderful. When you are used to being hungry and looking for food all the time, thinking about food all the time, the "new" way is a little scary for us.
I just saw on the news how we have to be so careful of salt intake now. I have been better at reading labels, but it seems that there is SO much to take in...
every day is an adventure.

[MissHope]

I'm almost six months out and still don't get hungry. I have to remind myself to eat when it's been so many hours since the last "meal". I do still miss the sweets. My sweet tooth ...poor thing...is so deprived! I am grateful that the dumping syndrome keeps me straight and narrow on that score. I won't even attempt to see if I can handle the carbs. Some things taste really good and I find myself having to put the brakes on it when I want to eat just a little more because of the flavor. Still working daily to find the balance and keep this new lifestyle working for good.

I'm with you, though, in that I will ask for the nutrition sheet at restaurants. I don't want anything that could send me into dumpland landing on my plate!

[moe]

You hit the nail on the head for me. " I want to eat just a little more because of the flavor." That is my challenge........

[Perfesser]

This is part of that "total transformation" of our dysfunctional relationship with food that you keep reading about. We used to live to eat - now we eat to live, and what a wonderful new life it is!!

As I understand it, anorexia and bulimia is when you deny yourself good nutrition, either by not eating it or getting rid of it early. If you're doing WLS nutrition right, you are taking in enough of the right things to satisfy your body's demands. Not so with starvation disorders. If you eat the required protein and other good things, you'll be fine.

If you try to "enhance" the effect of the surgery by dropping your intake levels to the ridiculous, it 1) won't work and 2) can do you quite a bit of damage - especially in the early months. The rules weren't arbitrarily chosen because some nut or surgeon thought they looked good. The rules are the distillation of all the tracked successes that bariatric surgeons have seen over the last few decades and tens of thousands of patients. That's why they're called the rules - stick close to them and you will be fine. Stray from them and you're on your own.

There is no harm in being a "nutrition snob" - for yourself! But don't go down to the local buffet barn and get in fat people's faces about it. You know how successful that would have been a year ago for you! Just be very picky about what passes the test for you, and stick with that. You don't even have to make a big deal of it when you're out with others. But be the snob and treat your body like the queen she ought to - and will - be.

You are on the road to lasting success. Steady as she goes!!



CT

[melanie6]

Thank you all for your responses. Its so good to know Im not alone. Sometimes you just need to vent a little of whats on your brain to gain a proper perspective.

perfessor, your post made me laugh. Im snobby with my own decisions, but I definitely dont pass judgment on what others eat. That would be social suicide, lol, and honestly, Im much too laid back to care, lol.