Still Wanna Pick At Food

[frumpy69 37]

I dont know if anybody else has this issue. but there is still tons of food i wanna put in my mouth. granted im not as hungry andmaybe im just sick of Soup but i just want junk anyone else have this problem? im 11 days post op. tell me how you did how you felt in the beginning i sometimes dont even know if they took anything out . lol

[Last Chance Sue 4]

I'm only 5 days out but miss diving into a bag of chips.< /p>

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

hi frumpy

i'm 8 days post op. i think i really know what you mean about getting my hands on some goodies. i'm not usually that hungry for food, goodies, etc. But....today my DH and i were driving and we passed a bunch of food place, ice cream - and pastries. OMG the site of those stores, i started salivating.

Its early in the game, and i think we're just mourning the loss of the yummy good food that we always relished. But we'll survive. We didn't do this sleeve for nothing - and it will be great, and we'll be the better/wiser

Good luck to us both of us, and all fellow sleevers with similar situation

kathy

[EJStorm 13]

Those feelings should greatly decrease once you have moved to solid foods.

[Amanda 3.0 140]

I am not there yet, just came home from the hospital today. On the way home I wasn't hungry but I kind of wanted something. I think it is habit whenever someone comes out of the hospital we stop for something to eat on the way home: a milkshake, etc.

Other than that I wanted a piece of turkey lunch meat today while making my husband a sandwich, but alas I am still on Clear Liquids.< /p>

And at the grocery today, there were samples out and I was unable to partake of course.

I think I am about to learn exactly how much picking at food I have been doing!

[minaleigh 95]

I'm about a month out, and my cravings have gotten better than what they were in the beginning. I was craving pizza and chicken nachos like crazy! Now the past week, I've only had two cravings. A few days ago, I really wanted to go to the nearest gas station and get the biggest coke from the fountain I could. Today, after I left work, I passed by Steak and shake and really wanted fries and a milkshake from there. As you're able to introduce a wider variety of foods, the cravings will get better. Living on just Soup and other liquids would make almost anyone want just about anything else.

[gettingtohappy 23]

I'm one month out and I can start introducing some soft foods...things I've been wanting taste different. I don't like them now...Ughh...this thing is totally different than I thought it would be. It's making me sad because of the holidays and I want to eat with everyone else...

[his2my2our4 120]

My cravings were worse when I was on the mushies and purees. Once I started solids I noticed them decrease and now that I'm on a normal (as normal as post op goes lol) I don't really think about things like that at all anymore. Stay strong and push those thoughts out of your head

[frumpynomore 204]

O.K., i have to admit to something and am wondering if anyone else has cheated too. There is Christmas candy all over the house and at the office. Twice now I've sucked on a piece of hard candy and last night i sucked on a white chocolate ppeppermint kiss until it was all gone! I scare myself! Why am I sabotaging myself? I pray I can say no next time but I'm 11 days post op now and will be on clear liquids until Christmas day when i can begin full liquids. Am I horrible???

[frumpy69 37]

I totally thought about puttin the christmas candy in my mouth frumpynomore. i sucked ona potato chip and cant believe how much i want a cookie. i think its just our brain is soo used to us giving in its soo nice to seee that i am not unormal for these feelings. thanks everyone. merry christmas.

[Felicia 28]

I find that usually all of my cravings now are in my head. If I crave something though I will taste it, just one bite, even if I have to spit it out. It helps me so much because usually after that one bite I really don't want it. I find that I pick at everything, even my meals. I just don't want to eat anymore. I hate the way it feels when I overeat and I hate that I can't eat as much as I want to. As of now, for me, I prefer to just drink ym Protein Shakes. I try food every now and then to condition my stomach for food, but mostly just Protein shakes and I am almost a month post-op. I am never physically hungry though, ever. Things will start working out better, the beginning is the hardest. Once you can start real food, you won't feel those cravings as much I PROMISE!

[frumpynomore 204]

I hope that you are right Felicia. I will focus on the Protein Drinks beginning tomorrow per my doc and hope that my cravings go away. I wouldn't want to have done this for nothing! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[Lissa 2,631]

I don't pick at food. If I really want something, I eat it these days. I am not doing the good food and bad food thing and, so far, its' working for me.

Lots of this journey is in our heads, though. Likasulema said something about all the "yummy, good food" she saw while riding in the car. That "yummy good food" is what got us all into this predicament, because we weren't able to control the way we ate before. I'm sure you'll find that it's not all so yummy and good once you start solids and you're working on getting in the required Protein each day.

I don't agonize over restaurant menus. I just choose something that sounds good and order a small portion (kids or senior) of it if I can. If not, I figure out what I'm going to want to be looking at and eating for days. A single chicken breast can last me for 2 to 4 meals, depending on what else I'm eating each day.

As for chewing and spitting, I HAVE agonized over this and done some reading. One of the long-timers here tells me it's called "cupping" and my research shows that it can lead to eating disorders. I do admit that I've spit out food before, but I did it because it was too tough for me to chew. I cannot wrap my mind around the concept of deliberately doing it. I have enough food issues without volunteering for a new one! LOL

Lots of people report that acid reducers (PPIs) help get rid of the hungry feeling. Even if you don't think it's an acid problem, it's probably a good idea to try the acid reducer. There is also a lot of head hunger, especially early after surgery. Our minds definitely play tricks on us. It sucks, too, because our own mind is supposed to have our best interests at heart!

I wish you all luck and the only real advice I have for dealing with head hunger is to keep believing that "This too shall pass". It really does get better as you progress through your healing stage.