One week post op and feeling scared about never having favorite foods again

[Cassafrass83 5]

Hi all! New to the forum and this site. So, I just had roux en y gastric bypass on Monday, and I'm feeling a bit lost, scared, and anxious. I'm so worried I'll never be able to enjoy some of my favorite foods again. I guess I didn't realize that gastric bypass was so restrictive. My Dr recommend it because I have trouble with heartburn and said this would be a good option. I guess I'm just looking for encouragement - if I know I can have some of my favorite foods at some point down the road, I'd feel a lot better, but everything I look up seems like I can never eat again. Do any of you have experience eating any of the following foods sparingly, or are they gone from my life forever? Tacos, mac and cheese, ice cream, chips and queso or guac, falafel, pad thai? Please know I am aware these are not healthful food choices and my love for these foods got me to where I am today, but can I ever eat them again in any capacity? Thanks for your kindness to this emotionally struggling newbie. I'm scared I made the wrong choice and just reaching out to the void for people who have experienced these panicky feelings. Thanks!

[Arabesque 7,240]

Do people eventually incorporate some of their old favourites back into their eating? Yes, they do but how much & how often is always considered. Some work out, find recipes or find alternatives that are healthier, more nutrient dense versions of that food. There are some who can’t eat some of their favourites. For example they may dump on sugar which would rule out ice cream. Or certain foods sit more heavily in their tummy. Like I don’t eat breads, Pasta, rice for that reason. And some choose simply not to because of changes they’ve made to eating style. Like I chose to rarely eat sugar & sweet foods. Some develop food sensitivities , lactose seems to be the most common one. For some it passes but for others they just avoid it by selecting lactose free or plant-based alternatives.

Do I eat some of what I would consider less better/healthy favourites? Sure. I had Chinese takeaway last weekend just no rice and braised chicken not battered & deep fried. Earlier this year we had fish & chips so I ordered grilled fish & salad. So I try to make better choices in those situations.

You know you best and if consuming those old favourites will lead you back down a path of excess & regain or not. Or if you can manage your consumption.

Of course you may discover new favourite foods along the way & your old favourites may not have the same old pull they did.

All the best.

PS: You’re going through a very stressful time (emotionally & physically). If you were someone who ate to sooth & comfort yourself during times of turmoil, you may find your craving for those old favourites much stronger. Remind yourself why you're doing this. Do something to distract yourself. And remember it does get easier as you progress.

PPS: Check out the food before & after thread to see some of the foods people eat. Note how far post surgery they are, their portion sizes & how often they eat certain foods.

Edited October 27 by Arabesque

[catwoman7 11,212]

All food restrictions will be lifted once you're a few months out. There's nothing you won't be allowed to eat, but you'll need to be mindful of calories, portion size, and nutrition from here on out, otherwise you'll be at risk of gaining the weight back. I eat all of those things you mentioned..just in moderation (and some of them, I don't eat very often).. Do I ever splurge? Yes - but not often, and I'm right back at it the next day.

honestly, many of my never-been-obese women friends eat the same way - they watch their portion sizes and don't splurge or eat really high-calorie or unhealthy things very often - just occasionally.

Edited October 27 by catwoman7

[summerseeker 2,138]

Hello and welcome in the forum. There is a whole thread listed as Bariatric grief, its very worth a read. I had mine pre surgery. Anything with noodles was my thing. I had lots of Asian food funerals. I promise, it gets better.

I eat everything I feel like except I cook it or it comes from a quality restaurant. I live in a part of the UK with out fast food places and the only one is a Dominos pizza, I dislike the price £20, so would make it at home if that was my thing.

I can eat a good amount of good icecream and some good chocolate, too much and I puke. I can eat a Magnum for instance. I eat Falafel with Tzatziki regularly and thats the first time I ever heard of it being off anyones menu. I bake it rather than fry it.

I have had some Pad thai but its not really a thing for me anymore as I can eat so few noodles. I will go for Tom Yum or Tom Kha at our Fav restaurant.

I can not eat anything ultra blitzed like Guacamole, shudder ... the puree stage has left a memory on my soul. I tried making it chunky but my brain will not accept it.

All those slimming classes did have something to tell me after all. Being skinny is better than a bowl of the very best tasty noodles. Saying that .... if I could eat them I would, but not every meal, every day or week.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Well, I will tell you that after my sleeve, there was nothing that I could not tolerate. I’m pretty early out post revision so I haven’t tried many of those foods with the exception of tacos but I haven’t had any issues with anything so far. I make tacos with ground turkey meat, 2% cheese, and just eat the filling or I have it with low-carb tortillas. Surprisingly the turkey meat and the 2% cheese do not taste much different at all by the time you add the seasoning and them little low-carb tortilla aren’t bad either. Sometimes I just do it as a salad too. You may be surprised to find that you don’t crave those same foods, though. The surgery does some metabolic changes and can change the foods that you enjoy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, pizzas still sounds good to me but all of a sudden grilled fish doesn’t sound bad either so it’s a lot easier to make the healthier choice.

It really depends on what your purpose is for the surgery. If you’re only goal was to get rid of your Gerd, then you may not care about getting into a super skinny size in which case eating smaller portions of the foods you enjoyed before shouldn’t be an issue at all. But if your goal is also weight loss and you want to be able to maintain a very low BMI, then you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. In which case, my suggestion would be to search the bariatric websites and even the thread on here for recipes and try some things once you get to soft foods and regular foods. You may be surprised at things that you will enjoy.

I make turkey meatballs, and I have those with peppers and onions and sauce which are delicious, turkey tacos are good too, chili with lean meat is pretty reasonable macro wise, white chicken chili is a favorite, I made a Mexican skillet that wasn’t bad macro wise you may enjoy if you like Mexican, I sometimes do the zucchini noodles if I want Pasta. They are pretty bland and just pick up the flavor of whatever sauce you use and of course you will want to add some Protein. I also found a recipe for spring rolls which some people call summer rolls that are so yummy. They’re not the fried ones but still really good. It’s chicken, avocado and veggies with peanut sauce to dip. These are all in the weight loss phase once I get to maintenance I can add things to jazz them up a bit

You can also do chicken or cauliflower crust pizza with chicken and veggies so it has more protein Or cauliflower mac & cheese. Lean beef cheeseburger without the bun, a cheeseburger salad or low carb cheeseburger wrap. There are ways to tweak your favorites. Basically anything I am craving. I just type it in Google with the word healthy in front of it and I try some recipes until I find one I like. Some of it is bland but many things are surprisingly good. One that I still want to try is zucchini lasagna. After doing the ricotta bake on purée stage and loving it, my guess it that it’s good I still make the ricotta bake I just add Turkey sausage and veggies. Ooh and Quest protein chips are really good once you can do crunchy. Also, they have an “ice cream” maker that you can control the ingredients I have heard some people talking about on here

But the short answer is No, unless you have a specific intolerance, allergy or sensitivity you will not have to give up your favorite foods forever. You will just have to make tradeoffs. How often you can have them will be based on what weight you are looking to maintain. If you are willing to exercise, for instance, you will be able to eat more carbs and maintain at a lower weight.

Edited October 27 by ShoppGirl

[NickelChip 1,211]

I am 8 months post op from RNY and what I can tolerate has expanded quite a bit even in just the past few months, after I made it past the 6-month mark especially. You're still healing right now and the next 12 months or so will be very different than the rest of your life that comes after.

I love tacos, but instead of filling up on tortilla, I often make a taco salad and just crumble a few tortilla chips on top. Or I order fajitas and eat the meat/veg/cheese but leave the tortilla (or just eat a bite or two if I really want it, which is all I can really manage without getting too full). Ice cream, chips and queso, guac are all fine and I do eat them sometimes as a treat. Try eating guac with carrots when you're okay to have raw veg. It's delicious and very healthy in moderation.

Falafel is still a bit filling and too low in Protein, but I would take a bite or two. Mac and cheese and pad thai would be pretty low on my list as the noodles are just so heavy. Like, they don't even sound good any more. I do like spaghetti made with spiral zucchini, though. Maybe you could make homemade pad thai using spiral veg instead of the noodles? You could eventually try the Banza chickpea mac and cheese as it's much higher in protein, though right now, I find it's so heavy I don't like it.

Over the next several months, you will be able to eat a lot more, both in types and quantity of food. My advice is focus on developing a good routine and keeping your food at 80-90% of the healthy foods like lean protein, veg, and fruit. If you do that, you can indulge in a favorite snack every few days, or maybe one meal a week that isn't so nutritious, or go for ice cream a couple times a month, and it's no big deal. You just can't do it every day. And I suggest not buying anything tempting for your house. I go for a scoop of ice cream at a local farm but I won't keep it in my freezer because I would want it every day.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

1 hour ago, summerseeker said:

Hello and welcome in the forum. There is a whole thread listed as Bariatric grief, its very worth a read. I had mine pre surgery. Anything with noodles was my thing. I had lots of Asian food funerals. I promise, it gets better.

I eat everything I feel like except I cook it or it comes from a quality restaurant. I live in a part of the UK with out fast food places and the only one is a Dominos pizza, I dislike the price £20, so would make it at home if that was my thing.

I can eat a good amount of good icecream and some good chocolate, too much and I puke. I can eat a Magnum for instance. I eat Falafel with Tzatziki regularly and thats the first time I ever heard of it being off anyones menu. I bake it rather than fry it.

I have had some Pad thai but its not really a thing for me anymore as I can eat so few noodles. I will go for Tom Yum or Tom Kha at our Fav restaurant.

I can not eat anything ultra blitzed like Guacamole, shudder ... the puree stage has left a memory on my soul. I tried making it chunky but my brain will not accept it.

All those slimming classes did have something to tell me after all. Being skinny is better than a bowl of the very best tasty noodles. Saying that .... if I could eat them I would, but not every meal, every day or week.

Reminds me of that “Nothing tastes as good as Skinny feels”.

[ms.sss 15,580]

11 hours ago, Cassafrass83 said:

Hi all! New to the forum and this site. So, I just had roux en y gastric bypass on Monday, and I'm feeling a bit lost, scared, and anxious. I'm so worried I'll never be able to enjoy some of my favorite foods again. I guess I didn't realize that gastric bypass was so restrictive. My Dr recommend it because I have trouble with heartburn and said this would be a good option. I guess I'm just looking for encouragement - if I know I can have some of my favorite foods at some point down the road, I'd feel a lot better, but everything I look up seems like I can never eat again. Do any of you have experience eating any of the following foods sparingly, or are they gone from my life forever? Tacos, mac and cheese, ice cream, chips and queso or guac, falafel, pad thai? Please know I am aware these are not healthful food choices and my love for these foods got me to where I am today, but can I ever eat them again in any capacity? Thanks for your kindness to this emotionally struggling newbie. I'm scared I made the wrong choice and just reaching out to the void for people who have experienced these panicky feelings. Thanks!

at 1 month post op, i was cleared for everything. i didn't eat everything (by choice) but still.

by 7 months post op (i.e., goal) i eating ALMOST everything...i didn't eat rice, bread, nor pasta/noodles (again by choice) i was also limiting sugar as i was/am a dumper. i would not have alot of it (if at all) at one time or on an empty stomach. like maybe one bite of cake, 2-3 licks of ice cream, etc on rare occasions.

by 2 years post i got over my carb-o-phobia and started eating rice, bread, pasta/noodles, yay! still limited sugar though.

today - i hit my 6-yr wls anniversary this week! - i still can/will eat/drink everything. i can eat more in volume now that i could at year 2, but still less than those around me. i can also now have maybe up to 1/2 a slice of cake without ill effects (but only if my stomach is not empty).

i probably eat out 4-5 times a week, and order take out another 4-5 times a week. i used to cook alot more before, but the past couple years me and Mr. have been empty nesting, and its actually really hard and inefficient to cook for just two people!

not counting the past month* or so, i average about 2300 cals a day for the past year (full disclosure: i exercise alot).

so long story short, you will be able to enjoy food at your own discretion. how much of it will be up to you.

[BlondePatriotInCDA 494]

I suppose I'm one of the few people after reading responses to the OP's post who haven't had their past food cravings or the food they love change. I still want pizza, phad Thai and Chinese food etc. No, grilled fish doesn't suddenly appeal to me anymore than it did before surgery, in no way is grilled fish comparable to fish and chips to me. I don't suddenly find a piece of fruit better than a brownie. There are times I'd kill for a roll or a sandwich with actual bread (not Keto tree bark full grain bread) and yes I become resentful.

I'm being totally honest, healthy alternatives don't taste as good (to me) and trying to change food I love/loved to a "healthier" version just isn't the same and doesn't taste anything close leading me to; 1. A waste of time and energy and cost, cooking/cleaning afterwards 2. Total disappointment and yes anger. I explain this because I found myself becoming upset because I wasn't and haven't experienced the sudden love of healthier food like others here on this forum leading me to be upset with myself. So, I'm being honest about my personal experience. There are some alternatives I have found such as Yasso "ice cream" bars and Wilde chicken chips, but that's about it. Unfortunately, I find myself just not eating opposed to stuffing yet another high Protein non tasty food into my mouth. To combat this I stick to a few things I do like (you should know I've had food issues my whole life, in fact I almost died as a child because I'm an extremely picky eater - food texture issues). So, this is on me. I do get the required protein or close by drinking a fairlife Protein Drink.

I say all this because the taste for healthier food doesn't happen for everyone and I don't want you thinking it most definitely will for you then if not wondering what's wrong with you!. I've only experienced dumping one time, but for the most part I can eat what I used too, the difference is I chose not too. Being thin to me is by far better than eating something I love and enjoy. Does it take a lot of joy out of my life? Yes, celebrations/holidays just aren't the same. I'm not trying to depress you, I'm sure you have enough of that as it is, but I am being realistic. You need to determine what your real priorities are; 15 mins of eating enjoyable food or 24/7 of being thinner and healthy? It all comes down to the mentality of it. Having your head straight on what you really want.

I truly hope you're one of the lucky ones as all those who've responded thus far and you find healthier alternatives you like or you just don't like your old food loves, but be aware that might not happen and start getting it straight in your head now. Thinner/healthier/longer life/decreased co-morbidities vs. 15 minutes of food enjoyment and weight gain?

Lastly, If I really want something I get it, take a few bites and physically walk away from it. I throw it away before I eat more or give it to my husband.. either way I get away from it.

It all comes down to choices and what's really important to you. Good luck, you got this, you've haven't gone through all this just to throw away your opportunity for a healthier thinner life. It would be a tragedy for getting a few good tasty bites in.

I really hope I haven't burst your bubble after reading others more positive your tastes will change posts, I wanted you to also read there are others who aren't that lucky but still do what's right for a healthier thinner life. Its all getting the mindset down and if all you read was just the your food tastes will change posts and that never happens you'll blame yourself like I did. I hope this helps you.

Some may condemn me for my less than positive post, but I've always been a realistic no rainbows flying out my backside type and I would have appreciated both sides of it right after surgery so I knew all possibilities. Lastly, don't condemn yourself if you do cheat occasionally, just up step up and eat right next time!

Edited October 27 by BlondePatriotInCDA

[waterwoman 179]

I think it’s important to remember that you will be a different person and will want different things.

Change is scary, but it is important

I read it is the most important skill of our time

I am eight years out since RNY surgery and I can eat anything

However, I am such a different person that what I want to eat has changed.

So I eat when I want to eat, and that makes me feel satisfied.

It’s exciting to see who you will become given this marvelous opportunity Make the most of it!

[NeonRaven8919 364]

Im 3 weeks post op and I just want to eat solid food again. Anything solid. You will be surprised how you feel post-op versus pre-op. Your priorities will change.

[Lilia_90 450]

I don't think I ate anything that made me sick post op, except for sugar (I am sure it is a form of dumping).

At 10+ months post op I eat everything, and by everything I mean I can eat everything and feel fine, my portions are much smaller of course. I eat tacos, burgers, sushi, noodles, pizza and even dessert but in smaller amounts. I eat out 2-3 times a week.

Here are some things I follow that help me eat what I feel for in moderation:

- I do not drink my calories, other than an oat/almond flat white, all my drinks are calorie free. I do not drink alcohol nor sugary drinks. I drink Water, diet soda and coffee and that's about it.

- I limit deep fried food, I almost always opt for grilled/air fried/baked. If there's a portion of fries and I really want some, I will have one or two and stop.

- I prioritize Protein 90% of the time. On weekdays I always start with my protein, then my veggies THEN a tiny bit of carbs if I have space (most of the time there is not much space left). When I'm out for a nice dinner or I've ordered in I will eat my order the way it is and will not pick the protein first, so if I've ordered a burger I will eat it as it, or if it is sushi i will eat that and not worry about protein first, but that is only a couple times a week.

- I make tweaks and substitute when taste isn't compromised. I love my big mac tacos but I don't want to be eating 200+ calories from a tortilla, so I substitute that with a mission low carb because I really can't taste the difference, or it's negligible. I also substitute wheat toast for protein toast (still occasionally eat sourdough because I love it and can taste the difference). I also opt for low fat milk/dairy/meats when I can, but I will not substitute cheddar for a low fat version for example because MELTED CHEDDAR 🤤

- I eat carbs in tiny amounts. So if I'm snacking and picked up a cookie, I will eat a bit of it or half at most. If it is a slice of cake I make sure it is tiny or I will eat half the slice, if it's ice cream it is half a scoop. I can't tolerate much of sugar and it makes me ill but I will taste/try. And it has to be WORTH IT. I will not eat something for the sake of eating it, I should really want to try/eat it, and if it ends up not being good, I will not continue eating it.

- I workout a lot, I lift, I run, I do Pilates, I cycle and close my steps. I stay active.

If you can control your portions and refrain from the "all or nothing mindset" it is very possible to eat what you like and maintain your results, at the end of the day it's calories in vs calories out. Also, my moto is that life is too short to be living miserably (I love food LOL). I will however say that I recommend that you hit maintenance first before exploring with the above. I was VERY strict during weight loss and ate 100% clean.

Edited October 28 by Lilia_90

[SpartanMaker 767]

As a bypass patient, there is really nothing that's off limits for me. I pretty much eat anything I want to, just in smaller portions.

Some people have to be a bit more careful due to dumping syndrome, but I've been pretty lucky in that dumping for me is really rare. It's happened once in 2 years when I significantly overindulged on pretty much pure sugar with no Fiber or Protein to moderate things, It was not fun and I definitely learned my lesson!

One other thing I'll say is that my tastes have changed. For example, I just don't really want much red meat, so I now eat a mostly vegetarian/pescatarian.

[~Niecy~ 1]

I worry about this some as well, but I chose this surgery specifically to be more aggressive and help me to avoid those things! Pre-liver shrinking diet, I had a bit of a farewell send off to some of my favorite foods, and I'm finding recipes to make things healthier. They won't be the same, but maybe can hold off cravings a bit. My plan is that when I want something, I'm going to have it, but just a bite or two, then share with my family.

Now thats its been a couple of weeks, how are you doing? Managing everything ok? Given that it says you're in Minnesota, I wonder if we have the same doc! My surgery is 3 weeks from today in Duluth.