Have your taste buds changed since surgery ?

[KathyLev]

Just curious ! I know when I've been sick in the past ,some things just don't taste the same. I'm wondering if the surgery has done this to you ? Have your cravings changed ? My surgery is upcoming and this is just one of a million thoughts going through my head ! LOL

 

[missyinacage]

I would say very much so. I really followed the plan for the first year. Meaning protein first, fresh veg second, little to no overly processed foods. And turns out, I mostly no longer even like them. Think Cheetos, fast food, (aside from fries cuz hello lol) boxed or canned foods. Now, I prefer freshly prepared food. I love a hamburger but really can't stomach all the filler/fake flavor added to fast and or overly processed foods. Sadly, I still LOVE baked goods lol

 

[eladams2015]

YES! Mine have changed a LOT.

 

[RICHARD SCOTT]

I'm 2 weeks postop and have already noticed a difference. I used to love bone broth. Now, not so much.
Oh well, small price to pay!

 

[Healthier Me]

Yes. Many things taste different to me which I was told to expect. I just don’t enjoy some of the foods I did before which is kind of a negative, but I am trying & liking lot of new foods now which is a huge positive. Eating some veggies that I never would’ve even tried before… and really enjoying them. Also retrying some things I was not fond of previously & finding that I like them now. I agree with Missy that I cannot tolerate many processed type foods (not good for us anyway) so I just avoid them altogether & focus on freshly made meals.

 

[Healthier Me]

Hard to explain & I’m not sure scientifically why it happens. No, not less or more sweet or salty. Just don’t taste like they used to. Sometimes it’s dramatic & I have to spit it out. Bizarre. You know how sometimes companies change the formula or recipe on products? Sometimes you like the new one, sometimes you don’t. I guess kinda like that. I can’t think of examples at the moment, but some foods I just cannot stand now. It’s weird, but has pushed me to try new things. I enjoy looking for new recipes online & have discovered new things to add to our regular meal repertoire. My husband has been pleasantly surprised that he’s also enjoying new recipes. He’s not overweight at all, but historically has eaten a lot of junk food. He is definitely making better choices now bc he sees what I eat.

 

[missyinacage]

For me, I had 2 weeks of liquid diet pre op and 3 liquid after. Even the texture of food felt different on my tongue and could make or break a food for me. Processed food has so many added fillers, additives and flavor components. I would think that would mess with your taste buds. Sugar subs are so much sweeter that they make sugar taste less sweet.
Same deal with the rest of it.

Luckily, when you give that stuff up, you can really taste the flavors of natural food.

 

[eladams2015]

My tastes are exactly the same. I've always cooked from scratch and I still do. I honestly cant figure out why anyone's tastes would changed just because of surgery. Your tastebuds are on your tongue. Digestive juices are in your belly, but a large section where they're made is removed during surgery.

I would love to hear some specifics from people. Like, do things seem less sweet or salty?

Certain things that I used to like, are nearly repulsive to me now and vice versa. It is less that the actual taste of anything changed per se, but my taste for them changed.

 

[mam]

I am not sure I experienced any change in taste buds post surgery, but I haven't tried all the foods I used to eat. Because we have limited space in our stomachs, I try focusing on getting my protein grams in, then eating veggies, then focus on fiber intake.....so I have not tried eating any crackers or potato chips, etc. or chocolate. I did eat some coffee ice cream one night and it tasted exactly the same to me.

In terms of drinks, I had a few sips of diet coke a few days ago and it was no longer appealing to me. I thought I might feel ill after consuming regular full fat Trader Joe's ice cream, but I felt fine. It was a big surprise to me but I know I can't eat ice cream daily since that would defeat the goal of the surgery.

 

[Kokomontana]

very much so!

 

[Tokash]

Yes a ton. It's almost the complete opposite of what it was before.