Does anyone miss looking forward to food?

[Springbaby2023]

Sounds odd but after almost three months on mounjaro now I’m started to miss looking forward to food. Eating something nice when the kids were in bed used to be something to look forward to, whether it be dinner if we hadn’t eaten with them or a snack, and now I don’t want anything, but I almost want to want something if that makes sense? Like I wish I wanted a take away so I had that to be excited about, but I just don’t.

Don’t get me wrong I have lots of other things in life which I enjoy and get excited about, but I don’t think I realised how important food was to me until I stopped wanting it.

Any tips on how to get past this? It’s made me feel a bit miserable at the weekend which I know sounds ridiculous! I think it’s probably because I’ve taken my highest dose so far so feeling more suppression for the first time.

I get this. Food is a pleasure. Or was. Now it’s just functional! I miss a big blow out where the food is delicious & you can’t stop eating it.. but that’s why I got in this state in the first place!! Gotta find replacement dopamine hit..

@noexcuses26 That's exactly it, I know that this whole logic and turning to food for any emotion etc is what has got me in this state, but it does mean that I’m missing the dopamine hit for sure. And I’m not letting myself buy new clothes because there is no point if I’m losing weight (and spending a fortune on mounjaro). I already exercise, enjoy a nice bath with a book etc, but none of it hits in the same way as food!

It was new clothes for me, on vinted, had to force myself to stop. You can buy stretchy stuff that does a few sizes, buy smaller than you think you need,

I never missed food, still don’t, I love the mental freedom, not feeling bloated and guilty,

Yes I get this! I have to remind myself that I ate what I wanted for 40 years and that's how I got into the state I was in, 22 stone. It usually stops me!

Yes food is a huge thing. It’s pleasure, it’s a social thing, it’s a big part of a weekend or Friday night, it’s comfort, boredom reliever, reward. It just feels good. It’s really hard to lose that. Like losing a good friend, who was also toxic! I just keep reminding myself of how good feeling confident feels, wearing whatever I want, enjoying dating and sex etc.. I tell myself I will feel good temporarily but shit after. And I exercise when I need a distraction from it

Yes. To be honest it’s why I’ve stuck to lower doses as I do still want to be able to find some pleasure in eating and enjoying food. It’s a fine balance though obviously!

In the really early MJ days I loved not wanting snacks in the evening! To be free of hunger and content to say 'no' and mean it - that was an amazing feeling, what I'd wanted all my life.

As time has gone on and the initial suppression faded, I am back to looking forward to food and enjoying treats - just less often and smaller amounts. I can eat chocolate but am happy with a small amount, I don't feel the unrelenting urge to eat the rest of the bar.

Finding something else to bring those little moments of joy is important, I've not really found a good substitute myself. Sometimes it's shopping, but I've got everything I need and don't want to buy more things, so that doesn't work too well. Crafting has helped a bit - I'm not much good at it, but made some Christmas decorations, and have some beads to make jewellery that keeps me busy in the evenings.

I still manage to look forward to food and I’m on 15mgs and have been for around 6 months now. For sure in the early months I just ate because I knew I had to and not because I was hungry. But for many many months I’ve been able to look forward to meals.
i do only eat twice a day so im not having to muster up the enthusiasm 3 times a day at least!

Oh yeah.. going out to a nice restaurant and not wanting anything is disappointing.

I’m a big emotional eater and not wanting any comfort food is actually a bit odd, I’ve turned to comfort camomile tea drinking! Even that can fill me up.

Presumably this was why you became obese in the first place? Can you find a displacement activity that provides the same fix?

Mine was too much snacking in the evenings on crap like crisps and chocolate as otherwise, I ate fairly healthily. The weight gain was slowly over about 15 yrs.

I know that if I come off MJ, I can never go back to my unhealthy snacking and I’ll need to find something else to do with my hands whilst watching TV. I’m thinking of trying to learn to crochet.

I don't miss it at all. I was always looking forward to food before.
I still enjoy food actually but I don't think about it so much beforehand and even if it's nice, I will stop when I'm full.
My DH and DSs (all without any weight problems ever) tell me this is normal. They all enjoy food but won't overeat it even if it's a favourite.

So funny, after posting on here yesterday I dreamt last night that I was stuffing my face.. properly bingeing.. it was quite unsettling actually. I woke up relieved it was just a dream (nightmare!)

Can you come down a dose? I’m still on a low dose and I enjoy and look forward to food/meals out etc

I also get hungry,enjoy meals socialise go out for dinner etc, I just eat smaller portions.and it’s healthy stuff. Just food is no longer anything I really think about. I eat when hungry, stop when full, very rarely crave anything and when I do a small amount does. Ie one Lindt. Not the whole packet. And I can easily ignore it. Meals out have always been every couple of weeks, and I enjoy it but it’s more about the social side of it. Food I order tends to be things like grilled sea bass, steak, salads etc,

I guess I get my dopamine now from wearing lovely clothes and feeling good about my appearance, every day I wear something lovely. I enjoy getting dressed in the morning, and my thoughts are what I will wear. There os still a huge novelty in being a size 8 instead of an 18 even though it’s been nearly a year of maintaining, as I look so different.

Yes, this is the same with me. I'm still on 2.5 after 6 months, and I look forward to and enjoy food. But like the poster directly above me, my dopamine hit now comes from clothes and enjoying the confidence that I have regained in my appearance.

I felt like I had sort of lost a hobby initially.
But now a year on I do still like food and look forward to something nice but I just consume less of it and I am more selective.
It is so nice not to be permanently consumed and dominated by thinking about eating.

Not so much food, but I really do miss enjoying a good cup of tea. It just isn’t the same while on WLI.

Oh really? Do you know why that is? I still absolute love my cups of tea! Even more if anything.

I wish I did! I just don’t get the same enjoyment from a brew. Like the craving and therefore the satisfaction is gone?

I feel bad for you!! Thankfully my love of coffee has stayed true.

Weirdly I crave tea more now than before, was always a coffee drinker (still am, but definitely drinking more tea)

I did feel like that while I was on it but now I’ve been off for a bit I would give anything to make the constant food noise go away (restarting not an option)
I can easily see now how I managed to get so fat, and it’s a constant battle to fight the cravings and the desire to eat in order to keep the weight off. I love food, I love cooking, I used to love the planning what to eat, now it feels like a curse.
But I didn’t spend all that money, time and effort getting to my goal weight to mess it all up. So I’m diverting my obsession with food to calorie counting and healthy meal planning.

This is an interesting subject. I currently have good suppression, with little to no food noise but I absolutely look forward to good food. What has changed is that I can easily avoid eating rubbish - just last weekend I picked up a pizza in the supermarket, held it in my hand looking at it, then just said no thanks, and put it back. That would never have happened without MJ.
On the other hand, my OH and I regularly eat out on a weekend, and I really look forward to that. If we go to a restaurant, I'm less likely to order a starter, and probably make healthier choices, but I have no problem enjoying the food.
So for me, the MJ hasn't taken away my enjoyment, it has just made it much easier to make healthy choices, and much easier to avoid bad snacking.

Yes, I miss that feeling. One of my favourite weekend treats was cooking a Sunday roast while enjoying a couple of glasses of wine. I’d have some nice music on too and totally enjoy the experience. I don’t really cook much these days! But then when I feel like that I have to remind myself that those slow boozy lunches were oh so steadily pushing my weight up to dangerous levels. Fun at the time but long term, just not worth it.

Yes I get it .. was a feeder loved thinking talking and making food (too much) and eating it .. friends used to laugh at 4types of veg etc with a main ..and living on leftovers etc or parceling out takeaways... Lost interest in nearly all if that.. still like nice food but eat so much less of it its just not worth the effort really... I ate good quality nutritious food before not a snacker particularly just far too much..
Its taken MJ for me to realise this is not normal food thinking..

Have had to come off bit sooner than planned so hoping the brain/stomach training will be enough.. and the realisation i will have to calorie count/be mindful for the rest of my life probably... But the health benefits immense so have real motivation now...

I do still appreciate a nw6al out now just am more fussy no quick cheap eats!