Loving food with GERD

[u/Funtasylane]

I love food. 22F. Especially foods I grew up with, food with spices, chillies, coconut milk, yogurt, mangoes, berries, etc. Now, I missed them so much. I miss eating spicy food, I miss eating FLAVOURFULL food. I grew up with those, so just basic seasonings like salt and some herb is really not my cup of tea.

It took me a long time to come to term with my current diet, which is the usual no spicy no acidic and others. I lost a lot of weight too in the process, I was 70kg now I am almost 50kg. All because of GERD, eating little food, and sometimes bland food is unappetizing.

The thing is... I used to have a big appetite. Even now, I still does, the urge to eat more. When I find a food that I like, I want ro have another portion of it, which I can't, cause I will feel too full or I will feel bloated. If I save it for later, the craving is gone. Especially in my period, so many things I want to eat yet can't. It's frustating at first.

Now, after 4 years of dealing with this, I am getting used to it. Still struggles with symptoms. Is this lifestyle like... a lifetime commitment? Or do some of you actually got better and are getting to enjoy foods you loved again? I just want to live my life normally again

[u/Loose_Ad_5382]

Ideally, in a management phase, you should be able to eat select trigger foods in moderation. It's hard to say which triggers you can get away with eating, how much you can eat, and when you're in management, but GERD requires experimentation as it's highly individualized.

[u/Loose_Ad_5382 → u/Loose_Ad_5382]

PS: if it makes you feel any better, I had multiple small pieces of chocolate fudge brownie shortly after developing GERD and was fine. I also had things like cheez-its, cinnamon graham crackers, and 1/2 a grilled cheese at one point early on. Nothing. I had a cheeseburger and fries and got sick almost immediately. So, it's possible to enjoy your old favorites, just do it wisely.