BingeEaterToSleever

Hey SiSSi829, I rarely look at these boards anymore since I am now almost 5 years post-op, but your title with “HUNGRYYYY” caught my eye. First off, I want to congratulate you on your 20 lb. loss so far. All of us “experienced Sleevers” will tell you that it’s a roller coaster ride in terms of weight loss after bariatric surgery. You’ll drop a lot at times and then may go months sitting at a plateau. The fact that you have already lost what to some is a clothing size …. relax and take it all in! Before I go on, I want to say that I was on another site when I first got my sleeve and in the first little while once back on solid foods, I went online and asked a question that caused mayhem! Never mind your slice of bacon!!! And all I wanted to know was if the amount of food I was consuming was normal compared to other sleevers. SiSSi, on these boards, you can get a lot of thoughtless and hurtful replies. I felt the need to first tell you, and others reading this, that it happens and you just have to try to dismiss those replies. (I didn’t even know what a “TROLL” was until I started being called one!!!) I’ve looked back at the string of replies to your original posting and have seen some very caring and thoughtful responses. (And as I type this, another two nice replies were just posted.) Please focus on these and for the rest, just realize that some people have “issues”. (I guess we all do, but some like to try to take out their frustrations on others here on these boards.) I just want to reassure you that when you go through your moments of frustration and questioning whether or not you did the right thing, WE ALL GO THROUGH THAT! Keep your chin up and before you know it, you’ll be back on solid foods again. So, now on to your hunger. I see that you have verified your post-op instructions with your doctor and your nutritionist. (Does your nutritionist work hand-in-hand with your doctor? That might explain why they both agree on what you’ve been told.) As you can see from some of the replies you’ve received, a lot of sleevers do not go a month on just clear liquids. Since I’m not a doctor and I am not a lap band to sleeve conversion patient, I don’t know if there is a reason for you to have more stringent post-op requirements than the rest of us. I was wondering if you would consider contacting another bariatric surgeon/doctor in your area for a second opinion. There may be a consultation fee involved, but I think it would be well worth the money. (There are also some bariatric surgeons out there who give free advice online or by e-mail but if they don’t know your medical history, it might not be a wise thing to consider.) A few people have said this to you and I do agree…eating a slice of bacon as soon as you did is really taking a risk. The biggest complication with sleeve operations is leakage. Because I was an overseas patient at the time of surgery, my US surgeon asked that I stick around in the States for 2 weeks after surgery. I was told that it is in that time period when most leaks that will occur…occur. I don’t want to scare you but it probably explains why your doctor reacted the way he did when you told him what you had eaten. He is concerned for your health and well-being. You do have a reply which mentions "head hunger". Yes, that is possible. Head hunger does exist. I was on Protein shakes for the two weeks pre-op, and then for some of the first month post-op. Honestly, I don't think I have had another Protein shake since that time. I can't stand to even think about them now! When you're on such a strict food regime for a month or more, your mind can play tricks on you. It is possible that you came out of surgery after already having deprived yourself of "real food" beforehand, and then your mind told you, "STARVING...GET THE FRY PAN!!!" :-) Anyways, no one can really speak for that except for you so I'm not going to continue on that topic. And anyways, I'm not a food nutritionist/psychologist. However... Did you know that a good number of sleevers develop issues with acid after sleeve surgery? Some of those people are fine within a few months and some are not. However, acid build-up in the stomach can cause you to feel hungry. In my case, even when I was downing the liquid Protein drinks, I felt hungry and full at the same time. It was the strangest feeling. I went on Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs like Nexium) and for the most part, my intense hunger went away. SiSSi, I know of others in my situation so it might be something to discuss with your doctor. Wishing you much success in your weight loss journey.