Am I normal?

[Cuppy 0]

I am only 11 days post-op but today I am STARVING! I had cottage cheese for Breakfast and before lunch I was already hungry and had to get a few more bites of the cheese. For lunch I had a large meatball (it was soft and well ground.) and here I am 4 hours later hungry and rummaging around the kitchen! Am I already healed to the point were I am lacking restriction? Will I be insatiable until my first fill?

[lovemysgt 4]

im with you i am one liquid diet just shakes and Soup but i find myself still starving. maybe add some more Protein. that might stop u from being so hungry.

[BetsyB 9]

If you're able to last 4 hours between eating, you're doing really well!

I know I need a fill when I am starving after 1.5 hours or so. I've got good restriction now, and my stomach is asking for something well within four hours.

So, yes--you're normal! It's okay to have small, healthy Snacks between meals. (Shhh. My doctor is a three-meals-a-day guy; it's one of his recommendations I respectfully and very cautiously bend to meet my own body's needs. He would agree that I'm one of his more successful patients--and that those who do best tailor his recommendations to work for themselves, so I feel comfortable with this.)

[Angel82 0]

I am 8 days post opt and totally agree. I eat a small meal and feel full but a couple hours later am starving. I cant wait for a fill

[Melissannde 41]

Going 4 hours between meals is very good.

I often have to have a small snack before suppertime. Hard to go from noon till 6pm. Things like an apple with string cheese, wasa cracker with light laughing cow, plain greek yogurt with 1/4 cup fresh fruit. Yesterday I had 1oz ww reduced fat cream cheese on light wasa crackers with blueberries. Wow.. that was very tasty. Try to keep your snack around 150 calories or less.

One thing that might help .. and I admit that this is a head game, but it works for me.. is to stop using the word starving. We have an abundance of food in this country.. we don't starve. We can get very hungry, but relatively few of us are truly starving. :smile2:

As to the OP question.. "Will I be insatiable until my first fill". You are likely entering the period where the swelling has gone down from surgery and hunger starts making itself known again. Commonly called "bandster hell".

Almost everyone goes through this, some worse than others. It is normal. I staved off hunger to some degree during this time by taking walks and drinking extra Water (or other low calorie fluids). Other techniques are to take a nap or get your hands and brain occupied doing something else. Hard to eat when playing the piano or crocheting. ::grin::

Depending on various factors, amt of fill, the way you react to it, type of band, etc. your first fill may or may not give you the "dimming of appetite" that is commonly misnamed as restriction. And even if you do get appetite dimming.. it may not be immediate. Early on, it was often a week or two after a fill for it to make itself known.

Now that I have a really good fill level, I feel the effects the next day. Hang in there.. this is a process, not a race.