Too much hunger after surgery??

[kaykay 1]

My husband is about 3 and a half weeks out now from surgery and doing well. Has successfully started soft solids this week and is tolerating them well. He is a bit discouraged tonight because he feels like he is frequently hungry. He was hoping to have the appetite diminish more than this. Small amounts do satisfy him...temporarily...then he finds himself hungry and able to eat more. I know some have said they were barely hungry at all.:crying:What do you think? Was anyone else this hungry? Will the ghrelin levels go down more?

[Malaika 50]

My husband is about 3 and a half weeks out now from surgery and doing well. Has successfully started soft solids this week and is tolerating them well. He is a bit discouraged tonight because he feels like he is frequently hungry. He was hoping to have the appetite diminish more than this. Small amounts do satisfy him...temporarily...then he finds himself hungry and able to eat more. I know some have said they were barely hungry at all.:crying:What do you think? Was anyone else this hungry? Will the ghrelin levels go down more?

KayKay - I am 2 months and 1 week out and up until this week, I wasn't able to eat very much at a time and felt as though I was eating about every hour or two - however the amount I was eating was very little. This week I am finding that I am able to eat a bit more and am not hungry every hour or two like before ... I think with time he will find he is able to eat more and won't be hungry as often.

[wayupnorth 1]

I am also three and 1/2 weeks out. I find that I become hungry soon after eating. I feel like I am grazing on too small amounts. Maybe I need to eat more just three times per day. I try to drink Water so the feeling will go away. I keep wonering if my sleeve is too big or they forgot to remove the hunger gland.

[Malaika 50]

If they removed the portion of your stomach that they normally do then they "didn't forget to remove the hunger gland." Are you sure you are really hungry or is it head hunger? Do you get the growling in your stomach that indicates it is totally empty or are you just wanting to eat? There is a difference. When I say I ate small amounts at a time and was hungry again in an hour, I mean I maybe ate 3-4 bites of something - that was it, so once it passed through, especially on the liquid stage, I was hungry again in an hour or so and would eat again. Now I prescripe pretty much to the 3 meals a day since I am able to eat a bit more - 2-3 oz, maybe 4 at a meal and I stay fuller longer.

Be sure when you're eating it's because you're really hungry and it's not your head saying "Hey, let's eat!"

[AJW 18]

Be sure your husband is getting in the 70 gr. of Protein a day and all the liquids. That makes a big difference to feeling satiety. If he's eating more carbs than protein, then yeah, he's going to feel hungry in a short time. The answer is protein, protein, protein.

Actually eating small 100 cal. meals every 3 hours is better than eating larger meals every 5 hours. Ideally you should be eating 6X a day, Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner (lean and green), snack, bed. That way your metabolism will stay fired and you won't get hungry. If he gets hungry despite doing this, have something to drink instead of eating. Fight the carb and sugar cravings by drinking and sticking to 800 cal. a day. That's the way you lose weight.

[Malaika 50]

I always thought it was best to eat several small meals a day to keep your metabolism up; however Dr. Aceves really stressed eating 3 meals a day, no Snacks, and to eat about the same time every day even if you weren't hungry at the alotted time. I haven't been able to do that thought because I can't eat anything before 11 am without problems.

[kaykay 1]

I always thought it was best to eat several small meals a day to keep your metabolism up; however Dr. Aceves really stressed eating 3 meals a day, no Snacks, and to eat about the same time every day even if you weren't hungry at the alotted time. I haven't been able to do that thought because I can't eat anything before 11 am without problems.

Yeah, my husband's surgeon recommends 3 meals a day plus 2 Protein Snacks (only if needed.) I think the thing they are trying to prevent here is "grazing" all day. I think they are concerned you could eat small amounts all day long and end up "cheating your sleeve" by getting too many calories in per day to lose weight. Their rule is "protein first." So they also emphasize getting enought Protein. I think he is probably getting enough now that he is able to eat a little fish and eggs, etc.

Way up north, my husband saw a video with a surgeon doing a sleeve and he was saying that the ghrelin levels go down gradually. They don't do a nosedive just because you had surgery. Also, some have mentioned to me that additional acid-reducer sometimes helps feeling of hunger. My husband is already on Prevacid. Are you taking an acid-reducer? So I guess we will see what happens. Everyone is an individual I guess. I know that he is way less hungry on small amounts than he would have been pre-surgery.

Edited August 22, 2009 by kaykay

[ash 5]

I didn't feel hungry until I moved to mushies. I've been through several phases of trying to figure out what works best for me. I'm a teacher, so I have to eat on a schedule. I start drinking Water the minute I wake up and then I eat breakfast in the car, around 7 a.m. I have a break around 9 and I sometimes need a small snack and sometimes I don't. I eat a very small lunch at 11 and then don't have another chance to eat until almost 4. Most of the time my hunger is in the morning, right when I wake up and also between breakfast and lunch.

Anyway, I was surprised to feel hungry once I started on mushies. I'm on soft foods for a few more days, but as long as I eat Protein first, I'm good.

[Tiffykins 673]

I always thought it was best to eat several small meals a day to keep your metabolism up; however Dr. Aceves really stressed eating 3 meals a day, no Snacks, and to eat about the same time every day even if you weren't hungry at the alotted time. I haven't been able to do that thought because I can't eat anything before 11 am without problems.

My surgeon advised close to the same thing. Except for me, I'm supposed to do 4 small meals a day with 15grams of Protein per meal. That gets me 60 grams of Protein from food sources, and not have to supplement with protein shakes/drinks.

My hungry has never come back. It was almost immediate for me to not feel hunger. I literally forget to eat some days until early afternoon. It's a huge adjustment for me to not be hungry, but it's amazing to eat to live, and not live to eat.

[MacMadame 81]

Don't forget, not all hunger is caused by ghrelin. Sometimes you are hungry because your body needs fuel. That kind of hunger is good, IMO. The people who don't feel that often get too thin.

[Bornagainbabe 4]

I feel 'hungry' or rather I am craving food a lot of the time. I am finding that I will go back for more and then I feel really uncomfortable. Tonight I was sick for the first time as I just hadn't received any sign to stop eating. Other times I am just not bothered about eating. I am having two main meals per day (only skip breakfast as I have been getting up late during the holidays and don't feel like anything until later) but once I start thinking about what I am going to have that is it and I start craving! I am finding it all very hard to get used to though and am hoping that once I am onto a more normal diet I will be able to control my portions a bit better. I am a bit confused though and really do not want an appetite or to keep craving the wrong things.:confused1:

[Bob_350lbs 105]

I had the VSG on the same day, 7/28/09, w/Dr. Cirangle in SF. I too feel hunger now. It is easy for me to drink up to 32 oz within 30 min . And, I can eat 4 oz soft foods easier and faster than I expected. However, I want this to work so badly that I don't care I feel hungry. It's nothing like it used to be. Maybe some hunger should be expected, since we are eating only 600-700 calories and walking 30-45 min per day. Before the VG, I would never have been able to do that. I am consuming in 70 gms of Protein, 64 oz plus liquids, all vits, eating only 3 meals per day. When I feel very hungry, I have a Protein Drink. Even though I am compliant, I think being a middle aged woman who has dieted her whole life, has screwed up my metabolism. But all my labs were okay, so, no excuses. So far, I have dropped 17.4 lbs. Hooray! However, I am a little scared of my first follow up with the doc next Friday, cause I eat too fast, drink too fast and haven't lost 20 lbs yet. At least, I know that a few others are going thru the same thing. I was thinking my sleeve was too big also. But, Dr. C told me it would hold only 2 oz, but could stretch up to 8 oz maximum over time. So, I have to be more careful not to stretch it out too fast. However, it is far better than the 2 quarts it used to hold. At one time, I could consume an entire pizza...even though it felt like I would die after that. Now just 3-4 oz feels like I just consumed a Thanksgiving dinner..hooray!

VSG 7/28/09

212.9/195.6/?? hoping for 135

51 yr old female, 5'2"

Edited August 24, 2009 by Steph_123
misspelling

[wayupnorth 1]

I also had mine done on 07/28/09. I appreciate you comments. Tonite I had 3 oz of lean sirloin steak and 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese. I feel fine this is my first time with beef. I chewed and chewed and I feel satisified. I was 213 on surgery day. Today I weigh around 197. So it has been slow for me too.

[BeardedItalian48 3]

First---The only hunger I feel is fuel hunger anymore. I really have not been hungry since surgery. I also wish I could eat as much as you can, I eat 3 - 4 bites and I get full or I feel yucky. I have to eat three of four times a day JUST to maintain engery. I have NEVER ever been a 3 times a day person. I have always grazed and now I try to go without between meals however I find I am not getting enough fuel. I understand all about ketosis since at one time I lost 110 lbs in 110 days with supervision through ketosis. SO I have to watch that I wont put body there.

Like I have said before, I just wish I could eat something anything without the icky feeling coming on. THAT SUCKS!

OK that is my two cents worth....till I have something else to say I will be LURKING! :confused1:

[Malaika 50]

Welcome Hope4Me to the forum, glad you found us and glad you posted your story. Bearded and I have found that if we use a baby spoon, you are forced to take smaller bites - and then make a conscious effort to put the spoon down between bites helps not to eat so fast. Leave the liquids off the table or in another room while you are eating so you are not tempted to drink while you eat - that may be contributing to your being able to eat so much. Just a thought.