I'm hungry!

[lillita 18]

Hi everyone! Maybe you can help me shed some light on what I am feeling...

I am 8 weeks on Sunday. I have been feeling great. No side affects. I can eat everything now. Well, for the past week or so, my scale has not moved. I have lost 30 pounds since June 29th when I had surgery but the last week or so the scale has remained the same. Also, I feel hungry for the first time. I am told to eat every 3 hours. So, by the time 2 hours pass by, I am, what I think is hungry. I even had a headache today like I used to get when I was hungry and needed to eat.

I am eating about 800 calories a day and am exercising daily and from what the elliptical machine says I am burning about 500 calories. But, I am hungry before my 3 hours. Let me give you an idea of what I ate today:

Breakfast: yogurt, piece of string cheese. snack: greek yogurt, lunch: black bean Soup cup with a boiled egg; snack: Protein shake; dinner: ceviche (shrimp and fish in lemon).

I am not sure what is going on??? :thumbup: Do you think exercising is making me hungry?

[Jane_J 117]

You are taking in 800 calories and burning 500 each day. Leaving 200 nett per day. Your body will have gone into starvation mode I reckon. Just my opinion.

Jane x

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

You are taking in 800 calories and burning 500 each day. Leaving 200 nett per day. Your body will have gone into starvation mode I reckon. Just my opinion.

Jane x

I agree. You'll probably start losing weight once you lay off the elliptical machine for a while and add some calories (fish oil, honey, juice, whatever).

[Cknorte 7]

Add an extra 50-100 calories in after workout (a Protein shake, a wedge of laughing cow and slice of ham) or add in a few carbs before workout (30 minutes before, some Peanut Butter and apple).

Last week I added a few calories, I was doing what you are doing and I almost cried last week when I dropped only 1lbs after eating 700 calories a day and working my tail off 1-2 hours a day at the gym, burning almost 500-600 calories (on my heart rate monitor)...on days I did 2 hours of cardio/resistance, I added 100 calories....I even had a day where I didn't work out and ate 1000 calories, and this week I lost 3.6lbs....so I think my body needed the extra fuel...it was freaking out....try cycling your calories between 750-900 calories, every other day, so your body doesn't freak out thinking you won't ever feed it again....nothing to lose for trying.....

[chilo1 62]

I agree with all the above, about your body going into starvation mode ( I did a lot of research on body going into starvation mode a few years ago, I could dig out the research articles if anybody's interested) about adding more lean Protein, the other thing to consider is that the "fat" you are losing is turning into muscle with your workouts, so according to the scales you are not losing. If you measured your total body fat before the surgery and now, I'm sure you will have a less % of total body fat. Keep up the good work!

[lillita 18]

Thanks Ladies! I would love to see some research about the starvation mode!! I hear about it all the time. But, is it normal to get hungry now? That worries more than the scale not moving as I know eventually my body will get the point and figure out that I am not starving (I hope) but why am I hungry?? I haven't felt any hunger in over 6 weeks and for the most part was only able to get 4oz in. Now, depending on what it is -- I can definitely have more. For example, when I eat Soup -- I can probable eat almost an entire bowl. Today, after my work out I ate: 3 oz of lean meat, 1 oz of brown rice and 1 oz of broccoli. Total meal was 5 oz or so and I was able to eat it all. I am not uncomfortable (a little sleepy) and that was about 2 hours ago. Now, I am starting to get that empty feeling in my stomach as if I was hungry and I am still not at 3 hours yet.. Is that making any sense to anyone???

[Cknorte 7]

Hmmmm, I don't know. Do you now what size bougie your surgeon used? I know everyone is different but I feel restriction and I really don't feel hunger, or empty belly feeling. I just ate a little more last week because I know that there were a few days when my workout was really loaded and I ate a little more.

I don't believe in starvation per se, I think if that were true, all of us with a sleeve would be in starvation mode, but I do think our bodies freak out and love holding on to reserves for as long as they possibly can....eventually our bodies will wake up and realize we aren't going to war or a 10 year drought, etc....

Have you talked to your Nut? Are you logging your calories? I log them on livestrong.com/myplate and have found that there were days when I thought I had pigged out, and I had only eaten 600 calories, and days when I thought I was doing "good" and was at 900 cal.

It may be worth a chat with your nutritionist.

[Jane_J 117]

Thanks Ladies! I would love to see some research about the starvation mode!! I hear about it all the time. But, is it normal to get hungry now? That worries more than the scale not moving as I know eventually my body will get the point and figure out that I am not starving (I hope) but why am I hungry?? I haven't felt any hunger in over 6 weeks and for the most part was only able to get 4oz in. Now, depending on what it is -- I can definitely have more. For example, when I eat Soup -- I can probable eat almost an entire bowl. Today, after my work out I ate: 3 oz of lean meat, 1 oz of brown rice and 1 oz of broccoli. Total meal was 5 oz or so and I was able to eat it all. I am not uncomfortable (a little sleepy) and that was about 2 hours ago. Now, I am starting to get that empty feeling in my stomach as if I was hungry and I am still not at 3 hours yet.. Is that making any sense to anyone???

I can manage to get 600ml of soup in if I take my time. If its dry hard Protein like steak i can do maybe 4 oz and i am stuffed, fo a good long while. You have to work the sleeve to extract the max effect IMHO.

Jane x

[thinoneday 445]

Hi everyone! Maybe you can help me shed some light on what I am feeling...

I am 8 weeks on Sunday. I have been feeling great. No side affects. I can eat everything now. Well, for the past week or so, my scale has not moved. I have lost 30 pounds since June 29th when I had surgery but the last week or so the scale has remained the same. Also, I feel hungry for the first time. I am told to eat every 3 hours. So, by the time 2 hours pass by, I am, what I think is hungry. I even had a headache today like I used to get when I was hungry and needed to eat.

I am eating about 800 calories a day and am exercising daily and from what the elliptical machine says I am burning about 500 calories. But, I am hungry before my 3 hours. Let me give you an idea of what I ate today:

Breakfast: yogurt, piece of string cheese. snack: greek yogurt, lunch: black bean Soup cup with a boiled egg; snack: Protein shake; dinner: ceviche (shrimp and fish in lemon).

I am not sure what is going on??? Do you think exercising is making me hungry?

Unfortunately some of us don't lose our hunger issues. . .I'm one of those people as well. . . for us it's going to be a challenge, we have to really watch what we eat. . . sad but true. . . good luck! I'm right there with you!

[lillita 18]

I emailed my NUT to see what he says... I just don't understand why I am hungry all of a sudden. I wonder if the exercising has anything to do with it.

I am not sure what bougie size my dr used... Could I have stretched it out already???

[seaview 2]

It was once suggested to me that the hunger signal might actually be acid in your stomach. Do you take an antacid...Pepcid? I had to take it for a few weeks after surgery..then stopped and my stomach didn't feel right...so i started again and feel fine...so it may be acid that's getting confused with hunger...SEAVIEW

[lillita 18]

I was taking prilosec and stopped a couple of days ago.. The acid has subsided.. But, could it be that it is acid and I don't notice???

After 2 months it is not possible to stretch your stomach, right?

[seaview 2]

acid can feel like hunger so I think you should take your prilosec again and see if your hunger subsides....just my two cents....SEAVIEW.

no you cannot stretch your sleeve ....

[AniO 0]

I agree with Seaview. I now realize that for the last few years, what I thought was hunger was actually acid. I've got the hiatal hernia repair to prove it LOL. Many times after a very large meal I would get what I thought was hunger pains. I now know it was acid and my body actually digesting the big meal, not wanting more.

[GeorgieGirl1957 0]

You all probably already thought of this, but the way I get extra Protein in my full liquids is to add a jar (3 oz) of gerber baby chicken. For example, I put it in my black bean Soup and added some cilatro and green onion before I blenderized it. That really gives it a high Protein kick. There are 12 gm of protein in 3 oz of baby food chicken. No fat, no carbs. I added it to other Soups too. Creamy Soups go down nice and easy and the extra protein is a big plus for me. I am finding a lot of the full liqs are just too sweet for me, even though they are artificially sweetened, like the pudding and Protein shakes. I was missing some nice savory flavors.

I also made a "soup" in the blender from a jar of chix, a can of cream of chicken Soup and some thai green curry (from Trader Joe's). Also added a spoon of greek yogurt.

While I had my dinner in a cup, my husband used the rest to dip his corn tortilla chips in and loved it. It satisfied my need for something hot and spicy without bothering my sleeve. I was worried that with a sleeve I wouldn't be able to do spicy foods. Looks like that's not the case so far.

gg