Increasing Appetite With Gastric Sleeve Recovery Normal?

[sirensiren 67]

I've only lost 2 lbs since surgery and it's been 2 weeks, I don't get "full" from my Protein Shakes unless I make them really thick (more powder, less water), anyone else experience this?

I've been completely by-the-book on my instructions- no messing up! But..as the days wear on, I have more actual physical hunger. I imagine this is part of recovery, but I'm fearful it will lead to things being difficult in the long-term.

I'm disappointed that though I'm following instructions I'm experiencing this very slow weight loss.

I am hoping the future does not entail me forcing myself to not graze though my stomach wants to.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

You are doing fine. Some folks gain weight from the IV in surgery. I gained 10 pounds during the first two days. It will come off. There is also a three week stall that is soooo disappointing... get ready for that too... and you do not feel real restriction until you get to dense Protein at 4-6 weeks, so do not freak out. Just hang in there, the body is just trying to figure out what the heck you have done to it... You will start losing soon. Just make sure you drink your Water, stay away from a lot of salt and walk walk walk. Good luck!

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

When you get that hungry feeling, drink something warm. My beverages of choice at those times were broth and mint tea. I would drink something warm and put a GASX strip in my mouth. Really helped those feelings go away. I attributed them to stomach acid and gas.

[sirensiren 67]

There is also a three week stall that is soooo disappointing... get ready for that too... and you do not feel real restriction until you get to dense Protein at 4-6 weeks, so do not freak out.

Thank you! I didn't realize that I wouldn't really feel restriction until I was on solid protein- each day Im able to take bigger an bigger sips of Fluid, and this naturally makes me feel like my stomach is capable of holding more than it actually will be when it comes to solids.

I am trying to be positive and realize that normal healthy weight loss truly is around 2 lbs a week, and maybe on the bright side it's best for my system and skin to not lose massive amounts all at once.

[longer-life 139]

Hang in there!!!

I don't get full from my shakes either. I have always felt "neutral". Neither hungry nor full. I start off with 4 ounces of warm tea & my PPI. Right away I move on to Protein for Breakfast. Then I go back to thin liquids (tea, diluted crystal light, smart Water etc). If I feel I am about to get hungry (or even before this feeling), I go right back to Protein. I sip ALL DAY LONG. I haven't met met my Fluid goal of 80-100 ounces yet, but I do meet my protein goal of 71-89 grams.

What are your goals?

Just remembered I am allowed 4 ounces of pureed fruit a day so that might be helping me.

Edited November 22, 2011 by longer-life

[clk 3,519]

Yep, great advice here. I didn't feel real restriction until mushies. I also didn't lose any weight in the first few weeks - I gained from the IV and long flights. It took a while to lose that.

If you haven't heard it by now, make sure you're on a PPI that works well for you. It comes up so often because SO many of us experienced those hunger feelings and didn't realize it was acid until much later. It feels exactly like hunger and a lot of us have a freak out when it starts to be an issue. I thought my sleeve didn't work but in reality my Nexium wasn't cutting it and I needed to switch to Prilosec. The "hunger" disappeared two days later.

I'm a slow loser. There are other folks on these boards that are super slow losers. Guess what? We're still losing. The fact is that this isn't a race and there's no prize for getting to goal faster than anyone else. Unless you give up completely, you're going to lose weight with this surgery. I'm learning that it doesn't really matter if you do it in 9 months or 19 months...you're going to love life at goal.

The early weeks are the hardest. Hang in there.

~Cheri