Hungry All Day - Eating A Lot - Need Help!

[missmachine 100]

I am 4 weeks out. I still get hungry all the time. The past week I've been eating about 1200 calories a day. It's because I get hungry every 1-2 hours. food still has a hold over me and I feel like I can't control myself. I know I will probably get a lot of sh^t from everyone here for eating so much, and I am embarrassed, but I am desperate and I need help. If I was just dieting I would be really proud of myself because I am doing better than I was before surgery. But I had the surgery and I feel like I should be more full and less interested in food at this point. If I had good willpower I wouldn't have needed surgery. It's taking all of my effort to only eat the 1200 calories. I have been eating super high Protein. Mostly meat and veggies and cheese. I don't know what to do. I am so upset and I feel like a failure.

[Thinner Peace 24]

When you feel hungry make sure you are drinking your Water. Do you have real hunger or head hunger? What are your emotional triggers (i.e. stress, defeat, depression, loneliness?). Go to an over eaters anonymous meeting to help you if you are having head hunger. Have you signed up with myfitnesspal? You can check out what other wls friends on your page are eating on a day by day basis.

cheese has 100 calories an ounce so you may want to be cautious of how certain foods pack on the calories quickly.

Good luck, you can do this!

[desertmom 297]

Hi

I can also eat a lot unlike some others on the board.

A few suggestions.

I only do solid Proteins like chicken...okay,I eat chicken all the time.It seems to be the thing to make me full the longest.Then I have eating time and drinking time.For half an hour after food nothing.Then drinking time for the next 2 hours.Hunger is not an option then as when we eat,then not allowed to drink again for half an hour.

These are little rules I had to make for myself.And I have to force myself to keep to it,most of the time.And you do get use to it very quickly.It is a great accomplishment if you can do it.I think this is all about relearning how and when to eat and the nice thing is you can teach yourself this.

Dont expect 100 persent success at first but keep practising this and you will get better and better at it.Dont be too hard on yourself when you dont get it right at first.

You will lose at 1200 if you exercise a lot but it will be slower.This has been my experience in the past 3 months.

O,and lose the cheese,it is high in fat and calories and soft food that doesnt help fill you up.Cicken,fish,meat (when I have a very hungry day I eat red meat as it fills me up)

Good luck and remember,we cannot keep doing what we did before.We have to learn to say no to ourselves but that takes a lot of practice.You can do this.

xxo

[clk 3,519]

The above is good advice. I just want to ask if you're on a PPI. Many docs to not prescribe a PPI as a matter of course. The feel of a belly churning with acid is the EXACT same as a hungry belly. This may be causing you to feel like you're hungry and need to eat.

So yes, it's entirely possible that you're just one of those people that doesn't lose the hunger. But if you aren't on a proton pump inhibitor, I suggest you look into this because it might help you.

If the PPI isn't the issue, it's really important to evaluate why you're eating when you are. If you feel out of control, part of the issue could be that you're eating emotionally or falling back into old habits despite your best efforts to work your sleeve.

If the issue is simply that you feel hungry all the time the only real solution is to feed the sleeve when you're hungry, but to entirely revamp your eating habits. This way you can eat when you feel hungry but you'll find yourself limited to small meals made up of high Protein options if you want to stay successful.

Best of luck. I hope you find something that works.

~Cheri

[FishingNurse 1,210]

I have been eating 1200 minimum calories a day since 2 months out and made goal at 8.5 months! 1200 calories a day is good if you are eating nutritious food. You are not a failure!

[swizzly 901]

I have been eating 1200 minimum calories a day since 2 months out and made goal at 8.5 months! 1200 calories a day is good if you are eating nutritious food. You are not a failure!

Me too!! I got to 1000 asap after surgery and got up to 1500 by six months. I never hit "goal" because I'm not sure it was the right weight for me to be trying to hit, but I got within 10 lb and have been maintaining there for months, with some days 2000+ cals easy. I have a "thing" about not getting too low-cal and also worry about screwing up my metabolism in general.

So make sure you're not eating just out of head hunger, but don't beat yourself up if you're hungry and eating what you need -- I think it is not necessarily a bad thing.

I agree about the acid pills too, though -- having too much acid feels exactly like gnawing hunger and sometimes that can really help. Gaviscon chewables help with it too! Good luck!

[michelle55 0]

Wow I love this site. I didn't know anything about the acid in your stomach making you feel hungry. Some days I want to eat aomthing every 2 hours. I try to drink Water. I have done cheese also. Guess ill stop that. What about gas-x? For stomach acid?

[former_vbg 198]

Pretty much what others have said, but really take a serious look at what you are eating. If you are not choosing dense Protein as your first food for eating, you will not stay full as long. Focus on getting your 40 to 60 grams of protein a day, veggies second and I doubt seriously you will be as hungry as you have been. Find things you can/ should eat that aren't adding so much to your daily consumption. Also, what desertmom said that we MUST learn to tell ourselves no to foods we know are not good for us. I'm sure you realize the surgery is only a tool and it is up to us to maximize the tool to the best of our ability. If you need something to keep your hands busy, find things to do, projects in the house, go for a walk, something, anything but idle time for you to sit and think about how hungry you are...

[apricot1119 105]

What are you eating? Be aware of slider foods. They won't fill you up but will add calories.

[shelbym 6]

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I just hit 8 weeks and I'm starting to feel hungrier a lot more! I just don't eat bc I want to lose maximum amount of weight. But when I do eat I feel I can eat so much more than I allow myself! I'm trying to train myself to feel comfortable, not FULL. I am so afraid to stretch my stomach. I almost feel I already did. But I do workout 5-6 times a week so I'm wondering if my body is just really burning what I eat at this point since I barely eat anymore? I'm just scared I wasted my money

[FishingNurse 1,210]

The metabolism thing is why I got up to 1200 ASAP too! I think since we didn't tank out metabolism by eating 600 cals a day maintaining out weight loss will be so much easier! So far so good.

Me too!! I got to 1000 asap after surgery and got up to 1500 by six months. I never hit "goal" because I'm not sure it was the right weight for me to be trying to hit, but I got within 10 lb and have been maintaining there for months, with some days 2000+ cals easy. I have a "thing" about not getting too low-cal and also worry about screwing up my metabolism in general.

So make sure you're not eating just out of head hunger, but don't beat yourself up if you're hungry and eating what you need -- I think it is not necessarily a bad thing.

I agree about the acid pills too, though -- having too much acid feels exactly like gnawing hunger and sometimes that can really help. Gaviscon chewables help with it too! Good luck!

[I_did_it! 33]

I am the total opposite, I wish I could get to 1200 calories a day....I might eat 750, maybe 1000 if I have an extra Protein Shake. I wish I could eat more...I am four weeks out and still eating about 2 oz., possibly three if its like Soup or applesauce, and I only eat like 3-4 times a day. I am going nuts because I feel like I am not feeding my body enough food. I also have bad acid reflux and throw up almost daily...I am going insane. I do drink tons of Water though...in fact, it seems like that's all I want...I have to force myself to eat actual food, and I am misrable over it.

[FishingNurse 1,210]

I am the total opposite, I wish I could get to 1200 calories a day....I might eat 750, maybe 1000 if I have an extra Protein Shake. I wish I could eat more...I am four weeks out and still eating about 2 oz., possibly three if its like Soup or applesauce, and I only eat like 3-4 times a day. I am going nuts because I feel like I am not feeding my body enough food. I also have bad acid reflux and throw up almost daily...I am going insane. I do drink tons of Water though...in fact, it seems like that's all I want...I have to force myself to eat actual food, and I am misrable over it.

it gets better! Hang in there!

[missmachine 100]

When you feel hungry make sure you are drinking your Water. Do you have real hunger or head hunger? What are your emotional triggers (i.e. stress' date=' defeat, depression, loneliness?). Go to an over eaters anonymous meeting to help you if you are having head hunger. Have you signed up with myfitnesspal? You can check out what other wls friends on your page are eating on a day by day basis.

cheese has 100 calories an ounce so you may want to be cautious of how certain foods pack on the calories quickly.

Good luck, you can do this![/quote']

I do notice that when I feel any extreme emotion (especially stress) is when I want to eat. But also I eat out of boredom often. I do have a myfitnesspal and I have been logging everything.

[missmachine 100]

Hi

I can also eat a lot unlike some others on the board.

A few suggestions.

I only do solid Proteins like chicken...okay' date='I eat chicken all the time.It seems to be the thing to make me full the longest.Then I have eating time and drinking time.For half an hour after food nothing.Then drinking time for the next 2 hours.Hunger is not an option then as when we eat,then not allowed to drink again for half an hour.

These are little rules I had to make for myself.And I have to force myself to keep to it,most of the time.And you do get use to it very quickly.It is a great accomplishment if you can do it.I think this is all about relearning how and when to eat and the nice thing is you can teach yourself this.

Dont expect 100 persent success at first but keep practising this and you will get better and better at it.Dont be too hard on yourself when you dont get it right at first.

You will lose at 1200 if you exercise a lot but it will be slower.This has been my experience in the past 3 months.

O,and lose the cheese,it is high in fat and calories and soft food that doesnt help fill you up.Cicken,fish,meat (when I have a very hungry day I eat red meat as it fills me up)

Good luck and remember,we cannot keep doing what we did before.We have to learn to say no to ourselves but that takes a lot of practice.You can do this.

xxo[/quote']

I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one. I will definitely be cutting back on the cheese since everyone is saying the same thing. My diet is still mostly meat. Thanks for the encouraging words, I will try your advice.