I'm Still Hungry... And Miserable

[ImprovedDreamerGirl 2]

Sleeved July 17th and I'm still hungry.. I think of food very often. What's wrong with me? Is there any medication or dietary supplement anyone can reccomend? I am screwing up so badly. Help!

[SleeveNoob 95]

Its hard. What you are going through is normal. If its not mind hunger and you actually hear growling and have hunger pains its acid reflux/heart burn. I didn't believe that when people told me that until I started my acid reflux pills and it went away. I still hear the growling and my doc said its normal. It gets easier once your allowed a thicker diet. Hope it gets easier for you. Never hurts to just mention to your doctor

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using VST

[christine50 9]

This early it might be surgical pain and not hunger. No meds will help. Just work on something to pass the time. I just stayed away from the kitchen spend more time in bedroom on computer or TV. It got better for me as time goes on. Good luck.

[coffeelover77 1]

I went through the same thing right after my surgery. It's almost like I was grieving for the food I couldn't have. It gets better. One of the things that helped me through it is having supportive people around me. I also chose some tasty Protein Shake flavors, so I felt like I was indulging. I sometimes also brushed my teeth when I felt like eating something I wasn't supposed to have. The first week was the hardest. I'm on week 3 and now feel a ton better. Hang in there! I hope all goes well for you.

[clk 3,519]

This is fairly normal, especially when you're on the very restrictive diet post op so you can heal.

A lot of what you're saying sounds like mourning food or head hunger and not actual hunger. It's hard not to even "chew" food and you're not even on real foods right now!

If you're feeling physical hunger signs like a growling stomach get on a PPI immediately and it will help. Remember that it also takes some time for ghrelin to leave our systems.

You'll get through this. You need to follow your diet to prevent complications at this stage. And one very important thing that the sleeve doesn't ever do for us is teach willpower. Success with this tool relies on your ability to question why you're feeling as if you need to eat and what you're choosing to put in your mouth.

Best of luck. It does get much easier as soon as you're on purees.

~Cheri

[NuManMitch 1]

I've gone through the same thing the past few days (6 days post surgery). I mixed up the type of Protein Shake I drank and had more Jello, which gave me more texture, and broth, which gave me more flavor. Took 2 days but it passed.

[lcox1102 11]

I was sleeve on 7/17 and I just try and think of how it's gonna be in a few months and how I wanna look. I feel "hungry" but I know I have to stay on track and follow the rules- too soon in the game to be messing things up. Good luck!

[gustavo52974 369]

I started to feel hungry about a week after surgery. It's hard at this point to distinguish hunger from thirst though, so I drink as much Water as I can and that has helped. But I'm still surprised that people say they don't experience hunger when I clearly do.

[murfsgirl 22]

I too, sleeved on the 17th, on Saturday, I had a slight meltdown and cried to my husband saying I was hungry ! He helped me through it and I just needed a little cry I guess, got through the weekend ok, today when I check in to my surgeons office, I'm hoping I can start full liquids, everything is settling very well with no nausea or anything, down 9 lbs and 5 inches and that helped me get past feeling hungry as I already am getting compliments! Keep your mind busy and time does go by! We are almost a week post already! Let's hang in there together !

[melbelinc 33]

It's a head game. I'm 12 weeks today and I do feel hunger. I'm not obsessed with thinking about food like I was. That was so hard. I was really flustered that I felt/hunger. But this is the way I look at it now. If I didn't, I may not eat at all. Forget, think oh, I'm good, I'll eat later. But you don't lose weight when you don't eat. And its so true! So I use my hunger as a tool to remind me to feed my body. It's not that bad of a thing.

[klaaspice 4]

I was sleeved on the 18th and I am still struggling with it. We are not physically hungry, we just THINK we are. The first few days were the worst for me although I will say that today has been easier. Night time is the worst because that is when I would usually snack, snack, snack. Hang in there and remind yourself there are ups and downs and you will feel relief soon. PLUS, the scale going down will be an added motivation to beat the "head hunger" once you start back on semi-real foods.

[Sexymary 7]

I felt the same way, I just took my acid/reflex pills and it went away . Plus, make sure 20-30 minutes after food, drink ur Water. Try to get the 64 ounces in. That also helped me. I hope this was helpful, but I'm only sleeved 20 days now.

[kyllfalcon 768]

I am over four months out, and I stay hungry. I mean stomach hunger, not head hunger. I've always been a hungry person, one of my sons is the very same way.

I've been on a PPI since the beginning, doubled the dose, switched meds, nothing helps except eating. Sigh... the good news is it doesn't take much to make the hunger go away for a while.

And, the hunger is a kitten compared to the lion it used to be.

[klaaspice 4]

I like that analogy kyllfalcon!

[Katie713 423]

I was so busy trying to get in all my fluids, Protein shakes and meals in that I was able to address my hunger early on. Full fluids included creamy thinned out cereals in the morning and creamy Soups. So I would basically start my day with hot tea and take my PPI, wait about 30 minutes and have about 1/2 cup of cream of wheat or malt-o-meal thinned out, then about an hour after that have as much beverage as I could tolerate, then a Protein shake, and an hour after that it would be time for lunch, 1/2 cup of cream Soup, then I might have a SF Jello....later in the afternoon some diet iced tea, then another Protein shake....then dinner (more creamy soup) and maybe some diet chai tea in the evening and another SF Jello. It did seem like I was always eating or drinking something...but that helped to get in my protein and liquids and it help in dealing with hunger because my new little tummy was never really empty.

It does get better after you move to solids but I still eat little Snacks and I would say I eat more like 6 little meals - something every two hours or so. I factor in calories, protein, fats, carbs....a snack might just be a cheese stick or a couple of nuts or a Protein Bar. In this way I am addressing my hunger directly and not letting myself get into a binge mode.

By the way, I am 14 weeks out.