Hungry And Eating A Lot

[juanfa 1]

Hi Folks,

I am now two weeks post op and still hungry and consuming a lot! I have not lost any weight in the past week because even though I am on liquids, I can consume a lot of them. Three plain greek yogurts a day, a couple of Protein Drinks and probably about 20 oz of cream Soup. I am also drinking about 2-3 liters of Water a day. I feel absolutely no restriction at all, no response to my intake. No nausea, no problems whatsoever. I am starting to get concerned that the Dr did not take a big enough part of my stomach out. He said it was severely damaged due to the lap band that was removed 5 months prior. Tonight I made homemade vegetable soup and pureed it in the food processor. It is a pretty thick soup (about the consistency of spaghetti sauce) and I ate about 8 ounces and in a short period of time as well, about 10 mins. No restriction although it did seem to dull my hunger a bit. I have not seen anything like this on the boards, has anyone else experienced this? I am starting to think a little irrationally, that maybe the Dr. only removed a small bit, I couldn't imagine having gone through all of this to have him not remove the proper amount of my stomach. He told me that he uses a 42 bougie but from what I understand, there is not much difference in bougie size when it comes to stomach capacity/restriction. I have also posted about my hunger and some people said that it took 10-14 days to dissipate but I am still as hungry as ever. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[thinoneday 445]

I'm so sorry to hear that your having this problem going on. Maybe you should talk to your doctor and find out exactly how much he did take, or what he did. I had my physician read me the entire surgery, then requested a copy of it. After all it is YOUR record. It stated how much anesthestia he used to the bougie size 28F. It told me everything from start to end. Maybe this would be good for you to request as well. It'll give you a good idea about your surgery and what went on. I'm out now 3+ years and still have really good tight restriction. I can eat whatever however, sometimes it's not a good thing, but at least it's not huge amounts like it used to be. I hope you find out what happened. Good luck!

[desertmom 297]

Are you on a PPI?Sometimes acid creates the exact same sensation as hunger!

And now,as another band to sleever,just because you can,it doesnt mean you must!

Pace yourself.Slow down.Rather than doing it in 10 minutes follow the rules.Eat it with a baby spoon,slowly.Give your head time to catch up with your stomach. Eat for 20 minutes at least,then stop,no matter what is left over.

But do look into th PPI hing.I really did experience this myself.

My hunger also took longer to go lessen but its never completely gone away.

Use this tool called the sleeve.Be mindful when you eat and drink.Smell it first,then taste it slowly.Really taste it and enjoy each spoon full individually.Make a ritual out of this to help you.

Good luck!

[lyndal 0]

I am only a week out and I am wanting something! I am not hungry but I think I just want something to chew. My doctor has prescribed the liquids for an entire month. I can't imagine making it a month if I already want to cheat. I mainly am wanting breads and salty crackers. I was not a big bread eater before the surgery. Any suggestions appreciated.

[Bornagain 9]

I am curious as to how much you all are eating. According to my orders I add different food every week to the list of foods I am allowed now but I am only allowed to eat 1/4 cup of food per meal and this changes to 1/2 cup of food per meal in January. I was sleeved on October 2nd and I know sometimes 1/4 fills me up but then again sometimes I eat more cause I am still hungry. Does anyone else have to stay on 1/4 c. per meal for so long?

[Carol Watts 67]

Are you on a PPI?Sometimes acid creates the exact same sensation as hunger!

And now,as another band to sleever,just because you can,it doesnt mean you must!

Pace yourself.Slow down.Rather than doing it in 10 minutes follow the rules.Eat it with a baby spoon,slowly.Give your head time to catch up with your stomach. Eat for 20 minutes at least,then stop,no matter what is left over.

But do look into th PPI hing.I really did experience this myself.

My hunger also took longer to go lessen but its never completely gone away.

Use this tool called the sleeve.Be mindful when you eat and drink.Smell it first,then taste it slowly.Really taste it and enjoy each spoon full individually.Make a ritual out of this to help you.

Good luck!

What is PPI

[DianaE 128]



I have seen a lot about dehydration vs hunger signals. Supposedly most hunger signals are actually signals of needing fluids.. Google it if interested

people often mistake thirst for hunger, and thus eat foods that are rich in Water or more food in general. Thus it is recommended to drink a glass of Water before eating in order to distinguish between true hunger and thirst.

[Escape_Pod 358]

You're not going to really feel the restriction until you progress to more solid foods. And at this point, a lot of the nerves in your stomach have been cut, so it's hard for you to really "feel" fullness signals. I'd really strongly advise backing way off on portions to get back to what your surgeon advises - you need to be relying on measurements rather than feeling at this stage.

If you're feeling hungry, it's likely one of two things. Stomach acid can mimic the sensation of hunger - a PPI is a proton pump inhibitor which reduces stomach acid production - there's another kind called an H2 blocker. Nexium, Prevacid, etc. are the common brands. You're better off with one that's not "time release" at this stage. Did your surgeon prescribe something like this? If not, you may need to be on one.

The other possibility is that it's head hunger. You just turned your life upside down, and your body's under a lot of stress, and anesthesia and weight loss do a number on your hormone levels. It's not uncommon to want to eat to self-soothe.

Either way, it would be a good idea to call your surgeon's office and get their help!

[Fitjen 17]

I am curious as to how much you all are eating. According to my orders I add different food every week to the list of foods I am allowed now but I am only allowed to eat 1/4 cup of food per meal and this changes to 1/2 cup of food per meal in January. I was sleeved on October 2nd and I know sometimes 1/4 fills me up but then again sometimes I eat more cause I am still hungry. Does anyone else have to stay on 1/4 c. per meal for so long?

I was sleeved on the 3rd and am allowed a 1/4 cup three times a day (after its been through the blender). I'm struggling to finish that if its anything but Greek yogurt. Was really excited to try eggs today only to discover I couldn't eat more than two bites. Kind of depressing when food was such a big part of my life before. I know it'll be worth it but its not easy!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Escape Pod pretty much said everything I was going to say. The restriction will be way more noticeable by the time you start solid foods. Don't try to find it now. Your stomach needs time to heal, this is not the time to test it. The feelings of hunger can be attributed to head hunger, thirst or acid....as has been said. Many people go through this. Take comfort in the fact that you are not nauseous or hurting. Things will get much better very soon.

[juanfa 1]

Hi,

So your posts have given me much to think about. I am taking a PPI and getting plenty to drink so I know it is not acid or dehydration. I think what is going on is that I am "searching" for the feeling of fullness (which I got when I overate with no WLS) or the restriction that I felt with the lap band. I think I am overeating in an effort to feel one or the other. In addition, the idea that I am not reponding by feeling restricted is giving me a lot of anxiety which I then try to calm through eating. Let's face it, if it was as easy as just measuring out my food or stopping after 20 mins., then none of us would need WLS. We do it because we need some type of "stop" mechanism which is the restriction that makes us all stop. I am not having that so I am basically back to square one, where I was without the WLS as I am not actually experiencing any of the symptoms of WLS that prevent us from overeating. With that being said, I have recognized that I am overeating in response to searching for fullness/restricition/anxiety and will be patient in waiting to test my new stomach. Thank you for the feedback, it has been most helpful in my self-reflection.

[Bornagain 9]

eggs and I are no longer friends. They are not nice to my tummy LOL

[tabithad 20]

I was sleeved on the 3rd and am allowed a 1/4 cup three times a day (after its been through the blender). I'm struggling to finish that if its anything but Greek yogurt. Was really excited to try eggs today only to discover I couldn't eat more than two bites. Kind of depressing when food was such a big part of my life before. I know it'll be worth it but its not easy!

Try eggbeaters taste good easier on tummy.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Another thought - my NUT told me that immediately post op you may have some nerve damage and may not be "feeling" things. She really cautioned me to eat by the numbers in the early weeks - following the portion and timing guidelines they gave me (we had basically week by week guide). Maybe slow down, go a little easier even though it feels like you have no restriction.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Sorry, I missed the posts that already covered my point!

I did want to say that it is kind of scary to think it didn't work. I feel confident that by the time you are on solid foods you will be feeling that stop signal and this surgery does work. I could not lose weight to save my life for the last several years no matter what diet program I tried. Look at my stats - the sleeve does work. I am saying this in hopes to give you some reassurance - hang in there - it gets better!