Does surgery really make you feel full?

[NewAshes 232]

I am pre op and I have a extremely hard time knowing when to stop eating and portions are my down fall on diets. I see some people say they don't get that full feeling so it makes me worried

[Ms.Cali 56]

For me - it's a different full felling than I used to get. First of all - I don't feel hunger. I'm almost four months post op and I have to remind and force myself to eat still.

You will know when your new stomach is full. The first sign for me is that I feel the food sitting above my oesophagus. Second sign is vomiting.

[Joy77 0]

Hello, I can say, I have been concerned about not eating or drinking enough. I am 5 days post op, vertical sleeve. I kept down 3/4 of a skinny cow fudgecicle, 1/4 cup potato Soup, puréed and watered down, and 2 16 oz glasses of Gatorade. That was through the whole day. That should answer your question. Feeling better each day.

[joatsaint 2,814]

The feeling of fullness is different for me post-op. I don't have that "ohhh I'm stuffed" stretched feeling. Now it's more like I have this little "poking" sensation somewhere down my throat. And there's no warning of when I'm full, so I have to be careful and slow when eating. I have a little 4oz Glad container I use for my food bowl. It holds just enough for one meal.

I am definitely an unhappy camper when I eat too much.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I always weigh and measure everything. I was instructed to start with 1/4 cup, eat/drink slow, and that should take about 10-15 minutes. If still hungry, can add another 1/4 cup. 1/2 cup is the max. They also told us to use baby silverware, practice mindful eating, etc. Portion Control was always my issue, too. At 4 months post op, I continue to develop my new habit of always weigh and measure my food, and log it into my fitness pal. Early on, fullness felt like a tightness in my chest, now it feels a little more like it used to before surgery. I've never vomited, but I do get hiccoughs or sneeze when I'm full. I have no explanation for that, lol

[WorkItOutWoman 185]

I am only a month out and had my first "meal" yesterday. 2 oz Tilapia and 8 edamame pods. I didn't feel full necessarily but towards the end I had a funny feeling that told me that is enough. I see how easy it would be to overheat and make myself sick if I had not measured.

[T'snewstart 251]

YES you will feel full. For me in the beginning I lost hunger.... Now just past 5 months post op I know when it time to eat. I get a empty feeling and know it's time for food. Measuring portions of food and liquids has been critical for me. In the beginning I struggled to get everything in..... now it is not a problem. It might sound extreme ..... but writing everything down including liquids is the best..

[Takingcontrol 467]

They are right, it's not the same "I'm stuffed" feeling...& it WILL sneak up on you! But you will learn your new tummy & the right portions for you...most of us get a sign..some get hiccups...I get a little burpy when I've eaten too much. I DO feel hunger though...& it's NOT head hunger!! It just takes much less to satisfy it now!

[gingerRN 81]

I feel full. So full I have to sometimes lay down. It's a little different but u suddenly know u don't want one more bite. If you eat more than your stomach can hold it stacks up in your esophagus, not a pod feeling

[StefanieT 10]

Yes, this was instant for me right out of surgery. It's a strange feeling to actually feel like you have to force yourself to eat/drink. I am 6 days post-op, and each day gets a little bit better. I think when your stomach is still healing, it can feel extremly heavy when you just have a tiny bit of Water or a tiny bit of yogurt. It is so different than before, you will be amazed. I just remember when I was on the pre 1200 calorie diet, that was such a struggle for me, and I didn't even make it most days! Now, I'm lucky to get 3-400 calories in a day, and that takes a lot of planning and effort. The main thing to focus on is to keep sipping the water all day so you don't get hydrated.

[RebecaSparkles 247]

I am fearful of the similar things so I bought 500 3oz bpa free microwavable souffle cups with lids. Cost me $50 but i know I can pack up meals into them & freeze, take to work & nuke.

4-6 oz is what most people seem to report being able to eat after the initial healing phase.

I have 2oz containers I got at Walmart for the beginning. I figure I can mix & match to have a little of this & a little of that.

allons-y

[Newme48 104]

The best thing you can do for your self and success with your tool is to start practicing NOW not drinking beverages with your meals. You also should stop drinking at least 30 mins before and until 30 mins after your meal. This was hard for me to get used to. It is fine now. One thing that helps is keep some grapes in your freezer. At the end of a meal, eat a few frozen grapes. Not only are they delish but they will freshen your mouth so you desire a beverage less. I agree with people on this thread also- measure your food and invest in a scale. I measure all my food ahead of time whenever I can and I am actually full before I finish 1/3 cup most of the time. I am going to get the most out of this sleeve during the "honeymoon" phase especially. Good luck to you and congratulations!!

[prettylittleheart 95]

I had a hard time with Portion Control before surgery too. I'd only eat one time a day, and eat a huge plate of it & snack later in the night.

Since surgery, I eat anywhere from 3-4 times a day (including breakfast) & it's very small portions. I mean 2-3 tablespoons of anything except fish. Fish goes down really well, but even then one filet fills me up.

I don't get hungry. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat, but most of the time I know when it's time to eat again. I get sluggish when I'm hungry & I feel my body fueling off of everything I'm taking in which to me, is a good thing.

Post-op, eating has become a chore for me. Before surgery, I looked forward to every meal. Now, I can eat the same thing everyday & most days I do & it doesn't even bother me. Most of the time this past time has begun to feel like a chore for me. I feel like I work, work, work to get in all my nutrition.

Since surgery, I get satisfied waaaaaay more quickly and things taste differently. For example, I used to love mayo with almost everything before surgery - after surgery, I hate it. Haven't used it but one time - and threw that meal away because I can't take the taste. Doesn't make me sick, just don't like it anymore. I usually stop all meals when I reach the point of satisfaction which I never could do that before surgery.

In the beginning, I was so concerned that I was never going to be able to eat again like a burger or etc, but when most people told me when you reach a certain point - you won't even want those things - they were right! I have no desire to get off track & I feel like when I'm ready to treat myself I'll be able to make much better choices on how to do it.

Sweets - I read about this a lot, I don't really have much input on this because before surgery I wasn't a sweet person & still don't like it afterwards so I've been incredibly fortunate in that department.

I'm a little over 6 weeks out & weigh myself once a week. Last week I was down 50 pounds.

Good luck!

[ladilushT 9]

I am ten weeks out and I Can definitely say that I get that full feeling. I thought that I would need to keep measurements but my body tells me. Especially if you are eating Protein first and veggies next!!!

[NewAshes 232]

I had a hard time with Portion Control before surgery too. I'd only eat one time a day, and eat a huge plate of it & snack later in the night

I am the same way as you! Mostly because I am nocturnal but I don't eat Breakfast or lunch and I eat a huge dinner and then snack or sometimes eat another meal at night. I'm not a sweets person either or in love with soda. I don't have it in the house and ill get it when we go out but for the most part I drink tea....so I guess measuring my food will suck cause I'm not good at measuring lol I always just wing it but ill go but some oz containers and a food scale