PLEASE HELP! Serious Advice Needed!

[k95 3]

I'm 2 months post-op. Within the first week I dropped an amazing 15 lbs but I have been plateauing ever since and it is making me extremely worried - has anyone else experienced this?

Secondly, from all of the info other VS patients have put out there and from what I understand, with this surgery, it basically cuts out the Ghrelin hormone which causes hunger and craving - I still get both. With hunger it's not as how it was before I had the surgery but I could eat a bit of something, feel full, then feel hungry again not too long after even if I'm not even thinking about it which leads me to believing that's it not a psychological problem and I definitely do not feel as though this is normal. If there is anyone who can provide me some advice on these problems I would truly & GREATLY appreciate!!! Thank you so much!

[slimagainsoon 88]

Hello, I was the same way, I am nine months out. My surgeon said that to eat every two hours. He said more is less. Eat six small meals and get your fluids in. It works! You are doing fine and be sure to walk or some form of exercise several times a week. No worries the weight will come off! At times you will have a stall. Try not to weight daily. Maybe once a week? Yes, the hungry pains will come back and sometimes ai may drink Water or a Protein drink if I am not hungry!

[Veruca Salt 31]

As you stated it is not like before surgery. I don't get hungery but I feel very empty inside. I have to remind myself to eat because I work 3rd shift and it makes it hard to eat right. As for the first part of the questions, You will hit stalls and you may see that even though you don't see the scale falling does not mean you are not losing. You can lose inches and not lose wieght. I am going to say that is what is happening. Don't panic just yet. You can up your Protein, increase your calories, and start exercising. At 2 months out I was back to full time exercise. Try going out and walking.

[Arts137 1,811]

Some are more hungry, some less.

But do NOT worry about any stall. Stay on the program and this will pass...

[Justinh125 472]

Different people seem to shrink down at different rates. It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. It's also important to remember that ghrelin isn't the only hormone that regulates hunger. It's one of them, and this surgery does seem to decrease levels of it. But scientists have shown that when you decrease one hormone, frequently others "take up the slack" so to speak.

I still feel hunger, and sometimes it's a pretty strong feeling of hunger. But I've found I seem to do fine as long as when I'm hungry, I eat the foods my doc wants me to eat. Small portions make me feel full, and then I'm not hungry anymore.

[k95 3]

Thank you SOO much to everyone who replied to this, I honestly greatly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!! I'm glad I joined this forum as I don't feel as alone anymore. Also this information was very useful and I'm starting to feel better I guess my body has more to get adjusted to right now than just the surgery, I've recently started University so I assume the newly added stress as it is a big transition from high school may be playing a small part as well. It's just becoming difficult to make sure I eat when I should be and the exercise is extremely hard to get in as much as I want to do it!! But I must figure out a way to do so.

Also, for you guys, how long does your satisfaction tend to last for until you feel hungry again after eating? Most stories that I have followed up on stated that they feel satisfied for hours which helps in eating less and boosts the weight loss, so this is what worried me as I tend to feel hungry again fairly quick. Once again, thank you all for your great help!!

[Arts137 1,811]

Thank you SOO much to everyone who replied to this, I honestly greatly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!! I'm glad I joined this forum as I don't feel as alone anymore. Also this information was very useful and I'm starting to feel better I guess my body has more to get adjusted to right now than just the surgery, I've recently started University so I assume the newly added stress as it is a big transition from high school may be playing a small part as well. It's just becoming difficult to make sure I eat when I should be and the exercise is extremely hard to get in as much as I want to do it!! But I must figure out a way to do so.

Also, for you guys, how long does your satisfaction tend to last for until you feel hungry again after eating? Most stories that I have followed up on stated that they feel satisfied for hours which helps in eating less and boosts the weight loss, so this is what worried me as I tend to feel hungry again fairly quick. Once again, thank you all for your great help!!

If you "fill up" with Protein and veggies, they stay in the stomach longer and cause the "satiety response"... which makes you feel full and satisfied:

Satiation is your immediate reaction to the ingestion of food—the drive that causes you to stop eating. It is your body’s attempt to estimate future satiety via sensory input: smell, taste, texture, and stomach distention.

I’ve quoted this passage before, but I’ll quote it again, because it’s important:

Nutrition Bulletin Volume 34, Issue 2, pages 126–173, June 2009

Satiation, satiety and their effects on eating behaviour

B. Benelam

Signals about the ingestion of energy feed into specific areas of the brain that are involved in the regulation of energy intake, in response to the sensory and cognitive perceptions of the food or drink consumed, and distension of the stomach. These signals are integrated by the brain,

and satiation is stimulated.

When nutrients reach the intestine and are absorbed,

a number of hormonal signals that are again integrated in the brain to induce satiety are released.

It’s difficult to draw a sharp line between satiation and satiety: some foods digest very quickly, and their nutrients are available quickly enough for satiety to affect the satiation response. (Example: simple sugars and carbohydrates, whey Protein isolate.) And there is strong support for the idea that taking longer to eat results in lower food intake, probably because the satiety response begins to come into play.