Complete loss of appetite

[Cognorati001 23]

I was sleeved on July 17. At first, I was constantly hungry, and it wasn't head hunger or heartburn. Suddenly, last week, I noticed that I'm not hungry at all, ever -- I only realized, yesterday, that I haven't managed to eat lunch the whole week because I felt full.. It's also difficult for me to eat when I''m not hungry, because it makes me nauseous. Today was the most extreme: I had some Peanut Butter and whole grain bread and soy milk, and that was it-- and after I drank the soymilk, I got the nausea.

I'm glad I'm not hungry all the time, but I'm extremely concerned about being malnourished, and I don't want to lose my hair or have complications...

Has anyone else had this happen?

[TJBintheOC 104]

Yes...it will pass. If you're not hungry, don't eat. I'm 10 weeks out and if I'm not hungry, I don't eat. I don't get all my Protein either. I'm not weak. My hair hasn't fallen out. I feel good. When I post things like this I notice negative comments. I've never had a NUT. I don't measure my food. I don't track my protein. I use common sense. Listen to your body. We got this surgery to stop the mental anguish and obsession over food. We've got this. Good luck. ❤️

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I disagree. From everything I have learned from my surgeon and NUT, it is critical that you get in all your Protein. If you don't eat lunch every once in a blue moon it is not the end of the world, but it is very important to keep up with your Protein.

Best of luck and keep trying.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

I just talked to a friend who was sleeved in February. She doesn't track her Protein, and, from what she tells me she eats, it seems unlikely that she is getting the amount of Protein we were taught in nutritional classes to get.

From a medical standpoint, what actually can happen if you don't get enough protein?

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

You need protein: to heal from surgery; to build muscle and tissue, like skin; to avoid losing muscle in organs (like your heart); to let your body know it is not starving/keep your metabolism running; and to not feel hungry.

According to my surgeon, getting enough Protein is what helps us both heal and lose weight. If we do not get enough Protein, our body thinks it is a time of famine and will store everything it can to keep from starving, even if we are consuming enough calories.

[BarrySue 602]

Short answer: you won't drop dead.

Long answer: Your body is a wide array of complex processes, and not getting the right Protein and micronutrients/vitamins can set off a lot of unpleasant reactions you won't be aware of, and can ultimately hurt you and your weight loss efforts.

I never really reach my nutritional goals, but when I do eat (ugh, it's such a chore sometimes, this eating thing, right?) I try to make sure I'm at least eating some Protein. Here's why your body needs it:

You want to break down your fat, right? It's a lot of tightly condensed carbs, which is why we try to stay low-carb/low simple-carb, because we wanna flush those suckers out of there. However, to help break down these fat cells, we need energy to do it. Where does that energy come from? Protein.

Skip ahead. So you're not really getting your protein, but you figure "hey, so what? I'm losing weight anyhow!"

Here's the issue: Your body will cannibalize your muscles to do it. Your scale may move, but you will be losing increasing amounts of muscle versus those dreaded fat cells you really want to go.

As time passes, while you may feel great, there will be other symptoms that set it slowly. Malnutrition is a chronic beast that creeps up on you slowly, and that downing some Vitamins can't immediately fix. Your teeth might get loose. Your hair might thin a little. Your nails may not grow as fast. You walk around okay, but you head to a theme park and realize you get fatigued after long distances. Your bones, which as a woman are in a constant state of Calcium buildup and loss, will become more brittle, and it will be VERY difficult to fix this process.

Do I think you can not follow the NUT's guide and be okay? Yes. Do I think you should try to get as close as possible and not simply brush off what someone has spent their entire life studying to try and help people like you? Yes.

Just stick to it. Experiment with different foods. Don't give up entirely. We got fat because we were passive/lax with food choices. Don't let the same habits re-emerge now.

[sherryboberry 3]

If you don't eat make sure you at least take Protein supplements or your body will use your own muscle for energy. I also can go hours and forget to eat especially at work. I'm sick of the bars and Protein Shakes so I read a bunch of VSG blogs and found out about Unjury Protein. My fav is the chicken flavor. It is like Lipton cup of Soup and tastes great with about 21 grams of Protein. I also got the unflavored and add to cream of wheat or anything I can mix it with.

Edited September 6, 2015 by sherryboberry