You will get hungry

[FancyChristine15 810]

For the most part, you will have a hungry feeling again, even after your surgery. That is a common misconception that people seem to have; people think they because they've had surgery, they won't be hungry again. Know that you probably will. Sometimes it may be head hunger, but sometimes it's actual hunger. I didn't experience it right after surgery, but I did experience hunger a couple of months post op. Just an FYI

[S@ssen@ch 745]

I second that! I had no hunger for the first few weeks, but it eventually came back. Not that voracious, tummy grumbling feeling but more of a nagging emptiness.

[Swanton_Bomb 522]

13 minutes ago, S@ssen@ch said:

I second that! I had no hunger for the first few weeks, but it eventually came back. Not that voracious, tummy grumbling feeling but more of a nagging emptiness.

Is your hunger satisfied by eating according to plan, or do you just never feel satisfied anymore?

[Healthy_life 1,437]

42 minutes ago, Swanton_Bomb said:

Is your hunger satisfied by eating according to plan, or do you just never feel satisfied anymore?

Yes, I feel satisfied with food. I have times of hunger. Hunger is more manageable since I had surgery.

[S@ssen@ch 745]

1 hour ago, Swanton_Bomb said:

Is your hunger satisfied by eating according to plan, or do you just never feel satisfied anymore?

I would say that most of the time I vary between feeling full and feeling satisfied. Full being right after I've eaten and it stays that way for about 30 min to an hour. After that, I feel rather satisfied.

This hunger is a really different hunger. The best I can describe it is "empty". It's not painful and it's not annoying, just empty. When I get there, I find myself searching for food or planning for food. If I let it go too long, it gets REALLY easy to make very bad choices because it can switch over to that crazy hungry where I need to eat NOW. My stomach doesn't really growl to alert me, so these subtle signs are the only real signs.

This whole experience has forced me to become more alert to my body's needs. It's language is much more subtle than we expect it to be. It's also forced me to be prepared. I plan most of my meals and I carry "safe" items with me and/or keep items in my desk so that I never really get to that out of control hunger that I was used to before the sleeve.

[GreenTealael 25,336]

Some people even wake up from surgery and claim they are hungry! I wish they wouldn't use the elimination of hunger as a selling point for these surgeries. It's setting people up big time...

[Matt Z 4,139]

My excluded stomach growled at me after surgery. And does so every once and again, but I don't get real hunger sensations, at least at this point, I'm only 7-8 months out. But the OP is correct, a large percentage of WLS patients will lose their hunger sensations for a while, but *most* will have it return within the first year. It's only a lucky few that never have them again. And as GreeanTealael said, some never lose it at all. It's all a gamble based on how your body will react to the surgery, what nerves are cut and don't regrow, etc. The myth that the sleeve will eliminate your hunger sensations is just that, a myth, mainly because of the limited or lacking researching into what exactly controls our hunger and hunger sensations. Doctors have an idea, but hunger is a very interesting and not well understood system.

[Bryn910 519]

Up, so true. I had revision from sleeve to RNY and I feel hungry 6 months post op

[Chevron 49]

Yup had a sleeve and still hungry but much more in control. When I previously had a plication (later reversed) I was not hungry for months. It was great.

[magpie26 244]

I've been hungry since surgery 7 months ago, less intense, manageable, but there all throughout the day. I deal with it. But yes, it is very annoying when they tell everyone in the orientation that you won't feel hungry again and you'll have to remind yourself to eat. I set timers to eat, but it's kind of scheduled mealtimes so I won't overeat and I plan my meals out for the day to a T with some wiggle room. Just like learning how to eat with my new sleeve I've adapted to my new life and definitely pay attention to the head vs. real hunger. (As a weird lol side note hunger was autocorrected to bacon)

[Medowsweet 52]

It is expected to (eventually) get hungry several hours after eating, and then be satisfied by a small meal...

But what scares me... Kinda terrifies me... Is the idea of being hungry but physically unable to eat! To just have constant, gnawing hunger you can never satisfy because you don't have the room or whatever!

Of if your body insists it needs 2000+ calories a day, and so you can be satisfied on your little 5 bite meal.... But only for fifteen minutes... And then the hunger comes back forcing you to graze all day or suffer hunger for hours between meals.

That would be a horror show.

[magpie26 244]

10 hours ago, Medowsweet said:

It is expected to (eventually) get hungry several hours after eating, and then be satisfied by a small meal...

But what scares me... Kinda terrifies me... Is the idea of being hungry but physically unable to eat! To just have constant, gnawing hunger you can never satisfy because you don't have the room or whatever!

Of if your body insists it needs 2000+ calories a day, and so you can be satisfied on your little 5 bite meal.... But only for fifteen minutes... And then the hunger comes back forcing you to graze all day or suffer hunger for hours between meals.

That would be a horror show.

I don't find it the case. I'm hungry, I eat and am satisfied for awhile and then feel hunger again sometimes not too long after but a lot of times that depends on a few things. 1. What I ate previously, like I had Raisin Bran, I wanted the Fiber but it was a poor choice. It made me feel full but I know it will make my blood sugar spike soon, I should have had more of a Protein dense meal. So I know I will feel hungry in a little bit but I will have some tea and then have something protein rich. 2. Moods- boredom and depression are culprits. 3. Dehydration- I have been slacking on my Fluid intake.

This time of year I have terrible depression, when I'm home I can wander around and do the open the fridge and cupboards, I want carbs and sugar, normal for Seasonal depression.

Your body may tell you more calories but most likely it's our brains. I'm talking to my therapist today about this actually. I feel like very few understand and even in this community some can be outright mean. I know we'll be ok.

[S@ssen@ch 745]

10 hours ago, Medowsweet said:

It is expected to (eventually) get hungry several hours after eating, and then be satisfied by a small meal...

But what scares me... Kinda terrifies me... Is the idea of being hungry but physically unable to eat! To just have constant, gnawing hunger you can never satisfy because you don't have the room or whatever!

Of if your body insists it needs 2000+ calories a day, and so you can be satisfied on your little 5 bite meal.... But only for fifteen minutes... And then the hunger comes back forcing you to graze all day or suffer hunger for hours between meals.

That would be a horror show.

In my experience, the "hunger" we're talking about isn't "constant, gnawing" by any means. While I do get a bit of "head hunger" where I want to eat but I don't really NEED to eat, it's very manageable and it seems directly related to whether or not I've gotten a little carried away with carbs/sugar. I also get what I would consider normal hunger. I eat. I feel satisfied. After a few hours, I'm hungry again because I haven't eaten. And the cycle starts again.

I have no constant hunger that I cannot satisfy. Heck, I eat with my family and when I'm full, I'm full. I'm not sitting there suffering because I can't eat the food in front of me. I have no desire to eat it. #1-I know that if I do, I will not feel well for long after that bite passed my lips and #2-I'm full, satisfied, and no longer hungry. I do not graze all day. I eat Breakfast around 7 or 8. I have a protein-based snack around 10 or 1030. I eat lunch around 1. I eat dinner around 6. If I really feel hungry between lunch and dinner, I might have a little snack like nuts or fruit, but not always. And I try to never eat after 7.

I'm not quite sure where you're going with the "if your body insists it needs 2000+ calories" comment. Our bodies get used to a certain caloric intake and when you change that, the body reacts. But, I don't think it has much to do with true hunger, maybe head hunger. Maybe you envision it feeling like you're starving? I can honestly say that I have never had that "starving" feeling since being sleeved (even when I've gone hours and hours, having forgotten to eat). And yes, you CAN be satisfied on a small meal. Early on, your meals probably are about 5 bites, but those 5 bites filled me up. I eat more than 5 bites now. I'm up to about a 3/4 of a cup and I'm absolutely satisfied with that and not just for 15 minutes. I feel full for at least an hour on that 3/4 cup and satisfied for hours, satisfied meaning that I'm not hungry and I'm not obsessing on my next meal/finding snacks/etc.

I think that the implication that you will not be hungry after this surgery is an exaggeration and is highly individual. I can honestly say that I had no hunger for the first 3 months. During this healing time, I ate because I knew I had to introduce nutrition and/or hydration into my body. Then, I noticed that I was starting to get hungry late afternoon, hours after lunch, but before my dinner. But let me repeat, it is NOT the same hunger that I had prior to surgery where it was very easy to go on a binge and get out of control.

[ScorpioC_RnY 17]

I don't find it the case. I'm hungry, I eat and am satisfied for awhile and then feel hunger again sometimes not too long after but a lot of times that depends on a few things. 1. What I ate previously, like I had Raisin Bran, I wanted the fiber but it was a poor choice. It made me feel full but I know it will make my blood sugar spike soon, I should have had more of a Protein dense meal. So I know I will feel hungry in a little bit but I will have some tea and then have something protein rich. 2. Moods- boredom and depression are culprits. 3. Dehydration- I have been slacking on my Fluid intake.
This time of year I have terrible depression, when I'm home I can wander around and do the open the fridge and cupboards, I want carbs and sugar, normal for Seasonal depression.
Your body may tell you more calories but most likely it's our brains. I'm talking to my therapist today about this actually. I feel like very few understand and even in this community some can be outright mean. I know we'll be ok.

I totally understand you. Seasonal depression is REAL. I am going through this right now myself. Best of luck. We will get through this.

ScorpioC_RnY

[Medowsweet 52]

Thanks. That isn't nearly as scary as "You WILL be hungry" sounds.

And "hungry, but less powerfully so and easier to satisfy" is really good news!

Yeah, I expect to have "cravings". Particularly if I eat too much sugar and fall off the wagon. I tend to get re-addicted fast!! (I am struggling with that right now given the holidays! Ugh! And I was doing so well before! I really, really was!)

Are cravings any less? Or just about the same?