Will you always have *that feeling* while eating?

[Penguin733 14]

Hello all, I'm near 7 weeks post-op and I was wondering if the feeling in the stomach while eating will forever be present?

Sorry if that's vague, but since being let loose with no restrictions I am being consciousness to not take big bites, chewing/eating slowly, and that I need to reintroduce foods, but when I eat I still get a feeling in my stomach like when you eat with an empty stomach and it clunks, something different from feeling full. It's honestly putting me off from eating from time to time and was wondering if there's an end to where I can just eat normally and feel full? As with things I've been already familiarized myself with during recovery (popsicles, steamed veggies, and Protein shakes) seem to be not an issue.

[catwoman7 11,209]

I don't feel the same way I did pre-surgery. I get an uncomfortable, sort of pressure-like feeling in my chest. When I start feeling that, I know it's time to stop, or I'm going to be sorry. Some people get even weirder signals, like sneezing. I'm not saying you'll never get back to feeling "full" in the same way you used to, I'm just letting you know my experience. It's not the same for me, but after eight years, I'm used to this new "signal".

[maintenanceman 285]

10 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I get an uncomfortable, sort of pressure-like feeling in my chest. When I start feeling that, I know it's time to stop

Same. It's what keeps me from overeating. The downside... well, not really a downside... is that I am always very aware of my sleeve. I spend a lot of time thinking about food and how my stomach will respond to various foods. I never forget that I have a sleeve. That's a good thing overall, but it is something to be mindful of.

[Spinoza 1,360]

It has never ever from day 1 felt the same as before for me and I'm 22 months post op.

I think that I had a really delayed feeling of fullness throughout my adult life, which contributed to me eating myself into obesity. Having the sleeve has totally changed the cues my stomach sends when it's full. Weirdly they still seem to be really delayed, but I can predict and manage the cues better.

It'll be really hard for you at 7 weeks out to predict how you will be long term but I think don't expect to 'eat normally and feel full' as you did before. The point of the surgery is to change what you felt and did before and, believe me. you will!!

I wish you the best of luck.

[Arabesque 7,185]

Most of us end up with different signals to indicate when we’ve had enough to eat: sneezing, runny nose, heaviness, etc. or restriction. Because we eat more slowly we start to understand our real full signals & not suddenly get to that groaning, stomach stretching, oh my God I’m so full feeling because we are way too much. (It usually takes 20 odd minutes for the real signal you are full to get to your brain.) I try not to eat until I feel full. I ask myself if I need the next bite or just want it. I often pick up the next spoonful & decide nope don’t need it & put it down. Sometimes I’ll have it a few minutes later & sometimes I don’t. But that’s me & how I manage my eating.

You may find as you start eating heavier, denser foods your tummy may be more sensitive & signal you more quickly. These foods sit in your tummy longer as they take longer to digest so you will feel your signals a little more quickly than with purees, soft foods & liquids. It’s all part of your healing & recovery. There may be some foods that will always sit more heavily which is just a quirk of your own tummy. For me I found breads, rice & Pasta do so I avoid them which isn’t difficult or a loss.

I guess I do eat differently only in that I eat more slowly, take smaller bites & generally try to eat more consciously/mindfully in that I pay attention to what & how I eat & not just shovel food in. I appreciate the heaviness I feel & even my restriction (though unpleasant) on the occasions I’m distracted & not paying attention to what & how I’m eating - & we all have those times.

[Deep6 66]

I've found different foods to process differently (bypass +hiatal hernia repair, June 6th of this year). My wife made a Bolognese sauce (ground turkey) that went down like it was meant to, and caused no gastro-intestinal distress. @Penguin733, fwiw, I suspect that at 7 weeks, I was just getting into real food.

I got religion when I got stopped up, and got the "foamies." Talking to surgeon, and folks here, I was told to measure or weigh. I now know better what I can eat, both in terms of volume and nature of the the food. (FWIW, I had a nice small loin lamb chop tonight and et the whole thing!).

Give yourself some time and also recognize that some foods are harder to digest than others; if you look at the surgical procedure that you underwent, you'll understand that there is a stronger filter in place than before; that can help you lose weight. In my case, it also reduced the amount of gastric acid blowing back up my esophagus, which was the driver for me. I've also lost a massive amount of weight in a short time. I respect what this operation can do.

[BabySpoons 604]

9 hours ago, Deep6 said:

I got religion when I got stopped up, and got the "foamies."

Bad situation...great line. LOL

At 5 1/2 months post op, I am finding myself getting less nauseated and my tummy tolerating things way better. I can eat more too which is a bit concerning but I'm not experiencing the foamies lately and realizing I haven't had to use my barf bags in a good while.

I am stalled ATM, which is OK. It's to be expected. I had a good long run without one. The restriction is still there but not as painful if that makes sense. If I don't finish a meal, I set it aside and eat a bit more later. That can get some people in trouble, so I stay mindful of how many calories I consume in a day.

20 hours ago, Penguin733 said:

I was wondering if the feeling in the stomach while eating will forever be present?

I hope mine is. I need that reminder to stop. But it definitely gets better to where you can enjoy your meal but know when to put the fork or spoon down.

GL