Hunger after 4 months

[Heatherhei 15]

My hunger is coming back stronger than ever! Foods don't really bother my stomach anymore. I still can only eat a few bits and be full but hungry again in like 15 min. How do I stop this??? or make it easier

[Hope4NewMe 173]

When my hunger came back I had to really focus on lower calorie foods so I ate baby carrots or broccoli for Snacks if I couldn't wait for my next meal. Carrots did not work for my stomach at 1st though so be careful with them if you haven't tried them yet. I also live on low fat string cheese and grapes. I try to stick to just 3 meals a day but I have never had a strong restriction. Many people eat 5 or 6 small meals if they can't eat very much at any one time. Just make sure to hit your Protein goals because that will help you feel fuller longer and drink enough Water too. My office recommends staying around 1000 calories at 4 months so I would eat more often if needed but just made sure I didn't eat too many calories. It was a very frustrating time to feel hungry but unable to actually eat very much. My hunger did settle back down again after a few months though so hopefully yours will too. Good luck!

[Arabesque 7,417]

Unfortunately, yes your hunger comes back as do all your cravings, old bad habits, etc.

it can be difficult at first to discern between real hunger & head hunger. Real hunger feels different. I feel restless as if something is wrong. There is always a logical reason I feel hungry (haven’t eaten, missed a meal, didn’t eat much,). If there isn’t a reason to feel hungry or if I crave a specific food, flavour or texture I know it’s head hunger.
Head hunger often passes real hunger doesn’t. If you are still producing too much stomach acid you may have hunger pangs. Hunger pangs & your tummy rumbling usually isn’t a sign of hunger as we were always told - it’s just either too much acid (try taking a ppi or antacid) or your digestive system working properly.

Distractions can help. Go for a walk, craft, read, clean out a cupboard or drawer, ring a friend, check this forum, play a game. Even set a time - I’ll have something to eat in half an hour & then chose a nutrient dense low calorie option. Sipping a warm drink can help too.

Many find counselling very helpful to understand your relationship with food & what drives you to eat (your cravings, emotions, habits, etc.). They’ll also help you work out ways to manage these when they feel like they’re taking over. You won’t stop the but you’ll better identify why you want to eat & work out ways to take away some of their power.

[Spinoza 1,453]

Great advice above. I had a sleeve so my experience might be different from yours OP. My full on hunger returned about 7 or 8 months out. Sorry yours has come back so soon - it is sooo variable.

I have religiously stuck to the Protein first mantra ever since. I find if I eat an ounce or two of deli meat, yes it might be more calorific than veg or fruit, but it kept me full for MUCH longer. Plus gets me to protein goal.

I say experiment and find what works for you. Absolutely echo what @Arabesque says about head vs real hunger - if you're craving something particular then it might be worth trying to distract yourself/defer eating. If you're properly hungry then go for a small amount of protein and re-evaluate half an hour later.

[Spinoza 1,453]

I should have said - nuts and seeds work equally well (or better) for achieving satiety for me. More calorific though so use depending on what your intake has been that day.