Feeling discouraged.

[Dldop 0]

I had the sleeve on 4/22. I have lost 36 pounds since starting liquids. I previously had a lap band that was removed 10 years ago. With the sleeve I feel almost zero restriction. I feel I could eat as long as I wanted. I can drink and drink. I’m getting close to 2 gallons a day with no issue and have been from first day post op. I am hungry all the time. I don’t feel satisfied ever. I’m restricting myself to 1200 calories a day. I thought this would be more like the band where you felt full. I hate being constantly hungry. I’m at a loss. I read other people saying they they can only eat small amounts and have to struggle to get the Protein and I think I wouldn’t mind some of that.

[Blondz 0]

Are you still on liquids ? I had my surgery 4/18 and I’m eating almost everything except tough meats and raw vegetables.

[Dldop 0]

I’m eating solids. Deli meat, hummus, mushrooms, tortilla’s, eggs. Celery and lettuce. I’ve had chicken once. I don’t know just seem to always be starving.

[Arabesque 7,617]

First, during the surgery lots of nerves were cut so messages about feeling full, hungry, etc, either don’t get through or are distorted. It takes about 8 weeks to heal so most of days find we don’t start to feel our restriction until we’re into solid foods. Also, fluids & purées to a lesser extent go through your digestive system a lot more quickly so you don’t really fill up in rather same way. Tread carefully with the volume of food & liquids you can consume quickly for the same reason. Allow yourself to heal so you don’t strain or stress your digestive system which is being held together with sutures & staples. All because you can doesn’t mean you should in the first two months. We all can & should be able to eat & drink larger & larger portions as we progress until we get to a recommended & appropriate portion size.

Try not to eat until you feel full. Try to identify when you’ve had enough. I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it. It takes at least 20 minutes for the signal that you’ve had enough to get through so by the time it does you’ve likely eaten more than you need.

While some people do continue to feel hungry the majority lose their hunger for a number of months. Start by discerning if you are feeling real hunger or head hunger. Craving a specific food, texture or flavour is head hunger. Are you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry, sad, etc.? Many of us ate to sooth or comfort ourselves when our emotions were in turmoil. This too is a head hunger. It takes a while for your digestive system to adjust so you keep producing the same amount of stomach acid as you did before surgery. Excess acid can make you think you’re hungry (are you on a PPI to reduce stomach acid?) Hunger pangs/pains or a rumbling tummy also in most cases don’t indicate real hunger but excess stomach acid & your digestive system working. Many of us discover new signals for being or almost full (sneezing, runny nose, hiccups, etc.). We often find that feeling hungry (real hunger) is different too. For me I get restless, like something is wrong, I don’t crave anything & there is a reason why I would be hungry (like missed a meal, or ate very little at a previous meal, etc.)

As an example. Yesterday went to a family event at a restaurant. Ate very little (they cleared our plates way too quickly for how slowly I eat). Got home late afternoon. Gnawed a trimmed chicken leg for dinner which I bought up (darn foamies). Ate a Protein Bar & went to bed. Tossed & turned & while tired couldn’t sleep. Argued with myself about whether I was really hungry or not. Realised besides the small lunch, bringing up my dinner, I’d also mixed two Snacks. Debated what I wanted to eat (nothing specific). Real hunger. Got up & finished my leftover rolled oats Breakfast (usually an afternoon snack). Then happily went back to bed & slept.

There is a lot you have to learn & work out about your body, how it works now & your thinking. It takes time but you’ll get there.

PS Congrats on your surgery & weight loss so far.

[Nabih_bawazir 9]

I have similar feeling, the closer myself to sleep, hungrier I am

[NickelChip 1,358]

4 hours ago, Nabih_bawazir said:

I have similar feeling, the closer myself to sleep, hungrier I am

This happens to a lot of people, both bariatric and not. One reason, I think, is that we restrict ourselves early in the day to "be good." It's an old "dieting" way of thinking, like if I eat nothing all day, I will lose weight. So your body gets tired from lack of fuel and starts to send hunger signals, and you ignore them until evening comes, by which time you can't fight them off as much. Plus, now you are probably getting cravings for all sorts of junk food that will give your body a rapid energy burst because your body is sneaky like that.

Eating your biggest meal in the morning or early afternoon can help reduce evening cravings, as can adding in more Fiber with each meal in the form of vegetables, if you have the capacity. Try to shift your major calorie intake to early in the day so your evening meal is just a light bite to finish the day. If that doesn't help, try breaking the cycle of what triggers cravings at night. For me, watching television is a big one because of the association with old snacking habits, plus the constant food commercials. Sometimes recognizing the bad habit and naming it to yourself, like "I only think I am hungry because I am watching a commercial for a fast food restaurant right now" actually helps you overcome it.

[TwinkleToes87 15]

According to my post op instructions, we weren’t allowed to eat regular foods until 8 weeks post op. Maybe try to go back on pureed/soft. Then once you get to 8 weeks introduce regular food. Hoping the best for you!