5 months - more capacity and HUNGER - Vets input please

Hey All -

So I hit 5 months earlier this week. Literally this week, I have noticed that I am able to eat more then before. For example: I was able to eat 3.5 ounce of hamburger patty, and 4 good pieces of broccoli. I have also been noticing hunger creeping in more regularly then before too. Like, every few hours, I am feeling hunger. Never felt that prior, as I pretty much had to remind my self to eat on some days. Now, I have never been great about getting a ton of water in. I still struggle to get the 64 ounces of fluid a day. I am sticking with protein 1st. I did stop taking my PPI about a month ago. Could that be the cause of the hunger issue at this stage?? I have read in the search box, that quite a lot of people noticed they could eat more around this time too? What is all of your experience/advice?

Thanks a bunch!

I am eating more at a seating (I'm about to be 6 months) but I did notice at the 5 month mark that I had more capacity.  I still am drinking mi PPI, I don't feel more hunger, just at the times of day when I eat if I take longer to do so, except after dinner I get some hunger and have a healthy snack of some kind of nuts with a little fruit. I was concerned about this, but I guess its normal. 

Thanks Dia! Seems like it is pretty normal at this stage, for the capacity change. I am going to try my PPI again, and see if it helps :) 

Ok not to sound dumb but what is PPI?

PPI- proton-pump inhibitor- a group of drugs whose main action is a pronounced and long- lasting reduction of gastric acid production.

i usually take  an anti-acid pill every day and it really seems to help.

Thank you for letting me know.  Actually I should of known that with my medical background in pharmacology but I have been having brain farts lately and just could not place what that was.

no question is dumb.  I wondered the same thing and would have asked on this post until I saw you already did.

What Iheart said exactly :) and agree 56sun too - there are no stupid questions! There is a lot of information to take in, with having this surgery. 

It is perfectly normal for you to notice increases in capacity over time. Mine came at 5 to 6 months, then again at 9 months, one more time at about 12 months and finally, sometime around 18 months post op I noticed a slight increase again. So for me now at almost 3 years out I can eat 3 - 4 oz of dense protein, 1/3 - 1/2 cup of vegetables.That makes me full.

IF I eat a strictly vegetable meal, say a mixed salad, I can eat seemingly a lot more. However, I've sort of figured out that once I chew up all those veggies they really don't take up all that much room in my sleeve.

A return of hunger is also very normal. For some it comes back early - around 3 months. Another group it seems to hit at 5 to 6 months (you!). Then there is a larger group that it seems to return between 9 and 12 months. I was in that latter group. But, my hunger is less now than it was at 2 years out. I've figured out that I can control my level of hunger by what I eat. (Yeah, rocket science, I know. Slow learner here!)

I'd experiment with the PPI. Go back on it and see if the hunger stops. I had to go on one at about 15 months out and that stopped all the "hunger" symptoms I was experiencing.

May I suggest you try eating a dry piece of chicken breast with a high fiber green vegetable? I think you'll find that you can eat less of that than the hamburger meat and broccoli. Hamburger is pre chewed and easier on your sleeve and unless you're eating the broccoli stems, the floret doesn't have much fiber to fill you up.

The longer I'm in this the more I realize that it's not always how much we can eat, but what we choose to eat that matters.

Remember, too, that just because you can eat something - whether it's portion size or type of food - it doesn't mean you have to!

Thanks Kairk, great info! I am definitely going to give the PPI a try again, and see if that could be part of the issue. I am also going to run with your advise on the chicken. That is the one protein that has always sat heavy, so I do not eat it very often. Maybe it will be a bit easier now, and be more filling instead of heavy and uncomfortable. I still keep my carbs at a minimum, and don't want to test the waters there, being I can eat a bit more now. It was odd to me, it seemed like the capacity change over night. I am assuming this is because of my sleeve is healed completely. Thank again your input, helps a lot