"No Hunger", really?

Hello everyone,

In trying to make the decision between RNY and VSG I've had two practitioners tell me that while both are restrictive, with the RNY you "don't feel hunger".  I also heard an interesting piece on NPR this weekend about the bacteria in the intestines changing in RNY patients and that this has something to do with weight loss as well (they gave RNY to rats and then transferred the bacteria to fat rats that then lost weight).  I would like to hear from those of you with RNY if you agree with the "no hunger" statement? 

I had the lapband, so I understand restrictive.  This was something different.  Thoughts?

Thanks,

I think you will find that the answer will vary from person to person.  I've read lots of people get their hunger back.

I still don't get hungry like I used to.  I do get a kind of feeling in my pouch that is hard to describe like a gnawing feeling and if I think about what I have eaten I usually find out I've not had lunch and it is really later in the afternoon.

The head hunger is still with me.  I can think about all kinds of things I want to eat and can make myself actually think that I am hungry, when I'm really not.  Usually drinking something will help with that.

I don't know anything about the bacteria you are talking about.  RNY is a malabsorption surgery so you need to be committed to taking certain vitamins and having lab work done the rest of your life.

Please study the different types of surgeries before you make a decision and get the one that will fit in with your life and will help you.

Linda

I agree with Linda. I suffer more from head hunger than true hunger.

Like Linda said - it will vary from person to person.

I did not feel hunger for a very very long time.  I'm told the Dr's cut the Vagus nerve... which signals to your brain you're hungry.  Not sure if all of them do that or not.  I do feel hunger now (4.5 years out) but it feels like Linda said - sometimes a gnawing.. but my tummy does still rumble a lot.  Does that regardless if I'm hungry or not.  I also can at times attribute the hunger to when I've eaten too many carbs... it can feel like a "different" type of hunger... hard to explain.  Cut the carbs, and the feeling of hunger subsides...

There will always be "head hunger".  I wonder when people say they're hungry if that's what they really mean, especially very early out.  I couldn't fathom being hungry with a pouch holding 1.5 oz or so right after surgery. 

I've heard about that piece you mentioned.  It's been a month or so since I've heard it.  Didn't really think too much about it - I wouldn't mind reading the whole study.

I read that also.  Interesting for sure.

I didn't feel hungry for a very long time.  I wasn't even head hungry, just no interested in food period.   I ate on schedule and weighed/measured everything.  I do feel hungry now sometimes but I still eat pretty much on schedule.  sometimes I get really hungry and if I can't eat, it goes away.  that always amazes me.

So, I am one of the rare ones who felt hunger early out.....REAL hunger.  I would say within a month or so hunger came back.  The good thing is I also felt fullness.  So, I ate very small amounts and could tell quickly if I ate too much.  This has been a challenge for me as I am hungry often.   I am thankful FOR ME that I had RNY and not VSG as I think I would have lost less with no mal-absorption.  DS wasnt an optin with my insurance and I am unsure if I could have complied with the rigourous supplementation needed for DS.

I did read the study you are referring to and I believe that it is just in the prelimanary stages  (the idea of transplanting bacteria without actual surgery to cause weight loss).

Many people are very happy with the VSG.  It can be a hard decision.  If you need NSAIDS that should also be in consideration.

Good luck...

Jennifer

I know in the beginning, I didn't feel hunger and felt full quickly. That only lasted for awhile. I know by a year out and today, I still feel hungry. I have to stop and figure out if its true hunger or I am just wanting to eat for emotional reasons. It is worse if I am eating simple carbs. Simple carbs really do not cause a feeling of fullness. Leaves me wanting more, probably causes issues with my blood sugar.

ALL WLS gives you hunger control. Bypass, sleeve and DS all do that. Lapband even does for some.

If you look at the data, long term results with sleeve and RnY are about the same so I suspect they give similar hunger control. 

However, VSG removes the part of the stomach that produces most of our ghrelin, which is the hormone that make people feel hunger. In some studies, they've found that long term RnYers have ghrelin levels that are the same post-op as before but with VSG ghrelin levels are almost always reduced. OTOH, with a lapband, ghrelin levels *increase*.

Of course ghrelin isn't the only thing that makes you hungry or lapbanders wouldn't have hunger control and some of them do (the ones who find their sweet spot). But I knew pre-op that most of my hunger was driven by ghrelin so I was very sold on having it removed. I'm 4.5 years out now and I have below average hunger levels. I still have to make myself eat sometimes because if I ate to my hunger, I would be too thin.

Since I didn't have RnY, I have no idea if that would also be true of RnY but I know a lot of my RnY friends talk about the hunger coming back "the same as before". Honestly, I don't really believe that. I think their hunger must be reduced from before or they'd gain all their weight back. But the studies show their ghrelin levels are the same so maybe they do have the same amount of hunger and it's other things that are keeping their weight off.

OTOH, Dr Roslin just wrote this article for OH that talks about this and he seems to think all long-term weight loss success is hunger control and he says sleeve and bypass end up performing about the same so I suspect the hunger is about the same in the long run.

Here's Dr. Roslin's article where he talks about all 4 surgeries and about how hunger control is what makes WLS work:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/choice-of-bariatric-proc edure-a-philosophy-obtained-in-20-years-of-bariatric-practic e-2/