Preops please read-> hunger doesn't go away for everybody!

You are right, the hunger does not go away for everybody.  Here are the things that my doctor has told me help with hunger and some of my own tricks too.
1) Eat way more protein then you are doing.  There is no way that you are getting in enough protein by eating 1-2 oz. per meal.  Even at 2-3 oz. you would not be getting enough.  Try to aim for closer to 100 g. of protein a day.  Reduce carbs to less then 40g. probably closer to 20 g. and your hunger will "magically" disappear.  It really is amazing, but it works.  Drink way, and I mean way more water or tea then you think necessary.  It really helps take the hunger away.  When you are in maintenance, I have discovered that eating more fiber while still keeping the carbs low, works wonders for hunger as well.  My hunger went away completely, but then returned by about the 8 month mark.  I have it now, but I manage it.  So I guess the good news is that you can lose and maintain your weight even if the hunger doesn't go away or returns.

Actually, I am getting at least 60-70 grams of protein a day...  My meals and snacks are almost all very high in protein.  I can try to up this and see if it helps me feel fuller.

A challenge I have with keeping my carbs as low as you suggest is that my doctor wants me to drink 3 cups of milk a day.  I usually drink one cup of milk and a nonfat latte, and that alone puts me close to 40 grams of carbs.  How do you keep your carbs at 20g?

Even if changing my eating habits further doesn't make my hunger go away, I'm fine with it.  It doesn't bug me to get hungry around meal/snack time :)

I was at 20 g total a day on my losing phase and still had hunger, so again, its a magic for some, not so magic for others sort of deal. 

I kept my carbs at 20 by eating dense proteins, having 1 carb protein shakes and not using milk to mix my shakes with.

Not being never hungry does not bother me either, meh. Its "normal"  :}

What kind of protein shakes have 1 carb?  I might check them out :)

Syntrax Chocolate Truffle.  They have wonked out the serving info, but a serving is 1 scoop, so times all that information by 4 - so its 100 calories and 24 g of protein.

http://www6.netrition.com/syntrax_nectar_page.html#NUTFACTS

I also, when I started wanting a milky something to mix with shakes, use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Also unsweetened coconut milk (in a container like cow milk, not the cans of coconut milk) have small amounts of carbs.  I get the unsweetened vanilla almond milk at Wal-Mart for 3 bucks, and its not vanilla-y tasting unless or until you sweeten it.  I use it to cook savory things and make whip taters for my beloved - and you cannot taste any vanillaness unless, again, you sweeten it.

Before I found the Optimum Nutrition cake batter flavor that I use now, the Syntrax Chocolates were my favorite that I always went back to. Not the fruity kinds or their vanillas, but just the chocolates.

Since surgery, my hunger has changed from a growling, vicious, I'm going to kill you if you don't feed me kind of hunger, to just a feeling of empty - that is how I know if I am ready to eat or not. If I don't feel "empty" then I know it is my head wanting something, not my body needing it.

I should mention that I had hunger even right after surgery.  When I was having no carbs and all isopure :)  It appears that some people might think that people who have hunger are doing something "wrong"?  I don't mean to come of b*tchy, but I don't think people should always make that assumption.  There are people who woke up with no hunger, and people who woke up with full hunger... before even going on to solid foods.  For those of us with hunger, I definitely think when, what, and how much we eat impacts how much hunger we feel.  However, I think it does newbies a diservice to make them think if they take a PPI, drink tons of water, bone up on the protein, and have little carbs, they won't have hunger.  For some of us, hunger is just part of our life now :)  I don't mean to be mean or judgy, I just want to make sure the newbies know that there isn't a guarantee that they will have a life without hunger :)

When folks are trying to be helpful, because *they* do not have the same issue as you, and they have been told that it *ought not* happen, then sometimes it can feel a little judgey, but its not their heart.

Its like me and the fact that no matter HOW MUCH dense protein I EAT, I do NOT process it, and my protein labs are in the ****ter unless I get 75 (or more) g of protein BY SHAKE every day.

We have a popular doctor who "does not believe" that can happen (even though one of his patient's had the same deal, so its not because of an inferior surgery) and who has told folks that they will absorb dense proteins better than shakes (which, labs show is not true *for me*) and I have had folks tell me "not consuming enough protein and not processing it are not the same" like I was a Mo-Ron.

*shrug* 

I agree with you, obviously, which is why I mention it a lot and share with folks who tell others that ALL the ghrelin is out of their system after surgery and hunger is an impossibility that, while it may be in their glossy brochure, its not across the board true.

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is hungry!  I am almos 3 weeks post-op and feel like I am starving after about 2 or 3 hours (depending on what I eat).   I was beginning to think the surgery didn't work right. I am still drinking shakes and am on pureed and soft foods.  Last night I tired a recipe for turkey tacos...well revised my own recipe and pureed it with taco sauce and chicken broth.   The rest of the family ate their tacos while I ate my mush. At first I thought "this looks nasty" but then decided to look at it as a taco dip. I melted low fat cheese and on top and added sour cream. Wow,was it great!  It held off the hunger much longer too.  I defnitely suggest trying new things....even pureed taco meat!

I will say that I am still concerned about my weight loss. I am only 15 pounds down...is that normal for 3 weeks out??

I'm a little over a year post-op and I havent had true hunger since a year ago. I guess I am in the 70% as metioned by someone above. I don't know my sleeve size either. My surgeon does not use a "bougie"...he determines the sleeve size onces hes inside based on how long the tummy is......don't know if that's good or bad? A year post-op I still have 3oz max limit in dense protein. I also took a PPI the first 6 months daily. I took myself off the PPI and notice I have "acid" that mimics hunger....and sometimes my stomach actually growls at me like it's hungry...but it's not hunger if I just ate an hour before.

on another note...if I participate in some "herbal" weekend activities....I still don't get the munchies.