*==>* some answers about still getting hungry! *<==*Hi folks -- i asked people over in the...

Hi folks -- i asked people over in the Maintenance forum for ideas or experiences with hunger returning after surgery.  as i've said, i, personally, am not one of those "i have to set a timer to remember to eat" people, though i am satisfied with very little and stay full.  it's just that when i'm hungry, i'm hungry!  ;-)

HERE ARE THE RESPONSES I GOT (I"LL KEEP POSTING THEM)

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Contrary to popular rumor :} the part of the stomach removed is not the *only* place where ghrelin is made.  I guess I figure we all produced it at different rates, some folks were not insanely hungry all the time.  I was, so I guess I just figure, having most of my production place removed only made it so I get regular amounts, instead of the crazy amounts.

I never lost my hunger either.  Eating on a schedule so that I do not get too hungry, and making choices that keep me full for longest are my saving graces.

I had hunger ONE WEEK post-op - real hunger, that's what it was. I just felt full after very very little. 1 sip of broth, I think.
I never lost my hunger either, though it was definitely reduced (and still is, 4 years later) and I'm certainly satisfied with less...

 

I've never lost my hunger either.  Most of the time I only stay full for 1 to 2 hours unfortunately.

 

well i pretty much lost all hunger for a number of months after surgery and then it slowly returned but at much lower and much more appropriate levels. these days i do get hungry more often - doctor says the stomachs of vsg patients do empty out faster, but it is a managable hunger that doesn't make me want to stuff and stuff and it certainly takes much less to satisfy. I feel like I have more what normal hunger should be like but milder.

 

Ditto, I get hungry.  my no hunger phase only lasted a month or so.  Like others have said, at least it seems to be a normal hunger level.  I think I must have had an over production of grehlin before surgery because I would get so hungry that I could eat anything as long as it didn't eat me first (Homer Simpson here).

 

I think my lack of hunger lasted for a month.  I sometime wonder if it's because I have a 40f, not because it's bigger but because perhaps maybe less of the ghrelin production center was removed than people with smaller Sleeves.   I get jealous when people say that they have to remind themselves to eat.  Just not my story.  That said, 4 oz of meat and some veggies and I'm pretty full and good to go for a few hours.  It's always tough to differentiate between stomach and head hunger when not much time has passed between meals.  I do get hungry sooner if my last meal wasn't protein packed.

 

It is normal for hunger to return after a few months, but at a lower level (hopefully). Ghrelin is produced in other areas of the body, not just the stomach, so I don't think bougie size has anything to do with it. Even people with smaller bougies experience hunger and I wonder, if the smaller size contributes to faster gastric emptying. I'll have to ask this, when I see the bariatric internist in a couple of weeks.

 Sometimes I get hungry, if I go more than 4 hours without eating, which is why the dietitian said not to go longer than that amount of time. If it wasn't for the amount of exercise that I do, I don't think that I would eat as much. I have to fuel my workouts, both before and after. I think some of the "hunger" that I experience, is more "head hunger."

 

My hunger went away completely for the first 8 months or so, then it returned but in a much easier to deal with mode.  Now at two years out, I started to take iron and my hunger disappeared again.  I do not know if this is the cause, but there does seem to be a stro

I guess I missed that post on the maintenance forum, but at 28 months post-VSG, I have zero physical hunger. My stomach never growls, moans, groans, and I still forget to eat.

Now, my appetite returned, my mental "want" for food returned, but physical "I must eat" has never returned. My only true hunger symptom is that I get crazy *****y/cranky, and then I realize "oh yeah, I haven't eaten in 10+ hours."

i'm jealous!

hey!  i see the baby is almost here!!!!  congratulations!!!  so happy for you.  keep us up-to-date!

Hey Ann, I'm not hungry still after 2 years and 9 months now.  I have to be careful or I  can get behind easily.  Today is one of those days...hanging out with a friend and haven't eaten much...had to have an extra shake to make up for lacking protein, uugh.

Laura

I am 6 mths out, as of yesterday.  I do not have physical hunger at all.  I have to track my food so I don't eat to little.  I use www.myfitnesspal.com.  It is so great. Head hunger is a big thing....I have to work to keep from eating when Im bored.  That has always be a issue with me, since I was a teenager. 

Those were some good posts. Thanks for rounding them up for us.

I only get hungry when I'm having PMS. And then it's more cravings than real hunger. The other 2-3 weeks of the month I sometimes have to remind myself to eat or I get cranky and headachy. I do get hungry at times but nothing at all like it used to be. I can't remember the last time I heard my stomach growl. I love my sleeve!

 The hunger hormone does return but not at the capacity as it once was.  I think some people are so used to eating and being full on less that they no longer feel hunger.  In 7 months I've been hungry a few times, but in general I don't get hungry very often.  I eat to sustain myself.  I enjoy cooking, eating and trying different foods but happy to report I get satisfied on very little food.  

like i said -- jealous!!!    i actually get hungry partly b/c i don't feed myself every 2-3 hrs if i'm not hungry, maies me feel barfy!!  i'm really glad for you no-hunger girls!  i def eat less and stay satisfied longer!!!