Why aren't you hungry after RNY?

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but it's one that's been bothering me. With RNY, the larger ghrelin-producing part of your stomach is left intact but no longer receives any food. Why, then, aren't you hungry all the time? I know it DOESN'T happen, but I'm really curious about WHY it doesn't happen. Does anyone know?

I am hungry .... most of the time actually.  I really enjoyed the first five-hunger free pre-op months, but now it's BBBAAAACCCKKKK!!

I think you will find many of us have hunger the farther out we go.

But are you hungry all the time, even after you've eaten? Or did you just go from no hunger at all back to your normal level of hunger eventually?

I am following medical advice to eat a small amount of food (between 1/2 to one cup) every three waking hours.  When I have gone a longer period without eating, the feeling if more like weakness/shakiness.  With the WLS lifestyle, I stick to a time schedule and a measured food level considering the words "hunger" and "full" dead words.  What words are very much alive?  HEAD HUNGER !

Yes it does happen. Initially, you're not hungry because the nerves have been cut to create the pouch. After healing, which varies with each person, hunger does return. For some of us, the hunger comes back with a vengeance, while others have some to little hunger. A few have no hunger.  Eating simple carbs can make hunger worse, and eating higher protein can decrease hunger. 

Do you know if hunger is typically more, less, or about the same as with the sleeve? I plan to protein-load my meals for the rest of my life, but I don't want to do myself in before I even start.

It should be less with the sleeve because the gretlin producing area of the stomach is removed.  Have you posted this question on the sleeve forum? 

That was my initial thought, but my surgeon said the ghrelin reduction is temporary anyway with the sleeve. I did find this recent abstract from a study showing similar satiety and hunger but different hormone profiles with the two types of surgery:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23996294

My brain isn't fully awake enough to read that article (it's 11:15pm in NC) and I'm a RN!  I remember that a small amount of the G-hormone is produced elsewhere in the body, so there could be some hunger, but not like before.  I really think you should go to the VSG forum and ask for people > 2 years out, how much hunger do you have. That forum seems slower, so it may take a few days to get some replies back.

Haha no worries! Right after your last reply, I posted on the VSG forum to ask. :-) I also emailed the NP I see monthly at my weight management clinic to see if she has at least any anecdotal info. How intolerable is your hunger now? Are you able to feel full after meals? I'm not worried about being hungry, but I'd be scared about potentially ALWAYS being hungry regardless of what I eat.