3 mths out, surprized by hunger and how much I can eat??

i was just going to post about the same thing when I saw your post! I just had my surgery on Sept 19th and i am hungry too! i just try to get past it by drinking water or sf hot choclate or sf 1% chocolate milk ( all of which were suggested to me by my nutritionist for liquids so i know they are good choices). i thought i was the only one having hunger, glad to know im not the only one going through this! i really just try as best as i can to distract myself from it by doing something else like reading, taking a walk, or calling a friend.  

Hi,

I get hungry, but not the "I'm gonna kill someone now if I dont get a rack of ribs" hunger I had before the sleeve. I can eat about 4-6 ounces depending on what it is I am eating. I regularly go up and down on the scale a pound or two depending on what I ate that day, how much water I drank, whether I poo'ed (TMI) etc... so I wouldnt let that get you down. But yes, it is soley restrictive, you can regain if you try hard enough and you do have to watch what you eat. Also, it is normal to have a little bit of stretch with the sleeve over time although there are some here who seem to be able to eat very very little even after a year or longer. Hopefully, I have maxed out on capacity. I measure stuff to stay on track so I dont risk the problem of massive expansion!!

Babs

Hi,

I am only ten days post op so I was actually RELIEVED to hear you say that you can actually eat something.  I have just felt so full after just a little soup or a protein drink that I was starting to get kind of sad/depressed/disappointed that I might not eat solid again.  Can you tell me how your first month post op was?  Did you feel full a lot just from a little bit of liquids?  Did you have acid reflux?  Did you just all of a sudden wake up and realize that you were hungry and that your new stomach could hold a decent amount of food?  Thanks for any info

NO, I have told people after the surgery that I wasn't really hungry. I would eat after 2-3 hrs because I could feel myself getting kind of shaky (almost like my sugar was low). I could only eat a tiny bit and was sickly full. It is just like every few days I will be hungry more often and am able to eat more. I need more willpower, and honestly this is the first that I have doubted my decision for the surgery.

Thanks for the reply and I am sorry you are not getting your money's worth from the sleeve.  How is your protein intake?  Have you had a chance to eat any carbs or sugar?  Sometimes our bodies are sugar and carb junkies and if we have "just one" or "a little bit" then we are off the wagon.  I think if you are hungry you should eat something like 4 oz of protein and make it good: like some salmon or some chicken with a good flavor or sauce and some veg that you like.  Get some sf fudgcicles or some frozen yougurt and just measure out a couple of ounces.  Maybe your body really is hungry.  Are you getting in vitamins and water (at least 6 glasses)?  Tell yourself that you can't have anything extra until you get in the water, vitamins and protein.  Maybe find a protein drink that you like (carnation instant breakfast) and add something to it to make it like a milk shake: strawberries, peanut butter powder etc, but just have half a glass.  Congratulations on the 50 pound weight loss!  And thanks for being honest and helpful!

 It is my understanding, also, that it takes a while to get the ghrelin out of your system. I wonder, too, if there is ghrelin stored in our fat cells, that is released as we lose...

Kimberly

Very good point, never thought about that but it would make sence.

I'm 1 month post op, 30 lbs lost. I do get a little empty (hunger pains?) feeling about 1.5 to 2  hours after eating. I try to reach for about 3-4 ozs. of something healthy (f/f cottege cheese, tuna, pears, egg, f/f cheese as examples). I don't ignore the the hunger. I end up eating about 5 times a day and drink water and protein shakes in between as well. I do get acid refux every once in a while but it doesn't last more than a minute or two. I have not taken anything for the reflux, I just let it pass. I used to live on pepcid before surgery. I do eat slow and enjoy the taste of each food.

sorry, me again.  I just thought of something:  is it your period?  Some people just get crazy hungry during that time.  So give in (a little) just make sure that is only 1/2 to 1/4 what you would have eaten pre-sleeve and maybe add an extra half an hour exercise a day for the next week.