Courtney*

I’m really struggling lately with head hunger. I’m about 8.5 months post op from mini bypass and the sickness and nausea has subsided (yay) but the restriction has also eased a lot. I find myself wanting to just eat because it tastes good. I know I’m not hungry but I’m really having a hard time with it and looking for any advice on how people handle it. I’ve gained four pounds in about a week. I know I tend to fluctuate at this point but I’m getting nervous that I’m going to mess it all up.

I can relate. I had my MGB 18 months ago and I've been and still struggling with head hunger too. I also felt the restriction has eased a lot after 1 year. Up to 12 months, I was not able to finish 1 hard boiled egg and half a toast. Now I can finish that and have a cup of coffee with it for Breakfast. Sometimes, when I'm not too busy at work I find myself always wanting to snack on something. I've stated packing some salad from home to snack on whenever I feel like eating something. Chickpeas are another good option because it is high in Protein and Fiber and makes me full for a long time. Getting up and walking around the office, drinking some Water / coffee also helps when I get the "urge" to eat. I hope this helps.

I'm 6.5 month po and have been in a stall for almost 2 months. The scale finally moved this morning! HalleluYah!
Stalls are a normal part of the process. You just have to trust that if you're doing what you're supposed to do, your weight will eventually get to where it's supposed to be.
After surgery, our stomachs are traumatized. They are firm and tight, due to the trauma of surgery. Because of this, we have a lot of restriction. It takes about a year for them to fully settle down and relax. As your tummy relaxes, you will be able to eat larger amounts of food. We have to be mindful not to overeat, as this happens. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

I've read that stretching out your stomach is pretty rare - it would take lots and lots of overeating - over time - to do that. It's probably a stall. As far as restriction, a lot of us who are several years out have "small pouch days" and "big pouch days" - you may be getting to that point where you may have stretches of time where you don't really feel much restriction.

I’m in exactly the same situation, hit my first real stall this week at exactly the 6 month mark. Really happy with the results so far, lost 135lbs and would actually be thrilled if I could just stay stable at this weight but I feel my body still wants me to lose more. Still struggling to get over 1500cals daily with most days barely hitting 1200cals. My personal fear is that I lose too much weight and look anorexic.

Sounds like you were lucky to not have hit a stall until now. Just stick to your plan, measure your meals as to not overeat, I don't believe you have stretched out your stomach.

Thank you! I’ve been doing the Water thing and that helped a lot. I’ll try less more often as well. Are there specific things you notice as being full or is it just any discomfort at all?

It's common to feel nervous about stretching your stomach after bariatric surgery, especially in the early stages of recovery. However, it's important to listen to your body and trust the process. Slowing down between bites and being mindful of the foods you're eating can help you better identify feelings of fullness

yes! our last class before surgery is when they told us the position you feel being full in will change to being in your chest.
for me it was like right behind my sternum

def slow down on taking bites, i know thats my hardest part too!!

I also had the MGB a year ago. Like you I was struggling with food at first. My doctor advised me to eat less but more often. So I used to finish my meal over 1 or 2 hours. Now I know my limits and what I can handle and I'd immediately stop eating if I feel the slightest discomfort. Delaying drinking Water by at least 20-30 minutes after eating was really helpful in my case. Good luck.

Thank you!

Sounds about right for 3.5 months. Some eat more, some eat less. You're good. Just keep working on learning your cues. You'll be a pro in no time.

Normally I can down a third of a cup if it’s substantial. Yogurt Ive been doing 5 ounces.

I can cross my legs for the first time ever!!!

I can cross my legs for the first time ever!!!

I can cross my legs for the first time ever!!!

Yep, I had the smell aversions after surgery, too. The first time I ate beef - it smelled disgusting while it was cooking. It tasted good, so I was able to eat it. But the smell was awful.
For a few weeks, I was super-sensitive to perfumy smells. Scented candles and incense were the bane of my existence. I'm still a little sensitive to perfumes, but it's gotten a LOT better.

Hang in there, you're doing great!
This too shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it WILL pass!

I’m about 5 weeks out from surgery and food, while easier than the first two weeks, is still hard. It’s stressful because I’m nauseous all the time. Things I love I can’t have, even if they are healthy. I’m really struggling with if it’s going to be like this forever. I can barely eat more than two bites at a time. I just need to know if this gets better cause I’m really struggling. It’s making me irritable and not fun to be around.

Thank you everyone! It’s good to hear that it gets better - I keep forgetting I’m barely a month out.

I am 5 months out from surgery.
I had a rough time mentally that first month! Once I was past that, everything about this has been so much easier. When times are tough, think about why you had the surgery and remember that this stage is only temporary.

The first few months post-op are the hardest because you’re still healing from surgery and adjusting to a lot of changes, but you’re not yet getting the benefits of the weight loss. It’s very normal at this stage to have feelings of regret and wonder if the surgery was a mistake. As time goes by, though, it gets easier in many ways. You’ll be able to re-introduce more foods into your diet as well as get used to the changes that will become your new “normal.” And in the meantime, you’ll lose a lot of weight and get to experience life as a non-obese person. This rough part of your journey will be a blip in your memory, and if you’re like most of us, eventually your only regret will be that you didn’t do this sooner.
I’m 2.5 years out from gastric bypass and I can eat pretty much normally. I still avoid foods that are high in sugar or fat, and bread, Pasta, and rice, but I tolerate most foods and I eat pretty normal-sized portions. In fact, it scares me sometimes to see how much volume I can eat, and I have to be pretty careful to eat low-calorie foods. Sometimes I kind of miss the early post-op days when I could only eat a few bites at a time and was never hungry. Although it’s not fun, take advantage of this time because it will never be easier to lose weight than it is right now.

Yes it does get way better & easier. Because we’re different & we heal & recover in our own time, there’s no real definitive time frame when this will happen for you. Your tummy becomes less sensitive & fussy, the sensitivity you may develop for certain tastes & smells goes, you feel more comfortable & confident about what you can eat, you can eat more & a wider variety of foods. And one day you’ll look back & go yep, I’ve come a long way from those first couple of weeks. In the meantime keep eating small bites slowly.
Remember too the restricted diet & staged return to eating specific foods is to support & not stress your healing tummy.
I wasn’t able or interested in eating much either. I ate from a teaspoon & each bite was barely 1/2 a teaspoon. I wasn’t eating 300 calories those first months & barely ate 900 at 6 months. Started with eating only 1/4 to 1/3 cup from purée. Got to almost a cup at 6 months. You will slowly but surely be able to eat more too.
Try some anti nausea meds to help with your nausea. Most are prescribed them initially. Ask for some or try some over the counter ones & see if they help. I had varying degrees of nausea in the morning for 8 months. It stopped when I stopped taking my Multi Vitamins (didn’t need them) - they’re often the culprit especially Iron.

I'm 3 months out. I am finally able to include things like carbs & it brought back A LOT of normalcy for me. I am also able to eat about 3-1/2 to 4 ounces of food which fills up a small bowl & visually it helps me a ton. It took me about 2-1/2 months for me to finally feel like myself again. It will come! It will get easier & having access to your old healthy favorites will bring comfort. I promise!

I remember feeling like I was pregnant too. Laughable when you are in your 60's. There are foods that I can not tolerate even now, 1 year out. Most fish and especially salmon seems too greasy or smelly now and it was my go to food before surgery. The smell of cooking broccoli or cauliflower makes me heave. Any meat fat would have been the first mouthful before surgery. Now the winter birds are enjoying these tasty treats.
One thing that I cry over is I have lost my tolerance for spicy food. I feel like a child again, starting back at the beginning with mild spicing. Even mild tinned chilli seemed too hot this week.