I am starting to investigate having the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) surgery after seeing it on the news last week (me and countless others). One of the things about it that interests me is that part of the stomach where the ghrelin hormone is produced is removed. On the news report the Louisiana surgeon says most of his patients don't get hungry..."ever..." And there are other things on the internet that state it, but I have yet to hear or read anything about it from the patient point of view.

How true is this? How does this really make you feel? How does it affect hunger and/or appetite?

I can't imagine that people just wake up from surgery and never feel hungry again.

Are there post-sleevers out there who can better describe the ghrelin factor (or lack of it)?

Thank you for your help.

How long does it take for the hunger to go away? I had my surgery (revision from lapband) on September 28th 2010 and at almost 6 weeks out I still feel hungry all the time and I'm eating too much. I lost about 15 lbs in the 2 weeks after surgery and since then NOTHING! I'm so upset and worried that this surgery has been for nothing and I'm not going to lose any weight.

I eat alot less than I did before surgery though more than most of you seem to be eating, however, I eat often. My bougie size is a 34 but I don't feel I have the restriction I should. After I eat I'm good for a few hours but then I get hungry again and eat. I take Nexium every morning so it's not stomach acid. I track my meals on TheDailyPlate and I can get in up to 1500 calories if I'm not very strict with myself or as low as 900 calories if I really watch what I'm eating. I do notice that I'm not getting in all the Protein I'm supposed to.

When will the constant hunger and cravings stop? I'm very, very worried.

You may not lose your hunger, and cravings are mental so those may not ever stop since they operated on our stomach and not our brains.

Protein will keep you full longer, and if you're watching your carbs that will also help with cravings. On the Nexium, are you taking it on an empty stomach, and waiting an hour before eating anything?

Slider foods won't give you satiety, and will leave you hungry. You can still lose weight, but you'll have to work your sleeve. Increase your protein intake, eat your protein first, and steer clear of carbs/empty calories.

You may not lose your hunger, and cravings are mental so those may not ever stop since they operated on our stomach and not our brains.

Protein will keep you full longer, and if you're watching your carbs that will also help with cravings. On the Nexium, are you taking it on an empty stomach, and waiting an hour before eating anything?

Slider foods won't give you satiety, and will leave you hungry. You can still lose weight, but you'll have to work your sleeve. Increase your protein intake, eat your protein first, and steer clear of carbs/empty calories.

Thank you for the reply. I am not waiting an hour after I take the Nexium, I didn't know I was supposed to. I take Nexium as soon as I get up in the morning and then I start on my coffee right away. Sometimes I wait a bit before I have Breakfast, sometimes I have it right away with my coffee. So nothing but Water for an hour?

I do notice that when I have enough protein during the day I'm less hungry and I get full faster when I eat my protein first. I really thought the sleeve would just take care of everything by itself and I wouldn't have to diet but I guess I was wrong.

I will do my best to work the sleeve diet and see if I get any results but losing the appetite would be wonderful.

Highest Weight - 348 lbs

Lap Band Surgery Weight - 312 lbs

Sleeve Surgery Weight - 236 lbs

Current Weight - 221 lbs

Goal Weight - 130 lbs

Lap Band Surgery 03/19/2009

Sleeve Surgery 09/28/2010

Thank you for the reply. I am not waiting an hour after I take the Nexium, I didn't know I was supposed to. I take Nexium as soon as I get up in the morning and then I start on my coffee right away. Sometimes I wait a bit before I have breakfast, sometimes I have it right away with my coffee. So nothing but Water for an hour?

I do notice that when I have enough Protein during the day I'm less hungry and I get full faster when I eat my protein first. I really thought the sleeve would just take care of everything by itself and I wouldn't have to diet but I guess I was wrong.

I will do my best to work the sleeve diet and see if I get any results but losing the appetite would be wonderful.

Highest Weight - 348 lbs

Lap Band Surgery Weight - 312 lbs

Sleeve Surgery Weight - 236 lbs

Current Weight - 221 lbs

Goal Weight - 130 lbs

Lap Band Surgery 03/19/2009

Sleeve Surgery 09/28/2010

You can have your coffee after your Nexium, but no food at least 30 minutes after taking it. I think it's listed in the RX pamphlet for 30 minutes. I'm on Prilosec (generic RX), and my pamphlet says 1 hour before eating, or 2-3 hours after eating. I always take it first thing in the morning with a drink of water, start my coffee, and wait an hour to eat anything solid or thick like yogurt or a poached egg with cheese.

I only "dieted" through the losing stage and I stuck to 600-800 calories, 60+ protein and no more than 30gr of carbs to achieve my goal weight. I ate mostly meat and cheese, with some green veggies thrown in there. I ate lot of Beans, and greek yogurt was a staple in my diet especially when I made tuna/chicken or egg salads. I used greek yogurt in everything I possibly could because those extra 5-8 grams of protein really add up over the day. I didn't feel like I was dieting really because I was so dang focused on getting in my protein that it didn't feel like dieting. The sleeve does work, but we have to feed it the proper foods to get the end result.

Best wishes ! ! !

Over 3 weeks post-op and no hunger. And I really did wake up after surgery with no hunger. And I don't have acid (yet!) so the ONLY time my tummy rumbles or 'talks' to me is first thing in the morning because I usually don't eat after about 6:30 - 7:00 pm (liquids yes, solids no), so in the am, is when I feel it talking. But as far as actual physical hunger NONE.

Head hunger, cravings, yep, still have that (as Tiff said it was a tummy surgery, not a brain surgery...lol). I eat by the clock now, otherwise I feel like I could go all day and not eat. (I definitely don't do that, just *feel* like I could.)

Yesterday was my 4 month surgi-versary and I do not get hungry. I enjoy the idea of food, items smell delicious, I enjoy the taste (although tastebuds have changed a lot), but I really don't get "hungry". Yesterday was my day off so I slept in till 9. I sipped some water when I got thirsty but didn't feel the need to eat until about noon. I've noticed that if I leave it up to my body it is about 4 hours after I wake up that I get the notion that my body needs food, but I still wouldn't call it hunger. I sort of feel like I could take it or leave it. Also, my appetite is so small, and my protein needs so high, that I can't afford to waste what little appetite I have on snacking or grazing. That physical need for food gets satisfied so quickly that if I actually waited till I felt my new version of "hunger" and then snacked on a bite of apple or a strip of beef jerky, I would not want food again and be really averse to it and then not get in my required protein amounts.