Hi everyone!

I'm 8 weeks post op.I feel hungry all the time too. And I'm eating a lot of fruit since it is easier to eat than protein. I think I need to control my behavior and change my bad habits.I'm really worried about failure or regaining the lost weight. I need to rearrange my mind. I don't know how to get enough protein and what new habits to make.Believe I should do that asap. I appreciate any advice.

It is so hard to break bad habits. If you can, try to get in your protein in addition to the fruit. I have struggled with my snacking habit, and no matter what I do I seem to find time to get in a individual bag of chex mix at least 3 times a week. I wish I could break that habit, it is so hard. Just try your best that's all you can do.

On Saturday or Sunday, get a notebook or do it at the computer - plan everything you are going to eat the next week, and when. Plan all your meals, your Snacks, your Fluid intake, etc. Make it work with your schedule (work, whatever). Make it total the calories, Protein, carbs - whatever you are counting. Work in things that fit with what you should be eating but enjoy (think of them as allowed treats). Then, buy what you need to execute the plan. Don't buy what you shouldn't be eating. Every day - follow the plan. It will eliminate you making a choice or thinking about what you eat. Make a bargain with yourself - you get a gold start for each day you follow the plan. When you get ten gold stars, give yourself a reward (non food related). Get a massage, a manicure - something to pamper yourself. Do this for a few weeks to build your habits. I've heard it takes 30 days to build a habit. You might think this is childish - the gold stars and rewards - but we are all children in the respect we are having to learn good eating habits.

Thank you so much for your reply'

I really feel hungry or empty most of the time, and even after eating.

I've fed up with my weight lose progress. In week 9 I've lost 27 lbs.Decided to restrict my carb intake so seriously- 20 grams daily. I appreciate any advice.

The best advice I can give is to stop buying the foods that are going to impede your weight loss. I know it's tough, I'm an impulsive buyer, an "oh that looks yummy" kind of person. BUT, having it readily available makes it far too easy for me to eat.

As for the hunger, even though fruit is super nutrient dense, it's not going to keep you satisfied, and the natural sugar is going to be used for energy and your liver will burn that first instead of your fat stores. A carb is a carb, your body (like mine) might be carb sensitive, and no matter the source of that carb, your body might use it before anything else. Packing in the Protein will keep you full longer, and will get your body into fat burning mode. I'm not saying don't ever eat fruit, but if you want to see results, and you want to make those changes, you'll have to really cut out the foods that are working against your body.

You don't mention if you're taking an acid reducer. If you're not, sometimes excess acid can "feel" like hunger pains. I know when I'm taking my Prilosec, I don't feel that "growly" sensation that I used to think was hunger--since it's not happening when I take my Prilosec, it's clearly acid related, right?

I agree with the folks above that planning is going to help you achieve your goals. If you're like me, sometimes you don't know what you're going to feel like eating--so make plans to have a bit of variety and some options but still be within your goals. For instance, you might keep on hand a can of chili, maybe some Soup, some cottage cheese, and some yogurt. Then when you are ready to eat, you can choose from a few appropriate foods. The Protein will help keep you full longer.

I eat fruit every day, too, but I find I can't actually eat it with a protein food--the protein needs all the room/working of my stomach to get digested, I guess, so it doesn't like to share with other foods. :-) So I typically will eat my fruit (a cup of citrus or melon total per day) divided into a couple of snack-size portions that I munch on while watching television or playing on the computer. That way, when it's time for a "meal," I eat protein first (and usually only, as I say) but I still get my fruit in, and the protein keeps me from being achingly hungry even while consuming so few calories per day.

So if you're not taking an acid reducer, you might talk with your doc about maybe starting one, and also see if moving your fruit to times in between protein meals helps with the hunger issue. Tiff is right, above--fruit is a nutrient-dense food, but it does not have the staying power of protein, and the natural sugar can be problematic for people who are sensitive to even small amounts of sugar.

Good luck to you!!

nacnic, i am 8 weeks post op and just found a tasteless protein powder called BiPro. i bought it online and i mix it with greek yogurt every morning. a scoop gives like 20g of protein and it keeps me full a few hours. I like it because it is tasteless and is not sweet like other protein powders. It is like $40 for a giant jug but it is worth it!