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I am so confused! Hungry or not?

So I had my surgery on the 19th, everything went great. And I have not felt hunger since surgery. But then sometimes I am looking at food (like while in the grocery store) and all of a sudden I "think" I feel hungry. But then I stop and actually challenge myself and realize Im not hungry. So now I am having a hard time with sipping broths and protien shakes because I cannot tell if I am full or what. Is this normal? I feel like I am going crazy. Any advice will be much appreciated.

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So I had my surgery on the 19th, everything went great. And I have not felt hunger since surgery. But then sometimes I am looking at food (like while in the grocery store) and all of a sudden I "think" I feel hungry. But then I stop and actually challenge myself and realize Im not hungry. So now I am having a hard time with sipping broths and protien shakes because I cannot tell if I am full or what. Is this normal? I feel like I am going crazy. Any advice will be much appreciated.

Yes, this is completely normal. For at least the 1st month post-surgery, I never felt hungry and couldn't tell when my stomach was really hungry or if it was just my old habits making me want to eat. One solution I found was to get some 1/2 cup plastic containers from Wal-Mart. I would eat 1/2 cup of whatever 5 to 6 times a day to get in my calories. I knew that I could hold 1/2 cup without over-filling my stomach. Hope this helps.

Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

  • Author

Yes, this is completely normal. For at least the 1st month post-surgery, I never felt hungry and couldn't tell when my stomach was really hungry or if it was just my old habits making me want to eat. One solution I found was to get some 1/2 cup plastic containers from Wal-Mart. I would eat 1/2 cup of whatever 5 to 6 times a day to get in my calories. I knew that I could hold 1/2 cup without over-filling my stomach. Hope this helps.

Keep Pimpin' that Sleeve!

Thank you so much! This really helps and its nice to know I am not the only one and its normal. I will try the idea of the cups.Thank you thank you

It is completely normal. I know most days I struggle to keep a schedule to eat because I don't feel hungry at all so I have to remind myself to eat. Other days, like when I went to a birthday dinner and they were having a pork chop with mash potatoes, couple types of muffins, stuffing, veggies, coleslaw, and then of course cake and ice cream, I found myself craving that food even though I had eaten before we went to the party and knew I wasn't truly hungry. The moment they finished, it was like that hunger and cravings started to go away. I knew my stomach wasn't growling, I wasn't feeling like I was light headed from not eating, and that my mind was craving it but my body was saying it was fine, so it wasn't hunger, it was my mind playing tricks. But there has been a day where I was just on the go so much and forgot to grab a cheese stick and Protein shake, so I went until 8 or 9 that night without food (I did drink water), and though it wasn't the same signs of hunger I would have had before, I knew my body was hungry because of the way in which I felt. It sort of felt like my body was telling me it needed to be replenished. Protein shakes I instantly have this full sensation and struggle with. But I know I have drink them so I just keep sipping them like I do my Water until I have drank all of it. I did have to try a few different types before I found ones that I could drink enough of. There were some that only a few sips would make me feel completely full and I'd need to lay down. broth the only time I had a problem was when I was in the hospital, and it was because the broth was extremely salty. I made sure to do the fat free low sodium and seemed to only be able to tolerate chicken broth because the beef still seemed to salty. It may change as time goes on.

I think as time passes, you start to get use to the way your body reacts or doesn't react. I know before if I would have missed eating a meal, I would have an instant headache. Like I said now it's funny I have to force myself to remember to eat because I will forget.

Good luck to you!

  • Author

It is completely normal. I know most days I struggle to keep a schedule to eat because I don't feel hungry at all so I have to remind myself to eat. Other days, like when I went to a birthday dinner and they were having a pork chop with mash potatoes, couple types of muffins, stuffing, veggies, coleslaw, and then of course cake and ice cream, I found myself craving that food even though I had eaten before we went to the party and knew I wasn't truly hungry. The moment they finished, it was like that hunger and cravings started to go away. I knew my stomach wasn't growling, I wasn't feeling like I was light headed from not eating, and that my mind was craving it but my body was saying it was fine, so it wasn't hunger, it was my mind playing tricks. But there has been a day where I was just on the go so much and forgot to grab a cheese stick and Protein shake, so I went until 8 or 9 that night without food (I did drink water), and though it wasn't the same signs of hunger I would have had before, I knew my body was hungry because of the way in which I felt. It sort of felt like my body was telling me it needed to be replenished. Protein shakes I instantly have this full sensation and struggle with. But I know I have drink them so I just keep sipping them like I do my Water until I have drank all of it. I did have to try a few different types before I found ones that I could drink enough of. There were some that only a few sips would make me feel completely full and I'd need to lay down. broth the only time I had a problem was when I was in the hospital, and it was because the broth was extremely salty. I made sure to do the fat free low sodium and seemed to only be able to tolerate chicken broth because the beef still seemed to salty. It may change as time goes on.

I think as time passes, you start to get use to the way your body reacts or doesn't react. I know before if I would have missed eating a meal, I would have an instant headache. Like I said now it's funny I have to force myself to remember to eat because I will forget.

Good luck to you!

THank you! I have noticed its hard for me to sip broth because it is salty, I hadnt thought to try low sodium, good idea! Thank you for the info and help!

Totally feeling your pain right now. Had my sleeve done on the 18th and seeing commercials on TV or smelling a restaurant as I drive past, I'm like "I am SO hungry!!" But then once the smell/visual stimulation passes I realize that it is just the stupid head hunger. I wished this weekend they had taken my sense of smell away for a couple months too, and low and behold now I have a cold haha. Be careful what you wish for I guess ;) Good luck to you!

  • Author

Totally feeling your pain right now. Had my sleeve done on the 18th and seeing commercials on TV or smelling a restaurant as I drive past, I'm like "I am SO hungry!!" But then once the smell/visual stimulation passes I realize that it is just the stupid head hunger. I wished this weekend they had taken my sense of smell away for a couple months too, and low and behold now I have a cold haha. Be careful what you wish for I guess ;) Good luck to you!

Yes be careful indeed :) I am surprised how much of my "hunger" feelings are visual stimulation and smell...thanks!

I am 3 weeks Post Op and this week has been "odd" with food. First I don't feel hungry until about 9:00-10:00 pm at night.. and realize I have hardly had anything to eat. BAD BAD, I am trying to keep that Protein up through the day. I have never been a snacker and 3 meals a day but this is not the way to eat with a sleeve. I find I need those small Snacks in the middle of the day to keep the protein up and the late night hunger away.

I have been keeping track of my food through "myfitnesspal" app. This seems to be very helpful to determine if I have had enough food and enough protein.

I am having problems with chicken though.. not sure why. It doesn't matter if it is moist, chicken salad, chicken and dumplings, dark meat or white.. I take a couple of bites.. and it comes back up. Has this happened to anyone else?

Love this group!

[sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:10693]

Thats like me I dont feel hungry at all in yhe day but at 9/10 at night I find myself looking for the old foos I used to eat exspecally chocolate. I am so scared of putting the weight on again .any suggestions peeps?

I find myself.. heading for the peanut butter! I know I shouldn't eat it but I rationalize it is protein. I am so getting sick of yogurt and cheese. Need some different choices.

I know penut butter is still better than chocolate though hopefully it goes away I think its because I was a binge eater and always ate at night

I was band to sleeve revision on the 20th and I have noticed I feel confused on if I'm actually hungry or what is going on inside me. My doc requires 4 weeks of liquids, 4 weeks mushy, 4 weeks soft so I'm hoping It works itself out over time ..

  • 2 weeks later...

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