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Ghrelin ? Still hungry?



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Hello everyone, my fiancé and I are really getting excited as our date is closer and closer now ... 03-15-2014.

My question is we had a friend just get a sleeve and she is 5-6 weeks post op as of today. She complains daily of STILL BEING HUNGRY??? I was under the understanding that the portion of the stomach that is cut away has the majority of the hunger hormone called Ghrelin ?? Is this something that develops over time(being less hungry) or do most of you guys stay hungry just like before you were cut!

Thanks for the replies.

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Hunger can still be present after surgery. But.... Oftentimes it may be that the sufferer needs an acid reducer, as acid mimics hunger. Or it's head hunger and not true hunger. It could also be that Protein intake isn't high enough, or too many carbs are triggering hunger. Each individual differs and if you experience hunger after surgery there are lots of reasons why. Your doctor will work with you on the best way to eliminate it, if possible.

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Real hunger gradually came back for me in 5-6 weeks. There was absolutely none for several weeks. But hunger is not as strong as it once was. It is easier to satisfy. I am just shy of 1 year and 115 down so having physical hunger come back was not detrimental. Real physical hunger is not what got me obese. Eating too much when I was hungry and head hunger did that.

Sone people are lucky I guess and have no real hunger for much longer but not everyone is the same.

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funny i was just the opposite.. 9 months after operation i am down almost 200lbs and i am never ever ever hungary .. i eat cause i have to buts it so odd i have never regained the hunger feeling.... Even i am amazed by it and they told me hunger would go away and like i said it never returned..

Chris

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We have felt no real hunger. You can get bored just like before surgery and sit down and graze on things. But turn your new life into something positive, get out of the house and walk the malls, or join a gym. I find that if I am not busy I can be rummaging in the kitchen, then I drink some Crystal Light and re-focus. Reading posts here you will see where people say they are eating the same as before. Read and absorb and make this sleeve work for you. You will be so happy. When your friend keeps telling you she is hungry go the other direction, do not let her affect your way of thinking.

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At 3 months out, I feel very little hunger and food doesn't interest me much. I'm hoping that continues as I don't miss it.

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Honestly most people regain some semblance of hunger and cravings a few months to several months after surgery. It may not be nearly as bad as it used to be, but VSG is by no means a permanent solution to "hunger". The only tried and true permanent solution to weight loss is maintaining self control. Here's the thing about hormones, particularly hormones that play a role in the brain - we don't really understand, scientifically, how they work yet. Ghrelin is part of the puzzle, but only part. There's a lot more involved in hunger [and obesity] than just ghrelin in particular or hormones in general.

For me, hunger came back at about 6 months post op, but thanks to the sleeve I manage it better. Stress and slider foods or cr*p foods tend to make it much worse. So I avoid certain foods entirely and I work out my frustrations at the gym, rather than at the kitchen table.

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It depends on the person. Until I went back to work, 2 weeks after surgery, I really didn't feel hunger. Now I do, pretty regularly. The good news is, the sleeve helps me make better food choices and, of course, it greatly limits my overall food intake.

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I'm three weeks post op and I felt hunger from the second day post op ppl were trying to tell me I wasn't hungry or it was head hunger but the noises from my stomach told ppl yes she's hungry I eat little and often and am constantly starving

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I'm three weeks post op and I felt hunger from the second day post op ppl were trying to tell me I wasn't hungry or it was head hunger but the noises from my stomach told ppl yes she's hungry I eat little and often and am constantly starving

My noises and stomach churning in hunger quit after I started protonix. Mine was just acid. Thank goodness. Lol

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Honestly most people regain some semblance of hunger and cravings a few months to several months after surgery. It may not be nearly as bad as it used to be, but VSG is by no means a permanent solution to "hunger". The only tried and true permanent solution to weight loss is maintaining self control. Here's the thing about hormones, particularly hormones that play a role in the brain - we don't really understand, scientifically, how they work yet. Ghrelin is part of the puzzle, but only part. There's a lot more involved in hunger [and obesity] than just ghrelin in particular or hormones in general.

For me, hunger came back at about 6 months post op, but thanks to the sleeve I manage it better. Stress and slider foods or cr*p foods tend to make it much worse. So I avoid certain foods entirely and I work out my frustrations at the gym, rather than at the kitchen table.

Thank you for this post. It relates to my experience so also. As months post-surgery roll on, I find that the weight problem is a mental issue as much as it was a "scale" issue, and I certainly still have the potential to put food in my mounth when I'm not hungry. Post-surgery, however, such thing will hurt and feel much worse than pre-surgery mindless-eating, so that's a very good deterrent. I am not totally hunger-free however, and don't know if being a former pre-diabetic (surgery fixed that issue, no longer need meds) has something to do w/ it. I think it's a mistake to see surgery as a total and complete "magic eraser" of our weaknesses when it came to food. Also, hunger is fundamentally a good physical signal that our body needs fuel to run on- taken in its proper context it functions well, that trick is to provide good "fuel" and only adequate amout, especially with the new reworked stomach post-surgery. I'm still learning the ropes and sometimes it's touch and go b/c I do get hungry, but it's always a question: it it a real need for energy my body needs or is driven by boredom, emotions, or simply bad habits kicking up? It has to be a conscious choice. It's unfortunately not always a walk in a park for me, but so much easier than what it was pre-surgery.

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For me I don't get hungry like before the surgery. I can feel that my stomach is empty and it's time to refuel, but it's not a hunger like I need to eat anything in sight.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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