Hello,

I am tentatively looking to have a sleeve put in the end of May. I have researched this for over a year now and I only have one real concern.

I have asked this of other people but cannot not seem to wrap my mind around it.

Can you give me your experience with not feeling the need to eat and not having food consume your life?

I have heard others say that this is the case and had discussions around the fact that when I wake up, I am thinking about what I am having for lunch and dinner. Others have told me that they were the same way and that the sleeve really changed that for them.

I would like any feedback that you are willing to offer on this subject as it is my number one concern and also the number one thing that I believe will make this a successful choice for me.

Thank you.

I had surgery in February and haven't really been hungry since then. I do try and eat at regular times. The worst thing though is situational hunger: I watch tv and think, "I should snack on something." But I also try and drink a lot of Water, that certainly helps.

^{I can confirm the Water. The tough part is to drink the water and then realize you are actually really hungry but have to wait 45 minutes to eat. Pretty small price to pay for the results that I have seen so far.}

^{I guess everyone else has gone through this but I don't really see where I am going to have any issues eating the way I am for life. This is the first time I have changed my eating habits with that belief firmly in place. It seems like every other time I 'dieted', it was seemed very temporary and I would incorporate the foods I avoided eventually. This time I don't see myself ever eating chips or Pasta or bread again. I was so addicted to chips and now I don't really have a feeling one way or the other about them. Same with any soda or pasta or bread. I am finding out that some foods that I just ignored taste pretty good and am satisfied with that. Pretty life changing for me.}

^{I would obviously recommend this to anyone that is considering it.}

^{I agonized over this decision for roughly 18 months because number 1 that is just how I am and number 2, I had to self pay so that amped up the decision.}

Edited July 24, 201412 yr by mt_hi_liner

I am a little over a month out. Before surgery I ate a ton. I would have bags of microwave popcorn and/or most of a box of Cereal in the evening as a snack. On the pre-op diet I was constantly hungry. It got better in the second week but I was still hungry.

The surgery is supposed to take away real hunger but will not change mental hunger. Since my surgery when my wife and son eat something like pizza or candy I still want some. However, I realize 1. I can't physically eat it right now and 2. I don't need it. I no longer get that mouth watering, stomach churning uncontrollable need for it. I used to smoke cigarettes and I equate that feeling with wanting a cigarette.

I still feel head hunger in the evenings when I used to snack the most. I have a greek yogurt, sugar free pudding or popsicles and I am fine. The restriction allows me to feel full with much less intake, I plan for an evening snack in my daily intake.

I also think that I feel hungry before meal times. I have read that this is probably acid and/or mental hunger. I am not sure. It is different than before surgery but it seems like real hunger to me. Honestly, at times I wonder if they got all of the part of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone on me.

I think everyone is different. I know that many of these forums have bummed me out. I read about people only being able to eat 2oz of food at a time and I think something is wrong with me. I eat 2 eggs for Breakfast with no problem. I usually only have a shake for lunch and for dinner I have been eating between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup of food such as canned tuna for dinner. I eat between 550 and 800 cals per day and have lost about 40lbs since my surgery in early July.

Hunger pains came back after ~ 9 months. It was great while it lasted!!