Like want a cheeseburger starving... Hahaha I'm on broths, jello and water only for the first week. I'm hoping once I can add to this, I'll be more satisfied. Anyone else "starvibg"??

Edited October 3, 201411 yr by TeacherMommy

This post is pretty scary to me. ????

I battle every day with gnawing insatiable hunger and I was hoping this would help some. I know I have to battle my food demons but this news is disheartening.

Edited October 6, 201411 yr by Sassy Little Redhead

This post is pretty scary to me.

I battle every day with gnawing insatiable hunger and I was hoping this would help some. I know I have to battle my food demons but this news is disheartening.

Don't get discouraged. Everyone's experience is different. And hunger is natural. You SHOULD feel hungry when your body needs nutrients. If you didn't you'd just stop eating altogether and would starve to death. I can tell you that my personal experience (a little over one month post op) is that I rarely feel hungry now. I really just eat on a schedule to make sure I am getting enough Protein and calories. In the first week or two I was legitimately hungry, because I wasn barely getting any calories in on the clear and full liquid diets. Once I was able to start having purees and mushies, I was able to start getting my calorie intake up and that helped a lot.

Don't get discouraged. Everyone's experience is different. And hunger is natural. You SHOULD feel hungry when your body needs nutrients. If you didn't you'd just stop eating altogether and would starve to death. I can tell you that my personal experience (a little over one month post op) is that I rarely feel hungry now. I really just eat on a schedule to make sure I am getting enough protein and calories. In the first week or two I was legitimately hungry, because I wasn barely getting any calories in on the clear and full liquid diets. Once I was able to start having purees and mushies, I was able to start getting my calorie intake up and that helped a lot.

Normal hunger is what I was expecting but by sound of the previous posters I am/was afraid I am doing this all for naught. Constantly hungry but just unable to eat as much. I am really taking this serious and sticking to my pre op diet and already incorporating my new lifestyle change. My husband is super supportive and already changing his eating habits too. Thank you JamieLogical for giving me some hope.

When I reported hunger to my doc at the one-week follow-up, has asked, "Are you sure it's not thirst? That's what it usually is." I worked harder to increase my fluids and the hunger went away. Now I only get "hungry" 3 or 4 hours after a meal. And that's normal, 'cause it's just about time to eat some Protein again. Good luck!

Edited October 6, 201411 yr by Rogofulm

11 days post op and I'm ALWAYS hungry. I just consumed tomato soup (6oz) and still hungry. Currently drinking water. I'm hopeful things will get better. I've been in a foul mood since surgery due to hunger but success stories keep me going.

Were Protein shakes recommended, or clear liquid Protein Shakes recommended for you?

For my pre-op diet, for regular protein shakes, the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury shakes tasted best to me. No off-putting chemical or medicinal taste. Syntrax Nectars also have very good taste reviews. Another important thing is that both these brands are 100% protein isolate, so you absorb the maximum amount of protein from them. There are proteins in some shakes that are not absorbable.

However, immediately post-surgery, my doctor said I needed to drink clear liquids for 2 - 3 days after surgery. I had a few bottles of Isopure ready-to-drink (RTD) clear Protein drinks so I could still get my protein. The larger bottles had 40 grams/bottle. I got mine at Vitamin Shoppe.

It all depends on what you've been instructed to do. There are lots of variations of instructions among doctors.

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by BeagleLover

Just know it ALL gets better and you will be SO THRILLED with the results!! Hang in there and don't eat anything before its time.

I am 8 days postop. Still on clear liquids until my follow up appt in 2 days. I do not get hungry but pretty much have a bottle water in my hand at all times. My friends that have had sleeve stressed in importance of staying hydrated. Are you getting all your water? Maybe that is what your body wants.

You can also use the unjury chicken flavored protein. It is like Cup of Soup without noodles

Hi all! I'm happy to see this thread. Tmrw will be 11wks post op for me. Directly after surgery I never felt hungry and was so happy about that. I was hoping this would be the "norm"....then about 5-6 days post op, I felt like I was starving. The 2nd week post op, I was allowed soft foods. It took about 3days for the "starving" feeling to pass. Now, I have days when I'm not that hungry and then others when I'm hungry no matter how much protein or water I get. And I feel lucky that I can eat more than 4 bites of something. Although my weight loss is soooo much slower than others. I've lost 30lbs so far. I have to say, while I do miss eating large quantities of feel (I know, crazy right? Lol) I am extremely happy I made this decision. I wouldn't change if for anything. Good luck to everyone :):)

I have both the Syntrax Nectars and Unjury and both make me gag, I've tried the costco premier and I can almost tolerate them, but I'm getting sick of them. I can't even drink water, it makes me gag. I'm so looking for a solution for both fluids and protein as I'm not getting either of them, please if anyone has a recommendation I really need help! I think I'm starving myself to death slowly, and am praying my kidneys don't shut down.

I have both the Syntrax Nectars and Unjury and both make me gag, I've tried the costco premier and I can almost tolerate them, but I'm getting sick of them. I can't even drink water, it makes me gag. I'm so looking for a solution for both fluids and protein as I'm not getting either of them, please if anyone has a recommendation I really need help! I think I'm starving myself to death slowly, and am praying my kidneys don't shut down.

Codysmom. I have not had surgery yet but I read on another thread where someone used unflavored protein from unjury w/50 calorie orange juice. Can you see if your doctor allows that? Or maybe check w/nutritionist for suggestions

@@Kathy812, Thanks I'll give it a try, right now actually. I'm not even worried about calories anymore, I'm worried about fluids and protein and goofy things like that to keep me alive.

Although my weight loss is soooo much slower than others. I've lost 30lbs so far.

30 pounds in 11 weeks is slow? Somebody better tell my sleeve that! I'm just over 6 weeks and have lost 16 pounds. I'd be thrilled to lose another 14 pounds in the next 5 weeks, but that seems EXTREMELY unlikely. Pretty sure I'll be lucky to see ten pounds in that amount of time.

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by JamieLogical

I drank Premier Protein chocolate 4-5 times a day for about 4 weeks. Sometimes I almost had to choke it down, but it got me through. And now, over 3 months later, I still have one every morning for breakfast for 30 quick grams of protein. I hate to say this, and I mean it in the most supportive way, but.... you kind of have to suck it up and pick a product that you can tolerate for a short time. There IS a light at the end of the fluids-only tunnel, but you have to stick it out until then. As for fluids in general, I have trouble drinking enough water, so I drink Crystal Light decaf, sugar-free iced tea by the quart. With apologies to some BP members may be getting sick of seeing this, I'm going to post my daily meal plan below. I find that the structure of the day helps me get everything in that I need. Give it a shot, and good luck!

I have both the Syntrax Nectars and Unjury and both make me gag, I've tried the costco premier and I can almost tolerate them, but I'm getting sick of them. I can't even drink water, it makes me gag. I'm so looking for a solution for both fluids and protein as I'm not getting either of them, please if anyone has a recommendation I really need help! I think I'm starving myself to death slowly, and am praying my kidneys don't shut down.

Okay,here goes.... Below is a "typical" day's menu:

As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein, calories and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss.

Okay, here's an example of my day:

• I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work.
• I count my morning protein shake as a meal, not a fluid. (30 grams of protein)
• 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.)
• After that, I drink a 24-oz. cup of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips)
• Then I walk for 40+ minutes.
• Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies, but there's rarely room.
• About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack.
• At around 4:00 or 4:30, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or V-8, or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies if you're getting enough protein at other times.)
• Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.)
• Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, chicken, fish, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies.
• Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening.
• If I'm hungry later, sugar-free jello or sugar-free popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or hungry later, another yogurt or protein shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only gives me about 700-900 calories per day.)

So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid, with some exercise as well. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work.

The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home.

I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal".

Hope that helps!

Rog

Edited October 7, 201411 yr by Rogofulm