I am new here so first post. I am 10 days out of surgery. I still have some belly pain from incisions and still can't lay on my side so sleep is difficult. When you are on liquids can you tell if your hungry or full? I cant so does this come back when you eat soft foods?

Welcome!

The pain and not being able to sleep on your side is normal. I forced myself to gradually tilt to the side over a period of days and it made it easier. Surround yourself with pillows, prop up your belly and put one behind your back. It helps a lot! I also created a bed wedge out of pillows and a blanket over them (think one sided pyramid) so I could sleep reclined in bed. Every day I'd take one pillow out until I was sleeping flat.

As far as the hunger goes, they remove the gland that produces the hunger hormone during surgery, so you won't feel true hunger for a long time. If you do find yourself feeling hungry, the usual culprit is excess stomach acid, so make sure you are taking your acid reducer. If it gets really bad you can take two at a time.

Tip: the longer you stay away from refined sugars and grains the longer your hunger cues will stay away, which is a good thing! Sugars and grains cause blood sugar spikes and drops that can mimic true hunger, causing you to eat more than you should.