I am confused. Most people say that after surgery they are not hungry. At what point does that change? Why do some people start craving their favorite foods fairly soon thereafter? I had thought that after the surgery your stomach "resets".

If your stomach is now 20% to 25% of what it used to be, I know that you gradually go from liquids, to puree and to mashed, etc. So during that time your stomach staples have healed over? What calories a day then during the "weight loss" period do you consume? Is it still the tiny, tiny portions per meal. Isn't maintenance then what your body settles into which can be anywhere from 1200 to 1800 calories a day depending on how your body works? If you cannot handle large amounts of food, at what point does your body allow you consume more food?

I guess I am trying to understand it all how the stomach is going to work post surgery and why after a point can people eat a whole plate of food? I have seen some people's portions and wonder how they get that all down.

Most people are gradually able to eat more as the stomach heals and restriction relaxes some. Of course we will never be able to eat in one sitting what we could before surgery. It would take deliberately grazing over hours to accomplish that.

For me, hunger returned around 10 months after surgery. Next week will be one year post op and I get hungry every four to six hours. My stomach actually growls now where it didn't the first 10 months.

I can also eat a lot more than I could the first six months. I used to be able to eat about 3-4 ounces of meat with no room for anything else. Now I can eat 3-4 ounces of meat and some veggies and maybe even a little carb. While I'm thrilled I can eat "normally" now, I also have to be mindful since I can fit more that I choose wisely what I eat. I can no longer rely on restriction alone to make sure I don't overeat. I'm back to weighing, measuring and tracking to keep calories in check.

There are different phases of the sleeve. I'm entering the second year and very close to maintenance which is very different from the first year of surgery where restriction is tight, getting calories in feels like a chore and weight almost magically comes off. Now restriction is good but not near as tight, I have no problem getting calories in and weight loss has come to a halt (I'm very close to goal though).

Edited October 27, 201510 yr by KristenVSG2014

@@dafurrer

The part of your stomach remove contains Ghrelin (pronounced "GREL-in"), the "hunger hormone", i rarely feel hunger

In the beginning you have good restriction. It takes a while to get all your food requirements in. For me hunger came on as I progressed. All Protein meal did not work any more to keep me full. I added my veggies fixed the situation. I also craved sweet, Salty and crunchy food. Address the cravings so they don't become more intense. good healthy options. Things that work for me...Sweet sugar free pudding. Salty Jerky. Crunchy Quest protein potato chips.

Calories per day was 700 for me. I'm maintaining now. Calories 1200 to 1500. I eat 6 times a day. I cant eat a larger amount of food at this point. A cup of salad with my protein. My restriction with my sleeve is still good. In no way can I eat a whole diner plate of food. I still eat a salad plate size.

I am 10 days post op and found that if I up my water sips and I added an extra omeprazole I don't have that 'hunger pain'

I had an "argument" with my surgeon at my 4-week post-op visit. I told her I was hungry all the time. And when I ate something, the hunger would go away and I would get full, but the hunger would return anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours later (depending on what I ate).

I am a very analytical person so at first, I suspected this was "head hunger" but when the hunger was waking me up at night - I knew it was real. My surgeon claims it is not real, but only head hunger. After going back and forth with her, I finally said "You know what - I don't care if it is real hunger, head hunger or toe hunger. I feel it, and the only way it goes away is to eat something". That ended the argument.

They say you can be distracted from head hunger - but I think you can be distracted from real hunger too. If something exciting, overwhelming or different happens - for a few minutes or longer, even real hunger goes away.

So, I don't see the point of differentiating between the two types of hunger. Our bodies are still taking in many fewer calories than it is used to, so of course something is going to say "I'm hungry!".

Having said all this - how we respond to hunger is what is now different.

I am now 8 weeks post op, and the hunger feeling is a normal part of my life. I don't always act on it. I simply accept it. And it isn't painful - just annoying. So, like any other annoyance that might be in your life (like my whiny cat), I've learned to "tune it out" when it isn't meal time.

I don't think I could have done this with a "normal" diet. I would have caved and eaten a huge meal, to get rid of the hunger. But now, eating is much less satisfying (because of how little I am actually eating at any given meal) and I know my hunger will be back in a short period of time. So, this keeps me from snacking every time the hunger starts back up.

I guess this is all good - I am staying pretty much on track. But, I really wish I had been one of those lucky ones who had no hunger at all...

The stomach being reduced helps with feeling hungry but the surgery does not mentally change your cravings.