I'm curious if people are very hungry a few years out? I attended a support group meeting and I did hear how hungry some people were and most were between 1-3 yrs out. The nurse running the meeting seemed to think it was what they were eating. i.e. not getting enough protein and eating too much sugar. So for those of you out 2+ years, are you just as hungry as you were before the surgery but can't eat as much? Do you find that following same type of plan as nutrionist helps with hunger. How tough is it too maintain. Do most find that you don't loose past the honeymoon phase. I keep hearing about how critical it is to maximize weight loss during the 1st year.

I know I'm a bit ahead of myself here since my surgery is set for Nov 30th but I'm trying to prepare mentally for long-term. TIA

Oh bummer [mention=194772]jess9395[/mention] I was hoping that shutting down the hunger hormone ghrelin, would help long term. At least that what was explained to me during one of the first group meetings by one of the surgeons.

I guess that is just a theory b/c I'm hearing from a lot of hungry people out longer than one year.

Oh don't get me wrong.... I don't have anywhere near the hunger I had pre op. Like ranges from a 0 to a 4 typically and maybe up to a 5 or 6 when I've been eating too many simple carbs.

I don't think it would be healthy to have NO hunger long term.

I don't have enough hunger most days to make choosing the right things difficulty

6 hours ago, Lainey H said:

Thanks for your feedback @CowgirlJane I guess it will always be somewhat of a battle but it's good to hear you are a success 6 yrs out and rocking your goal!!! Any other issues (i.e. nausea, reflux, etc?)

It has been my experience, that all negative side effects can be traced back to behavior - I realize not everyone is that fortunate. I was suffering from reflux/heartburn this last summer but it miraculously reduced when I cut back/cut out on coffee and wine (and ended a toxic relationship - coincidence?, maybe!).

I am currently doing a 6 week transformation and I am so not hungry on that program - ha. It is like all very lean protein and veggies with small portion of healthy carbs 2x a day (with breakfast and lunch). It seems like so much food, but really it is the type of food that is so satiating - it has been a good reminder to me that following bariatric rules actually works (including for people who have not had WLS!)

On 11/9/2017 at 7:32 PM, CowgirlJane said:

It has been my experience, that all negative side effects can be traced back to behavior - I realize not everyone is that fortunate. I was suffering from reflux/heartburn this last summer but it miraculously reduced when I cut back/cut out on coffee and wine (and ended a toxic relationship - coincidence?, maybe!).

I am currently doing a 6 week transformation and I am so not hungry on that program - ha. It is like all very lean Protein and veggies with small portion of healthy carbs 2x a day (with Breakfast and lunch). It seems like so much food, but really it is the type of food that is so satiating - it has been a good reminder to me that following bariatric rules actually works (including for people who have not had WLS!)

That's so good to hear @CowgirlJane !! LOL on toxic food and relationship. Thanks for the comments. I really appreciate it.

On 11/9/2017 at 5:33 PM, jess9395 said:

Oh don't get me wrong.... I don't have anywhere near the hunger I had pre op. Like ranges from a 0 to a 4 typically and maybe up to a 5 or 6 when I've been eating too many simple carbs.

I don't think it would be healthy to have NO hunger long term.

I don't have enough hunger most days to make choosing the right things difficulty

Good to hear... I appreciate your comments.

On 11/9/2017 at 7:32 PM, CowgirlJane said:

It has been my experience, that all negative side effects can be traced back to behavior - I realize not everyone is that fortunate. I was suffering from reflux/heartburn this last summer but it miraculously reduced when I cut back/cut out on coffee and wine (and ended a toxic relationship - coincidence?, maybe!).

I am currently doing a 6 week transformation and I am so not hungry on that program - ha. It is like all very lean Protein and veggies with small portion of healthy carbs 2x a day (with Breakfast and lunch). It seems like so much food, but really it is the type of food that is so satiating - it has been a good reminder to me that following bariatric rules actually works (including for people who have not had WLS!)

Hi, What is the 6 week transformation? I am at a stall and I need to do something to jump start the weight loss

I'm curious if people are very hungry a few years out? I attended a support group meeting and I did hear how hungry some people were and most were between 1-3 yrs out. The nurse running the meeting seemed to think it was what they were eating. i.e. not getting enough protein and eating too much sugar. So for those of you out 2+ years, are you just as hungry as you were before the surgery but can't eat as much? Do you find that following same type of plan as nutrionist helps with hunger. How tough is it too maintain. Do most find that you don't loose past the honeymoon phase. I keep hearing about how critical it is to maximize weight loss during the 1st year.
I know I'm a bit ahead of myself here since my surgery is set for Nov 30th but I'm trying to prepare mentally for long-term. TIA

I am three years out. My hunger returned about 1.5 years ago with a vengeance. I really freaked out when this happened, it gave me a lot of anxiety. I responded to it the same way I always had- by fearing it and restricting my food intake. That wasn’t going to work for me long term, I became very depressed. I ultimately embraced another way of eating called “Intuitive Eating” which has really helped me manage my hunger and maintain my weight.

Let me see if I can answer your questions.

Am I just as hungry as I was before surgery?

Yes, I am just as hungry. I get full faster however but I am often hungry again much sooner, especially if my meal is dense protein as the portion size I can consume of protein is very small. I’m usually hungry within an hour or two of eating. I can stay full longer if I consume larger amounts of carbs and fats and some protein in combination. Sometime I stay full for a very long time- and I need to eat again and can’t. For instance I may have a snack before dinner and find I am too full to eat dinner. It varies a lot. My body isn’t as predictable as it was before surgery.

Because I practice Intuitive Eating I am very tuned in to my hunger. I simply cannot eat it I’m not hungry, it doesn’t appeal to me at all. And if I am hungry, I must eat or I’m gonna get HANGRY.

Do I find that following some type of plan as recommended by a nutritionist helps with hunger?

I think everyone is different and you need to find what works for you. I don’t worry about experiencing hunger because I always respond to mine by eating. When I’m hungry, I eat. So it’s not something that scares me or that I have to fight with.

How tough is it to maintain?
I maintain my weight easily without having to try hard.

Do you find that you don’t lose after the honeymoon phase?
I lost weight for 1.5 years until I finally started to eat more and was able to stop losing. I don’t think the honeymoon phase means anything- you can lose weight as long as you restrict your intake. Wether this is a good thing or not, I don’t know. Our bodies seem to want to be a set point and everyone is different. If you try and go below yours it will get harder and harder.

I do think taking full advantage of the lack of hunger and restriction in the first year is a very good idea. That’s your chance to use the surgery as a tool for weightloss.

Hope this helps.