I'm almost a week out I have been following the dietary guidelines to a T but I feel so hungry and everyone I talk to who has had the surgery keeps telling me I shouldn't be hungry, and I shouldn't miss food and blah blah blah. I know what my body is feeling and my stomach is physically growling, I'm pushing through but has anyone else been here? My post op appoinent is tom so I'm gonna talk to my dr. But I just wanna know I'm not alone.

Why shouldn't you be hungry? You're, very literally, starting to starve.

I went on a rant about this idea of "head hunger".

If you've eaten a nice meal of chicken breast and veggies...but you desperately still WANT a cheeseburger and fries...that's "head hunger."

Needing more fuel...and having physiological signs that you need more fuel...is actual real hunger. And YES lots and lots of bariatric patients suffer it when their calorie demands are high (healing) and their intake is dangerously low (first few weeks after surgery).

Many people suffer nausea...that eliminates hunger. So, they beleive that no one else feels hunger.

But lots of us don't suffer any nausea, and for us hunger can be overwhelming until our diets open up to more realistic amounts of calories.

I could have eaten my own leg off a week after surgery...I was THAT hungry. You're not alone:)

When more foods opened up to me and my caloric intake got to be about 1000 calories a day, I felt wonderful...no more hunger.

Hang in there...it gets better.

It’s different for everyone, my sister had the surgery before me and she did not have an ounce of hunger at all, nothing looked appetizing to her, in fact that’s what pushed me to get it as well. For me? I was ravenous all the time for about 3 weeks post op, I was craving anything and everything all day and night, then it started to subside. I’m now at almost 7 weeks post op and sometimes I could go without eating because I’m honestly not hungry , however I still eat even if it’s something really small.

Good luck and hang in there.


HW - 209
SW - 200
CW - 177
Surgery Date - 12/19/17

Ok thank you, I'm hungry but I can't eat so I just feel so weak and I know a little part of me is regretting it but then I weighed myself last night and I was down 17lbs and it was amazing! I'm just idk frustrated?

I had the exact same thing. I was HANGRY all day long and miserable about it. Around 3 weeks in, after eating puréed foods and more diverse options, it went away.

The use of pain medication after surgery can lessen hunger, and some people might be on them longer than others. After I stopped mine (3 days in), hunger hit me hard. That could contribute to some having less hunger than others- just a thought. My APRN also told me RNY patients tend to have less hunger after surgery than sleevies. I don't know how true it is, but I definitely asked why I was so hungry and she said it was normal and common.

There's so many variables involved in our journeys and it's so different for everyone-- but trust me on this, you're not alone!

I call it mentally hungry

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My doctor gave me no pain Ned's after surgery so I do not know that feeling. I know I got eel weak and pathetic for wanting food so bad when my lack of control got me here. I'm so frustrated and wish I hadn't done it then another part of me is happy

My doctor gave me no pain Ned's after surgery so I do not know that feeling. I know I got eel weak and pathetic for wanting food so bad when my lack of control got me here. I'm so frustrated and wish I hadn't done it then another part of me is happy

Don't be so hard on yourself. You're human. You're hungry. You went from eating 2000+ calories a day to eating barely anything. It's not in your head. And this phase passes. You'll be back to eating normal foods in a month or two. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE!!! YOU GOT THIS!!

I felt physical hunger at certain times too. Normally in the morning. It's ok. If your goal in having surgery was to change your health for the better, you made the "right" decision. Hunger pains do pass. Continue to stick to your regimen and find other things to do to occupy yourself when hunger hits. You can do this..really, you can.

Just a thought, but on another board when someone describes what you are feeling, they recommend omeprazole or something -- that it might be excess stomach acid?? Dunno...

On 2/4/2018 at 9:36 AM, Slevedbanana said:

I'm almost a week out I have been following the dietary guidelines to a T but I feel so hungry and everyone I talk to who has had the surgery keeps telling me I shouldn't be hungry, and I shouldn't miss food and blah blah blah. I know what my body is feeling and my stomach is physically growling, I'm pushing through but has anyone else been here? My post op appoinent is tom so I'm gonna talk to my dr. But I just wanna know I'm not alone.

It is real. I was starving the morning after surgery. I cant explain why but I was so flipping hungry. People kept telling me it was head hunger but I can assure you it was very real.