Appetite back with a vengance!

[BajanSleeve 244]

I am 5 weeks 1 day post op. Today and yesterday my appetite was SO HUGE! I felt so hungry, like really hungry and now I am finding that I can eat a lot more than I could in previous weeks. I know I have gone over my calorie allowance and this is what I was scared of, that my sleeve would stretch and I would start to be able to eat more than I should sooner than I should. Just being honest here. Its confessional day.

I had expected my appetite and hunger pangs would have diminished greatly after VSG but they really did not. When I was researching the surgery that was one theme I read about a lot but in articles. I regret that I did not go to forums like this where real people who had gone through the surgery were giving feed back. So I admit that I have great disappointment that my hunger did not subside the way that I had expected it would based on reading about the VSG.

Today (so far) I have eaten: a very large cup of tea, milk and sugar - a piece of toast with butter and avocado - 2 cups of blended Soup - a pack of popped chips - a Protein Bar - a Fiber One Bar - 2 short bread biscuits - 2 large squares of dark chocolate - about a 1/4 cup of macaroni and cheese pie (a Barbados thing) and drinking my large drink with Protein Powder in it and its only 7.05 pm! This is likely 1200 + calories and I am only 5 weeks post op. So some of these things were things I had in the house before I travelled for surgery and now they are all gone since I ate them today and yesterday So yeah, I can hear folks saying well don't keep junk in the house! I pray I have the strength not to binge on bread, potato or the crackers I keep for the dogs or something...………..maybe I am getting my period...…….I really don't know why I was SO hungry these days and shocked I could fit so much in

I am having a real wake up call that future weight loss is not going to be magic. The stomach restriction is not as much as I thought it would be and if I don't watch what I eat and start exercising seriously, major weight loss is not going to happen. HELLO! This is not a walk in the park...…….you still have to work for weight loss

There is no getting through weight loss without self discipline not even with surgery...……..sigh...……...I feel discouraged today and scared that I have spent thousands of dollars for something I had a wrong expectation about. Does anyone else feel like their appetite is raging?

Edited July 4, 2018 by BajanSleeve

[Francine2 13]

I am 5 weeks 1 day post op. Today and yesterday my appetite was SO HUGE! I felt so hungry, like really hungry and now I am finding that I can eat a lot more than I could in previous weeks. I know I have gone over my calorie allowance and this is what I was scared of, that my sleeve would stretch and I would start to be able to eat more than I should sooner than I should. Just being honest here. Its confessional day.
I had expected my appetite and hunger pangs would have diminished greatly after VSG but they really did not. When I was researching the surgery that was one theme I read about a lot but in articles, not in forums like this were real people who had gone through the surgery were giving feed back. So I admit that I have disappointment that my hunger did not subside the way that I had expected it would based on reading about the VSG.
Today (so far) I have eaten: a very large cup of tea, milk and sugar - a piece of toast with avocado - 2 cups of blended Soup - a pack of popped chips - a Protein Bar - a Fiber One Bar - 2 short bread biscuits - 2 large squares of dark chocolate - about a 1/4 cup of macaroni pie (a Barbados thing) and drinking my large drink with Protein Powder in it and its only 7.05 pm! This is likely 1200 calories and I am only 5 weeks post op. So some of these things were things I had in the house before I travelled for surgery and now they are all gone since I ate them today and yesterday [emoji5] So yeah, I can hear folks saying well don't keep junk in the house! I pray I have the strength not to binge on bread or potato or something...………..maybe I am getting my period...…….I really don't know why I was SO hungry these days and shocked I could fit so much in
I am having a real wake up call that future weight loss is not going to be magic. The stomach restriction is not as much as I thought it would be and if I don't watch what I eat and start exercising seriously, major weight loss is not going to happen. HELLO! There is not a walk in the park
There is no getting through weight loss without discipline not even with surgery...……..sigh...……...I feel discouraged today and scared that I have spent thousands of dollars for something I had a wrong expectation about

Hey there don't feel discouraged it will b better I promise I have moments when I eat a little more then some days I don't want anything to eat just drink. U made a good decision and everything will work out in time. Keep focus. [emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

[bluebutterfly 60]

Have you considered working with a therapist to address food addiction? And I don’t mean to sound insensitive. I have had to admit that I am a food addict and certain carbs and sweets are triggers for me and will take me back to a place I don’t want to go. While some are lucky and able to eat small quantities of whatever they like that will not work for me and while it’s a hard pill to swollen that’s the reality for me. I can’t eat Pasta, breads or sweets because i won’t be able to stop. I worked quite a bit with a therapist and it was extremely helpful. I hope you find what will work for you so you can have the life you desire.

[BajanSleeve 244]

2 minutes ago, bluebutterfly said:

Have you considered working with a therapist to address food addiction? And I don’t mean to sound insensitive. I have had to admit that I am a food addict and certain carbs and sweets are triggers for me and will take me back to a place I don’t want to go. While some are lucky and able to eat small quantities of whatever they like that will not work for me and while it’s a hard pill to swollen that’s the reality for me. I can’t eat Pasta, breads or sweets because i won’t be able to stop. I worked quite a bit with a therapist and it was extremely helpful. I hope you find what will work for you so you can have the life you desire.

That would be ideal. But I live in Barbados and there are no food therapists here the way you have access to them in North America. I am also unemployed right now and cannot afford to pay any kind of therapist at the moment. We are quite limited here in Barbados as far as therapy related to weight loss and food and what is available are through weight loss clinics at a very expensive cost.

I think that diabetes may also have something to do with it. I am a type II diabetic and the constant underlying hunger may be due to still needing sugar levels to be lower. They are FAR lower than what they used to be but still get high. I am hoping that I will eventually be able to come off of insulin totally as I have read it can be reversed through WLS.

However you are right - maybe I am one of those that has to just stay away from any kind of processed carbs all together...………..sigh

[bluebutterfly 60]

I’m sorry you don’t have access to resources and are having a difficult time. Carbs and sweets also make you feel more hungry part of the reason they’re like the devil to me ;) maybe going back to basics and doing Protein drinks.. I really hope you find what will work for you. Best wishes!

[Lily’sMom 28]

You might be right about the carbs. Focus on the things that are good for you that you like and cook them so they are fabulous. chicken can be made so many ways. Learn to cook like a chef and you will find ways to be very satisfied with food that are good for you so you don’t turn as often to those that are not good for you. There are so many great recipes out there on the web. Try one and see how it goes. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try something new. Good luck and stay strong.

[sillykitty 10,704]

6 hours ago, BajanSleeve said:

....... this is what I was scared of, that my sleeve would stretch and I would start to be able to eat more than I should sooner than I should.

Today (so far) I have eaten: a very large cup of tea, milk and sugar - a piece of toast with butter and avocado - 2 cups of blended Soup - a pack of popped chips - a Protein Bar - a Fiber One Bar - 2 short bread biscuits - 2 large squares of dark chocolate - about a 1/4 cup of macaroni and cheese pie (a Barbados thing) and drinking my large drink with Protein Powder in it and its only 7.05 pm! This is likely 1200 + calories and I am only 5 weeks post op. So some of these things were things I had in the house before I travelled for surgery and now they are all gone since I ate them today and yesterday So yeah, I can hear folks saying well don't keep junk in the house! I pray I have the strength not to binge on bread, potato or the crackers I keep for the dogs or something...………..maybe I am getting my period...…….I really don't know why I was SO hungry these days and shocked I could fit so much in

The stomach restriction is not as much as I thought it would be and if I don't watch what I eat and start exercising seriously, major weight loss is not going to happen.

There is no getting through weight loss without self discipline not even with surgery...……..sigh...……..

From reading what you ate today, I'm not seeing that the issue is with restriction at all. Just about everything you named is a slider food. I assume you didn't eat this all at once, you ate it throughout the day, right? So these types of foods will just slide right down, not give you the satisfaction of feeling full, so you want to eat again in a little while. To feel the restriction, and getting the feeling of fullness and satisfaction, Protein and fibrous veggies are the most effective, and at the same time, what your body needs.

It is cliche because it has been repeated over and over again, but VSG is only a tool. It has to work in conjunction with us making good choices.

Sorry, if this is harsh, but I see some blame shifting in your post, that you need bread, crackers and potatoes in the house for the dogs (huh??), that you didn't read this forum presurgery, that you don't have enough restriction, that you have unexpected hunger, the mental health resources available to you. We each need to take responsibility for what we put in our mouths. Some days it is really easy to make good choices, some days it is really hard.

As far as resources go, Barbados has universal healthcare, so can you see a psychologist or counselor? They may not specialize in food addiction, but they will have experience in addiction, compulsive behavior, self destructive behavior. You can supplement that with online resources dedicated to food addictions, if necessary.

[TakingABreak 2,733]

8 hours ago, sillykitty said:

From reading what you ate today, I'm not seeing that the issue is with restriction at all. Just about everything you named is a slider food.

@BajanSleeve ^^^^this is exactly your problem. Do you have a diet plan that you were given by a NUT? Because almost all of those foods are excluded from my allowed foods.

15 hours ago, BajanSleeve said:

Today (so far) I have eaten: a very large cup of tea, milk and sugar - a piece of toast with butter and avocado - 2 cups of blended Soup - a pack of popped chips - a Protein Bar - a Fiber One Bar - 2 short bread biscuits - 2 large squares of dark chocolate - about a 1/4 cup of macaroni and cheese pie (a Barbados thing) and drinking my large drink with Protein Powder

- Toast with avocado, at 5 weeks I was not allowed even whole wheat bread until 6 weeks. Even now, 5 months post op, I have only whole wheat bread sparingly.

-2 cups of Soup is too much. Soup is a slider food, but you shouldn't eat 2 cups, just because you can. Measure out what you should be eating, which is approx. 1/2 cup at your stage.

-A pack of popped chips. Why would you even? Chips is a no-no.

-A Protein Bar. I don't eat these because they typically have way to many carbs (hence why they are a slider food) and typically too much sugar.

-A Fiber one bar. Again, bars are not good.... and this one doesn't even have enough Protein to make it worth it.

-Short bread biscuits. You know that this isn't a good choice. I don't need to say anything further.

- dark chocolate. Slippery slope, slippery slope. Why not just stay away from tempting foods? I didn't eat my favorites, not because I couldn't, but because it was easier thinking "I can't, what if I get sick?" than trying it and seeing that I could, and keep going.

- Mac And cheese. There is no nutritional value for you in this. Pasta is a slider food, a bad carb, and not necessary for your nutrition at this point.

I think if you tried eating lean protein in every meal, you wouldn't struggle with "hunger" as much. I also think you have a lot of head hunger. Therapy would be ideal, but try and focus that "hunger" into an activity. Or, you can always say to yourself, I can eat something when I've drank a full 16oz of Water. Chances are you won't be hungry by the time you drink that water.

[BajanSleeve 244]

Clearly...…….I will not be successful at this. Clearly, I was not ready...………..clearly $6000k down the drain...….

2 lbs gained and its no wonder

I am so starving hungry which has always been the problem. From day one out of the surgery I was hungry. I am so disappointed that all that I read about hunger being cut back so much because 80% of your stomach being removed has not been the case

I will never be able to maintain 800 calories a day with this hunger

I can eat all the crap I listed but yet my body rejects eating whole meat. I can only eat meat if its put in a blender.....….go figure. I get all my Protein quota via the protein powders which I put in my drink but that has not stemmed hunger

[BajanSleeve 244]

I have appetite suppressant pills which I am going to have to start taking...….again...……..what is the point of this surgery. Sigh

[TakingABreak 2,733]

1 minute ago, BajanSleeve said:

Clearly...…….I will not be successful at this. Clearly, I was not ready...………..clearly $6000k down the drain...….

2 lbs gained and its no wonder

I am so starving hungry which has always been the problem. From day one out of the surgery I was hungry. I am so disappointed that all that I read about hunger being cut back so much because 80% of your stomach being removed has not been the case

I will never be able to maintain 800 calories a day with this hunger

I can eat all the crap I listed but yet my body rejects eating whole meat. I can only eat meat if its put in a blender.....….go figure. I get all my Protein quota via the Protein powders which I put in my drink but that has not stemmed hunger

Clearly..... not a great attitude. I see why you are frustrated, but saying that you can't eat meat....is not indicative of whether you will succeed. There are vegetarians and vegans that have WLS and get their protein from plant based foods or soy meat.

Have you tried other protein high foods besides meat? A few that comes to mind:
- Greek Yogurt
-Cottage Cheese
-Refried Beans

Your hunger isn't real hunger though. It's head hunger. Until you get a grip on your mind... you won't succeed. Like I mentioned in my first post. You have to find a replacement for boredom, stress, whatever makes you eat. Go for a walk, scrub the kitchen floor, dance in your underwear.

[t1018ross 116]

5 minutes ago, BajanSleeve said:

Clearly...…….I will not be successful at this. Clearly, I was not ready...………..clearly $6000k down the drain...….

2 lbs gained and its no wonder

I am so starving hungry which has always been the problem. From day one out of the surgery I was hungry. I am so disappointed that all that I read about hunger being cut back so much because 80% of your stomach being removed has not been the case

I will never be able to maintain 800 calories a day with this hunger

I can eat all the crap I listed but yet my body rejects eating whole meat. I can only eat meat if its put in a blender.....….go figure. I get all my Protein quota via the Protein powders which I put in my drink but that has not stemmed hunger

Your sleeve isn't ready for whole meats yet. Have you tried canned tuna or shredded chicken? Soft, flaky fish? With my plan, I wasn't allowed regular foods until 7 weeks. Weeks 4-6 were pureed foods only. Have you called your surgeon? You need to reach out to your team and NUT before this spirals out of control any further. I understand your disappointment. And dealing with hunger is HARD. Mine has started to come back along with old habits of wanting to snack all day. I try to find some activity to do instead of snacking when I'm not really hungry. Hope you can find a solution and get back on track!

[BajanSleeve 244]

I find it laughable when people say the hunger is not real. I know the difference between emotional eating, binge eating and comfort eating. I feel very hungry

I am not sure if its hormonal or connected to the diabetes. I should not be this hungry even though my glucose levels are not fully controlled they are not as bad as they used to be. I am concerned that if I increase my insulin shots that I may get hypoglycemic so I have been conservative with the amount I take

I eat greek yogurt. I hate cottage cheese. I do eat string cheese. I really hate refried Beans. I eat nuts/almonds for Protein as well. high in calories but not in carbs.

These were items that were left in the house prior to surgery that I ate. does not mean I will buy more to replace them

[BajanSleeve 244]

2 minutes ago, t1018ross said:

Your sleeve isn't ready for whole meats yet. Have you tried canned tuna or shredded chicken? Soft, flaky fish? With my plan, I wasn't allowed regular foods until 7 weeks. Weeks 4-6 were pureed foods only. Have you called your surgeon? You need to reach out to your team and NUT before this spirals out of control any further. I understand your disappointment. And dealing with hunger is HARD. Mine has started to come back along with old habits of wanting to snack all day. I try to find some activity to do instead of snacking when I'm not really hungry. Hope you can find a solution and get back on track!

you are right - not supposed to eat whole meats yet. That is why I blend them into my Soups. my surgery was done in Mexico and I live in Barbados. So I don't have a NUT or a surgeon here.

Thanks for your encouragement. this is not as easy as I thought it would be. I have never really succeeded in WL so I am sure fear of failure plays into it and likely self sabotage. I have to find a way to get over my disappointment in the lack of curb of appetite and hunger. I feel misled and lied to about the information regarding decreased hunger. Oh well - somehow have to get over it because it is a LOT of money to waste and I did not even pay for it so I feel an even greater burden that I have to overcome since it was a family member who saw me heading down the same early death as my mother who intervened for me.

I am convinced I was not ready for this surgery mentally to deal with what happens when hunger comes back but its too late to cry about it now

[TakingABreak 2,733]

1 minute ago, BajanSleeve said:

I find it laughable when people say the hunger is not real. I know the difference between emotional eating, binge eating and comfort eating. I feel very hungry

I am not sure if its hormonal or connected to the diabetes. I should not be this hungry even though my glucose levels are not fully controlled they are not as bad as they used to be. I am concerned that if I increase my insulin shots that I may get hypoglycemic so I have been conservative with the amount I take

I eat greek yogurt. I hate cottage cheese. I do eat string cheese. I really hate refried Beans. I eat nuts/almonds for Protein as well. high in calories but not in carbs.

These were items that were left in the house prior to surgery that I ate. does not mean I will buy more to replace them

If you are hungry, its because you are eating all slider foods. They are literally sliding.... right through. You aren't maintaining any type of fullness.

I am a type 1 diabetic, and I don't believe this ("hunger") has anything to do with insulin levels. Sure, when your blood sugar is low, your body mimics hunger, but you are saying yours aren't controlled, which says its high. Its important that you are dosing your insulin correctly. Reach out to your Endo and find out what you should be taking. Ideally, more long acting insulin.

I hope you don't replace those bad food items. There are four common ways you can fail at this surgery:

1. Graze.
2. Drink your calories
3. Eat and drink at the same time
4. Slider foods

You are grazing with slider foods.....