Hello there!

Getting banded in January. I've read many posts about hunger...Can someone give me the "detailed" version of hunger? Like is it a "gotta eat something now or I'm gonna pass-out" or a bored type of "emotional hunger"? If it is emotional, how do you get past it? The more details you can give me the better.

Thanks!

I had to do a pre-op diet for 2 weeks prior to my surgery. The first week was kinda hard. My stomach growled alot, but the second week was a little easier. I had my surgery Nov. 1st. I have very little interest in food. I have to pretty much force myself to "drink" something. I'm still on the liquid stage of post op. I think it is different for everyone. I don't feel like that "pass out" type of hunger. I'm still swollen from the surgery so even just a small amount of liquid makes me feel bloated. I sometimes get that "bored" type of hunger where I would just like to munch on something, but SF popsicles help. Or I might have a SF jello or pudding. The hardest part was the pre-op liquid diet of protein shakes and lots & lots of crystal light! But it is something I really wanted so I did what I needed to do. If you really want something you will pretty much do whatever to get it

Hi there,

Not everyone is hungry. I was banded October 25 and have yet to be hungry. I have to make myself take liquids because I'm supposed to have at least 64 ounces a day. Good luck!!

Okay, let's just talk post-band here (not talking about any pre-op diet the doctor may have you on leading up to surgery). Hunger? Okay, you WILL feel bigtime hunger from about 1-2 weeks post-surgery through when you get your first real restriction (notice I didn't say "first fill"). That being said, you can certainly feed that hunger and you don't need to "suffer"...but you need to make sensible choices. I ate for BULK during that time. I found low fat, low cal stuff that I could eat a "lot" of and when I felt like I was going to chew my leg off I would eat 2-3 jello cups or something like that and I kept a lot of those bulk items on hand to fill the void. Get them and USE them! You WILL still get full faster than pre-band, even without much restriction (you'll never be able to eat what you ate before surgery in a sitting). However, once you hit that special spot, you're going to see a HUGE change. I don't think I have felt consuming hunger now for about 5 months. Sure, my tummy growls every 3-4 hours. Doesn't take much at all to put it back to bed again. Eating to me is more to feed my body now, as opposed to feeding my mouth. You don't "wallow" in your food anymore after banding. It just doesn't work and the pleasure isn't really there. It's kindof like if you really loved sweets and you dream about diving into a vat of chocolate cake and rolling around. Well, this is more like trying to dive into a thimble of cake and roll around. It's kindof like "doesn't really have the same pleasure factor the other did" and after a while...the desire just kindof goes away... at least for me.

I was banded on Oct. 24th, I notice a little bit of hunger late afternoon, so I have a protein shake and that usually takes care of it. When I wake in the morning, I am not hungery at all, but I eat something. Usually a fat free yogart with protein powder added to it and I am good until 12:30 or 1 pm. This issue of hunger just started a few days ago, which I understand is normal. I see my surgeon tomorrow and we will set my first fill date. Can't wait!

kacee,

I really like your advice!!! Thanks for the ideas.