Hunger Question

[amboyle728 71]

I am eating regular food now, and one thing I've noticed is that I get full very quickly, but I also get hungry again very quickly.

I am spacing my eating/drinking as the doctor told me, but about an hour after eating, I find myself hungry (like, hunger pangs) again.

Anyone else have this experience? Any tips?

Thanks!

[Xx1jpt5xx 93]

I have not personally. I'm about 6 weeks out and still have no desire to eat anything.

[rjan 164]

AJ Tylo is probably going to pop in here any moment to tell you about how hunger is all in your head. Personally, I don't agree. Your body has multiple metabolic pathways that stimulate hunger in response to multiple physical triggers - bariatric surgery changes some of those pathways fundamentally, but it does not affect them all and it does not not erase the ones it does affect.

I got this surgery because pre-op, I was struggling with feeling starving all the time - even after a full meal. I was on metformin 3 times a day, my blood sugar was steadily inching up towards the diabetic range, and I am nearly the same age as my dad was when he got diabetes. My pre-op hunger was not head hunger - it was physical hunger from a broken metabolism.

I'm 3.5 weeks post-op - a few weeks behind you. I've noticed really interesting changes in my hunger throughout this process. The first week after surgery I was starving - once I moved on to full fluids and found a Protein supplement I could tolerate, this hunger vanished. In the past two weeks, I have gone back and forth a few times between not hungry at all and fairly hungry. For instance, for about 4 days my weight didn't change at all and I was so not hungry that I barely got my protein in. Then I dropped 4 pounds in a day and suddenly felt hungry again.

You might need to do a little detective work to find out the cause of your particular issue. It could be that you're eating too much carbs in your meal, and your blood sugar takes a dip at the 1 hour mark. (I don't know if you're carb sensitive like I am.) Or it could be that you're hungry for a nutrient you're not getting - like how many people are hungry right after surgery until they start getting enough protein. Or it could be that you'd benefit from eating a smaller amount but more often for a while. Does this happen at a particular time of day? Maybe you're just more hungry in the mornings or something? (Or it could be that this is some funny symptom that entirely goes away in a week 😂.) Try out some different things.

[Krimsonbutterflies 661]

4 hours ago, rjan said:

AJ Tylo is probably going to pop in here any moment to tell you about how hunger is all in your head. Personally, I don't agree. Your body has multiple metabolic pathways that stimulate hunger in response to multiple physical triggers - bariatric surgery changes some of those pathways fundamentally, but it does not affect them all and it does not not erase the ones it does affect.

I got this surgery because pre-op, I was struggling with feeling starving all the time - even after a full meal. I was on metformin 3 times a day, my blood sugar was steadily inching up towards the diabetic range, and I am nearly the same age as my dad was when he got diabetes. My pre-op hunger was not head hunger - it was physical hunger from a broken metabolism.

I'm 3.5 weeks post-op - a few weeks behind you. I've noticed really interesting changes in my hunger throughout this process. The first week after surgery I was starving - once I moved on to full fluids and found a Protein supplement I could tolerate, this hunger vanished. In the past two weeks, I have gone back and forth a few times between not hungry at all and fairly hungry. For instance, for about 4 days my weight didn't change at all and I was so not hungry that I barely got my Protein in. Then I dropped 4 pounds in a day and suddenly felt hungry again.

You might need to do a little detective work to find out the cause of your particular issue. It could be that you're eating too much carbs in your meal, and your blood sugar takes a dip at the 1 hour mark. (I don't know if you're carb sensitive like I am.) Or it could be that you're hungry for a nutrient you're not getting - like how many people are hungry right after surgery until they start getting enough protein. Or it could be that you'd benefit from eating a smaller amount but more often for a while. Does this happen at a particular time of day? Maybe you're just more hungry in the mornings or something? (Or it could be that this is some funny symptom that entirely goes away in a week 😂.) Try out some different things.

Very informative and helpful options for us to try. I don't believe all hunger is in your head either. In the beginning of your individual journeys, I think its important to decipher what is going on with you. Also, eating less more frequently may help me for sure. I'm trying that theory for the next 2 days and increasing my protein intake.

[GreenTealael 25,618]

You *may be* eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly,so your satiety is not prompted before the food triggers the restriction feeling (this has personally happened to me plenty of times 😒)

Try chewing and eating as slow as possible to see if there is any noticeable difference

Good Luck ❤

Edited April 6, 2020 by GreenTealael

[Krimsonbutterflies 661]

11 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

You *may be* eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly,so your satiety is not prompted before the food triggers the restriction feeling (this has personally happened to me plenty of times 😒)

Try chewing and eat as slow as possible to see if there is any noticeable difference

Good Luck ❤

I know that I need to chew even slower. Thank you.

[CammyC 291]

I am 5 weeks post op now so not that far behind you. I too felt very hungry in the beginning and I still use my Protein Shakes if I feel hungry when I know I’ve already eaten and would not be able to hold anymore food. I will sip on Protein shakes for a few minutes—very slowly—and it seems to settle my tummy.

I love all the suggestions above and wish I could bookmark this thread for any future reference. I’m still a newbie myself and my tummy is teaching me new things everyday. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. ❤️

Edited April 6, 2020 by CammyC

[CammyC 291]

1 minute ago, Krimsonbutterflies said:

I know that I need to chew even slower. Thank you.

Me too!!! I find myself mindlessly eating at times and not being conscious of it. It’s a long instilled habit that’s hard to break.

[JRT Mom 920]

17 hours ago, rjan said:

AJ Tylo is probably going to pop in here any moment to tell you about how hunger is all in your head.

Technically, ALL hunger is in your head--your body sends signals to the brain..."FEED ME!!!" It's whether or not we give in to the messages from our brain that can make a difference. Misdirection works well-if you are feeling hungry and it's not time for a meal try to distract yourself with something--sometimes even a few minutes of distraction can make the diffence when you have the urge to eat.

AJ--where are you???😁

Edited April 6, 2020 by JRT Mom

[Mello1 227]

17 hours ago, rjan said:

AJ Tylo is probably going to pop in here any moment to tell you about how hunger is all in your head. Personally, I don't agree. Your body has multiple metabolic pathways that stimulate hunger in response to multiple physical triggers - bariatric surgery changes some of those pathways fundamentally, but it does not affect them all and it does not not erase the ones it does affect.

I got this surgery because pre-op, I was struggling with feeling starving all the time - even after a full meal. I was on metformin 3 times a day, my blood sugar was steadily inching up towards the diabetic range, and I am nearly the same age as my dad was when he got diabetes. My pre-op hunger was not head hunger - it was physical hunger from a broken metabolism.

I'm 3.5 weeks post-op - a few weeks behind you. I've noticed really interesting changes in my hunger throughout this process. The first week after surgery I was starving - once I moved on to full fluids and found a Protein supplement I could tolerate, this hunger vanished. In the past two weeks, I have gone back and forth a few times between not hungry at all and fairly hungry. For instance, for about 4 days my weight didn't change at all and I was so not hungry that I barely got my Protein in. Then I dropped 4 pounds in a day and suddenly felt hungry again.

You might need to do a little detective work to find out the cause of your particular issue. It could be that you're eating too much carbs in your meal, and your blood sugar takes a dip at the 1 hour mark. (I don't know if you're carb sensitive like I am.) Or it could be that you're hungry for a nutrient you're not getting - like how many people are hungry right after surgery until they start getting enough protein. Or it could be that you'd benefit from eating a smaller amount but more often for a while. Does this happen at a particular time of day? Maybe you're just more hungry in the mornings or something? (Or it could be that this is some funny symptom that entirely goes away in a week 😂.) Try out some different things.

I'm struggling with this as well. I'm 3 weeks out post op tomorrow, and I seem to be hungry all of the time. I mainly have to deal with it because on top of that, I struggle to get down the Water and the protein now. It would help if I could use the Protein Shakes, but now they make me sick. Just started back to work today and I'm trying to establish a routine, but it's a struggle.

[Lily66 425]

Hugs on your first day back to work Mello1....may things get easier!

[TisTrue 12]

20 hours ago, amboyle728 said:

I am eating regular food now, and one thing I've noticed is that I get full very quickly, but I also get hungry again very quickly.

I am spacing my eating/drinking as the doctor told me, but about an hour after eating, I find myself hungry (like, hunger pangs) again.

Anyone else have this experience? Any tips?

Thanks!

Hey Amboyle728,

When you say regular food, what exactly does that mean? I had this problem a little bit in the beginning and even once in a while recently. I have to say that you are going to have to be kind to yourself and to your body. You kind of have to get to know what works for you all over again. There might even be things that you can consume more of than other things. This is true for me and in this instance I know that I have to be more careful with those particular foods. I also know that for me if I am too hungry, which by the way it is totally possible especially since ghrelin (this is primarily what causes hunger and for me this was the part of the stomach that was removed, which is not always so in all weight-loss surgeries) is NOT only in our stomachs. Anyways, when I realized hunger was somewhat of an issue I went back to journaling my food and realized I was not consuming enough Protein. I make sure to have a Premier Protein shake which has almost no sugar but for about 10oz or so has 30g of protein, Iv'e also obtained a love for sunflower seeds (in shell) as a 'just in case I feel hungry but I shouldn't be' snack. But the main thing is to try adding and/or taking away different foods as well as maintaining intake of protein, bariatric type Vitamins, the right Calcium, and Water. Good luck on your journey and I hope that you find what works the best for you!

[amboyle728 71]

Apparently, according to my doctor, the problem has been with not chewing enough. Now that I have graduated from "soft" food, to food with more substance, I have to focus more on my chewing the food thoroughly. Otherwise, my tummy gets overwhelmed and sets a signal to stop eating so it can cope with the bigger bites, before the pouch actually gets full. So I stop eating, but the pouch is not full, and I feel hungry again right away.

This makes a lot of sense, and I've been much more satiated for a longer period of time now that I'm back to the 30 chews rule

On 4/5/2020 at 9:16 PM, GreenTealael said:

You *may be* eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly,so your satiety is not prompted before the food triggers the restriction feeling (this has personally happened to me plenty of times 😒)

Try chewing and eating as slow as possible to see if there is any noticeable difference

Good Luck ❤

GreenTealael, you were absolutely right on the money!

[GreenTealael 25,618]

1 hour ago, amboyle728 said:

Apparently, according to my doctor, the problem has been with not chewing enough. Now that I have graduated from "soft" food, to food with more substance, I have to focus more on my chewing the food thoroughly. Otherwise, my tummy gets overwhelmed and sets a signal to stop eating so it can cope with the bigger bites, before the pouch actually gets full. So I stop eating, but the pouch is not full, and I feel hungry again right away.

This makes a lot of sense, and I've been much more satiated for a longer period of time now that I'm back to the 30 chews rule

GreenTealael, you were absolutely right on the money!

Wait... there was money involved ?!?!

Joking Joking Joking, glad to help ❤