I’m hoping that if I get this done I could have a solid year to set new habits before the hunger returns. Is this realistic? When did the hunger return for you? The head hunger? Did you even lose hunger after surgery? I’m just curious for all sorts of experiences.

Interesting question. I feel hunger differently now. I know when I'm hungry because my stomach makes noises when it's empty. And I get nauseous when my stomach is empty. So that's when I'm like "Ah, I'm hungry" lol. I don't know if it's the same for everyone else, but that's how it is for me. Oh, and I did a pre-diet before my surgery to get out of bad habits, which included binge eating. Now if I'm bored I just grab a popsicle since I need the fluids anyway lol.

Edited April 30, 20206 yr by NovaLuna

45 minutes ago, lilfluffernutter said:

I’m hoping that if I get this done I could have a solid year to set new habits before the hunger returns. Is this realistic? When did the hunger return for you? The head hunger? Did you even lose hunger after surgery? I’m just curious for all sorts of experiences.

Physical hunger: it never really came back. My signals are quite subtle, maybe too subtle and I guess I override them regularly, especially when I have a lot of stress at work.

Head hunger: don't count on head hunger or appetite going away, let alone staying away. Head hunger is normal, everyone experiences it, WLS or not, overweight or not, and you better learn how to cope with it as soon as possible. Can't kill the dragon? Learn to ride it.

3 minutes ago, summerset said:

Physical hunger: it never really came back. My signals are quite subtle, maybe too subtle and I guess I override them regularly, especially when I have a lot of stress at work.

Head hunger: don't count on head hunger or appetite going away, let alone staying away. Head hunger is normal, everyone experiences it, WLS or not, overweight or not, and you better learn how to cope with it as soon as possible. Can't kill the dragon? Learn to ride it.

Re: head hunger I’ve read some people develop a new taste in food and have to set timers to remind themselves to eat after sleeve surgery... I guess it’s not most people though.

my physical hunger returned when I was five months out.

It usually happens sometime within the first year, but a few people never lose theirs at all, and a (lucky) few never get theirs back (I hoped and prayed I'd be one of those who'd never get their hunger back, but alas, I did...as do most of us)

not sure about head hunger. It would have definitely come back before physical hunger, but I do remember being totally indifferent to food for at least a couple of months. I loved it!!!

33 minutes ago, lilfluffernutter said:

head hunger I’ve read some people develop a new taste in food and have to set timers to remind themselves to eat after sleeve surgery... I guess it’s not most people though.

I definitely don't have to set a reminder, lol. I also didn't develop new preferences after surgery.

Of course preferences can change with time (think about what you liked or didn't like to eat as a child and what you like or don't like to eat now as an adult). You also crave what you usually eat. So up to a certain point you can train your taste buds though you might never like brussel sprouts or trout or whatever if you really hate the taste or texture of these particular foods right now.

First, let me make the mandatory disclaimer that everyone is different. The experiences of each person on here vary GREATLY.

With that said, my own personal experience was that I got actual physical hunger around the 8 or 9 month mark. Everything else was just cravings. (For the first 1-3 months I actually had food aversion. Later it would just be sporadic in the sense there would be days every once in a while that I just didn't want to eat)

I'm 1.5 years out now and I definitely get hungry regularly. But not the ravenous kind from pre-WLS. And it definitely doesn't take as much food as it did before to satisfy it.

I would also like to add that I have times when I just want to eat (even when I'm not actually hungry). If I'm not mindful, I could go back to just eating/snacking just for the sake of eating/snacking. So I have to be mindful. I realize this is going to be a life-long thing, and I'm fully prepared to do it.

On 4/30/2020 at 9:27 AM, lilfluffernutter said:

I’m hoping that if I get this done I could have a solid year to set new habits before the hunger returns. Is this realistic? When did the hunger return for you? The head hunger? Did you even lose hunger after surgery? I’m just curious for all sorts of experiences.

I experienced food aversion for the first 3 months after surgery. Physical hunger was completely absent until the 5 1/2 to 6 month mark. At nearly 7 months out, the beginnings of a physical hunger-like sensation are occasionally present but so far it's unlike the sensation experienced prior to WLS (less tenacious, not persistent, dull or muted as opposed to pressing). I don’t really experience much emotional hunger because I spent thousands of hours working on addressing and managing that well in advance of being sleeved.

Feeling physical hungry is healthy and desirable, and it will return—and so it should. The good news is that there's no correlation between physical hunger and habit development: you can create new neural pathways and develop new habits whether or not you’re feeling hungry. There's not enough information in your post to know exactly why you’re asking this question, but if you're asking because you're an emotional eater, the best thing you could ever do for your future post-surgery self is to begin examining that and altering your behaviours as far in advance of surgery as possible. And I'm not talking about during the 7 or 14 day pre-op diet. Start embracing making completely different foods choices by cutting out processed foods and fast food, instead focusing on high quality vegetables, fruits, beans, pulses and legumes, healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, tofu, tempeh, and sustainably caught wild seafood/clean antibiotic and hormone-free meats and eggs in moderation.

During the first 6-7 months after surgery, you are not driving the loss and will lose the same amount of weight no matter what you do. There are many who don’t appear to comprehend this and resume eating the way they used to once they're able to tolerate more food at roughly the 6 month mark. All you need to do is look around this or any other WLS forum to see that this never ends well. It's extremely common for post-ops to not reach their goal weight, or regain some or all of the weight back. Even those who work at maintenance can gain weight back, just like anyone who's never needed WLS gains weight if they don’t follow a healthful eating plan and don’t exercise.

It's not hunger that drives this, it's a failure to make the correct nutritional choices every day for the rest of their lives. So if you already know you're typically hungry for love, calmness, stability, reassurance, attention, or some sense that no matter what, everything will be alright, address it prior to surgery. Invest in a therapist if you need one and start working with them now. To be successful with WLS long-term, you will need to learn how to give these things to yourself without food.

Edited May 3, 20206 yr by PollyEster

Everyone is different like @ms.sss said, although I pretty much followed the same hunger path she described.
I’m 20 months out and my hunger varies wildly from one day to the next. I have days when I’m really hungry, but not ravenous, and other days I really don’t think about food much. I keep a lot of fruit (apples help) around so I’m ready during a hungry day.

Didn't feel hungry at all reallyy for months and if I did the shakes kept me satisfied until recently I've been trying different foods but I'm over 6 months post surgery and sure I may get a craving here and there but it doesn't last very long it's great not thinking about food all day like I used to...