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I had my ESG in mid August and proceeded thru all the diet phases with no problems. I now can eat "anything" altho I am only supposed to eat 3 oz per meal - 3 meals and 2 Snacks per day. At first I was fine with the small amounts, but as I healed I felt hungrier and started moving my meal sizes up. I am not gorging by any means but I typically eat 4-6 oz per meal. Usually 900-1100 calories per day. This lets me have a few oz of veg along with my few oz of Protein. My question is really about feeling hungry. I was told the ESG would greatly reduce hunger and cravings, unfortunately I am not feeling that. I wasn't hungry the first month or so, but its been a problem since. Did you feel free of hunger for some period of time, if so how long?

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ESG doesn't remove any part of the stomach, including the part that produces the majority of the hunger hormone ghrelin. I suspect if you had lack of appetite initially its due to swelling and inflammation while the sutures/anchors are healing.

If you want your sutures to hold/not lose their restriction you will need to eat to the volumes specified in your post op guidelines.

If the top part of the stomach has been sutured properly this will help with the restriction feeling. Make sure also you eat Protein first then any high fibre part of your meal, this will help with the restriction plus keep you feeling satisfied a little longer.

As you will see I had an ESG in October 2018, I had that converted to an surgical sleeve that an endoscope showed that most of the sutures had come undone or loosened significantly.

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Welcome to the forums.

Everything you were told about how you would feel post-op are hedged with "many people don't have hunger" and "most people have trouble eating 'anything'". Being the humans we are we tend to take these as promises when they are merely a statements of odds. We hear what we want.

So here you are with YOUR truth: you can eat twice what your plan says, you can eat anything, and you get hungry. Welcome to you.

I know it's hard, but you really need to stay on plan.

Good luck,

Tek

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You both make good points. My surgeon was new to this procedure this year, had only done about 30 when I had my ESG. They also seem to be making up their esg rules as they go. Like when I had my procedure they told me 2 weeks on liquid only but after a week they changed and said I coukd start puree phase 1 week early. Also some documents say I can have 1/2 cup at meals but nutritionist says I should have less.


Anyway, I've recently learned that 3 of his patients had problems with the stitches coming loose and the stomach expanding. I had an upper GI scan last week to see how my stomach looks. He said based on my comments he thinks I may need "tightening." I'm not real happy right now...

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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