Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Recommended Posts

Two weeks post op. 12 lbs net loss ( I have 180 lbs to approach a healthy weight). Yesterday I ate a small bag of chips at work. It took about an hour. Later, I had small pieces of chocolate. Altogether, probably 400 calories over what I should eat. I feel like such a failure. I didn't have any pain stopping me... My hunger was out of control. I don't know how to deal with it... Advice?

Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I too feel great hunger pangs since days after my surgery...when I feel the pangs I check the time and see what and when was last time I ate. If it has been longer than 2 hours I will grab a snack that I have planned out for the day. I always have my meals and Snacks planned so that I do not eat something I shouldn’t. I also use a bariatric app on my phone to track all my foods and fluids. This is the only way I can stay on track.

Do not beat yourself up, this is just a small hiccup. Look at your success rather than your failure, you have dropped and broke up with 12 pounds! You got this and you have support here.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

One of the best pieces of advice I've been given is "Before you eat something bad, eat something good". What that meant was, don't force yourself to choose between starvation and eating junk. If you're hungry, eat - but eat something Protein rich and nutrient dense. Allow yourself to eat when hungry, just eat on-plan rather than choosing candy or chips. So a eat a cup of light yogurt rather than ice cream. Eat a serving of string cheese rather than chips. Eat a Protein Bar (with good nutritional composition) if you're in a situation where you can't take the time to eat something more substantial. A boiled egg with salt and pepper is a filling snack. sugar-free pudding can quiet a sweet-tooth.

You have to plan ahead to make sure you have something on-plan to eat. Because if you're like me, if you wait until you're starving, you'll eat whatever is close at hand. Don't beat yourself up, there's a learning curve to this. It will take some time to incorporate your new eating habits into your daily life. Persistence is more important than perfection.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you for the support and advice. I think I just need to have extra Snacks on hand that are on plan to avoid this in future.

Sent from my moto g play (2021) using BariatricPal mobile app

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Be very careful with what you’re snacking on especially this early post op. The staged return to solid food & restricted food choices are to aid healing & not to put pressure on your internal wounds. All because you can’t see them there are a lot of stitches & staples inside you holding your tummy together.

Once you are able to eat solid foods there are many high Protein more nutritious Snacks you can add to your diet if you need to like yoghurt, cheese, a boiled egg or small pieces of chicken. When you can tolerate vegetables try carrot or celery sticks with a little hummus. I sometimes ate chunks of cucumber sprinkled with salt or wrapped smoked salmon around the cucumber. Chia pudding is also great - you can add in some Protein Powder or milk powder to enrich it & up the protein content.

It is likely your hunger is head hunger & your desire for food may be coming from cravings, emotional needs or simply eating out of habit. Working out why you want to eat is a big part of the work we all do. Some can do it alone. Others need the support of counselling & therapy.

Don’t beat yourself up. Losing weight is not easy. It’s damn hard & sometimes we trip up. What we have to do is get up & get back on track.

Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Be very careful with what you’re snacking on especially this early post op. The staged return to solid food & restricted food choices are to aid healing & not to put pressure on your internal wounds. All because you can’t see them there are a lot of stitches & staples inside you holding your tummy together.

Once you are able to eat solid foods there are many high Protein more nutritious Snacks you can add to your diet if you need to like yoghurt, cheese, a boiled egg or small pieces of chicken. When you can tolerate vegetables try carrot or celery sticks with a little hummus. I sometimes ate chunks of cucumber sprinkled with salt or wrapped smoked salmon around the cucumber. Chia pudding is also great - you can add in some Protein Powder or milk powder to enrich it & up the Protein content.

It is likely your hunger is head hunger & your desire for food may be coming from cravings, emotional needs or simply eating out of habit. Working out why you want to eat is a big part of the work we all do. Some can do it alone. Others need the support of counselling & therapy.

Don’t beat yourself up. Losing weight is not easy. It’s damn hard & sometimes we trip up. What we have to do is get up & get back on track.

Good luck.

I have been in therapeutic case management since July 2020 when I decided to do the surgery. It is a requirement of my insurance. I can tell you that this is NOT in my head, thank you for that diagnosis, it was not helpful.

I was just asking if anyone else was feeling any hunger pangs, since I was told I would NOT feel them after the surgery.

I plan all of my food and when I will be eating the foods. I am currently 6 weeks post op and still on soft foods to make sure my sleeve is doing well. This was a decision I made and told my dieticianthis was my plan. I am happy with what foods I am eating just that I feel hunger pangs after being told I would not feel them and was wondering if others did as well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Virginia M said:

I have been in therapeutic case management since July 2020 when I decided to do the surgery. It is a requirement of my insurance. I can tell you that this is NOT in my head, thank you for that diagnosis, it was not helpful.

I was just asking if anyone else was feeling any hunger pangs, since I was told I would NOT feel them after the surgery.

I plan all of my food and when I will be eating the foods. I am currently 6 weeks post op and still on soft foods to make sure my sleeve is doing well. This was a decision I made and told my dieticianthis was my plan. I am happy with what foods I am eating just that I feel hunger pangs after being told I would not feel them and was wondering if others did as well.

most people don't feel hunger after surgery - at least for a few months, anyway - but some do. It's sometimes acid or thirst mimicking hunger. OP: I'd let your clinic know if you haven't already (Virginia: since you're in therapeutic case management, it sounds like you already have). For some people it could be true hunger, but for many it turns out to be one of the two issues I mentioned. To the OP: many clinics put their patients on a PPI for the first 3-6 months post-surgery, both VSG and RNY patients. Yours may do that if it turns out to be an acid issue. I'd just let them know what's going on and see what they suggest.

P.S. Virginia - I think Arabesque was responding to the original poster rather than you. Since you are in therapeutic case management, then they're probably already trying to figure out what's going on in your situation. She wasn't trying to diagnose you. Arabesque is a long-time, valued member here who's been very helpful to new people. She was responding to the OP here....and I agree with much of what she was saying (i.e. that it's sometimes head hunger).

Edited by catwoman7

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×