Hunger hormones

[Happy Stylist 86]

So after your sleeve surgery, how soon did you start getting hungry. Like stomach growling and just feeling like your starving. I'm surprised at 2 weeks I can't seem to get that full feeling. I'm still on liquid shakes. I start eating soft food this weekend. Im confused at all the hunger im feeling this early.

[Lisa G 14]

Right after the surgery i was hungry all the time. It took a while for the hormones to calm down. I think And now, even though I get hungry, I don't want to eat everything in site.

[lizonaplane 1,604]

Most people will find that they feel better once they go onto solid foods. However, a small number of people (like me!) never lose their hunger. Probably you will feel better once you start eating even soft food. If not, you can try drinking more thing like coffee/tea, stuff with milk, etc. I ended up going on metformin and topamax to reduce my hunger, but I don't think that's usually the case.

Even if you do lose your hunger, it usually comes back in 6-12 months.

[liveaboard15 1,292]

I really havent been "hungry" since surgery a little over 3 weeks ago. I have to remind myself to eat.

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

I lost my actual hunger post op but not the head hunger. I know this because head hunger emerges when I am board. I noticed that if I was just sitting around watching tv I was watching the clock for my next meal but If I was even remotely busy with anything I would forget to eat alltogether. I think alot of people may be board sitting home from work so they may experience head hunger until they get back into their routine. That’s just a guess though.

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 654]

I'm just about 8 months post-op and I've just started to notice a "hungry" feeling starting to return. Until now, I didn't ever really feel physical hunger until it was too late and I would get dizzy, nauseated, and very weak if I went too long without eating. It didn't take me long to realize I needed to eat on a schedule, as I couldn't trust my body to tell me when to eat anymore! But, I absolutely had head hunger, and still do. There are times I WANT to eat, or I WANT to feel being "full" again. But therapy and LOTS of internal work has helped me manage that. I'm not perfect by any means, but I have learned to listen to those feelings, sit with them, and work through them instead of giving in and seeking food for comfort.

Some people lose the hunger feelings, some don't. What's most important is that you learn to listen to your body, fuel it well, and learn to eat in a way that honors your journey and aligns to your goals. If you find that you want to eat just to eat, eat more than you can comfortably, etc. then definitely look into some counseling or other strategies for learning how to manage emotional eating, etc. The surgery is just a tool, it can't do the head work or you!

[liveaboard15 1,292]

34 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I lost my actual hunger post op but not the head hunger. I know this because head hunger emerges when I am board. I noticed that if I was just sitting around watching tv I was watching the clock for my next meal but If I was even remotely busy with anything I would forget to eat alltogether. I think alot of people may be board sitting home from work so they may experience head hunger until they get back into their routine. That’s just a guess though.

I am exactly the same. If i am just sitting and watching a movie i feel like going to the kitchen and grabbing some Snacks. But i am not actually hungry lol.

[Happy Stylist 86]

It's not head hunger for me lol. I'm at work staying busy and my stomach is growling 🤦‍♀️ I was doing ok but the last 4 days or so the hunger is getting worse. How many Protein Shakes did y'all drink in the liquid stage?

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

1 minute ago, Happy Stylist said:

It's not head hunger for me lol. I'm at work staying busy and my stomach is growling 🤦‍♀️ I was doing ok but the last 4 days or so the hunger is getting worse. How many Protein Shakes did y'all drink in the liquid stage?

If it’s just stomach grumbling it doesn’t necessarily mean you are hungry. My stomach post surgery grumbles often. Most often when it is digesting in fact. Don’t get me wrong some people do still have hunger post op but it is more of the exception than the rule. Sometimes it just takes a while to get used to hearing the sound that used to mean you were starving and Interpret it differently. Either way, some have said that warm liquids such as broth, tea or coffee help. Also, are you on PPI’s. I didn’t need them but some say they help. That it’s actually acid that makes you feel hungry.

[Happy Stylist 86]

Just now, ShoppGirl said:

If it’s just stomach grumbling it doesn’t necessarily mean you are hungry. My stomach post surgery grumbles often. Most often when it is digesting in fact. Don’t get me wrong some people do still have hunger post op but it is more of the exception than the rule. Sometimes it just takes a while to get used to hearing the sound that used to mean you were starving and Interpret it differently. Either way, some have said that warm liquids such as broth, tea or coffee help. Also, are you on PPI’s. I didn’t need them but some say they help. That it’s actually acid that makes you feel hungry.

I understand the rumbling and grumbling that you are talking about. I've had that too. I even asked in another post about the stomach/gut noise. This is a deep hunger growling. The first week I could careless about food and it never crossed my mind to eat. But this is definitely hunger. I'm fighting it but it's getting harder to do. So I'm wondering am I not doing something right. I drink a Protein Shake for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And Water all day long. I'm getting 90g if Protein a day. But now I'm not feeling full.

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

5 minutes ago, Happy Stylist said:

I understand the rumbling and grumbling that you are talking about. I've had that too. I even asked in another post about the stomach/gut noise. This is a deep hunger growling. The first week I could careless about food and it never crossed my mind to eat. But this is definitely hunger. I'm fighting it but it's getting harder to do. So I'm wondering am I not doing something right. I drink a Protein Shake for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And Water all day long. I'm getting 90g if Protein a day. But now I'm not feeling full.

Are you allowed broth, SF popsicles and SF Jello? I had so many of those thing between pre and post op phases that I don’t care to eat any of it ever again. A lot of people really do say that warm liquids help some so I would try that if you haven’t yet and if you are allowed caffeine try caffeinated tea or coffee. You could also call your doctor and ask if you can adjust your schedule to add a fourth Protein Shake. I would definitely ask though because some people medically can have too much Protein.

[LaTiaV 111]

I am 3.5 months PO and I have started feeling hungry this week ( week 14). Not every day but 1 or 2 days of the week, I could not care about food the last 3 months, I had to force myself to eat or drink. I can also eat more this week, not of everything but some foods. I had some zucchini noodles with ground turkey and marinara sauce yesterday and for the first time after surgery I added some red pepper flakes that made it a bit spicy and it was glorious, I think it is the best 2/3 cup of food I have had since surgery, it was scary because I did not feel full, or sick for having that much or spicy. I had to stop myself because I knew I could have more if I wanted to.

[SleeveToBypass2023 1,791]

I didn't feel any hunger the first 6 days post op. Now, at 9 days post op, I definitely feel it. Not for anything specific, but just hunger. At the moment I can drink a shake and more fluids and take care of it. But it does come back. I start on mushy foods on the 17th and I'm hoping that helps more.

[newnew@46 0]

Hi all, I am 7 days out from surgery and idk how to distinguish if I have hunger pain or just pain. Mentally i don’t feel it’s like hunger but idk. Also, does it matter if I take my liquids laying down ?

[ShoppGirl 3,340]

6 minutes ago, newnew@46 said:

Hi all, I am 7 days out from surgery and idk how to distinguish if I have hunger pain or just pain. Mentally i don’t feel it’s like hunger but idk. Also, does it matter if I take my liquids laying down ?

The majority of us do not have any hunger post op (some do but it’s rare). It’s most likely not hunger. As for drinking lying down I can’t see why it would hurt in terms of the surgery but you may not want to cause you may choke yourself??

Edited May 12, 2022 by ShoppGirl