How hungry is everyone after gastric bypass surgery?

One of my biggest fears is being constantly hungry since no food is actually making it through my stomach. I have a week to go before my surgery, just starting the pre-op diet tomorrow, and a bit nervous if i can make it through without feeling like I'm starving.

most people (not all - but most) lose their sense of hunger for up to a year post-surgery. For a lucky few, hunger never comes back.

the pre-surgery liquid diet is different, though - that's the worst part of the whole ordeal, IMHO. It's hell - but most of us have been there and have made it through. I ate lots of sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello (the latter since it was the only thing I could have that somewhat resembled real food). You just have to white knuckle it and remind yourself that it WILL end. I was so glad to be rolled off to the OR the morning of my surgery knowing that the stupid pre-op diet was OVER!!

Edited February 29, 20242 yr by catwoman7

I had gastric bypass 8 days ago and I haven't felt hungry at all since waking up in my hospital room. If I didn't have times set for when I need to eat and how much, I would just not eat because if anything I feel an uncomfortable fullness like I've just stuffed myself with a massive holiday dinner just by drinking a couple sips of water. But I agree with @catwoman7 about the 2 week pre-op diet being the hardest part. Although after about 4 days, you become resigned to it and stop feeling so hungry. My advice is remove all temptation from your home and office areas before you start. You can't eat what you don't have.

Agreed, also had gastric bypass, 2 week liquid diet was awful, I felt hungry and it was difficult but did get better after day 4. Since surgery, I've felt hungry a couple of times, not in the usual way at all. I feel an overall need to refuel, usually when I've been extremely active. I've also felt hungry as in my stomach is empty, maybe two times. It didn't have the same effect, it was just a feeling, I realized I hadn't eaten as usual and should be hungry, set my timer to stop liquid, ate, and it was gone and I was left feeling satisfied. It's all just so much calmer, if that makes sense.

I never lost my hunger. Not with the sleeve or with my revision to bypass (complications caused the revision). It was tough...really tough...in the beginning with both surgeries, but once I learned to time my meals and snacks, and learned the difference between head hunger and real hunger, and got my body used to the dietary changes I was making, it got a lot easier. You have to not only retrain your stomach, you also have to retrain your brain and change your relationship with food. It's worth it in the end.

i was hungry for the first 2 or 3 days after the start of my 2 week liquid pre-op diet.

after that, the first time i felt that ravenous type of hunger was maybe 2 years later.

mind you, i did feel tiny pangs of hunger, starting around month 6 or so, but they were easy to talk myself out of, if that makes sense.

im 5 1/2 years out now and i still am not even close to experiencing the degree nor frequency of hunger i felt before surgery.

some people have similar experiences, and others don't. you won't know which camp you fall into until you do.

best thing you can do for yourself right now is not stress over things you can't control and focus on the things you can.

good luck! ❤️ (you can do this

I'm now on day three after the surgery. Not any hunger pangs. Mostly just some craving when my roomies cook something that smells absolutely awesome! But no actual hunger pangs yet.

Thank you everyone for your support and comments. It definitely helps.

I'm 1 month poat op and to be honest I get hungry the most is before bed. Like I literally go to sleep hungry. Not sure if it is really hunger and I don't know if I am eating enough. My dietician recommended 8 meals a day and I reach around 6 so perhaps I must add a final snack before bed like some Greek yogurt or a protein bar hmm.. I am just worri3d about calories

I was starving one week post-op.

My hunger never left, but the signals changed. The hunger I feel is like hollowness in my abdomen, it feels like physical pain rather than craving something that is specific (taste or texture). I did lose my interest in eating between my snacks and meals (and what to eat was not on my mind), but once the clock hit 2 hours past my last meal/snack I felt the pangs.

I lost a lot of weight very fast, and my post-op experience felt like I'm starving to death and withering away if that makes sense. The feeling of physical hunger pain is probably my body's way of preserving itself (I guess). Now that I am a bit more stabilized I have many days where I'm just not interested in food, and days where I'm ravenous (especially when I've hit it really hard at the gym).

Hi all. I am 5 days out of the gastric sleeve surgery and I am STARVING!! From everything I’ve heard and everyone that I have spoken to this is definitely not normal. Has anyone experienced this?