What does "full" feel like in our new stomachs?

[AndreaJD 84]

Hi, Bari Buddies,
I am 6 days post op and doing really well. I have had no nausea at all, and pain is very manageable. I am able to drink all the Water I need to and the full liquids (I'm on them until day 14) are going great. And that's the thing. I double-checked my information from the clinic and I am supposed to be having up to a half-cup at a time 5 times a day. I have been having too much (horribly worried to find I'm already overeating right after my gastric bypass). Like this morning I had a half-cup of apple sauce with Protein Powder and a Protein Drink. I now realize those should've been 2 different meals. I do get some extra tenderness in my upper abdomen when I "eat", which I assume is my new stomach being sore from the surgery, but is that what full feels like now? God knows I don't want nausea or more pain, but I need my body to give me a sign as to what's going on in there!

Any words of wisdom?

[ShoppGirl 5,076]

1 hour ago, AndreaJD said:

Hi, Bari Buddies,
I am 6 days post op and doing really well. I have had no nausea at all, and pain is very manageable. I am able to drink all the Water I need to and the full liquids (I'm on them until day 14) are going great. And that's the thing. I double-checked my information from the clinic and I am supposed to be having up to a half-cup at a time 5 times a day. I have been having too much (horribly worried to find I'm already overeating right after my gastric bypass). Like this morning I had a half-cup of apple sauce with Protein Powder and a Protein Drink. I now realize those should've been 2 different meals. I do get some extra tenderness in my upper abdomen when I "eat", which I assume is my new stomach being sore from the surgery, but is that what full feels like now? God knows I don't want nausea or more pain, but I need my body to give me a sign as to what's going on in there!

Any words of wisdom?

You had alot Of nerves cut so you don’t always feel the restriction this early out. A lot of people don’t really feel it until they get to purées or even soft food. But there are lots of full signals some people do just feel a fullness but others will be a little less obvious. Some people on here have even said they sneeze when they get full.

Edited August 19, 2024 by ShoppGirl

[Arabesque 7,623]

Oh yes, be careful & stick to your portion recommendations. (They may be smaller when you begin purées - mine was 1/4 - 1/3 cup then). Remember to sip, sip, sip, and wait between sips & when you begin more solid foods (from purées) to eat slowly. Besides all the cut nerves you have lots of stitches & sutures holding everything together inside. It takes 6 - 8 weeks to fully heal so don’t expect to get any signals until after then. Or the signals you at get are distorted or different to what you know.

Full signals can be sneezes, runny nose, hiccups, etc. Your restriction is like a tightness across your upper chest. You may want to thump or rub your chest to relieve it (it doesn’t help lol!) Try not to eat until you are full though. It takes at least 20 minutes for the full message to get through so by the time it does it’s easy to have already eaten more than you need & are over full. Try to work out when you’ve had enough. Five years out I still ask myself do I need this next bite or do I just want it - big difference between need. & want.

Hope your recovery continues to go smoothly.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Arabesque

[draikaina8503 71]

Great information, thanks! I just came home from my 2-day hospital stay following RYGB, and right now all I feel is pain. So those signs of what is to come in the future are great knowledge.

[Bypass2Freedom 1,045]

Just wanted to pop by and give my experience! I am about 3 months post-op, and I was asking exactly the same thing in my very early days.

I remember reading so much on here about people having high restriction, and feeling full after a few mouthfuls, and I just wasn't feeling that whilst I was on the liquid/puree stages!

I had to ask my bariatric nurse if this is normal 🤣She told me that because the 'food' I was having was still essentially a liquid, it passes through the new stomach easily, hence why you don't really get a feeling of fullness. It made sense to me! So don't worry if you aren't feeling any full signals just yet.

It is only once I started eating more solid foods that I was like...wow...okay, so this is what restriction feels like! As others have said, it can vary from person to person, but I definitely feel a tightness in my tummy/chest, sometimes I get little hiccups and generally just feel a bit bloated.

I still use my FitBit to time 1 minute between every bite, just so I know I am taking it slow, and I have found this works for me!

Best of luck on your journey

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,682]

Right now, you're having liquids, so feeling full won't really happen. It does for some (when I had the sleeve it did, when I had the revision to bypass it didn't) but not all at this stage. You had a lot of nerves cut, so you won't necessarily get the "I'm full, stop eating" signals right away. So you just have to be mindful of how much you're eating and how often until you're healed enough to start really feeling it.

[JennyBeez 289]

5 mo post-op (bypass) here, and I still don't get any full -- nor hungry -- feelings. I can feel certain foods leave me with a sensation of heaviness about an hour after eating -- or if I'm eating something that's too dry or not the right texture for my stomach, I can usually feel that after a few bites around mid-chest level.

My team has assured me numerous times that eventually my body will relearn itself, and start sending hunger and full signals again. (I think they're mainly trying to warn me not to rely on the lack of hunger, lol). Anyway, because of all that I find I have to be a little extra careful about portion sizes because my body is not going to tell me anything unless it's too late and I'm throwing up.

At this stage, I'd suggest going with the minimal servings your plan suggests. You can always supplement by 'eating more' an hour or two later -- but you can't 'eat less' once it's past your lips.

[AmberFL 1,122]

I am 7 months post op and I eat because I know I need to lol, I will feel hunger in the morning before my profee but other than that, its more just sustaining my energy throughout the day. I am psychotic and actually pre-track my day the day before, I meal prep so I only eat what my plan says (plus a little more- I need it to sustain my workouts) and will have everything that my macros fits. I still get cravings though that has never gone away.

I get the same feeling that @JennyBeez gets, feeling of getting stuck in the middle of my chest or right above my belly button, but it subsides after 30min or so. I don't eat the slowest since most of my meals are on the go. Its rare I get to sit down and enjoy my food- even dinner. Just follow your plan and make sure your eating where you have energy and the rest will follow.

[NickelChip 1,358]

1 hour ago, AmberFL said:

I am psychotic and actually pre-track my day the day before, I meal prep so I only eat what my plan says (plus a little more- I need it to sustain my workouts) and will have everything that my macros fits. I still get cravings though that has never gone away.

I think pre-tracking and meal prep are great strategies. It's like making a grocery list before going shopping. When you know what you need and have a plan for your day, you increase the likelihood that you will do what you intend to do (stay on track, buy the right foods, etc.). When you leave it up to making a quick decision in the moment, that's when things go awry.

[ShoppGirl 5,076]

59 minutes ago, NickelChip said:

I think pre-tracking and meal prep are great strategies. It's like making a grocery list before going shopping. When you know what you need and have a plan for your day, you increase the likelihood that you will do what you intend to do (stay on track, buy the right foods, etc.). When you leave it up to making a quick decision in the moment, that's when things go awry.

I agree. Was thinking the same thing that it’s a good strategy to avoid eating bad because your out and hungry.

[AmberFL 1,122]

1 hour ago, NickelChip said:

I think pre-tracking and meal prep are great strategies. It's like making a grocery list before going shopping. When you know what you need and have a plan for your day, you increase the likelihood that you will do what you intend to do (stay on track, buy the right foods, etc.). When you leave it up to making a quick decision in the moment, that's when things go awry.

oh yes! I left things for quick decisions last Friday and it was not pretty LOL I strive on structure otherwise I feel upside down LOL

[Justarwaxx 269]

I was just about to ask the same question! I'm 7 day post op bypass and I feel I'm doing "too well" with my liquids so I started to panic that maybe I'm over "eating" I started tracking my food just in case and also got alot of insights from this post! P.s. I lost 5 kgs from day of op teehee