I am 11 weeks post op from Gastric Sleeve Surgery

[MichC 0]

Hi Nia,

Well done on the 56lbs weight loss - you must be delighted. I had gastric sleeve surgery in Belgium three weeks ago tomorrowand feel that my weightloss has come to a standstill - did you experience this at all. It is very disheartening after such a short time.

MichC

[MacMadame 81]

A stall at about 3 weeks out -- generally when the move is made from liquids to soft food -- is very common with WLS. If you keep following the rules, the weight will come off even if the scale doesn't always show it every week.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

A stall at about 3 weeks out -- generally when the move is made from liquids to soft food -- is very common with WLS. If you keep following the rules, the weight will come off even if the scale doesn't always show it every week.

Ditto to what MacM writes.

[neworleanslady 0]

Good to hear, because my scale is stuck. And I am hungry often. I hope once I move to solids I will stay full longer. I think I get more calories and carbs b/c of the type of foods that I can have(soups, broths, smoothies). I am three weeks postop and still on full liquids so I guess only time will tell. Getting frustrated though.

[MacMadame 81]

There are lots of theories as to why people are hungry on liquids. My surgeon (and WASa) will say it's head hunger. I'm not so sure, mainly because so many people experience this, even people who aren't normally big on experiencing head hunger.

My theory is that it's a combination of things:

-excess ghrelin in the bloodstream -- probably only for a few days

-irritated vagus nerve from the surgery - maybe up to a month

-pushing so many liquids causing physical symptoms that mimic hunger

-other physical symptoms that mimic hunger

-other hunger-related hormones (such as leptin) telling us we're hungry through other means because they aren't getting the hunger control you get through restriction

-mental hunger because liquids can't be chewed

Each one probably contributes only a little bit and not everyone will have every factor contributing, but it adds up to hunger for some and, if you've only heard "You won't be hungry after surgery", it can be a BIG shock.

But it will get better.

Once you are on solids, you should find your interest in food diminishing. You may never feel hunger again for years. Or you may feel it off and on. Or you may go right to "regular" hunger that "normos" get.

I know people who are two years out and say they are never hungry. I know people who are 6 months out and say hunger has returned. But the ones who experience hunger all say it's not like it was before.

I'm still figuring this stuff out for myself. Sometime I feel like I'm hungry and it upsets me. "I'm not supposed to be hungry -- that's why I had surgery!" But my hunger is mostly normal hunger that is easy to manage by eating every 3-4 hours. And I don't even have to eat very much most of the time. It can be 6 cashews. Then I'm good to go.

I also have periods where I forget to eat and don't feel hungry until I am almost sick from it -- feeling queasy or lightheaded.

I tell myself not to fight the hunger feelings. That I need to learn to listen to my body because that's what normos do. So that's what I'm working on.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

There are lots of theories as to why people are hungry on liquids. My surgeon (and WASa) will say it's head hunger. I'm not so sure, mainly because so many people experience this, even people who aren't normally big on experiencing head hunger.

My theory is that it's a combination of things:

-excess ghrelin in the bloodstream -- probably only for a few days

-irritated vagus nerve from the surgery - maybe up to a month

-pushing so many liquids causing physical symptoms that mimic hunger

-other physical symptoms that mimic hunger

-other hunger-related hormones (such as leptin) telling us we're hungry through other means because they aren't getting the hunger control you get through restriction

-mental hunger because liquids can't be chewed

Each one probably contributes only a little bit and not everyone will have every factor contributing, but it adds up to hunger for some and, if you've only heard "You won't be hungry after surgery", it can be a BIG shock.

But it will get better.

Once you are on solids, you should find your interest in food diminishing. You may never feel hunger again for years. Or you may feel it off and on. Or you may go right to "regular" hunger that "normos" get.

I know people who are two years out and say they are never hungry. I know people who are 6 months out and say hunger has returned. But the ones who experience hunger all say it's not like it was before.

I'm still figuring this stuff out for myself. Sometime I feel like I'm hungry and it upsets me. "I'm not supposed to be hungry -- that's why I had surgery!" But my hunger is mostly normal hunger that is easy to manage by eating every 3-4 hours. And I don't even have to eat very much most of the time. It can be 6 cashews. Then I'm good to go.

I also have periods where I forget to eat and don't feel hungry until I am almost sick from it -- feeling queasy or lightheaded.

I tell myself not to fight the hunger feelings. That I need to learn to listen to my body because that's what normos do. So that's what I'm working on.

I think it is usually head hunger, not always but usually.

I can't count the number of times I've seen people ask what true hunger feels like. A great majority of us don't know because we don't experience it often. We eat when we aren't hungry and we usually feed head hunger before stomach hunger can kick in.

Ghrelin, if you look at the half life of Ghrelin it doesn't really stick around long, maybe a day or two after surgery. But you also produce a small amount of Ghrelin from the intestines and that could probably kick in a bit of hunger.

Ghrelin isn't the only way we get hungry. You can also get hungry from blood sugar spikes. If your blood sugar is low your body will respond by feeling hungry. If you continue eating a large quantity of processed carbs (flour, sugar, etc.) then your pancreas has to kick out more insulin, sometimes it sends too much insulin to undo the blood sugar spike and then your blood sugar goes too low. Your body tells you that you are hungry and you eat more carbs, more insulin production.... a cycle. This is why on the pre/post op diet people get the headaches, dizzy feeling, etc. It's the blood sugar spikes. People are used to processed carbs and the pancreas is used to compensating for all the bad food.< /p>

On the pre/post op diet the biggest favor we can all do for ourselves is to stop all white carbs, that stops the blood sugar spikes and that stops the hunger. juice has very little nutritional value, it's mostly sugar. It does nothing for you but make you hungry.

Something people can try is to drink propel Water or G-2. Both have a verrry small amount of sugar. Enough to bring your blood sugar up but not enough to cause the spikes. Sometimes that can kill post op hunger.

MacM... as for Ghrelin production, you probably will start producing it again. The body has an amazing way of compensating for missing things. Missing brain, missing organs, missing intestine, missing Ghrelin. The assumption is that the stomach will start producing Ghrelin again but at far more normal levels in 6-18 months. Every once in awhile I feel hunger but 2-3 bites kills it immediately.

I've only been REALLY hungry once since surgery. We were at a restaurant and I was about to kill the server because she was so slow. Finally we got our food and after about 1/3 of my bunless burger I was so full I thought I was going to hurl. ;o)

VSG... I love it!

Edited March 12, 2009 by WASaBubbleButt

[neworleanslady 0]

Sounds like when I am off the liquids and eating Proteins I will stay full longer. I don't ever have juices or sugar drinks - ever. So that is not the issue but I think liquids just get dumped so fast that they can't keep me full. On the Optifast diet I could substitute a Protein bar for a drink and it was so much better. Anyone who has had this surgery please tell me at what week were you able to move to solids. According to my program it won't be until 8weeks. I want to be safe and not risk my staple line but does it really take 8 weeks to heal and move to solids?

[MacMadame 81]

Every once in awhile I feel hunger but 2-3 bites kills it immediately.

Yeah, me too.

But I feel hunger more than every once in a while. But it's pretty normal stuff. Like I eat lunch and then gradually, over a period of 3-4 hours, I start to feel hungry, and as time progresses, it grows until I feel like I should do something about it. At that point, it's right about time for the next meal anyway.

I can live with that and I know that's what normal people experience. But, instead, I fight it. I'm so used to fighting my hunger and it's an ingrained behavior.

I've only been REALLY hungry once since surgery. We were at a restaurant and I was about to kill the server because she was so slow. Finally we got our food and after about 1/3 of my bunless burger I was so full I thought I was going to hurl. ;o)

I've had this experience once or twice too.

]Anyone who has had this surgery please tell me at what week were you able to move to solids. According to my program it won't be until 8weeks. I want to be safe and not risk my staple line but does it really take 8 weeks to heal and move to solids?

All the programs are different. On mine, we did "thin" liquids for 2-3 weeks, then "softs" for 2-3 weeks, then regular food. But they also said that we should go "as tolerated" and some people stay on "softs" until as late as 3 months out!

At 3 weeks, I had my first check-up and, after talking, my surgeon and I agreed that that I should go slow on starting regular food, so I didn't until 7 weeks out.

Your program booklet can say one thing, but you and your surgeon may decide something else will work better for you. Maybe you'll have an easy recovery and go faster or maybe you'll need to go slower.

I think anywhere in the 6-8 weeks range is pretty reasonable for starting back on regular food. Some programs have you starting back as early as 2 weeks and that scares me a bit.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Sounds like when I am off the liquids and eating Proteins I will stay full longer. I don't ever have juices or sugar drinks - ever. So that is not the issue but I think liquids just get dumped so fast that they can't keep me full. On the Optifast diet I could substitute a Protein bar for a drink and it was so much better. Anyone who has had this surgery please tell me at what week were you able to move to solids. According to my program it won't be until 8weeks. I want to be safe and not risk my staple line but does it really take 8 weeks to heal and move to solids?

My doc has us do 10 days of clears, 10 days of full liquids, and 10 days of soft food. Then it is as tolerated.

I could eat anything at day #31, not everyone can.

[Nia 0]

Hello all

Firstly I would like to appologise to any of you who have asked any questions that I have not replied to as I have not been on here for a few months.

Just thought I'd let you know I will be a year post-op next week and I am feeling fantastic, I am 122lbs lighter and feeling much healthier. I can now eat pretty much anything I want but still only very small amounts.

I have also recently found out that I am 18 weeks pregnant, which was a VERY big shock but we are very happy.

Take care all

[Elisabethsew 50]

Congratulations on your GREAT success at losing weight and on the new addition to your family.

[*susan* 1,709]

Congrat, Nia, you are definitely an inspiration. You have done great with the weight loss. And, congrats on the baby as well. Life must truly be exciting for you!

[Izolde 0]

Hello Nia,

I hope you are doing ok :thumbdown:

Wanted to ask you some questions, since we have the same age and i am also thinking having the gastric sleeve surgery -

My doctor did not give me a lot of answers, and i guess, only if a person goes through this procedure can really know the answers...

I need to loose around 35 kilos, so i am very much worried about the excess skin which may result - i do not want to have plastic surgery and have the scars and i have heard that for "light BMI" you may not need it, and if you exercise a lot, your skin adjusts to your body weight - how is your up-to-now experience?

Also, i am worried about the food habits - i have been overweight all my life, and i do not know how a person feels after the operation: do you "look" for food? Can you eat everything you ised to but only in smaller portions?

And, one last question: what about pregnancy?

Thank you very very much in advance for your reply,

Izolde