I am feeling hungry...at least I think I am feeling hungry. I am not sure....it is "to me" a growly, rumbly sensation that makes me think it's hunger.

I called my Dr. yesterday and they moved me to yogurt, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cottage cheese etc...

I am only eating a small amount at a time about 1/4 cup and then I am feeling really full, but this feeling of fullness only lasts for a couple of hours and then I am hungry again.

How do you know what the true feeling of hunger is...or is it just a feeling of my stomach settling or healing??

I hope this question does not come across as dumb

My guess is that it's a combination of real hunger mixed with head hunger.

With the band, the hunger sensation is satisfied because the nerve endings that tell our brain that were "full" is at the top of the stomach (what a mean trick). So, when the band is giving your good restriction, your good solid meals stay in the pouch long enough to let your brain think we're good and full. The soft foods you're eating are giving you a sense of satiety, but my guess is that there's more to it then that little nerve at the top of our stomach, and the brain is calling for something more substantial than yogurt, for instance. Head hunger has to play a role in this too. One of the beauties of the band is that you have time to work all of this out as you're getting fills.

I have great restriction now, and I stay satisfied for several hours with three 1/2 cup meals/day and a healthy snack. However, after a couple of hours my stomach sometimes gives me a shout out that it wants more food, but drinking a beverage generally knocks that hunger out. Since I'm supposed to be drinking a lot between meals, it makes it easier to not give in to temptation and to get that additional liquid in.

My stomach growls and rumbles all the time but it doesn't mean I'm hungry.I think it is just air gurgling through the pipes.

Trying to think of how to describe hungry? Hard to describe as its sort of something you just know. Often we confuse thirst with hunger - try having a drink and waiting a while to see if you still feel hungry.

Some of the symptoms that will let you know that you are really hungry include

shaky

stomach pain

dizzy

nausea

tired/no energy

weak

You sort of get to a stage where you know that you just have to have food.Most of the time we eat long before we get to this stage.

Sorry that instead of making things clearer I have probably just confused you.

I was hungry on the third day after surgery. It was real, honest to goodness, stomach growling hunger. I could only have about four bites of pudding, and then I was very full. I think part of it is that your stomach is still swollen around the band, and that is providing a great amount of restriction. It will loosen up as you continue to heal. If you can tolerate it, milk helps a lot, and it counts as a liquid. That seemed to help calm my hungry tummy down. Just be sure you are getting all your fluids in. That helped with the head hunger too.

I too have a growling tummy. I got my band on 09/24. Those first few days, I felt like I was walking around with a angry puppy. Finally it seems the growling is starting to ease up.

I cant really tell when I am full either. I get this tight feeling around my rib cage and then I stop. I may not be eating quite enough but I dont want to start vomiting and cause that kinda of discomfort.

My body seems all new to me now. Full of strange noises and feelings. Sure is making it interesting.

I felt like I had a monster in my stomach because of all the growling a few days post op. I was banded on 9/22 so it's only been a week and I have been feeling hunger since Sunday so I added Soups and Protein shakes to my liquid diet. My post op appt isn't until Thursday and that's when I would be put on the thicker liquids but I'm also diabetic and had very low blood sugars and no energy so I've added soups and it's helped. I can't wait to go on mushies and have already put my menu together for those 2 weeks. I haven't done any exercise yet and I'm still off of work but I've lost 6 lbs since my surgery I have been eating only sugar free liquids and the soups are low fat and low sodium so I think that's why I've lost weight.

I know that once I get to mushies I still have to make good eating choices and not blend up burgers or pizza lol... I didn't go through this whole process to not be successful and I know that the band won't keep me from eating junk... It's up to me to know how much to eat and what to eat :scared2:

Well...I see we are feeling the same thing. I was banded on the 24th and have been fine and satisfied with pudding, jello and broth and all of a sudden today-my stomach is GROWLING!!!:scared2:

I don't go back for my follow up visit until next month and I'm not set to start the soft food diet until Saturday which seems sooooo far away! I can get full after I drink something and usually get full pretty quickly. But the actual feeling of being hungry surprised me today.

I think I will call the doctor today and see if I can have oatmel or something like that to hold me over. I've made good progress so far, so I don't want to do anything to mess it up.

We can do it guys! Everyone keep up the good work!!

Wish me luck:drool:

I am 10 days post op and am starving all the time. I feel my tummy rumbling and usually am hungry soon after I eat. You are lucky your Dr advanced you, mine denied me. 3 more days on liquids... ;(

Gald to see I'm not alone!!

My tummy does feel better now that I have been able to add some of the thicker liquids and some oatmeal etc...

I am still TMI.....constipated and bloated!

Well not more TMI than this...the only reason I was able to add mashed potatoes is because from Sat-Mon I had the worst diarrhea ever!!! I couldn't keep anything I was having and was to the point of being sick. I'm glad to say, I've bounced back and recovered from that part. I drank sooo much water today-messed myself up..but I cut out that dang stomach growling problem I was having.

PHEW! I am glad I found this post. The next morning after my surgery (9/23) I felt angry because I was soo hungry. My nutrionist informed me on Monday that I can eat oatmeal on the liquid diet as well as soups. Nothing with chunks. I was psyched. I feel better but am still having trouble trying to figure out when I'm full. And my stomache is finally not making this angry sound at me. But I really cant wait to eat healthy normal meals.

I am feeling hungry...at least I think I am feeling hungry. I am not sure....it is "to me" a growly, rumbly sensation that makes me think it's hunger.

I called my Dr. yesterday and they moved me to yogurt, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cottage cheese etc...

I am only eating a small amount at a time about 1/4 cup and then I am feeling really full, but this feeling of fullness only lasts for a couple of hours and then I am hungry again.

How do you know what the true feeling of hunger is...or is it just a feeling of my stomach settling or healing??

I hope this question does not come across as dumb

I am also six days post opt and I am feeling the same way, your question is not dumb, I am wondering if I should call my doctor.

I am feeling the same way, should I call my doctor.

Some of the symptoms that will let you know that you are really hungry include

shaky

stomach pain

dizzy

nausea

tired/no energy

weak

:smile:

Hi Pookiemp!

I don't call these the symptoms of hungry. I call these the signals that I've waited too long to eat! So does my doctor. It was about 6 days after surgery that I started feeling what you're describing. It was just so intense that I thought it was pain from the surgery. I was really worried, but I noticed that the pain subsided immediately after I'd have a Protein shake. Of course, the pain was back 45min to 1.5 hours later, and went on all day and all through the night, so I couldn't sleep! When I realized that it was hunger, I was so happy I cried!

Do yourself a favor, don't wait until you get dizzy (or worse, nauseous) to eat. If you've talked to your doctor and gotten the ok to eat mushies, you may need to increase the amounts, or follow everything up with a Protein Shake.

That is 100% normal !!! They do not fill your band for about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. You stomach incurs some swelling right after surgery, and your chances of band slippage increases if their is Fluid in the band.

You will be grateful that you had the time to adjust. I now have 6mL in my band. I only eat a couple of bites. I could not imagine doing--what I am doing now--right after surgery.

3 weeks out!!! and let me tell you i am and always feel hungry!! have you eaten anything? first fill in 2 weeks i'm hoping it take away some of the hunger PAINS!!!!i did try to eat but i felt so guilty tha ti could not eat for a few days not even a shake!! i hope this feeling goes away.. good luck debyann38@aol.com.

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