Can I make a clarification about hunger?

[Quarry]

... another important juggling factor, insulin resistance.

There's a good read on the subject here: How do I increase insulin sensitivity? | Examine.com FAQ.

I can relate to this. Even a mere 30 minutes after a substantial meal, I can feel a kind of hunger that is quite powerful:

Extreme hunger: Even after you eat, you may still feel very hungry. That’s because your muscles aren’t getting the energy they need from the food; your body’s insulin resistance keeps glucose from entering the muscle and providing energy. Therefore, the muscles and other tissues send a “hunger” message, trying to get more energy into the body. [source: endocrineweb.com]

This encompasses diabetics and prediabetics, but is not limited to diabetics, which, gratefully I'm not.

[apythia]

I have hunger. And I have hangry issues these days. If I go more than 4 hours without eating there is a window after which a certain time passes I am utterly hungry and then I get supper grumpy! I eat three bites of food and I'm good, but watch out of I don't get food. I know the difference between this and head hunger and acid issues. My doctor NEVER promised I wouldn't be hungry.

[Heather1979]

I feel hunger that goes very quickly from eating a small amount but I also get thirst hunger which a lot of people can't tell the difference between .

[LORAW]

Apythia - new word for me "hangry" hungry + angry = hangry. I like it. Unfortunately, I am hangry often, because I am angry because I am hungry. Go figure.

[mem222]

My nut (outside surgeon's office) told me that the gherlin in your stomach comes back at about 6 mos. they didn't tell us at any of the appts.

[naturally]

I am 5 days post op! It has been a truth experience with hunger and I do feel hunger in my stomach with and without grumbling. However, I find if I drink a protein drink it puts off the hunger. S/F Jello and Low Sodium "Better Than Bouillon" has also been helping with sudden feelings of hunger. It does not take much to feel full. I still have the urge to drink liquids fast and am learning that is a no-no, so now if I have put to much liquid in my mouth I hold it and slowly let it go down. Over all I am doing well and just wish to get past Stage 1 & 2.

[Mem]

It must vary from person to person because I am two years out and still do not feel any hunger. I could go for a couple of days without eating. God Bless...Mem

[jessiejess]

I too thought I wouldn't get hungry anymore like I used to. Then I started getting hungry. I've found that it's just a day by day thing. There are some days where I am hungry all day. There are some days where I hardly eat at all. There are some where I can eat much more in one sitting. There are some where I can only have three bites. I don't know why. I get upset on the days I'm hungry all day because I don't want to be. And when I eat a whole serving of something, it upsets me because I'm so far out that I worry I'll return to the way I was before because I'll be able to eat like a "normal" person again. I don't want that. I like the feeling of restriction. It reminds me and reassures me that I won't ever be like I was before. Also, I've noticed that when I'm working out more, I am hungry more. I may only be able to eat 3-4 bites, but about an hour later I am hungry again.
I am also having a lot of head hunger now too and that also upsets me. I'm not sure how to deal with it, other than eating something, and it has me worried. I'm having to cut carbs way back because I felt myself slipping into old patterns of behavior with carbs. I've always been good about protein first and find that if I don't eat protein first, I do get hungry faster.
I guess it's a day by day struggle that I'll always have to deal with and that sucks. I was looking forward to not being hunger driven anymore.

[Ann2]

Jess ... thanks so much for keeping it real.

Seriously appreciate it.

[char602]

I have also read lots of "you won't be hungry" with my research. Luckily, my doctor told me that the majority of people don't feel hunger for a time (6mos-1yr). The minority either never stop feeling true hunger or never start feeling it again. So I'm prepared either way. I hope I fall into the majority.

As for the restriction, I can see where not feeling that would be upsetting. That's why exercise and developing healthy habits is going to be paramount to long term success. My eating is still crappy, I think I'm in food funeral mode. But I have started exercising again (zumba, mixxedfit & running).

[jerzeygirl]

Great topic! I did not experience much hunger in the beginning, and was so motivated that it worked in conjunction with not eating poorly or "looking" for that hunger. Now, after being almost 4 years post op, I can never say I'm starving, but I do crave and it's most likely "head hunger" foods that I never ate since surgery in amounts that I've never eaten. For instance, I didn't eat candy for 2 years, and now I can eat a small party candy bar and maybe even two if I make that poor choice. I think venturing out and trying certain foods that I didn't eat wasn't a positive step for me. I don't worry about stretching my pouch, because I still feel the restriction when I stick to the plan of eating proteins first, etc.; it's just that the mere taste of certain foods trigger old behaviors that make maintenance the challenge it is for me currently. I also agree that exercise helps stave off hunger, and give the brain more motivation to stick to clean eating. You all make very good points, and I love when the threads challenge me to think about what I can do, changes I should make, and direction I should travel in my journey to stay on the positive path I've been blessed to follow to this point. Thanks to all for taking the time share your knowledge and share your personal stories

[Quarry]

I have also read lots of "you won't be hungry" with my research. Luckily, my doctor told me that the majority of people don't feel hunger for a time (6mos-1yr). The minority either never stop feeling true hunger or never start feeling it again.

Man, oh, man. There just has to be an explanation for why some people barely develop hunger again while other start feeling starved--something hormonal, chromosomal, bacteriological. Researchers just aren't seeing the pattern yet, and longitudinal studies just aren't very l-o-n-g-itudinal.

I can't find the info online now, but I remember that it was discovered that when a nerve in the stomach was cut for a medical reason (ulcer, maybe?), that doctors noticed their patients happen to lose weight (7 percent is the number that sticks in my mind). That was one of the first clues that lead to the sort of stomach-reducing bariatric surgeries we know today.

I have a 1982 book (I've been trying to solve the riddle of being obese for almost 50 years) called The Dieter's Dilemma, Eating Less and Weighing More. I think I have to go back and read at least the highlighted portions against what we know today about the sleeve and bile acids to see if I can make more sense of things.

One of my mantras: Don't take your biology personally. You did not chose your biology. You can color your hair, put in colored contacts, exercise and diet, but your body is a product of evolution. Cry about it, if you like. Shake your fist at the heavens in anger, if it helps. Then look to science for the truth of things. I just hate to see people beat themselves up about their biology.

Will somebody help me down from this soapbox, please?

[misshaunt]

And here is my thoughts on this from personal experience. We "typically" consider our stomach grumbling as "hunger". I found that in the beginning 6 months, it's not really hunger but your stomach digesting the foods. I never felt "hunger" when I was heavy because I ate WAY to much on my own. And for me while I was shoveling it in, I to was thinking about what to get next. So I didn't have that sensation. Now that I understand my body, I think that the grumbling is the "same feeling" as the digestion stage as well. Then it sometimes becomes mind over matter. It's a strange process, but when food drops in, my sleeve starts (especially with raw veggies for me) and can go on for hours. I have a hard time processing them & I become miserable with gas. So I think it's about learning your body, your moods, etc. Hunger or what we think is hunger.....is a funny thing. It's about figuring out what is physical, mental, emotional, etc. Well put & great info above.

[Skibabe]

I'm really glad you made that point, and I'll certainly make sure I tell newbies that they may not feel hungry afterwards. I'm nearly nine months out and very, very rarely get at all hungry. I've even skipped dinner a few times as it has helped my weight come off with no ill effect, and because I don't get hungry, it's easy to do. I used to be starving every evening after getting the kids down to bed, so this is all new to me. To be honest, I was expecting my appetite to have returned by now, but it simply hasn't. I can certainly eat bigger portions now, but I simply don't get hungry now.

A good point, well made :-)

[Skibabe]

I too thought I wouldn't get hungry anymore like I used to. Then I started getting hungry. I've found that it's just a day by day thing. There are some days where I am hungry all day. There are some days where I hardly eat at all. There are some where I can eat much more in one sitting. There are some where I can only have three bites. I don't know why. I get upset on the days I'm hungry all day because I don't want to be. And when I eat a whole serving of something, it upsets me because I'm so far out that I worry I'll return to the way I was before because I'll be able to eat like a "normal" person again. I don't want that. I like the feeling of restriction. It reminds me and reassures me that I won't ever be like I was before. Also, I've noticed that when I'm working out more, I am hungry more. I may only be able to eat 3-4 bites, but about an hour later I am hungry again.
I am also having a lot of head hunger now too and that also upsets me. I'm not sure how to deal with it, other than eating something, and it has me worried. I'm having to cut carbs way back because I felt myself slipping into old patterns of behavior with carbs. I've always been good about protein first and find that if I don't eat protein first, I do get hungry faster.
I guess it's a day by day struggle that I'll always have to deal with and that sucks. I was looking forward to not being hunger driven anymore.

Jess, down here in NZ, we're told to only have carbs if we have room for them. I certainly think it's helped me lose the extra weight relatively quickly (not a brag, just an observation). I do sometimes crave pasta, and let myself have it, but I always see it reflected on the scale next day. This weight loss journey is an education for me, that's for sure! Good luck :-)