I'm hungry!

[Cruising Sue]

I had surgery 10 days ago and eat cottage cheese for breakfast and dinner and eggs for lunch. I am so hungry that I want to sleep until my next scheduled meal. They said that this surgery takes away your hunger gene (or something like that) but why am I so hungry? Popsicles and jello aren't helping.

[sassy252]

I saw a video that says it isn't true hunger it is that the sleeve is still swollen. Hang in there

[Newme0608]

Hi Sue, I had my sleeve done 6/8. So just hit 2 weeks post op. I was hungry too..they call it head hunger. I was still on liquids so I didn't get to eat all you have. But my husband made breakfast around 10 days out and I wanted to kill him for making the house smell so good and I couldn't eat. It passes. I'm on pureed now and I have no desire to eat. It was all in my head. .because I couldn't. Sugar Free pudding helped me more than the jello. Strange that also goes down easier. I still have trouble getting all liquids in but crystal lite in water goes down better than plain water. Soft cheese works good for me..got the soft string cheese and half of one is more than enough to feel like a snack. Best of luck..This is my no means an easy journey. .but we got this

[WANAGL]

Have you contacted your Dr and/or Nut? It sounds like you're jumping ahead of recommended phases, IMHO. FTR I'm NOT a Dr or Nut. I'm speaking from my own experience.

According to all the research I've done and following my "team's" instructions...
Increasing your protein intake should help with hunger.

I highly recommend watching Dr Matthew Weiner videos on YouTube. They're full of invaluable information.

Best of luck as you continue your journey!

[Cruising Sue]

The more I look on different sites, the more I discover that every doctor has different paths for patients to take. On day 4 until week 3, I'm able to eat puréed proteins like scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. Snacks are broth or sugar free jello or popsicles. Week 3 and 4 are soft protein. I can't add fruit until week 8. I would love to eat sugar free pudding but it's not allowed.

Thanks for feedback.

[RoxFC]

You may have acid reflux. In my first year, I found that hunger pains were actually from too much acid in stomach.

[Newme0608]

They are all different your right. I've watched a ton of Videos on utube..pick a day post op and they have it. It's helped a lot. But the "allowed" versions is very different and very extreme from one to the next. My doctor does longer on liquids while some come out of hospital eating. Mine takes an extra safety measure and actually sews up sleeve after the stapling. Why we have to do liquids longer. Protein protein protein..you won't be hungry. I'm forcing myself to remember to get more in. But I have noticed more protein and water..The more I lose.

[Muted_Tummy]

Are you getting ALL your liquids? If you are and hungry...time to talk to nut.

How much of those things are you eating, how far apart and when do you feel hunger? These are important things to figure out and then call your nut. I was a fast healer and can tell you (and my nut agreed) I had and have REAL hunger still. I don't want to eat shingles off a house anymore (LOL) but I def know when it's time to eat...don't need a watch. I feel hungry, look at phone and say, Oh shit, it IS time to eat (3 hours for me).



10 days I was ravenous and awoke during night hungry if I didn't eat Greek Yogurt right before bed. True liquids were not cutting it and I would be hungry in 1 to 1.5 hours after drinking. Yogurt and protein pudding I made got it to two hours. When I finally started our next phase (didn't move up early), i got a short list of proteins (fish, cottage cheese, cheese, egg) I did better. I could also eat 3 oz no problem already.

So...figure out if it IS head hunger (some trigger, craving a specific food, bored)...or are you physically feeling hunger over an hour out?

Call nut and ask to adjust portions if they dictate oz. Mine was start with 1 oz...if not feeling satisfied after eating slow and waiting 15 min...add an oz and so on. If no strict "only eat x", then have you upped your portion at all? I could do a whole Oikos at 4 days. I have 1/2 cup capacity now at day 23 with any soft food I have tried. They key is to figure this out for YOU....head, little inflammation already, need to eat more, acid?

Sometimes it is too much acid, I hear, that causes a feeling that fools you to think hunger as food squelches those feelings....so, the other thing is are you on a PPI? That may be the issue.

My nut says I am rare but not an exception. I am also an Olympic medalist in chewing....so I think this is also why I get in more than others. She also said that not everyone loses hunger.

Also, i was told cottage cheese does NOT count as a liquid and so water rules apply to eating that (yogurt was considered just a liquid)...so check on that too incase you are flushing your sleeve prematurally.

These would be areas you might explore and get "data on" and then call into NUT (assuming you have one).

[Sarcastic_Bard]

Getting in enough fluid and protein is a big cause for "hunger pains" or as my surgeon's office calls them after surgery "protein pangs". Your body could be crying out for some more water or some more protein. If you have that heartburn hunger feeling right after or during eating, it means you are likely eating too fast. If it's an hour or more after a meal, it usually means you need more fluids or protein. You could make or get a protein shake and drink part of it between meals as your snack, and follow up before/after with water intake.

For me head hunger is the difference between wanting a particular kind of food "Dang it, I'd kill for some creme brule right now" and not caring as long as water or something protein dense goes in my mouth (that's what she said) ala "I just finished my workout, get me a protein shake, cheesestick, piece of turkey, big bottle of water, anything before I die."

[Shirl]

I feel you.

I echo what Sarcastic and Muted said, and will just add that a week out I was experiencing hunger pangs, I thought it was head hunger because I was following instructions and meeting my 65 p requirements. I also though it was my conditioning of eating big meals at night for decades. It may have been a factor, but when I added extra protein that had a healthy amount of fiber to my drinks it went away. I haven't had issues. I recommend Raw Fit protein it's completely vegan so great addition of fiber. It chalky and I have read a lot of complaints about texture, but it doesn't bother me as much.

Best wishes.