Real hunger vs acid in the stomach- how can you tell?

[girlwitharosetattoo]

There are times when I feel absolutely famished. I really don't think it's head hunger as I physically feel the deep emptiness from within. I practically want to chew off my own arm. It's that intense.

I read online it could be acid so I have been taking my Pepcid complete chewables. I just took one and I still feel a gnawing hunger inside but I am not interested in anything on my list of approved foods and I am not going to risk skipping ahead to the soft foods stage. I'm too scared.

I'm actually way hungrier than I ever was before surgery (even when I wasn't heavy). I've never felt anything like this before.

So my question is- it is real hunger or acid?? I would like to chalk it up to head hunger, but I swear it's the real deal.

Guess I will go have some more watered down soup now. *gag* I was never crazy about soup before, but now I really hate it! Protein shakes taste absolutely disgusting to me, and I never much liked them even pre op but at least I could get them down. Now? There's no way, so I got isopure unflavored protein powder to mix into other things.

I cannot wait for soft foods.

Help. Please. It's making me miserable. Help.

Thanks for letting me complain. I feel like I will go mad with hunger at this point.

[Shirl]

How much fiber is in your protein drinks?

Try RAW Fit for Weightloss or Tera's Whey Hunger Control both have 8g of fiber which helped me with satiety.

Most protein drinks are supplements and not complete meal replacements. Go to a Vitamin Shoppe or GNC or better yet try to find a NutriShop near you and ask those guys to help you make a well balanced meal replacement drink.

You can also make your own with nonfat Greek yogurt, sprouted whole grain oats, a good quality protein powder, milk or water. I have a Vitamix and it liquifies even whole carrots.

Best wishes.

[Pam G]

I agree with Shirl. You don't have to have "watered down" soup. You can drink anything as long as it's well blended.

I made really good soups with chicken stock, onions, and some other veggie....broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus. Cook it and blend it up real good. Sprinkle a little grated cheese in it or add a little milk at the end. It's liquid, but thicker than plain broth.

Also go to YouTube and watch dr Matthew Weiner's videos on how to make protein shakes and smoothies.

And Google protein shake recipes. The ones you make yourself honestly taste waaaaay better than the premade ones.

[Kevin_Sly]

Day 7 I was told by my nutritionist that I could start to add pureed stuff. I'd obviously not just follow my Internet blindly but I was able to add a couple spoon fulls of no sugar added stage 1 baby fruits (apples, pears, etc.). Whatever you do, when you do go with some type of food, go super slow!!! I think I over did it with my first pureed adventure and was out for the count for about an hour or two.

[girlwitharosetattoo]

How much fiber is in your protein drinks?

Try RAW Fit for Weightloss or Tera's Whey Hunger Control both have 8g of fiber which helped me with satiety.

Most protein drinks are supplements and not complete meal replacements. Go to a Vitamin Shoppe or GNC or better yet try to find a NutriShop near you and ask those guys to help you make a well balanced meal replacement drink.

You can also make your own with nonfat Greek yogurt, sprouted whole grain oats, a good quality protein powder, milk or water. I have a Vitamix and it liquifies even whole carrots.

Best wishes.

Hey Shirl. Thanks for the feedback. Not sure how much fiber in my protein drinks. In bed now. Will look tomorrow. I do have more than one kid. Premiere and muscle Milk. Still, I wretch at the very smell of them, as they are disgusting to me, so like Pam smentuined, I am going to lookimg into making my own- my husband has been looking at the recipe book that came with our magic bullet blender.

My hubby made me a fresh fruit smoothie tonight. The ones at Jamba Juice have waaaay too much sugar. This one was good and I drank a small portion and added isopure powder.

I also had some low fat cream of mushroom soup soup, strained through fine mess to get any chunks out. Then I had a cup of Morrocan mint tea- and guess what? No more hunger! This proves to me that it was actually hunger and not just head hunger and that I should listen to my body.

I've got a few other issues. I have a nausea patch behind my hear that many people use on cruise ship vacations. It's works great and stays on 3 days, even when you wash your hair. I took off the first one off Saturday night, thinking I no longer needed it. On Sunday my brother, his gf and my dad came to see me. My mom was not in the right mental sstate to come over- no big deal. It was nice to have company. Maybe they were lying but they said I looked good and not at all how they expected lol. Whatever that means! :P

That afternoon, nausea came back and I slapped on another transdermal Scop patch. The biggest side effect for me? BLURRED VISION when trying to type or read, so please excuse any typos. I literally see double. I assume it is a temporary thing.

Then- let me complain a little more- I was put on an antibiotic to prevent my incision sites from getting infected. I finished the bottle (the taste was unimaginably horrid). But...as what usually happened to me on antibiotics, TMI but I got a damn yeast infection! Have not had once since my son was born 9 years ago. Called dr. Got a prescription for difkucan but it takes time so now I am just try my hardest not to scratch myself raw.

I tell you if something goes away, a new problem arises or something comes back. So far, all minor, thank goodness.

I am a disaster in the kitchen but I will look into Greek yogurt recipes.

Thanks again.

[girlwitharosetattoo]

I agree with Shirl. You don't have to have "watered down" soup. You can drink anything as long as it's well blended.

I made really good soups with chicken stock, onions, and some other veggie....broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus. Cook it and blend it up real good. Sprinkle a little grated cheese in it or add a little milk at the end. It's liquid, but thicker than plain broth.

Also go to YouTube and watch dr Matthew Weiner's videos on how to make protein shakes and smoothies.

And Google protein shake recipes. The ones you make yourself honestly taste waaaaay better than the premade ones.

Thanks Pam. I have no doubt that protein shakes you make yourself taste way better than store bought. I tolerated them before on my pre op diet, but I will not get near one now. If protein shakes are something I am supposed to be drinking for the rest of my life, I am in trouble, but maybe not if I make them myself.

The soup is put through a mess strainer to get any chucks out. It tastes...meh, but it's warm and better than cherry jello and I can at least eat it. I also have soups from Protidiet. You add hot water water to the power so it's easy. It's really watered down, but it's warm and has more protein in it than store bought soup. The tomato flavor turns pink- but the chicken flavor isn't bad.

I have been been watching inspirational stories on You tube to remind me why I did this. Gotta stay away from the videos of people announcing why they regret it. I will find Dr. Weiner and show my husband. Thank you!

[girlwitharosetattoo]

Day 7 I was told by my nutritionist that I could start to add pureed stuff. I'd obviously not just follow my Internet blindly but I was able to add a couple spoon fulls of no sugar added stage 1 baby fruits (apples, pears, etc.). Whatever you do, when you do go with some type of food, go super slow!!! I think I over did it with my first pureed adventure and was out for the count for about an hour or two.

Oh, no! That's a terrible feeling- nausea or if it was the "other" one from the other end. Both are just awful.

My surgeon instructions are week 2 and 3 only full liquid. I know all surgeons are different this way. Some days are really, really hard. I did make some Protidiet oatmeal this morning and added less water so it was not so watery- more like a paste consistency and it tasted ok, went down just fine. Did it because I just needed something with more texture and substance. It was still mushy, but I never would have been able to get it through a strainer. It was fine, though. Nothing bad happened.

I totally would eat eat the baby food- not the peas and stuff, but the fruits I would! Contrary to what some people believe (not you), baby food does not have preservatives and is not processed food. I know this for a fact- at least Gerber baby food is not. The others probably aren't either but Gerber products dominates the market.

thanks for your reply. I was mostly wondering if anyone felt hunger 6 days out. I definitely have, and it's not head hunger and it is miserable.

Come on week 4!!!!

[Mbenson5]

Hi there! I wanted to ket you know that it is mire than 4 years ago for me, but boy I sure remember how hungry I was the week afterward. Everyone kept assuring me it was head hunger, but it was bs! lol! I felt so much better when I was able to have a spoonful of cottage cheese. Was the best food I ever tasted! lol!

[barbaradear1]

I was really hungry the week after as well. I have never been a fan of soups either so I didn't eat much during that first week. Hence the real rapid weightloss I had the first 2 weeks and then stalled at week 3. I will say the popsicles help, I drank a lot of warm tea with added non flavored fiber (I still add to my shakes), cream of wheat was pretty good too as long as you cook it well and make it runny. I would only need about 1/4 cup and would be good for awhile. The hunger pains do get better as you start the pureed food but your loss will slow down in week 3 so don't panic.

Oh I have to say you are absolutely right about the antibiotics they give. Holy cow! I almost vomited when I had to take those. I wish they would have given it in a pill for because the liquid was horrible. I would take that just so I wouldn't want to eat at night, because I would lose my appetite after the dose. Yuck!

[Shirl]

I started off with Premier Protein, sometimes MuscleMilk neither have enough fiber if at all.

If you have a case of it left, just use them as a base add plain nonfat yogurts, frozen greens (like kale, spinach or chard they are gentle on your stomach, avoid cruciferous vegetables for right now), use frozen berries (avoid high glycemic fruits right now, half a banana should be ok).

My favorite yummi shake was

1 Vanilla Premier Protein (pre made shake)
1/2 frozen banana ripe
1 cup frozen kale/spinach mix
1 serving of Peanut Butter Protein powder
1 cup Bulgarian yogurt (it's not as thick as Greek , and it's tartier)

Blend, enjoy!

Word of caution with smoothies, keep an eye out on the fruit ratio. Just use 1 fruit serving the rest should be greens. You don't want to overload on sugar.

Try one peeled cold orange, and one (well washed organic) cucumber, and few springs of mint blend with a bit of ice 1/4 cold filtered water. Great refresher drink!

[americangrrl]

I have also heard that true hunger is when u feel it just under ur ribs... ... i hope that makes sense to u... good luck..

[Kindle]

If you are really, truly, physically hungry, ANY sort of nutrition will satisfy you. Your blood sugar will come up and any lightheadedness, nausea, pain, etc will subside. If only certain foods or textures will satisfy you, then it's head hunger, not true hunger. Can you imagine a starving little kid from a 3rd world county turning down a protein shake because they really wanted something they could chew? It may also be the fact that your sleeve is empty and you are not used to this feeling. But an empty sleeve does not equal hunger. It just means your sleeve is empty. I finally got used to this feeling and realized it's just a normal hollowness that I feel when I was no longer constantly stuffing my face.

As for the possibility of acid/nausea, you may want to try a different antacid. Pepcid is famotidine which is an H2 blocker, but some people find PPIs much more effective against excess acid. Try omeprazole or Lansoprazole for a week or two (they usually take 24-48 hours to kick in) My surgeon actually has all of his patients on a double dose of omeprazole for two months to prevent acid and promote healing. Take Rolaids or Maalox when you have those break through "hunger" moments.

[girlwitharosetattoo]

Hi there! I wanted to ket you know that it is mire than 4 years ago for me, but boy I sure remember how hungry I was the week afterward. Everyone kept assuring me it was head hunger, but it was bs! lol! I felt so much better when I was able to have a spoonful of cottage cheese. Was the best food I ever tasted! lol!

Oh thank GOD you remember how it was in the beginning. I have done some googling about hunger so shortly after gastric sleeve surgery and many people report they experienced it while others report no hunger at all. Many people who reply insist it is head hunger, and perhaps it is for some people, but in my case- no it is not! I have low fat cottage cheese in the fridge and I am dying for just a few spoonfuls but I am determined to stick to the eating plan and follow each phase pretty meticulously. Who knew that I would be dreaming of cottage cheese, of all things lol?

[girlwitharosetattoo]

I was really hungry the week after as well. I have never been a fan of soups either so I didn't eat much during that first week. Hence the real rapid weightloss I had the first 2 weeks and then stalled at week 3. I will say the popsicles help, I drank a lot of warm tea with added non flavored fiber (I still add to my shakes), cream of wheat was pretty good too as long as you cook it well and make it runny. I would only need about 1/4 cup and would be good for awhile. The hunger pains do get better as you start the pureed food but your loss will slow down in week 3 so don't panic. Oh I have to say you are absolutely right about the antibiotics they give. Holy cow! I almost vomited when I had to take those. I wish they would have given it in a pill for because the liquid was horrible. I would take that just so I wouldn't want to eat at night, because I would lose my appetite after the dose. Yuck!

Now I understand what probably causes the 3 week stall! Most people are on puréed or soft foods by then, so more fat and calories, but less hunger. I don't even care about the stall right now. I'm just tired of feeling like I want to gnaw off my arm every two hours!

Holy crap those liquid antibiotics are truly disgusting! UGH! So glad someone else feels the same way! Couldn't they flavor them like they do for kids because it's NASTY tasting stuff? Also, I can swallow pills so I totally agree about why not pills? I could swallow them from the first day. Not huge ones, but there has to be a better way. I plan on mentioning this to my surgeon when I see him a week. My husband practically had to force me to take the antibiotic twice a day and I would hold my breath and swill it down, but I had to have a Popsicle 'chaser" hahaha! Then I had to brush my teeth and use mouthwash to get the rid of the nasty after taste. And still, I got a yeast infection. Just another annoying this to pile on my list of complaints.

Thanks so much for your reply!

[girlwitharosetattoo]

I started off with Premier Protein, sometimes MuscleMilk neither have enough fiber if at all.

If you have a case of it left, just use them as a base add plain nonfat yogurts, frozen greens (like kale, spinach or chard they are gentle on your stomach, avoid cruciferous vegetables for right now), use frozen berries (avoid high glycemic fruits right now, half a banana should be ok).

My favorite yummi shake was

1 Vanilla Premier Protein (pre made shake)
1/2 frozen banana ripe
1 cup frozen kale/spinach mix
1 serving of Peanut Butter Protein powder
1 cup Bulgarian yogurt (it's not as thick as Greek , and it's tartier)

Blend, enjoy!

Word of caution with smoothies, keep an eye out on the fruit ratio. Just use 1 fruit serving the rest should be greens. You don't want to overload on sugar.

Try one peeled cold orange, and one (well washed organic) cucumber, and few springs of mint blend with a bit of ice 1/4 cold filtered water. Great refresher drink!

Yes. I was also concerned about the sugar in a fruit smoothie. I was going to ask my brother to bring me Jamba Juice the other day but then I thought- NO WAY- those are filled with carbs and sugar, which is why they taste so yummy.

We have a nutrition bullet blender that came with a book of all kinds of recipes, even for green smoothies, and my husband and is going to whip one up once he gets the ingredients at the store. So far, he has been putting fresh raspberries, blue berries and strawberries, water and ice and I can only drink a smal glass (sipping, of course). I have this after I have had my Protidiet soup.

I checked and the protein drinks in my fridge and they only have 2 g of fiber. Definitely not enough.

Thank you for the smoothie recipe. I am going to copy and paste it and email to my husband.