Question:
Please don't judge me...........I still want to eat
I am 2 weeks post surgery and feel a little like I am going crazy. I feel like people who have had the surgery describe themselves getting so full off a string cheese. I am not getting this feeling. I definately feel like I have eaten something but I don't feel overwhelmingly full like I feel others describe. Is this all in my head? I am afraid of pushing it so I don't overeat but it leads to me feeling very anxious. If anyone has any insight I would love some feedback. I so badly want this surgery to work for me like it has worked for so many that I think all the "it's supposed too" is making me a basketcase. I could really use some support so Thanks for the help. — Donosmom (posted on March 25, 2008)
March 25, 2008
Hi there - not going to judge you, nope!. What I will ask is what your
surgeon and nutritionist has set forth for your meal amounts. One of the
first things many post ops forget sometimes, is that you are not supposed
to feel full, because full now is much different. I discovered with
myself, and before RNY, if i was allowed 2 oz, then 2 oz was all i ate. At
this point, feeling full isn't something you really want. We are to eat to
be satisfied, but because of previous eating habits, no one knows what that
is yet. Just eat the amount you are allowed, and you will notice the
change. You can't really put much into a 1 oz pouch at this point. I was
4 yrs post op yesterday, and I lost 230 lbs, and have kept if off, because
i still weigh and measure my food, and even this far out am only allowed
1/2 cup 3 times a day. If i were to go against these rules, i would be
puttig the wt back on like we read so many are doing. It just takes
dedication and changing your thought process. Most of the time still, i
have to force myself to eat because I am rarely if ever hungry, but not
eating is just as detrimental to the outcome as eating more than allowed.
I applaud your question and wish you good louck, and remember its just one
day at a time. Huggs Cindi 3.24.04 - 230 and holding
— DollyDoodles
March 25, 2008
First each of the surgerys are different and each doctor does things
different, so don't assume that you will see the same things others do.
Call your Doctor and ask him how small he made your pouch if you had a RNY.
If Lab Band, have you had a fill yet? The best answer for you is your
doctor in this case. I asked for a small pouch and boy, I got one. My
doctor wanted me on a liquid diet for three week and then three weeks of
puree protein. So it was 6 weeks before I could think of even trying
string cheese. Again, each is different, so don't judge yourself against
other experences unless they were the same surgery from the same doctor.
— William (Bill) wmil
March 25, 2008
If ever the saying meant anything...It does now in more ways than one!
"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach"
I think some of what you are experiencing is just unfamiliarity.
And maybe a bit of food separation anxiety. If others are eating til
FULL..They are not doing things correctly. You are! You are not supposed to
push it...You have "head hunger"...Your head knows what it should
eat...but you have to now rely on that little grumpy pouch to tell you what
you can and cannot eat! Eating til satisfied is such a strange thing to
learn how to do...But you are doing it right! It gets easier as you
gradually move on to different phases of eating. I didn't feel hunger for
some two years post op! It was GREAT!Eventually you will eat like a normal
tiny person who eats very healthy foods, if you continue to follow your
rules. All I can say is look forward, because this is just a phase of
getting to know your new system...and abandoning old habits! You are doing
fine! Try a variety of different stuff to keep your head happy...But don't
over eat especially on carbs! Okay? You are doing great!
— .Anita R.
March 25, 2008
I am 4 1/2 years post op Lap RNY. Some days you will be able to eat more
than other days. You will only over eat once. You will feel horrible and
you will not want to do it again. TRUST ME!! Take care!
— Carlyn M.
March 25, 2008
What surgery did you have? Different surgeries have different results.
Different DOCTORS have different ways of doing the SAME surgery. One will
use a tool that creates a 2 ounce pouch for a severely obese patient and a
4 ounce pouch for a mildly obese patient and another will have a DIFFERENT
approach. You can't really compare your results to different procedures.
Try to compare it to people who have had the same procedure with the same
doctor. You are likely to have a more accurate picture of what to expect.
— hubarlow
March 25, 2008
Have you had lap-band or RNY?
— cconnell
March 25, 2008
I am only 5 weeks RNY post op and I too am hungry. I have lost 42 lbs, and
do not ask me how. Because I am hungry, hungry, and its not head hunger.
I have to fight every second of the day not to eat. I am using my
"tool" right now, and walking walking walking. My doc must have
given me a big pouch because I can eat a 6 oz sugar free jello and 1 whole
scrambled egg. I was not one of the lucky people that have to set a timer
to eat, I have to set a timer to stop eating! This week I only lost 1 lb.
and I feel like my stomach is bigger. I just took my measuremants so I can
keep track of the inches. Good luck to you, and wish me good luck too. I
have wanted this sugrery so bad for so many years and saved money for it
and I am struggling to not eat.
— rosheet
March 25, 2008
I am currently 2 wks post op and everyone is right you are not going to
have teh feeling of being full as prior to the surgery. Just stay on
track, and eat what you were prescribed by the doctor and I know it will
get better.
Charnita
— cbraxton
March 26, 2008
hello..you my dear are experiencing head hunger....i'm 10 months out and
still get it....your head is saying let's hit a buffet but i'll tell you if
you try to force yourself to eat youre going to pay for it dearly and be in
the bathroom with foamies for an hour...can you tell i've been through
this? lol in time your pouch is going to stretch....but as long as you
load up on the protein (fills you up faster and for longer) and exercise
you'll be fine
— lizzie42
March 26, 2008
I had RNY on March 7, 2008. I had campbell's cream of potatoe soup and it
really helped me. I was also having problems drinking my fluids so the
cream of anything soup really came in handy. It's normal and just another
stage. Keep going.
— sagarmy
March 26, 2008
I too, am 2 weeks out and I hear what you are saying. I was feeling
"hungry" too but dont be confused. On Monday, I ate too much and
I felt AWFUL yesterday...all day. My pouch hurt and I couldnt sleep. It
hurt empty, it hurt with food. Dont do that to yourself. But that
experience helped me to realize you dont want to feel "full".
Just eat your little 2 medicine cups at mealtimes and if you feel
"hungry".....drink a protein shake. My head hunger is starting
to go away a little bit now but I just think it is more of a process then
an actual feeling. Except for Monday when I over ate (will NEVER EVER do
again BTW) I have followed the program exactly as they have said and I have
lost 24 lbs since my surgery on 3-11-08. Head hunger is the worst I swear
but I just keep thinking of that quote....."NOTHING tastes as good as
THIN feels" . Good luck to you......
— treksrowe
March 26, 2008
I understand your anxiety, and a lot of it is in your head, even though I
know you don't want to hear that. Here's the thing, obese people want to
push the limit, we always do. Just because we CAN eat, doesn't mean we
should eat. Eat what you are supposed to, deal with the head issues,
because we all have tons of them when it comes to eating, and just take one
day at a time. The anxiety is real, but the answer is the same, breathe,
do right, even when it is tough, and one day at a time. Take care.
Patricia P.
— Patricia P
March 26, 2008
I think at first you are definitely experiencing some head hunger. But, I
will say this....for those of us who have none of the complications of
nausea and vomiting from just eating a scrambled egg, I consider that so
very blessed. What we do have to do, is be mindful of what it is we are
eating. Now, my doctor has instructed me to do both things..eat until I
feel full and be watchful to how much. First, we are used to eating so
fast, that we have to keep in mind the slower we eat the better. Not only
for satiety, but because we can get pretty sick if we eat too fast. But
yes, if I eat slowly, I DO reach a point where I know I am done. There's
not a lot of wiggle room either. Like if I go a bite or two over that
feeling I do feel too full...stuffed, uncomfortable...and sometimes have
gotten sick. Secondly, it depends on the type of food you choose to eat as
to if you will feel full. Yogurt may cause you to never experience a
feeling of fullness, but you have to know to only eat 6 -8 oz at one time.
It slides on through, and while stuff like that won't (usually) make you
sick from over eating, it will slow down the weight loss because you feel
you can eat more. Now, if you are eating some tuna a salad, or some
chicken....you will feel the diference. Pay attention to your body. If
you learn to eat slower, it's a lot easier to notice the nuances of what
you are feeling after you eat. I have a weird feeling in my lower chest
when I reach fullness. Of course talk to your doctor, but I am of the
belief that if we dont eat to reach satiety then we will eventually
cheat.....and blow it bad. This isn't a diet, but a way of life. Try not
to look at it like a diet, and your anxiety may be redused. Many
blessings!! Lisa
— Lisa S.
March 26, 2008
I know a lot of people who have had what you are describing things happen
to them. They have said its a faze.. but like that really helps at this
moment, i know.. I just want you to know you are not alone.. :)
Hugs and I hope everything goes better for you..
Paula
— japaad
March 26, 2008
I went through the EXACT same thing. EVERYONE I talked to said they had no
hunger after surgery.....and I was just the opposite. Everyone is
different, but it will get better (I'm 4 months out). Do yourself a HUGE
favor....if you have not already.....Get away from the TV. Do not read
magazines.
You never realize how much food is advirtised until you can not eat it. And
I believe these sources added to my head hunger. Get out and take a walk,
read books, go online and read groups about WLS surgery....whatever. You
will progress forward over the next few weeks into denser foods.
You will not want to feel "full", as you will learn what it means
to get sick. But you will be able to enjoy a little of everything in due
time. Good luck Dani
— zandeldm
March 26, 2008
i had the lap band 2/11/08 and felt like I didn't even have the surgery. Mr
doc doesn't fill the band at all when she puts it in. I had to wait 4 whole
weeks until my first fill and still not the results I keep reading either.
I haven't lost a single pound yet.....i do need to say that I am doing a
ton of strenght training, but I still feel cheated out of the "big
loss" that everyone seems to have in the beginning. So I do know
exactly how you feel, keep a journal of your intake talk to your Dr and see
how long till you can get a fill.....if lapband was the surgery you had.
Best!
— KristinaSilvasy
March 26, 2008
Hi Leggette. I sort of went through the same thing. After surgery, the
feeling of 'fullness' was totally different than I expected. Before
surgery, when I ate enough, I would get this nice comforting heaviness in
the bottom of my belly. After surgery, when I eat enough, I get discomfort
or slkight pain in the upper part of my stomach. This is the signal that I
need to pay attention to. Feeling "full" had an entirely
different sensation which I needed to get accustomed to. Also, I
understand that in the first weeks of post-surgery, your nerve endings are
still healing so you may not feel anything for a while. I hope this helps
and I wish you best in your new life! Patty.
— Patricia R.
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