5 Reasons You’re STILL Hungry after Weight Loss Surgery
April 17, 2023Weight Loss Surgery is in the rearview mirror but you’re STILL hungry more often than you thought you would be. Why is this happening to you?
Obesity has always been considered an outcome of eating too much and with it comes weight bias, shaming, bullying, or the assumption of a lack of self-control. Yes, your genetic makeup, the environment and the amount of calories eaten do all play a role in weight gain. In fact, macronutrients like protein and carbohydrate affect the production of neurotransmitters or brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin that then affect appetite. The grams of protein and carbs that you eat are important for satiety or the feeling of fullness, but should not be the only focus in controlling hunger.
Overeating May Not Be The Sole Cause Of Obesity
New research indicates that perhaps overeating is not the sole cause of obesity. You read that correctly. It appears that overeating does not cause obesity, but rather the disease of obesity causes overeating. Research suggests that obesity is a disease and should be treated that way. It’s a disease that causes a malfunction or dysfunction in the regulation of your appetite and guess what this appetite dysfunction is connected to? The brain.
Signals which physically tell us that we are hungry or we are full are likely controlled by your brain.
This emerging research suggests that signals which physically tell us that we are hungry or we are full are controlled by your brain. It appears that the brain is not only involved in regulating hunger and feeling full but also with eating for pleasure or what’s called hedonic eating.
The brain controls hormone regulation and this hormone regulation plays a large part in appetite control. In obesity, there seems to be a malfunction in these signals that the brain is sending out.
Leptin And Ghrelin Hormones
Perhaps you have heard of the hormones leptin and ghrelin? When you have reached satiety or your stomach is full, the brain signals for the release of the hormone leptin for appetite control. In obesity, this signaling seems to have its wires crossed and is not working correctly. This may lead to being hungry and overeating when you’re actually satisfied or full. The hormone ghrelin is linked to the desire to eat and it may work overtime.
One of the benefits, albeit typically short- term, of sleeve gastrectomy is a decrease in the production of ghrelin due to the removal of a significant part of the stomach, resulting in a decrease in appetite.
Can you guess what happens as a result of these mixed-up signals? You never feel satisfied and feel that constant hunger. Why is this? When you lose a significant amount of weight as you have through weight loss surgery, the opposite of what you think should happen often does. You think you should feel full and not as hungry but that malfunctioning signal that tells you that you are full isn’t performing as it should and the hunger hormone ghrelin often increases. No wonder you feel frustrated. The good news is that researchers and health care providers are beginning to understand why this constant feeling of hunger may happen.
GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1)
Along with leptin and ghrelin, research suggests that GLP-1 (whose real name is glucagon-like peptide-1) also has a starring role in regulating appetite as it too acts as a hormone. It’s a participant as well in signaling the brain whether you’ve had enough to eat or you’re still hungry. Medications using GLP-1 may be good news for a malfunctioning appetite. And some of these new medications are on the market now and are used in diabetes treatment.
Weight regain is a big issue after significant weight loss and weight loss surgery. It’s not unusual to see weight regain a year down the track following a large loss. One of the reasons may be that the body is releasing more hormones that make you think you’re hungry. When you lose weight, the body will work to regain the weight unless this appetite regulation or signaling starts to function correctly. Think of it like high blood pressure or diabetes. Sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough and medication is needed.
Don’t get me wrong. Behavior change, exercise, healthy eating, realistic portions, the right percentage of macronutrients like protein and carbohydrate…all continue to be important in the overall picture as to why you are still hungry. I would be remiss not to have you think about these possibilities for still feeling hungry.
More Reasons You May Still Feel Hungry After Weight Loss Surgery
1.
Are you eating enough food and calories?
Hunger can be caused by skimping on calories throughout your day. Typically, that caloric range is 1000-1200+ per day and this range can really vary depending on how far out from surgery you are now and how strenuous your activities and workouts are daily. Calorie needs can increase significantly with a hard workout. Remember, the more you exercise and move, the more calories you burn. It’s easy to track what you eat for a few days using an app such as Baritastic. If you’re honest with yourself, you can get a realistic picture of what’s going on and you may find you are hungry from a lack of adequate calories.
2.
Are you getting enough protein?
Protein has many roles in the body, such as building and protecting muscle mass, but protein is also known for helping you feel full and satisfied…curbing that hunger. Again, the range for protein needs will vary, but a good place to start is in the 80-120 grams per day range.
3.
Are you drinking enough fluids?
Believe it or not, fluids do way more than just hydrate. Fluids help you feel full as well and can bring down that hunger feeling. Sometimes you may confuse thirst with hunger, so when hunger comes calling, drink a glass of water or other favorite fluid first and see if that satisfies you.
4.
Are you drinking your calories?
How far out from surgery are you? If you’re six months or more, you should be enjoying solid foods which definitely quell hunger. Additionally, are you supplementing or replacing solid foods with protein shakes? This additional fluid will not satisfy you nearly as much as high protein solid foods.
5.
Are you chewing your food long enough?
We always seem to be in a hurry don’t we? And this often applies to how fast we eat. Eating quickly typically means less chewing and believe it or not, is tied to hunger. There is a big benefit in chewing food well. The longer you chew, the more time the brain has to send signals that you are full.
To stay successful with your transformation, it’s a smart strategy to occasionally review these questions and tweak where needed to help keep you from being hungry after weight loss surgery.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bariatric dietitian Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success. Selected as one of the Best 35 Dietitian Podcasts, Bariatric Surgery Success was chosen from thousands of podcasts on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority, and freshness. With a focus on nutrition before and after bariatric surgery, I help you eat for success while you conquer cravings, emotional eating, and weight regain. |
