Having trouble with overeating

Hello, I had my lap-band surgery on 2/8/06 and have been doing well until I hit the pureed foods. It seems like I can eat as much as I did before the surgery. Everyone I talk to say's that they were not hungry right after surgery. I am hungry all the time. I was told it was not real hunger but emotional hunger, but it is not. I get real hunger pangs. So now that i'm into the soft foods it states that I shouldn't be able to eat more than a half a cup but I can go way beyond that. I don't know what this means or what to do about it. Any suggestions. Michele

I had open RNY 3 weeks ago. The first week I was home I felt physically hungry (and a ton of emotional hunger) nonstop. It wasn't until my second week that those feelings started to go away. My problem was that I was only eating 1oz at each meal, but I was supposed to be eating 1-3 oz. at each meal. I was starving myself. Now I eat 3 oz. for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Add in 2 protein drinks and water and I'm FULL. I'm not hungry at all. Are you eating and drinking enough?

Hi Michele I felt the samething but I had the Gastric bypass! I would talk to your doctor! All I can say is make sure you are getting your protein and liquid everyday! Are you excersizing? I wish you good luck and hope things get better for you Stephanie

Michele.. I had my VBG done 18 yrs.ago today I am doing great. 210#lose 386 before today176. I remember those first days. Even tho you feel it isn't emotional hunger it more than likely is. Are you drinking enough,are you craving sweets, if you aren't taken in enough protein then all these will give you that hunger feeling. The trick is to change the thinking...motivate yourself. exercise, drink protein shakes low carbs. I found that if I drank veg. juices that I juiced myself these helped. Carrots/apple with a protein mix. The mind will trick the stomach to think that you are starving yourself. Rice cereal baby food helped a lot to. Are you keeping a written food journal?I feel your pain but you are still a newbee shout if ya need help and check in with your doctor. Best of luck Cathie

Hello M. When I was on my 2 week fast before my surgery I would tell myself ... this isn't very hard, why couldn't I do this before. I would love to "just have a hamburger" right now instead of the whoppers I use to eat. or I would love to eat some fruits and veggies now........ when I would never eat them before. If you are having a hard time settling for what you are supposed to be having right now ... then take a step back words for 1 day..... remember what it was like to not be able to eat anything...... start to appreciate the small amount that you are aloud to have ... and know that each day brings you closer to your goal. Don't let your past wreck your future for more then one day at a time. Start over tomorrow, take it back a phase ... then start again and try to do it right. Good Luck! Penny

Penny, Thanks so much for your reply. On saturday I did pretty good I usually do when i'm home. Many days I work doubles and that's where I run into problems. Everyone is eating chinese food, pizza and junk. I on the other hand are eating cottage cheese, pureed chicken, all the right stuff. One night I ate a whole tub of cottage cheese and that's what worries me. I thought my new stomach would not hold that much. I have been somewhat depressed ever since. Yesterday I bought a baby spoon in hopes of eating much slower it seems to be ok. I have also been reading alot about the emotional side of eating and the post-op blues. Today is a new day. Thanks again for your advise. Michele

I have the lap-band also. My surgery was 2/13. We are still in the healing phase. There is NO fluid in our bands, so there is no restriction. Try to eat healthy portions. I have heard any weight-loss until our first fills are a bonus. Take one meal at a time.

I had open RNY and am still on liquids and am surprised how much I can have at one time. OTOH, I've had a few bites of mashed potatoes and been over full. I think the type of food can make a big difference, perhaps the purees are going thru you like the liquids go thru me, and it will get better once you move on to more solids. Since a previous poster mentioned your band is empty because you are still in the healing process, perhaps you are just a fast healer and your band is really not restricting much, if anything? I don't know a lot about the band, but I would talk to your surgeon and/ or you nutritionist if I were you. I am not sure when they do your first fill, but perhaps you are a candidate to have one sooner, rather than later. Good luck! xosm

Hi! I feel the same way. I had RNY on 02-06-06. I agree, real hunger. I feel like I eat constantly, but I'm really not. When I find that I am really hungry, I try to get in some more protein. It seems that I am able to eat much more than I thought I would and I never actually feel "full". It is more of a...."ok, I think of just done with this now" feeling. I have checked into this at my face-to-face support group and apparently it is very natural for SOME of us. I do understand that once we hit solid foods, we will see the real difference in how much we are able to eat. I don't know if this holds true for lap-band. Are you able to consult with your Dietician? Take care of you! Tammy

Michele. I can relate. I came home after 2 nights in the hospital, and the next morning, was starving!! Mouth watering, tummy grumbling, starving. I slowly began to eat....or should I say cheat. A couple of ritz here, a few cheerios there. And I didn't feel satified at all. I realized that I wanted to sit and eat the whole box, not nibble two. And I felt frustrated, and cheated. Everything in our lives revolves around food, it's such a social behavior. Then my daughters girl scout cookies came in. Do you know, I ate an entire row of cafe special cookies, and didn't feel a thing? Granted, it too me several hours, but still, no dumping. I was just disgusted with myself, and annoyed that I wasn't sick! Well, last week, I started getting some serious pains when I would eat, telling me that I needed to stop doing eating the wrong foods. After seeing the Dr, who told me I could advance my diet, I started on the super soft foods this week. And I'm not feeling as hungry all the time. I think it was 20% stomach hunger, and 80% head hunger. Lets face it, our bodies have changed. My tummy grumbles more now anyway. And now I don't feel full as much as I feel sick if I eat too much. My full sensation has changed. Each day seems to get a bit easier though. I'm pretty sure I will have to make a few dumb choices, some more than once, before my head catches up and realizes that I shouldn't eat some foods, or should eat less. But I'm on the right track now. My Dr said that ghrelin, the hormone produced in the lining of the stomach, that tells our brains we are hungry is drastically reduced in gast. bypass patients. But this reduction takes some time too. Give yourself time to get used to your new stomach, go easy on yourself. Try eating a half a cup, and stopping, and checking in with yourself a half hour later. Are you still physically hungry? What does this feel like for you? Are you bored? It sounds like you are eating the right foods, which is more than I can say for myself! Good luck and keep us posted.