Maybe you'll can help me. PLEASE!

I am exactly 4 weeks out and I am understanding all of the posts that I am reading about being tired, depressed, and even mournful over the loss of ability to eat certain foods but my big problem is I am always hungry. Every hour or so I get hunger pangs that are so strong it is almost as bad as a migrane headache. I can eat whatever I want and I know I can eat way too much for my time out of surgery. My surgeon didnt give me any vitamins or calcium or B-12 all he said was get some chewables and take them twice a day. Another problem I am having is although I am tired all of the time I can't sleep @ night which is why I am here posting @ 3 AM. I know I sound whiney but I do need some guidance from people who has had the surgery. I feel like I did somethiing wrong because so many of you are posting you're not hungry. That is just not the case with me. I drink 3-25 oz bottles of water a day. I eat a scrambled egg for breakfast, Some noodles about an hour later, an apple(all day long) I have even gone to eating cereal and milk; the same size bowl as before surgery, And the big demon, I have started eating rice. this is an all day thing. Someone please reply.

Three words Sharekia....TOO MANY CARBS!!!! Time to eat PROTEIN FIRST and carbs later. Carbs make you hungry faster, and also give you a drowsy feeling. Start your day w/ a protein shake. It will give you an energy boost and a full feeling. When you want a snack, eat peanut butter on your apple or another snack w/ protein. Keep up the water....you're doing great on that. In the afternoon when you want another snack, drink your second shake. My surgeon has us taking 2 multi-vitamins a day (childrens chewable), 2 Pepcid Complete, and 2 protein shakes. At 6 weeks out I will start iron, calcium, and B-12. In addition to this, for 6 months I have to take Actigol 2 X/day. This is to prevent gallstones that sometimes form from rapid weight loss in a short period of time. Once I'm able to get 60-80 g of protein in a day by my food intake, I can start to eliminate the shakes. I will most likely take at least 1/ day till about 6 months out. Good luck, Cheryl

I was told my my Dr. not to eat rice it takes up your water from your body. I was told and do drink cold water when I get hunger pains or head hunger as it is with me, it helps alot. remember you need to get your protien in 1st. Also my Dr. wants me to drink at leat 64oz of water a day. I can't eat noodles either, they swell too much. wishes you best of luck. remember your new stomach is a tool, they did not work on your brain. Make it work for you, keep yourself busy, read a book, craft. Diane Lap RNY -26.5# wt in today.

I was really hungry until I got my protein intake up to around 60 grams a day. You have to concentrate on the protein or you will be hungry all the time. Once you get in the protein, your portion sizes will drop and you will feel satisfied. At least that was my experience.

It does sound like you aren't having enough protein in your day. You should be eating 3 meals with a total of 45 grams of protein combined. Cereal will not make you feel full because it will pass through quickly like a drink of liquid. If I was feeling as you say you are I would have 2 or 3 eggs instead of one or better still some tuna or some non traditional protein for breakfast. I find that a bit of strong tasting food helps too. I was told by the dietician that fat free refried beans were good and i tried them and they are great. a lot of taste and I have a half cup with a bit of grated cheese and some salsa. Cottage cheese with watermelon cubes is good too and filling. good luck and try to find stuff that will not undo all of the good you have begun. Su Ellia

Every doctor has his/her own plan for the patient to follow, but it sounds like yours is not giving you enough guidance. Mine had us on liquids for one week, soft mechanical foods for weeks 2 and 3, and then regular foods as tolerated. That said, we are supposed to focus on PROTEIN first. This is largely to prevent the loss of muscle tissue as the body is somewhat indiscriminate in what it will take down during weight loss. Protein supports your muscles as well as your hair and nails. My surgeon's office encourages us to eat things that go down harder and stay in your stomach longer-mostly meats-and avoid things that are too easy to eat (crackers, noodles, cereal, squishy foods). I have to say, I feel hungry pretty much ALL THE TIME too. I asked my doctor about how to recognize a "full feeling" and he said, "A big stomach sends a BIG full signal, but a little tiny stomach sends a tiny signal, so you won't get much of a sensation until you are several months out. Most patients describe it as a feeling up in their throat." I also asked him to show me WHERE my little stomach IS now. He pointed to a spot about two inches below my breastbone! I was shocked to learn that it's so high up! I think part of what I'm missing is that emotional fullness I would get from overeating. I suspect that some of my "hunger" is actually a craving for that sensation, which would be impossible to create now that my stomach is nowhere near that location. In any event, I DO feel hungry a large part of the time. And I find that I can eat portions larger than recommended and still don't feel any discomfort nor do I vomit. I am NOT deliberately testing this, so please don't flame me. I just find that if I can't seem to stop myself from that one extra piece of zucchini, I still don't have a problem. So here's what I think. Soft foods like scrambled eggs can slip right through the pouch, leaving you open to more food. Tougher things that require tons of chewing, like last night's grilled chicken breast, stick with you MUCH longer and are MUCH harder to get down in the first place. Also MUCH better for us, as they are lean sources of protein, low in calories and very high in protein. Try eating things that require a LOT of chewing and cause some...well...discomfort?...going down. Try chicken or beef or pork and see if they fill you up more. I am putting my effort into this and I find that it pays off but doesn't satisfy the bratty kid inside me who wants pizza or pasta. I am realizing that this IS in fact another diet that requires will power-someone said they didn't operate on my brain and BOY is THAT TRUE!!!!!! You might look at the main message board's evening post of "What did you eat today" for ideas on what to eat. Hugs, Susan

Sharekia- Hi, I just wanted to wish you strength and luck- whatever way you look at it. This road is gonna be long for all of us but I think the main point everyone has made is it takes more than the physical surgery to succeed. Whether you're hungry all the time or NOT hungry all the time, it is ROUGH trying to re-think your approach to food, but we MUST DO IT. I'm on here pretty much every day so feel free to post/email and ***** I'll listen and I'll give you back some myself, depending on the day. Like right now, I'm at a public library with some chicken "caught" in my pouch and I'm gonna have to go puke and dry heave. Lovely, huh? I practically feel bulemic and I don't even want to THINK food at times like these. Very different from the chick who used to try to order the heftiest combo platter on the menu. Off to the loo! lol Jess

Hi there, I just wanted to tell you about the supplement that my doctor recommended. Its called Optisource and you can order it from walgreens.com. You chew 1 tablet 4 times a day (they taste like orange) and you get all of the vitamins/minerals that you need a day, including the calcium and B12. I agree with everyone else, you need to be eating the protein first. I can't just eat tuna out of the bowl, so I put it on 2 fat free saltines and eat it that way. This is the way I eat my egg salad and peanut butter too. They dissolve fast if you chew them well, so aren't going to get stuck in your pouch. Best of luck in taming your hunger demon!! Deana

1st of all if you are feeling tired - take b12. That often helps. My dr says 2 a wk. 2ndly too many carbs. Carbs will fill you up but then make you hungry quicker. Instead of noodles and cereal try eating some high protein foods - meats, cheese, yogurt, protein drinks or bars. Protein will keep you feeling fuller longer than those carbs will. My dr said for me to take the following vitamins - 2 calcium (at diff times in the day), 1 iron pill, 2 chewables, and 2 b12 a wk. You can find the sublingual b12 and they just go under your tongue. Good luck!

My problem is that I am never hungry and forget to eat. The protein shakes give me stomach aches so all I have been eating is cheese. I am also very very tired alllllll the time yet I can not sleep. My doctor told me being tired is normal because our bodies are not getting enough food. Kristen