I'm hungry

Help!  I am hungry all the time!  I feel hungry and even when I don't feel hungry I think I am.  I constantly put junk in my mouth.  I'm so afraid that I've screwed up.  I stretched my pouch, I just know it.  I haven't lost any weight in over 4 weeks.  I'm stuck and it's discouraging.  I'm flip flopping between 4 pounds.  Does anyone else have this problem?  If so, what do you do?  Gum doesn't satisfy me.  I thought I'd feel better if I chewed but that's not helping.  I'm so upset with myself.  Any advise would be great.  I need brain surgery on top of the stomach surgery.  I could just cry. 

I don't really have any advice. I just want to say that i feel your pain. I totally understand. I too want to eat all the time. I am not hungry just in pain. I am considering going to Food Addicts Anonomous. Maybe it will help. I think that you should keep posting to the group for support. Does your surgeon have a support group?
Hang in there!

A couple of thoughts.  First, I don't think you can really stretch your pouch out this early, so try to calm down about that.  If you are wondering, try to eat something very dense, like a hamburger or some chicken breast and notice how little you can eat.

Second, this, the hungry all the time,  happens to me after I have over indulged with empty carbs.  Yesterday, I "treated" myself to chocolate covered pretzels!  Today, I had the hungries right after I had breakfast.  Luckily, it did get better as the day progressed!  So take a look at WHAT you have been eating.  Are you reating carbs from bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, or some "junk food"?   Try to get yourself off that vicious cycle.

And lastly, we all have stalls from time to time and sometimes they can last longer than we think they should.  It seems that sometimes they can be broken by diet changes or exercise changes but sometimes they are just our body's way or pausing or re-grouping. 

Did you know that stress will impact your weight loss?  Try to relax!  I know it is easier said than done but you are in this for the long haul, so you have a LONG journey to go and not everything will be smooth.  Think of all you have gone through to get to this point.  You can go on from here! 

Every meal, every day is an opportunity to make a better choice.  Celebrate your success, forgive your mistakes, and keep moving forward!

Thanks for the reminder about the empty carbs, I ate a candy bar last week, it took me a couple of hours to eat it all, but every since then i have been craving like crazy. I knew that set me off,  but I never thought about the pretzels.  I have been eating pretzel rods like crazy, even before the candy.  I thought it was a good choice, better than chips.  Oh well.  Live and learn.  Maybe I will start keeping a food diary again. 

Thank you both for replying.  Yes, I go to two support groups each month.  One of them is mainly for pre-op patients to ask post-op patients questions about what to expect so it's pretty much useless.  I'll have to speak up more at the other group meeting.  I'm feeling better today.  I didn't wake up with the feeling of "what am I going to eat first?" like most other days.  I ran out of protein shakes which may be part of my problem too.  I hate it but apparently I need it to help keep me full.  I will go this weekend to buy more.  I will take your advise and try not to stress so much.  ha ha!  I need to find other things to keep my mind busy and I need to get exercising.  I complain about the loose skin but yet do nothing to try to fix the problem.  I have another 30 pounds to my goal of 160 from 314 pounds.  I've come too far to give up now.  We've all been through so much and it just wouldn't be worth it to quit now.  Thank you both for your help and listening.  Good luck in your journeys.  Have a great weekend!

Ms. CANISEETOO.. is right check your carb ratio.. there are good carbs and ones that make you blood sugar level spike.. which in turns makes you feel abnormally hunger.. also try eating high protein as a snack to fight off the urges.. I buy the soy protein chips..or low fat turkey jerky.. also i was told not to chew gum..  my NUT stated during the pre-op meeting that gum can cause unusually hunger (SUGAR SPIKE!!!)e amounts of air into your pouch... but if you check the boards everyone is going through a stall.. just ride it out.. no worries.. just keep exercising an moving so when you body decides to start dropping weight.. it will be all good..My scale just started moving this week... YEAH HOOO!! we will see how long... but if feel ya... so times its discouraging.. but WE CAN DO IT!!

Ms Georgia - I LOVE my turkey jerky!  The Trader Joesnhas lower sodium, too, which is good for me because nothing makes me retain water like a little bit of salt.
Luv ya, girlie!

Luv YA 2!! I went