Is being INCREDIBLY HUNGRY Normal?

Hey everyone, I am 9 days post op (2/26/07) and I am STARVING!!! All I want to do is eat. My daughter made mac and cheese the other day and I put two noodles in my mouth chewed them up and then spit them out. I sometimes stick my finger in the peanut butter and wipe it on my tongue. I have even gone as far as asking my husband to take the kids out to dinner so I don't have to smell food (He took them to Arby's the first night and brought it back to the house and was a little irratated when I told him that wasn't exactly what I meant) Just curious. Is this normal? I am so HUNGRY. Im going to start 1 day early on the pureed foods (Yes, Im still on broth, tea, coffee, diluted juices, protien drinks, and clear liquids). I supposted to start them on Thursday but I can't stand it anymore. Thanks Kym =)

Kym, Are you phsically hungry or do you have head hunger? There is a difference! If you are 9 days post-op it is probably head hunger. It also might be your body's way of letting you know that you need more fluids. Make sure you are getting all your liquids in.......I am 20 months out and have NEVER felt physical hunger as I did before. When I need to eat I get very dizzy.......shakey.....and a weird headache right between the eyes..... When I want to eat (bored......tired.....lonely.....all the excuses) I get a big glass of crystal light and start drinking it.....still takes me awhile but when I fini**** I am not hungry.....also try to walk as much as possible. Your body releases endorfins when you walk that curbs your appitite.... Hopes this helps....if not call your surgeon's office and get help from them.....they are there for you! Sue 325/ goal 130/current 122

Very wise and discernable of you Sue. I looked back at my log and Im NOT getting the 48 - 64 oz of water in per day. I have only been getting about 25-30. I can't believe I didn't think of that. ......GROSS PERSONAL T.M.I. PART COMING - SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU WANT TO AVOID IT....... So Ok then maybe that explaines why I have only had one urine per day and today I finally had my first solid BM since surgery (I had 2 days of jus****er on Th & Fr & nothing since). I don't know if it is truly hunger b/c my stomache feels like it is grawling. Probably it is just head hunger. I smell the food and I just want to eat it. I thought about taking a bite of my son's roast beef sandwich and then spitting the food out after I chewed it. I just don't know. Im going to try the more water thing and then do the pureed thing still. Thanks for your help Kym

I agree with Sue. It is probably head hunger & mourning the loss of food, rather than true hunger. I went through that too. I cried watching my family eat dinner while I sucked on a sugar-free popsicle. It will get better when you are able to add more "real" foods to your diet. Hang in there. This is the time when you will have your greatest amount of weight loss! Hugs, Darlene

Thanks Darlene. So Im not abnormal? OK, well maybe just a little....... Someone else told me about the food mourning thing and I thought that happened further post op. At least I know Im not the only one that has had this. Thanks for the encouragment. Kym

Kym, Agreed! Probably head hunger. Keep in mind, the more you baby your pouch now, the better off you will be later. A wise support group leader once told me to baby that pouch, because you're much like a baby learning to eat again. Kym, just try to hang in there, it's a relatively short period of time.

Thanks Doug. I greatly appreciate your insight and encourgment. That is great advise about learning to eat like a baby again. Thanks again Doug!!! Kym

Hi Kym I'm 2 1/2 years out - I did want to eat-and still do. I think it is important as Doug said to 'baby that pouch' and learn to cope in more healthy ways with the feeling of hunger (regardless of the source). I wish I had understood this better when I was at your stage and couldn't eat - maybe I wouldn't be struggling so now - trying to control the insidious urge to eat all the time - if that makes sense! You get by with a lot that first year or two (for me it was two) but eventually everything heals and it catches up with you. This surgery is not a cure all for obesity but a tool to get you on a path of wellness. This surgery doesn't take away your urge to eat - just makes nearly it impossible and allows you to loose weight while you're learning new more healthy eating habits - or at least that is the way it should be. Are you working with a nutritionist? I didn't have that resource but think it could make your journey more successful. Good luck, no matter the weight will fall off for a while and it is just wonderful!! Feel free to email me if I can help! Carol

The fluids help, but I still have intense growling when I get hungry. I actually like it in a weird way, I never went long enough without stuffing my face to GET hungry before the band! So now I feel those hunger pangs and feel good about them. They mean I'm actually listening to my body instead of mindlessley stuffing it. Then I drink a glass or two of tea or water and then eat. I find that if I don't drink first, I tend to be so hungry, I would eat too fast and get that uncomfortable warning and have to stop eating for a few minutes. The fluids help this a lot, gives me some control over the speed of my intake. Also, it helps me to not drink during meals, as this was one of the harder things to do for me. I still struggle with it, especially in resturants. I'm a month post op. Lori