Hunger

I am wondering, for people who have had this surgery, does it affect your concept of hunger? Does it go away and then come back after a time? I hear people saying they eat because they have to, to be healthy, but otherwise, are not that hungry.

I appreciate your input!

Connie

So far I only eat because I have to, and still have alarms set on my phone on weekends to remind myself to eat. I am almost 5 months, so still pretty early out and I expect my hunger levels to change. I am starting to notice some of the emotional eating trying to work it's way back in when I am stressed, but I feel so much better equipped to handle it now and my progress so far has kept me away from the junk my brain thinks it wants  ;)

I like how you say you are better equipped to handle it now!

I am 4 weeks out. A couple weeks back I was having a few days where I was hungry. But for the last week and a half my appetite has gone. I am eating now because I have to. I have no desire to eat. I was eating 3 meals and 3 snacks before, now I'm pretty much eating three 1/4 to half cup meals a day plus a protein shake. So I'm eating about 1 and a half cups to 2 cups a day. If that. 

So weird to not want to eat. 

Yes, it must be weird, thanks for your thoughts.

C

I want to also add that HEAD hunger is just as strong or even stronger than stomach hunger.   Learn to distinguish between head hunger and stomach hunger.  A craving is head hunger, not stomach.  If you are REALLY hungry, you'll eat an apple and not crave a specific type of food generally.  A craving is all head hunger if you read the science. 

As well, when you come out of surgery, for most, the excessive chewing, the slowing down etc are all what makes eating a chore.  This is a wonderful thing.  You are redefining your relationship with food, eating to live not living to eat. Embrace it. Fuel your body for nutrition, not cravings.

Dawn

Dawn,

I think I know what you mean by head hunger. I have been immersed in projects before-when I was editing a book, so wrapped up in it, I forgot to eat. Then other times I catch myself wondering around the kitchen, thinking what is it I want to eat, something, anything...from what people say, the surgery will "force" eating well and efficiently or you don't get enough nutrition to be well. Fueling the body instead of the cravings seem to be the key as you say. Actually drinking enough water and being mindful of what I eat is what I am focussing on pre-surgery.

Connie

Good stuff Connie,

just one more note:  surgery doesn't force you to eat well in any way. I know people who at 3 weeks out were eating donuts.   There's no magic or special power here.  No force.  Jet choices, following plan and determination to succeed.   The choice is always there. 

To touch on what Dawn said, following the plan is key. I knew a lady able to eat a medium pizza three months out. I have no idea how she managed to do that, but she did. I went with the flow of not being hungry at all, and having to force myself to eat...as the program stated. Stay with it, and you will do great. Most of us go from one extreme to another. Unhealthy eating, to extremely-strict eating. Friends and family get amazed...and then sometimes are waiting for you to revert back and be able to eat along with them. I went through a period of this in the first year, then went to therapy to learn about cognitive behaviour therapy to get a hold on eating. I still find functions difficult to get a hold on my eating (at this point). Dense protein fills you up longer, starchy and sugary carbs do not. Many of us find this out the hard way.

I'm 5, almost 6 weeks out from my VSG. Very early, I know.

So far, I haven't been 'hungry' at all. Cravings were never a real big thing with me, so I rarely (if ever) had the head hunger that people speak of, even before surgery. As such, it really has been a real chore for me to remember to eat because I no longer get the stomach rumblings of hunger that I used to get.

In addition, because of the restriction I now feel (and a little bit of heartburn which I never really experienced before sugery), and being only able to eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food per meal, I've probably got more of an aversion to eating than anything else. Eating has become a necessary evil and takes valuable time out of my day. But logicially, I need to fuel my body and I take the time to make good choices to fill it with the right things to fuel it properly.

I expect that at some point, I'll feel true hunger again, but to date, I'm making the most of the tool that I've been given and making the absolute best choices I can.