Thoughts about hunger, 5 months out...

I have always said I was one of those people who didn't lose their hunger.  I have never forgotten to eat, not once, and I have times where I really feel hungry, darn it!  [stamps her tiny foot]  I have learned pretty well how to manage it now, and it isn't really a problem anymore.  More of an issue when I was first starting out.

But recently, I've begun to wonder about what really *is* hunger anymore.  I have only occasionally had a grumbly tummy, more of that empty feeling.  And while it's not pleasant, empty isn't how it was before surgery.  That was more of an all-consuming, arm-gnawing-off, anxiety-riddled hunger. 

How could I *not* have lost my hunger and be subsisting on 700-800 calories?  I mean, who else besides WLS patients could make it on that little food?  Is it that I didn't lose my appetite?  I don't mean head hunger exactly, but I have little appetite for food after a meal, and I am *so* ready by the time the next one comes along.  Anyone else?

HAPPY,

  I feel the same. I did not lose my hunger. I still get hungry and still crave sugar and salt. The best thing about it, I can't eat very much at one sitting.

I still need to watch what I eat. I am eating the wrong things.. I have to start cutting down on the carbs..a That is what is killing me...

I am 55 years old, I wonder if it is our age?

I feel the same as you. I added an additional meal to my day and have found it to really work for me. My hunger signals confuse me but I can say for sure that I still get the hungry, dizzy, low blood sugar feeling if I don't eat something every 3 hours.

Happy, I am just a day or two behind you, and I can honestly say that I don't feel hunger like I used to feel it, but I definitely feel that empty stomach feeling from time to time.  That's when I know I am "hungry".  My doc has told me to up my protein even more so I am also snacking (when I have the time) between meals. It's weird to not have hunger pangs anymore, and to eat even though I have no desire for food.  If I only ate when I felt truly hungry like I used to know it, I would never eat.

I have not lost hunger completely, but there are times I am just not hungry. Today is just not one of those days. I have found that now being 4 months out, I have a day here and there that I am just hungry all day. Even though I am limited to how much I can eat, food is on the brain. I make all good choices though. I may have a day here and there that I consume more carbs than I usually do but I am ok with it. I am still on a down trend, and remaining active. Sometimes I feel it's our bodies telling us it really does need an extra something. (again I eat all good things, more protein, and today I had an orange! That was the best!)

You are doing tremendous Happy!! I am proud of you!!!!!!!!

Happy - too soon for me to 'weigh in' (ha!) on the topic but wanted to say great new photo!

I have considered myself one of the "lucky ones" because I woke up from surgery two months ago and really haven't been hungry since. That said.....

Last week I "was hungry", or so I thought, for several days in a row. I still had great restriction when I ate dense protein. I just had this gnawing, empty feeling. I sat and really tried to analyze what I felt. I just didn't really believe I was physically hungry. I just couldn't fathom being this early out and being hungry so soon after a meal.

It finally came to me. I realized what I had was an appetite for something "GOOD". Once I realized what I was really feeling I switched it up a bit and focused on getting new flavors and foods to eat that were on plan. That did the trick. It really was a type of head hunger all along!

I'm back to my (new) normal not hungry mode again. Writing this I realized I've had only 387 calories so far today and it's beyond dinner time. Must stop to fix something to eat.

I don't think I've lost my appetite. It's there. Sometimes lurking in the background and sometimes blatantly in the forefront. That is who I am. I like food. (I don't think that's going to change.)  I didn't get MO by having a healthy, grounded, well controlled relationship with food.

WLS is helping me deal with those food and intake issues and because I'm not hungry and can't eat a wheelbarrow full of food everyday I can look at some of those issues head on and not be scared to fail anymore. This sleeve of mine is a pretty powerful tool in ways far beyond the physical limitations it sets for me.