Why am I not feeling "full"?

That is the purpose once you are completely healed after 8-9 weeks.  This early, you will not feel fullness, especially with just liquids.  As Donna stated, nerves have been cut and you are only a week out so it will take more time.  I am at week 6, I still don't feel "full", but I do know if I've eaten too much, because I feel a backup of sorts.  Careful measuring after you start eating soft and more solid foods is critical.

The point of the sleeve is to eat less, and have reduced ghrelin, as well as a reset metabolism.

Every time we eat to fullness it resets the body's neurological set point for appetite.  Even if you are not stuffing yourself, it is easy to overeat to the point of fullness.  Long-term successful WLS patients who have kept off their weight for 5+ years tend to measure and not eat to fullness.

Right now it is natural to feel weird :)  I felt much the same way pre-op.  It is also bloating and swelling from surgery.

However, you will not have a full sensation for quite a long time.  I had my surgery in June 2015 and I still do not have fullness.  There is "tralalala" eating mode, and then "holy crap WTF did I eat too much for."  There will never be fullness the same as it was pre-op, possibly.  The problem is this is highly individual and depends.

The Pyloric Valve.....the most not talked about function that will answer a lot of questions.

If you understand the Pyloric Valve function......things will be a lot easier and explain why we need to do certain things.......


Post Date: 10/5/11 5:58 pm 
 

First, I'm not a doctor nor have I ever played one on TV.

This is a level one explanation.....there is more to it....but if you understand this....it will make some sense.

 

This may be old news to some..... But I've noticed a lot of people who have had VSG do not have any idea how the Pyloric Valve works.

 

This is my understanding how the Pyloric Valve works.

 

The Pyloric Valve function and how it pertains to your VSG.

 

The function of your Pyloric valve is the single most not talked about important part of understanding how and when you should eat and drink.

 

The Pyloric Valve is just that....It is a valve that is located at the bottom of your stomach/sleeve. This valve is in between your sleeve and the small intestine. The basic definition of a valve is an apparatus that opens and closes.

 

When open this valve it is about the diameter of a dime. When closed it's opening is closed down to the diameter of the head of a ballpoint pen.

 

Dense proteins and harder to digest foods will cause the Pyloric valve to close to hold the food in your stomach for pre-digestion...... stomach acids breaking down this "RoughÂ" food. 

 

That's why we are told to eat dense proteins first.....To close the Pyloric Valve so food stays in your stomach/sleeve longer so we have a sense of satisfaction.

 

It takes about 30-60 minutes for the food to clear the Pyloric Valve...... Than it's OK to drink.

 

That is also where the term slider food  comes into play. A slider food does not close the Pyloric Valve and as the term is intended.....food slides right past an open Pyloric Valve.

 

 

 

So now the other half of the Pyloric Valve function..... You eat a dense protein like chicken that causes your Pyloric Valve to close. Say for example your sleeve has a 4oz. capacity.....and you eat 4oz. of chicken.....your sleeve is full and holding all 4 oz. of chicken for pre-digestion because your Pyloric Valve is closed. 

 

So now try and drink something....where is it gonna go? Up.....Up until it hits another valve of sorts..... the Esophageal Sphincter (valve) and above that is a flapper valve. The function of these two valves is to hold food, bile and stomach acids in your stomach and not backing up into your air way. This is a very high pressure system. Thats why when you eat to much or drink after eating a hard to digest food and your Pyloric is closed.....It hurts cause you pressurized your intake track. Vomiting would be a natural pressure release.

So you can see how learning and understanding how the Pyloric Valve works is important as it pertains to eating and drinking with a Gastric Sleeve.

 

So that was kinda like VSG and the Pyloric Valve 101

 

As you get further a long you will want to use the Pyloric Valve in other ways to keep food in your sleeve longer to stay satisfied longer. 

 

A sleeve empties faster than a stock un altered full size stomach so sometimes it's beneficial for you to learn what foods stay in your sleeve longer to extend satisfaction.

 

Dense proteins are #1 in closing the Pyloric Valve. Chicken, steak, pork, fish.....in that order seems to be the way it goes for me.

 

Other foods that are hard to digest and help close the Pyloric Valve are foods like:

 

• Broccoli Stalk
• Asparagus
• Celery
• Cucumber with Skin
• Radish
• Cabbage (I'm testing this right now)
• Bell Pepper

 

So I hope you understand my 5 cent tour of the Pyloric Valve and how it effects the way we eat with a VSG and how important it is to work the Pyloric Valve to your benefit.

frisco

 

Did not know anything about this! I wonder why my surgeon or dietician or nurse or ANYone didn't really explain this?! I guess they just give you directions and figure you go with it, but I like knowing the "why". Thank you for this! 

You would be surprised how many pertinent parts of daily vsg life is not communicated or even known by most bariatric programs.

Most nurses or dietitians will have no clue on the pyloric valve function as it pertains to post vsg life. 

I was fortunate to come from a surgeon and surgeons program that believes that WLS is a process and curriculum and no question is off limits and there are no time restrictions. From the science and surgical techniques to practical post-op life are a big part of aftercare. (this by no means says that I know everything, it means even after 7 years I'm still in learning mode)

After surgery, for the "rest of our lives" it is up to us to learn as much as we can about the science, practical life, behavior, nutrition as it applies to our lifestyle and weight management.

frisco

You will probably never feel full from liquids because they go straight through your stomach.  Most people don't start feeling restriction until they get to soft solids or solids :)

No one ever feels full from liquids, surgery or not. Did you ever feel full before? Maybe for a minute if you chugged a big container. But not for long.

If we could feel full from drinking, we could satisfy hunger with a big glass of water. Fluids just don't work that way.

Even when you start more substantial food, it will be a while before you feel full. As others mentioned, your nerves were cut, and you are still healing from surgery.

There is a difference between feeling sated and full. Satiety is what you want. Many of us have exagerated feelings about what is fullness - i.e. feeling stuffed. Satiety is absence of hunger. Things will change when you get to mushy and solid foods. Other posters are right about ghrelin and nerves being messed up at this point. So just get your liquids and protein shakes in. It will sort itself out and you will get to the point you feel full on half an egg!   GL   Diane S