Feeling of fullness

Hi all,

Im 2 weeks post op and was just curious to know.....

Those of you that are 6 months to a year out, when you eat and feel "full" is it a satisfied full like you feel good and dont want more....or are you eating and then feel a pain thus causing you to stop eating....but you are not really full= satisfied.

Full is really the same as before surgery. Just enough is satisfying. Too much is uncomfortable. Way too much is "oh god, kill me."

For those newly out from surgery, a couple of bites can send you from the 1st category to the 3rd. A couple if years after surgery it takes a few bites more, but a whole lot less than presurgery.

It's really key to weigh your food. You just can't trust your eyes. To this day, I look at my proper portion and think it's not nearly enough. But it's always filling.

Along with what Grim said, watch out for that "just one more bite". So many times that one more bite has sent me over the edge, especially in the early times.

Jen

Everything Grim Traveller said is spot on - you definitely cannot trust your eyes because you'll think you can eat more than you can.

But, if you are "full" but not satisfied, it's because you are seeking more from your food than merely fuel.

Eat according to your doctor's guidelines, work on the head issues, and eventually you will start feeling satisfied AND full with much less food than pre-surgery.

I am over 6 months out and there is times when I have ate too fast and 1 bite put me in the "feeling like death" because I was so full...And there is times when I eat slow and take my time to chew my food and I can tell much sooner that I am starting to get full. There has been times I have ate things I didnt feel like eating or wasn't particularly craving..But i felt full and to me that was satisfying. I used to be the type that would "always run my plate" before surgery. Meaning I would take a bite of each food on my plate deciding on what bite of food I wanted to end the meal on...To me that has been the hardest habit to break post surgery. it's easy to overeat when you eat that way as well. Before 6 months you really want to eat protein first because you will get full so much quicker..and eating something like a veg along with your protein can really make you feel horrible..A similar feeling to drinking too soon after eating a meal. Past 6 months As long as I weigh my protein out I find I run my plate again. As Grim said though You definitely want to weigh and measure.

Early out, there are some cues that let you know you've had enough. Many of us got hiccups or a runny nose. If that happens, stop immediately. The next bite could make you feel like crap.

A couple of other points. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get th e full signal from your stomach to your brain. Thats why we're told to take 30 minutes to eat. If you eat too fast, you'll be stuffed gefore your brain gets the bews.

Except -- your nerves were cut during surgery, so there will be no real sensation of fullness for a while. So it will be a while before it will even be possible to feel full. Another reason why weighing your food is important.

That hiccup thing has happened to me a couple of times - I wondered if that's what it was. Thanks for that!

I get hiccups on occasion, and they're quite forceful and loud. When I eat more mindfully I slow down and pay attention better. It's a bit gross but the past month I will be mid-chew and realize I don't need any more. So I just spit out whatever is in my mouth.

Measuring is key like Grim said. But there are still times when you won't be able to finish what you portion out.

I found that after WLS there was a bigger difference between feeling satisfied and feeling full than there was before surgery. If I eat until I feel full, then I've eaten too much and will be uncomfortable in a few minutes. But if I stop as soon as I feel satisfied (no longer hungry), I'll feel good until the next meal. But it can be so easy to eat that one bite too much, so I measure everything (whenever possible).

I'm only a year out, not a veteran. But one thing I've learned from the veterans on this forum is that it's a bad idea to "chase that full feeling", because it will lead you to overeat and regain too much weight.

Fortunately, thanks to the surgery I am quite satisfied on my diet, and I'm losing weight at a nice pace. At about 6 months out I was worried because my weight loss had slowed down and I was feeling hungry. However, I was able to fix the problem by analysing my diet, and making a few small adjustments to the things I eat most often. I favour foods that leave me feeling full for longer. My weight loss picked up again AND I was less hungry -- a win-win situation.

I've also learned that when my stomach grumbles, it's probably not hunger, but excess acid. Drinking 500 ml of fluid makes the "hunger" go away until mealtime. In fact, I'm not entirely sure that I have experienced true hunger since surgery. Now that I understand how important fluids are, I'm having a much easier time.

I don't get true cravings any more either. I get a vague desire for something sweet, or savoury, or perhaps chewy. But I can easily find a healthy option that satisfies me.