Still learning, I have some questions
1. When you feel full do you still crave food?
Sometimes, but usually not. I know that if I eat too much, I will feel pretty uncomfortable for about 15 minutes. Just thinking about usually that turns off my desire to eat more.
> I know only a few bites will fill me up after surgery, but will I still be hungry?
Although some people feel no hunger after surgery, I think most do. But what they're feeling isn't usually hunger, just excess stomach acid. Drinking fluids and taking your prescribed medication keeps that under control.
2. When people say they get sick is it because you over ate and knew you were or are you literally nauseous all the time?
Most people only feel sick if they overeat or if they don't drink enough fluids. It takes a while to learn how much you can eat, because it very much depends on the type of food you're eating, and how far along you are in your recovery. For a few months there were some foods (raw broccoli, for example) that I couldn't even tolerate one bite of. I think everyone's stomach is a little different, so you have to learn for yourself what you can eat, and how much.
3. Can you ever get to a point where you can drink soda or carbonated waters (I have a soda stream)?
I drink diet soda. I discussed it with my dietitian, and she said just proceed with caution. For the first year or so, I kept a diet soda in the fridge, would take one sip, and then put it back for another sip a few hours later. Eventually the soda would lose some of its fizz, and I would poli**** off. I'm two years out now, and I drink diet soda normally.
4. Can you ever get to a point where you can go for a run and glug some water?
Yes, I can glug water just fine, although perhaps not as quickly as I could before surgery. In fact, I never felt much restriction drinking water, even early on.
5. If you get sick do you stay sick for a while or is it throw up and feel better or throw up and still feel sick?
For me it's exactly the same as before surgery. If I get the flu or a stomach bug, I feel better after vomiting. (Of course, the nausea may keep coming back for a while depending on how serious the bug is.) Vomiting feels just like it did before surgery, except there's less in my stomach.
6. When people say the first couple months are the hardest, what is the hardest? The pain? Getting used to everything?
I don't know. By about 12 hours after surgery, I had no pain. Learning what foods I could tolerate took trial and effort, so I guess you could say that was hard. But at the same time I was so thrilled at how much better I was feeling as the weight came off, so it didn't feel hard. The only real problem I had was that I would get tired easily. I felt so good that I would forget I had had surgery recently, overdo it, and then be exhausted.
But for me, really the hardest part came at about 5 or 6 months after surgery. Up to that point, I didn't have to make any effort at all to lose weight, there was no way I could eat enough to maintain my weight. But then at about 5 months out, I had to keep an eye on what I was eating. It was *far* easier to eat healthy after surgery than it was before surgery, and it still is. I'm just saying that now it takes a little effort.
- For me, my mind was still hungry, but not my stomach. Now its a matter of choosing healthy foods.
- I'm only nauseous if I over eat, but as long as I measure my food and get in fluids then there's no nausea.
- Not sure about soda. I do know someone who had surgery about 5 years ago and she will occasionally drink warm flat soda.
- After I get in my heavy walking I am very thirsty. But my stomach really let's me know if its to much to fast. Also I make sure to exercise not right after I eat, but at a time when I'm not hungry so I can get in my fluids.
- Depends on whats making me sick. Typically the first month it was get sick then feel better. After the first month the nausea and vomiting went away.
- Again, mentally challenging knowing you have to have new and healthy habits, and getting over the one month hump (meaning the soreness from surgery and having a liquid to puree diet). It helps to have a daily log of medications and time to take them. Food and fluid schedule helps me stay focused and in a routine.
1) No I don't crave food when I feel full. But I'm many years post op and every year was different tummy and head hunger wise for me .
Right now nine years post op I have what I consider finally a very healthy relationship with food. I choose to eat very low fat at home so I can eat out and be guest without being a picky PITA ( I also had a huge hiatal hernia before so I Don't want to get GERD again and fatty foods encourage the production of more stomach acid )
On a ' small pouch" day I can eat a small plate of food or 2/3 of it and then sneezing tells me I need to stop. If there's food left on my plate I often fini**** an hour later if I remember.
I taste everything ( I'm a huge foodie and gourmet cook) just like I did pre op and I think I actually ENJOY it much more because its guilt free.
I NEVER puke ...I physically CANT after my huge hiatal hernia birth defect was securely sewn up. Im very happy it is so .
2) I only get sick from sugar and/or too much fat at a sitting. This is called dumping and one episode will make you dread and regret overeating forever lol 
.
Honestly ... you live through it - its kind of like a really bad hangover ... you swear you'll never do it again, then " forget " until you learn how much sugar you can actually tolerate without sending your body over the edge . Im never nauseous .
3) I can drink flavored seltzer water all day long - but I could not tolerate carbonation in the beginning.
I keep reminding myself to try to drink straight filtered WATER ( flavored with lemon juice or MIO drops ) rather than making carbonated choices because they give you CELLULITE and that's super hard to get rid of .
Carbonation , which your body doesn't have a way to get rid of , also bangs around aging your cells prematurely ... so its really not a good thing for your looks nor your longevity .
4) I exercise all the time and never glug water lol.
Personally I think the people who drag around water in a camelback or strapped to their waists when exercising are WEIRD 
unless they live in the desert .
5) I never throw up. I CAN'T for one thing , nor does my body ever want to except when I dumped which I haven't done for a long time thank God .
6) Going through excess food withdrawal is very difficult and it takes a few weeks to subside .
The first few days on a liquid diet after surgery are the WORST then it quickly gets a lot more tolerable .
Even the physical part of heroin addiction only requires four days or so of very painful withdrawal... the mental part ( head hunger ) and wanting to use food to soothe emotional uncomfortability takes a LOT longer - but you have finally losing significant weight and the associated life changes to distract you , cute clothes , exercise, new recipes ...
most WLS recipients LOVE their new life
Oh goodness, a gourmet cook? I don't know how I would survive!? I heard a chef from master chef had surgery and had the sleeve because he was scared about dumping if he got the bypass. I love to cook, but not on that level.
I am certainly curious how this head hunger will rear it's ugly head because I feel like I am never hungry NOW and always thinking about food
