Ravenous Appetite

Congratulations to me -- my appetite is back in full force! it's been back for a few months but since i really kicked up the running, OMG is all i can say. i had dropped to 133 in the past few weeks but in the last 3 or 4 days I've upped to about 2000-2400 calories per day and the scale is back up to 137.

Am I alone in this?

Not alone, but is it real hunger or head hunger.
For me it's head hunger most of the time.

Yes as you get further out, your pouch will stretch, you can eat and drink more, and it's a slippery slope.  Just keep putting good thing in the fuel tank and try to stay away from the garbage.
Those worthless calories always cause me to want more and then I'm back to wanting to eat again an hour later.

You gotta be honest with yourself on the calories and the exercise.
Calories in calories out.  Remember 3500 extra calories to gain a pound, 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound.  So even if you were eating 2400 extra calories a day for 4 days tha amounts to 9600 calories that is only 2.75 pounds of gain.  That's if that was 2400 EXTRA caloires.  If you say that 2400 is the total caloies for the day, you can't have gained 4 pounds of fat.
You are probably bouncing up and down with water gain and loss.

Good luck, you can beat it.  It is work, it's not going to be honeymoon easy forever.  Eventually we have to start living the new life.

Scott

what a good response--thanks! Oh its the good stuff -- apples, peanut butter, oatmeal, and protein (whey isolate such as Nectar) and milk. But I've just really noticed it picking up since i got to at least 6-7 mile runs. I generally do a good job of staying away from teh crap carbs adn I've always assumed i absorb everything.

It is a slippery slope and since I'm right at that 18 mo mark, it's even scarier b/c i read that's where most people start having the really hard time.

 I haven't really noticed it, and to be honest I have been actually forcing myself to increase my calories, which seems like a dangerous proposition.  Of course I am a lapband, and common wisdom is exercise can actually cause the band to change (even tighten), but who knows?  I'm on 8 miles for my long run this week, which is something like 1500 or so calories, which means I need to eat around 3000 to keep a 500 calories deficit.. can you believe I actually am looking forward to the run tomorrow, but not looking forward to getting to eat that much?  Its wierd for me too  :)  

totally... as i up the miles (bike or running), my appetite goes up along with it.  i agree w/ Scott, some is head hunger, but some is just the body wanting fuel.  the trick is to figure out which is which :)

I have completed 14 half marathons and 4 full marathons including two goofys.  After my October 1/2 I decided to take it down a notch as far as distance because I gain about 10 pounds every time I train for a marathon.  While I train, I wake up and the first thing I think is, "what am I going to eat", and I am hungry all day.  Like you, the distance seems to be in the 7 mile range.  Under and I am fine and over causes trouble. 

This isn't exclusive to we post-ops.  It is common of many who train long distances and many people report gaining weight during marathon training. 

For now, I am content with my 2.75 mile a day average and nothing longer than about 5 miles.  The appetite under control.  I advocate waiting a year before starting long distance training so that people have time to cement some good eating habbits before the appetite returns.

This is why I track my food. Then, when my weight goes up and I know I've been eating well and not going over my calorie expenditure, I don't worry about it and assume it's muscle or water. But, if I check and I'm eating more than I though I was, I know it's real and I need to change something.