Are you hungry??

I will become a post-op on Feb 23. If anyone can answer this question I'd be very greatful. As a post-op, are you still hungry even after eating all your pouch can hold? I'd just like to know what to expect. Thanks!

Hey, Deb.. I had my surgery on January 16th. I've lost 30 lbs so far and am on a plateau right now.. in fact I've been there for almost a week. You don't hear many people talking about it.. sometimes I think I'm the only one.. (but I'm not cause I've had people reply to my profile saying they went through the same thing). Your tummy is not really hungry.. but your head stays that way.. I have had a kitchen purging today. No more Lays in the house.. too much temptation. The Pepperige Farm bread has to go too. Those starches are my downfall. You can still go back to the bad ways .. even this early. So, I'm making an effort to get back on track. This surgery afterlife requires a great deal of effort. It isn't easy. You fight the head hunger .. you are just not ever really hungry. Now.. if I ate because I was HUNGRY I would never have been fat. I do not regret this surgery.. it is the most hope that I've had in many years. But don't think this will be easy.. it is still a fight.. you just have to be really devoted to the cause.. I hope I haven't scared you.. it really isn't all that bad.. just an effort.. ~ Jan

Hi Deborah, Good luck on your upcoming surgery! Normally I am not hungry when my pouch is full, sometimes I get head hunger and want to eat but can't due to no room. I do get cravings before my period and seem to have a bottomless pouch at that time. Carol

Carol how do you handle that bottomless pit. I seem to be having that problem at certain times of the month....thanks

when I first has this surgery I didnt feel hungry very often... just when I was very very empty but now I am almost a yr out and I do feel hunger about every 3 hours because I eat mainly soft type foods but I dont eat as much as i used to or even close to what i used to eat I am what they call a little loser in the chat room because I only needed to lose 126 lbs and at 11 months I have lost 75 and still losing at a very slow pace but i am very satisfied with the way I am losing. Some times i do get what is known as head hunger (thats when your head is telling you your hungry but your stomach is telling you your not---listen to your stomach!! or you will puke) But in the chat room others have said they dont feel hungry anymore so i guess it depends on the person. Good Luck Tammie Collins open rny 03/26/02

Hi Deborah, I had my surgery Nov 12, 2003. I have lost 85 lbs. I feel great. I never ever get hungry. I eat twice a day, mostly protein (no shakes, only real meat). Some meals I eat a little salad with regular dressing, some meals I eat a little fruit. Sometimes I sneak in a bite of bread, but I tried to avoid starches most of the time. The hardest thing for me was learning when to stop eating. I didn't feel full until it was too late. I am starting to get the hang of it though. You'll do great!

It depends . . . I am very distal, I have 60" of working gut *left*. I do 6 protein shakes/day. They help to provide a level of satiety that food alone doesn't. They satisfy me, but they don't make me full. Calms the *hungry beast* inside. Food, dense proteins like meat, especially, make me feel full. SOmetimes it takes a while for pouch to "catch up" with my head. I'll still feel hungry, even tho I can't take another bite. BUt if I wait it out, in a few minutes, I feel full. Takes a little while to work out how you work . . . I'm 11.5 months out, down 145 lbs or so . . .

I'm over a year out and down 185lbs from 365. Surgery date was 02/12/2003. Haven't had a hunger pang since. Get head hungry but not belly hungry. Doctor says it happens. Some people never get hunger pangs again.

How do you handle the head hunger? Have you replaced the eating behavior with more physical activity? I have just seen Dr. Wilste in Wylie,TX. to qualify for surgery. There are not any doctors close by me that accept insurance.

I do get in more physical activity but if I get "head hungry" I eat something. If I'm craving something inparticular and I CAN eat it...I will. Not much room, though, so instead of a bucket, I usually just use a small cup. My problem has been more along the lines of getting ENOUGH calories in me. I'm down to 175lbs now. Fortunately, I think I'm reaching the bottom...haven't lost more than 1/2lb or so in the last couple weeks.