hunger pains

For the last week I thought I was having some bad gas or some sort of stomach problem.  But then being the super genius I am I fugured out that the hunger pains have returned!  This is the first time since my surgery (1/07) that I have felt real hunger. Before this I would just get a sort of empty feeling and knew it was time to put something in my stomach. I have been waitning for this time and sort of dreading it because I thought it would make things much more difficult in the maintaining stage I am now in, but I realize it makes little difference as long as I continue with the program and eat what I am suppossed to. I never thought it would take this long to regain this sensation.  Anyone else had this discovery? Jim D

Some people actually feel like you do, some have to force themselve to eat because they never feel hungry--it varies with the person.  Sometimes the "head hunger" causes people to eat, but this is normally over eating, as their body has had nutrition, but their head just tells them to eat more. It's old habits that seem to die hard in some people. As long as you realize how much your eating, the types of food (protein included of course), you exercise, and you drink plenty of water, you'll be fine. If you find your need something to satisfy a "snack feeling" I'd suggest you try dried peas.  You get them at nutrition stores, or you can buy them online. I shop at Clarks Nutrition, and they have a web site too www.clarksnutrition.com where under snack foods, you can find the dried peas for $1.35 a pound. These are dehydrated peas, 1/4 cup has 6 grams of protein, they're crunchy and lightly salted. My wife had a RNY revision from a 1980 bypass surgery. She has problem eating since surgery in July, 2007.  Her primary source of protein is dried peas and the oatmeal I make her every morning. She takes the dried peas to work and snacks on them all day. Her labs came back last week, and her protein level was normal.

I have a friend who will hit 1 year out some time next week and he claims that he hasn't had any hunger pains yet. I think it works against him a little, because he's not any more disciplined to eat now that he doesn't feel the pain than he was to quit eating back in his pre-op days when he did feel the pain. Me on the other hand.....I started feeling hunger pains about 6 wks out. Everybody says that it's head hunger, but I'm pretty sure it's the real thing. It's more of a knocking on the door type of an awareness as opposed to the ravenous school of pirhanas trying to eat their way to my asshole type of awareness that I experienced all of my life, but still it's hunger and it can be satisfied. At first I was a little put out that I was going to have to deal with hunger this early on into my journey, but I think it's gonna end up being a blessing as I'm having to work every day on being accountable to myself. The thing that has gotten me in trouble over and over in life is when something is to damned easy. And number one on that list is battling my weight.  My advice is to spend some quality time getting reaquainted with your hunger and experimenting with ways to treat it and satisfy it that still fit within what you know to be in your best interest healthwise.  I'm amazed at the effect tha****er and walking have on mine.

I second what you said JFish.  When I get hungry, I drink lots of crystal light to see if that helps me out.  If I am still hungry after the fluids, I will then eat as I know it is the real deal and not just my head calling for food.  I also find that if I walk, it tends to cut down on my hunger pangs as well. Taz

My hunger pains decreased consistently with the size of my new stomach. The difference now is that I can ignore it and it won't bother me where as before it would be like fighting off a hungry lion!

I felt nauseous on Saturday and didn't eat a single thing all day. I felt some hunger pains but nothing that was strong enough to make me eat. I did end up in the E.R. to be treated for dehydration but that's a whole other story...