STARVING 4days post op HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Please help me. I am only 4 days post op with the band and my stomach is constantly growling and gurgling and I feel sooooo hungry. I drink at least 2 protein shakes a day, smooth soups, and veggie/fruit juices. Why am I feeling so hungry? Is this normal. PLEASE help.

Oh man, the gurgle was the worst!!!  For the first week or so post op, i don't think my body knew how to deal with gas.  It was such a task to even burp!  So while it was figuring it out there was loud gurgles and just this pressure that felt like a weird mix of hunger, gas, and heart burn. 

Good news it should go away in a couple days! 

You may want to try something a big more filling for the hunger pangs, I used greek yogurt, sugar free jello, and sugar free pudding .  Since they aren't liquid they will sit there for a bit. 

Congrats on your surgery!

I hear ya on the stomach/intestinal noise.  I had such loud grumblies that my dog was freaked out by them! lol      But they went away withing the first week or so.   For the hunger - are you adding protein powder to any of the shakes or beverages?  I added the powders to my protein shakes and also to ff/sf pudding cups (which then I thinned with skim milk so it wouldn't be too thick).  That way I got my minimum amount of protein needed and felt fuller longer.  Also, I found that the warm foods kept me feeling fuller longer so I sipped a lot of broth and hot tea.  I tried to avoid all the sugar I could - I only had the no sugar added fruit juices and then diluted by 1/2 with water as my surgeon recommended. 

I hope these ideas help a little bit!  Hang in there!  It gets better.  Getting control of the hunger pains in the brain is the hardest part.  I can deal with the actual hunger grumblies now that I just focus on other things. 
Take care,
Rachel

thank you, your feedback is very helpful

I'm just dropping in to sympathize with you!  I was banded a week ago & I'm so hungry even things I hated before the band look good to me!  I get between 70-100 grams of protein and 800-1000 calories in a day & sometimes I still wake up hungry in the middle of the night.  I can't wait for my first fill!

thanks for the reply. Do you think the fill will help the hunger???? I asked this to my surgeon before choosing band or bypass and he said it will help hunger, but so far I feel it's a mistake!!

The first fill may not help, but one of them will.  I've heard that it can take several fills before you start to feel a good restriction & feeling fuller longer.  These first few months after the surgery are going to be hard while we find the right amount of restriction, but the time doesn't have to pass slowly if we fill our lives with activities, friends, & support.  

Just keep in mind that this is not a mistake-its a tool that is unique to every person based on how they use it.  We're still healing from the surgery itself-we've not really had any opportunities to take advantage of our new tool.  :) 

I felt exactly the same way after surgery.  Believe me, it really does get better.

Other than the very good advice that you have already been given to keep hunger at bay, I would recommend staying away from fruit juices.  Way too much sugar, they don't fill you up, and they make you crave other carbs even more.  Stick to protein-based liquids and soups and then when you can move onto more mushy foods, you will have more variety to choose from.  Good luck!

so the hunger will subside after the fills??? I don't get it lol!!! I am still starving!!

I know, I know . . . I felt like I could eat a horse during that time and no amount of broth was curing my hunger!  The hunger will start to subside once you start graduating to denser foods.  After that, hunger will be subsided with the fills.  The first few weeks out are the toughest - stay strong.