Let's talk about our perception of food

Hey Deanna,

I'm only 4 months out as of this upcoming Saturday but I have found that the more protein dense food definitely hold me better. I'm no longer including any carbs with breakfast or lunch(if I have cheese then I do get few carbs from that) and at dinner low carb veggies. I do get some carbs with my night time snack if I eat yogurt with fruit in it but lately I've been mixing a little PB2 in it. For B: this morning I had 2 eggs and 2 strips of bacon. I don't even think about food until around 1pm then my pouch will give a little grumble. But once again you are farther out from me and can eat more. I also know that some people crave different thing for breakfast but I would try to keep it protein rich. Grimm has taught me this and it's working for me.

I truly hope you can find a solution. You have done awesome and are an inspiration to me!

I agree that tweaking your menu might help.  Oatmeal acts like a carb for me and yogurt seems to go right through. For some reason cottage cheese always fills me up quick, so I include it in a lot of meals.  Fish and meats are the best for keeping me satisfied for a longer time as well as eggs, so I almost always have eggs at breakfast, tuna at lunch and a meat at dinner. I had to experiment but this is where I ended up.

I try to do 5-6 mini meals a day. I don't go more than 2-3 hours without eating something and that should not lead to feelings of guilt. I think your guilt may be from the carbs/calories consumed not the timing of day?

I don't necessarily feel the hunger pangs but I know due to timing if I need to eat something. I try always to have something with me (both food and drink) Sometimes I  have intentionally gone to the dollar store because I didn't have a meat stick or snack that was appropriate.

My surgeon told me the long term successful people don't just eat 3 meals a day, they eat every 2-3 hours. I believe there is some truth to this because 1) you don't want blood sugar to drop, and 2) you need to fuel your body

I know that this will be an unpopular opinion, but it's what works for me, so . . .

The only time I eat oatmeal is on my long run days.  I need the extra boost from the carbs to fuel my run (again, I know this is an unpopular opinion and many think you don't need to increase calories or carbs for exercise, but my menu is doctor controlled and my workout/run suffers if I don't fuel properly.  Again, this is what works for me)

I can't eat a cup of yogurt with an added half cup of berries.  The quantity would be too much for me.  However, it would not be a trigger food for me.  I do not eat any type of bread product so I can't comment on the flat out and whether it would be a trigger, or something that may have triggered your hunger.

As far as the calories go, I don't think they are out of line.  Again, for me, if I get fewer than 800 cal a day, I feel sluggish, physically AND mentally.  I don't believe that as a post op more than a year out, you need to be below that amount.  Again, this is what works for me.  I know others here would dispute what I say until the end of time, but you have to do what works for you.

I agree with others though.  Maybe try a few days of dense protein heavy meals and cut back on the yogurt, fruit and other carbs and see if that doesn't curb your hunger.

It would be plenty for me but I'm pretty new! Lol! But! I find myself doing the same sort of thing, only I'm not physically hungry. I just want to eat. That scared me because I clearly have a long way to go, mentally,  in order to stay successful, you know?