Will I ever go back to feeling "full"??

I started another post a couple of days ago about being almost two years out from my VSG surgery - in March.  I have lost 150 lbs, but still have 80 left to lose to get to goal.  For the past few months, I've slipped back into some old habits and started gaining.  I've gotten back on track with writing down everything I eat, drinking my water, and getting back to guidelines from when I was losing a lot.  

My question is about that "full" feeling that I had for the first year after surgery.  I know that I just because I can eat more now, doesn't mean I have to!  But going back to 800 calories, and 80 gm of protein is leaving me feeling hungry.  :(  I can eat so much more now, even good, dense protein foods... but keeping to my guidelines has become much more difficult.  

Now that I'm getting back on track, will I start to feel satisfied easier as time goes on?  I've GOT TO lose this last 80 lbs and learn about maintenance.  But I'm feeling very discouraged with myself and the fact that I feel like I'm "dieting" again.  The restriction is just not there, as it was when I lost that first 150 lbs.  Any advice?  

It takes very little to fill up the stomach of a new born baby and a lot more to fill up the stomach of a teenage boy.  Your sleeve has matured and will never go back to its size right after surgery. 

I no longer get a full feeling now.  I weigh and measure my food, stick to mostly dense protein, avoid carbs and count calories.

I accept the fact that I am dieting and will diet for the rest of my life.

The only difference is that now the diet works.

The best advice I got about hunger and fullness was to learn coping strategies to deal with hunger that don't involve eating. CBT techniques have been really helpful for me. For example:

--I practiced a day of fasting. The evening before, I wrote a list of the most painful physical and emotional times in my life and thought about them. I rated the pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Then during my day of fasting, every couple hours I wrote a paragraph about my level of hunger and discomfort and specifically compared it to the pain experiences I wrote up the day before, and rated my hunger "pain" in comparison. This really helped me see that while hunger is unpleasant, it isn't actually painful, trauma-inducing, or an emergency. I can use that scale I created for myself and call it up at any time when I am feeling hungry.

--I got into the habit of planning exactly what I was going to eat each day and writing it down. Then when I feel hungry, I can tell myself, "hunger is unpleasant, but you can wait until your beef jerky snack at 4" and just move on.

--I practice enforced self-control in areas where I can't trust myself. For example: keep crap foods out of the house. I also have a couple of kitchen safes where I keep calorie-dense foods like nuts and dried fruit, and I have them set to open only in the morning (when I have lots of self-control). I measure out my daily portion, set it aside, and lock the safes back up. I don't take any money or other method of payment to work with me, because the vending machines and snack shop in my office are horrible places of temptation. I do my grocery shopping first thing on a weekend morning (again, when I have self control) and only bring enough cash for what is on my list.

I have had to come to terms with a couple of facts. First, as much as I could possibly eat, I will still want more. I will always feel "hungry" and eating off plan will make me more hungry, not less. Eating more doesn't make me satisfied and happy, either physically or emotionally. Instead, it just drives my hunger and makes me emotionally miserable. Eating on plan keeps me occasionally hungry but emotionally at peace and strong. Second, I'm going to deal with this situation for the rest of my life. There isn't going to be a magic time when I don't want to eat crap, don't have hunger on a regular basis, and am magically able to eat the exact right amount that will keep me "full" and yet not cause me to gain weight. I'll never be "full" and so I have to stop seeking that. I have to figure out what I really want: a normal, healthy body and a peaceful, happy character, and be willing to go through a bit of hunger to get it, for the rest of my life.

That's my story. I hope you find something helpful. Stopping the chase for "full" or even "satisfied" is tough, but once I gave up looking for that, everything fell into place for me. Sorry for the long post!

This is a really great post and approach to changing your thinking.  Thank you for posting it 

what is a day of eating like for you? If you are eating carbs ,even "fgood" carbs,you will feel more hungry and can eat more. 

Also dehydration mimics hunger.mare you getting 64+ oz of liquid a day, every day?

excess acid also mimics hunger. Are you taking an acid reducer?

I'm 4.5 yrs out and trying to lose some regain. I've lost almost 25 lbs in the last 6 weeks and most often after I eat, feel satisfied. I'd say "full" is the wrong word bc I don't stuff myself but I have a physical sensation of having had enough food. I am not dieting - I cannot nor would I go back to 800 calories but am closer to 1100. I eat a lot of dense meat. And veggies. I have veggies with lunch and dinner. I eat every 2.5-3 hours between 3 meals and 2 snacks. I don't let myself get overly hungry bc then my portion sizes grow. For the occasions where I do feel hungry, I just have a cup of coffee. For some reason warm drinks take my hunger away. I don't know if it's a healthy way to deal with hunger but it works for me. 

carbs makes me hungry. and makes me less sensitive to full-empty signals. 

when I mess up (**** happens) and I need to pull myself away from a carb monster I do very low carb for a few days... eliminating any foods with sugar (yes - including any protein shakes that claim only xx amount of sugar - carbs)

I typically give myself 3- 5 days of eating very low carb...but I don't limit the qty.  I eat as much as I want - just some specific foods.. I drink a lot of water - SF drinks and avoid most artificail sweeteners- some of them can make my cravings really bad.. 

so what is on my menu: 

cooked or grilled chicken, beef or pork, or fish, HB eggs (as long as it not make with any sugar or sweeteners) 

NSA pickles, cucumbers, celery, endive, lettuce,  spinach, cabbage (olive oil and apple cider vinegar as dressing) 

avocados, olives, 

and ... I can eat any of those items at any meal - combined - as long as meal is no longer than 30 min and I eat every 2-3 or so... (less often if I don't feel hungry). I eat slowly, really chewing my food...

Since I don't limit how much I can eat- it does not feel like I am on a diet... (I will use butter to saute my spinach)  

but after 2-3 days (most of the time) - I really don't get that hungry...and really can't eat much.. . so naturally by day 4 not only my choices are better but now I am also not hungry much and can really feel a difference between real hunger (I will eat that chicken) and cravings...( I want an apple)

the adjusting to 3-4 meals a day, limiting calories is so much easier.. 

I do drink a lot of water in between meals... 

I don't eat a meal unless I drank at least 20-30 oz of "water" since my last meal..

That full feeling right after surgery is still there for me for now,a year & a half later, however my sleeve like yours is probably fully matured & can hold much more than right after surgery.

I get hungry, but its nowhere near what it was b4 surgery, the only time I might get that stronger hunger pang is usually after I had a lot of carbs. Its usually the bad cookie kind of carb, not the healthy veggie kind, so take a look at what you're eating in addition to how much, also maybe you need a ppi.

I can understand not wanting to go back to 800 calories, but for me it's a combination of the amount of calories & the type of food that keeps the weight loss going. You'll have to play with the numbers to find where it is that you'll start losing again.

I had surgery on 8/3/15 and still feel like my stomach can't eat much more than when I surgery.  One thing I found that helps with the cravings and hunger pains is chewing gum.  I have sugar free strawberry juicy fruit which helps with the sweet cravings and makes me feel like I've had something to eat.  Weird, huh?

Eating till full is how most of us got fat, eating calculated portioned amounts of food is key.

Eating till satisfied and understanding satiety is a learned skill. If you don't learn this it will be very hard to lose those last 80lbs.but and maintaining could be impossible.

The only way I can suggest is to go old school and add some determination and get it done !!!

Hope this helps !

frisco