A question for "grads"

Hello Karen - I'm 4 years out, maintaining for 2 1/2 years of it - in all this time I can honestly say I have NEVER felt hunger. Which is a crying shame because during my maintenance stage, I managed to gain 22 pounds (which Ive since taken off) ...but my point is, even without the feelings of HUNGER, I managed to eat, graze, eat, etc. For some, like myself, the biggest danger, is not the return of true appetite or hunger, it's the demons/voices in our heads that we THOUGHT were long buried. The same ones that used to convince us (me) that eating an ENTIRE gallon of Braum's IceCream (Oklahoma's version of Ben & Jerry's) in one day was perfectly acceptable as long as it was not all in one sitting. LOL, nah, wait at least an hour then eat some more, wait two hours, 'nother helping, etc. aka GRAZING! You really might be one of the lucky ones (like myself) and NEVER feel true hunger again, I just wish that was enough to forever tame the food junkie in me. LOL - "Hello, my name is Leilani and I'm a Food-a-holic....!" [sigh] ...one day, one bite, one pound at a time, right?

[sends the Sistah Lei a big ol hug] If I stick to the five small meal rule, I generally do not get hungry, although once in awhile it does happen. Lei is right about the foodaholilc thing. Watch out for the demons, they do come at you! Still maintaining at 3 years..............

Hello ANGEL - hugs right back atcha' ....I would ask how you're doing but I can tell by your new MB picture that you're doing EXCELLENT!! Wooohooooo, leather pants no less? You go woman!!!! I wish I could wear 'em - unfortunately, it's just not in my future, unless they have built in fanny padding oh and some sort of AC system? I tend to sweat in the dead of winter - not your typical weight loss patient that's always freezing, that's for sure. Ive tried a pair on and it shows every ripply layer of my saggin' back side - lol, trust me it's NOT pretty! Take care of YOU - hope life is treating you well - Lei

I'm alittle over 2 & 1/2 years out. Reading all of these postings at first I said I feel hunger all the time. But thats not entirely true. There are days that I fight with myself to keep to the program. I maybe do not have the stomage growlings that I'd get years ago but I will feel empty. Hollow. Along with it comes alittle light headiness and not being able to consintrate. I think its becasue my blood sugar is low. If I do not eat it does get worse nothign major but I will get grumpy. My 27 year old daughter will say GET MOM FOOD NOW! hahaha We go shopping on saturdays and I always bring a snack something that fits in my purse. Some times a little box of rasins, or a banana, or some peanut butter crackers maybe even a protein bar. Being that they are saturdays we aren't on schedules like a work week so when I feel that emptiness I'll have my snack if we're not ready to eat. I sell advertising for a newspaper and am on the road all day. I carry a lunch pail with all the drinks, snacks, and my lunch. There are still times even though I carry what I need that I crave. Cravings are terrible! Sometimes I cave into a craving. I try not to beat myself up over that. We are now thin people. WE now live the life of thin people. Along with wearing smaller sizes, fitting in airoplane seats without extenders, being able to walk and breath and fit in with others we also have the down side of being thin people. the watching what we eat. Eating right excersizing. MY size 2 daughter works out every single day. She doesn't weigh and measure her food but she can tell you what she had and let me tell you she eats chocolate but she eats her veggies and protein first. Then her piece of chocolate is a piece. I've gained 12 pounds back over the last year and lost 6 of that 12 so far. It seems like all of a sudden you notice things are fitting as nicely as they use to. It seems like all of a sudden you step on the scale and notice oh my god I've gained alot of weight! to me now 12 poounds is alot of weight. Not like before when I'd step on the scale and say o gee gained 20 gotta watch what I eat. Maybe anotehr 10 pounds gained later and I'd stress over it. Now I watch it. It takes FOREVER to lose weight now. I weigh and measure my food that I pack for lunch when I'm home I still weigh and measure. If I snack I have my carrot sticks if I'm still craving I'll have a taste. If its something like cookies that I have to go buy I'll have the serving size then throw the rest away! I hate wasting food so when I do that I beat myself up more about throwing stuff away then I do now eating it! Plus when I want it again I ask myself do you really want to buy something then throw the rest away? Because I'm cheap!!!!! I dont' do that often. the key is I've satisfied that craving. I've delt with it. I've moved on. Of course being that I'm single without others to have to buy for other than the dog, cats, and bird there aren't alot of illegal foods in the house. That makes it much easier than others with kids or hubby who want those treats. I can control it easier than some. I had an addition to food. Just like a smoker or alcholic that addition of mine is still there. I now have a tool to help me. The smokers or alcholics that quit have it alot harder than me! Would I have this done again if I had to go back and make a choice again? YES! My life is so much better. I've added 20 years or more I feel to it and the quality! Its the best that I ever had. I'd do it again in a heart beat. good luck and god bless. especially those *****ad this whole posting!!!!! hahaha

I would have to say that I really didn't experience hunger until after a year. But then it would only take very little for that hunger pain to go away. I did get to a point where I gained several pounds back and that was from making bad food choices, and grazing,not really eating too much at one time. I've since lost that back and have definetely noticed that as long as I stick with eating as much protein as I can I don't get the hunger pains. Head hunger seems to never go away. I will be looking in the pantry just because I have a taste for something but can't figure out what I want. Normally I grab a 1/2 protein bar and I'm satisfied. However, I know that our life styles and the way we eat has to change after surgery, but I also believe that we have to enjoy life as well. If I really want something, like a piece of pizza, I will eat one small piece, but in my opinion it's alot better than eating the whole pizza like I used to. I still allow myself a treat, it makes me happy. I go to bed everynight with a small cup of decaf coffee and a mini peppermint patty, that's my treat for the day. I think if we deny ourselves of some pleasure it will overcome us. Most the time the reason thin people are thin is because they eat in moderation and are happy with eating what they want, just a small amount of it. A mini snicker's instead of the king size!!! Good luck!

Thank you all for your answers and insite - - I really appreciate it! Karen

I do get slightly hungry. Over the last few months, I get heartburn rather than hunger when it is time to eat something. And it isn't heartburn at the breastbone, like I used to get pre-op. Now it is more burning in the entire pouch. Sue O.

It took 6 to 8 months before I ever really felt what it was to be hungry and even longer to develop an appetite to want to eat. I was so worried that I called my surgeon because I thought something was wrong. I only wanted to drink that entire time. My food intake was so poor because I didn't have the desire to eat. Now, I am almost 2 years post op and I still have days that I don't feel hunger at all or until late in the day. I eat because I know I have to eat. I work 12 hour shifts 7p - 7a and I sleep all day. Because I eat while I'm at work, it's easy to get very busy (as a nurse, especially) and not have enough time to think of food let alone hunger. But I do eat. Some days I would rather drink all day; other days I may just feel like snacking on fruits & veggies and chicken. Some days I can eat like a glutton and some days I don't have the appetite to eat much of anything. My appetite has definitely changed and it does take me a while to feel actual hunger - physically. My hunger has never come back with a vengeance no matter how long it's been since I've eaten. I'm very thankful for this and the dumping syndrome.

Actual hunger -- no. Head hunger -- as bad as ever and a constant battle that I lose too often. The head hunger was fairly controllable until 2 years out. Since then it's been a bear. Good luck! Deb

I often say the hunger came back at 5 months, but if I'm honest I'd have to say I don't know what hunger felt like before or after surgery. I think I'm hungry when I want to taste food. The way I deal with it is I say ok if you're hungry what kind of protein do you want? Given that choice I find I'm not hungry between meals. What I really want is some tasty carb and it has nothing to do with hunger. At 33 months out from surgery most meals I eat consist of 4 oz of protein which fills my pouch. On rare occasions since I've gone on maintenance I will eat a small potato or small amount of rice. Simple carbs set me up to crave more carbs so I stay away from them most of the time. No I'm not perfect but I've learned how to control MY hunger monster. That means for me eating on a regular schedule and eating the right kinds of food. The further I've gotten out from surgery the more I see old habits wanting to creep back into my diet. I'd love to eat desert every day, heck 3 times a day to be honest (no dumping for me, sigh), but I love my new life enough to let the desert stay in the bakery. That's not about hunger, it's about wanting the taste. Best of luck to you.