question for rny grads?????

Your post really got my attention.  You said you aren't really ever hungry.  I had my surgery in December of 2005 and I am hungry very often - and I don't think it's always head hunger.  I'm really fighting it.  I have reached goal and am thrilled about it, but I wish I could tame this hunger problem.   Do you eat often or are you just not hungry?  I'm curious -- maybe I'm doing something wrong.  I drink protein shakes because I have trouble with lots of different foods. 

Linda; I know your question was to Diana, but I figured I'd answer since you and I are a similar time post-op and I'm never hungry either. I eat every couple hours. I start my day with two pieces of string cheese. Then, around 10am, I have a handful of nuts or some other small protein dense snack. I eat a small lunch around noon. Between 2pm and 3pm, I have another small snack and then dinner round 6 or 7pm. Occasionally, I'll indulge in an after dinner snack. I will throw in the disclaimer that I workout 4-7 days/week so my body needs more calories than many post-ops. In the last month, I have started working out again after cutting back to 2x/week because I couldn't stop losing.

Honestly I am not to be modeled after. I almost never eat breakfast and if I do it has to be atleast 3 hours after I ake because bit makes me nausious if I eat earlier. Usually I have coffee with splenda & creamer at 8 am  & then soup or a freezer (or the new drawer kind) of meal at 1 pm then around 4 my chocolate obsession kicks in and I start hunting. I have been able to crave  it lately with a chocolate tootsie Pop. Dinner is usually 7 ish and Its whatever.. & I eat until  I dont want anymore....sometimes if its something I really like I eat until im gonna bust and then wait 10 minutes and eat more,,,see I make alotof bad choices.   i generally go to bed around 11 and  pretty much always have some kinda snack so I can sleep..5 honey wheat pretzel sticks or maybe a pickled egg (I have become addicted to them ) I know that right now it doesnt seem like I am eating alot but to clarify ...for the last 5 weeks I have been trying super hard to get under 200 pounds (which I did this tuesday)      Prior to my carefully watching what I eat   you would have to add these things almost on a daily basis.....about 3 bites ofsome kinda breakfast sandwich from MCdonalds (around 930 am) & 10 hard candies (throut the day) & 2 snack size candy bars (thur out the day) & atleast 3 times a week,,,cookies &/or cake. I truly love my sugar/flour combo and am currently trying to convince myself that the 6.5 pound loss I had this month is much better than sugar& flour. Hoepfully I win!!! I really wish you luck...I know its hards. Mostly I am amazed that I have never had a true gain of more than 3 pounds. Just amazed!!! Diana RNY 9/17/03 360/196/still aiming at 180

Hello everyone. I'm about 2 1/2 years out from my surgery. I was a sz 24 had some other health issues went down to a sz 4 now I'm about 10-12 with a waist! I was wondering if exercise seems harder now to anyone? I'm trying to knock down 6lbs. and I'm having a devil of a time. I've been working out for about a month now and I do see some results but, good grief it's taking a long time. I've cut out alot of carbs except for beans. I eat salads w/o dressing. My hubby is coming home from overseas soon  (10days) and I would like my 10's to fit proper. Thanks, Tam

Hi Sherry.   I wasn't hungry for the first six months.  If I didn't pay attention and forgot to eat, I'd get a terrible headache to remind me I needed food.  After a year I regained hunger and resumed my problems with compulsive eating.  I want carbs and more carbs.  I've gained 19 pounds from my low post op weight and keep vowing to restart from scratch with my pouch.  It's hard.   My advice to you would be to figure out why you're obese in the first place.  The surgery will only help you lose weight, it won't fix your head or bad eating habits.  

Hi Sherry, I will be 3 years out next month and I can honestly say I have NEVER felt hungry since the surgery.  Now, head hunger is a another story.  You need to really learn the difference and  this will be the best way to be successful losing the weight and keeping it off. Good luck to you!!! Take care, Kathy

Hi Sherry,

I am almost 7 years out from having RNY on 8/28/00.  I agree with the other posters that it will be almost  impossible to over eat at first.  I hardly felt hungry at all during the first 5-6 weeks after surgery.   When I was finally able to have solid foods, I was still satisfied with very little.  My tastes were different than they were pre-op.  I eat more vegetables than I did pre-op.  I always liked spinach but now I love it straight out of te can!  I have never eaten fresh spinach but now I love it in a salad.  My only regret is not using this time to learn how to use my "tool" properly. Instead, I was too busy wondering when I could have a cookie or fried chicken again. WLS is a wonderful "tool"  that works if you work it properly.  Please use the time when it;s impossible to overeat to make the lifestyle changes required for success.  Best wishes and blessings in your upcoming surgery and weight loss journey.

thanks to all for answering ,,,,there was one answer that hit home and that is figguring out what the problem is in the 1st place that makes me eat so much,,,then maybe i can figure all this over eating out,,,,,,i'm going to try to get a handle on this before the surgery,,,,,seams so easy to say it but not so easy to doit....i want my mind healed because i am messing my health up with the weight...it just doesnt make sense to me that i am diabetic, have oteoarthritis, astma, on and on,,,but i still keep shoveling food in..well at least i stopped smoking and i'm going to talk to the counsler about this too,,,,,,,,,,but i am relieved that at least there is some hope with wls.....thanks to all.............and all the advice is really appreciated 

I had no hunger for several months after surgery and even up to a year didn't have a real appetite back. Now at 2.5yrs post op I can eat pretty normally. I still don't care much for bread, pasta or red meat b/c it just doesn't sit well for me. I still have some old desires that linger, but for the most part they are controllable. Good Luck to You!!!!!!!!!

The only surgeries that reduce the amount of "hunger hormone" or ghrelin...are the VSG (verticle sleeve gastrectomy) and the DS (duodenal switch).   During both of those surgeries a significant portion of the stomach is removed......in the RNY the stomach is "only" sectioned off.   The outter curvature of the stomach, the part that is removed during the VSG or the DS, is the part of the stomach that produces the most ghrelin. Regardless of the surgery, you will have what is known as sugrically induced anorexia...where the desire to eat will be significantly reduced.  It will eventually return as the nerves of your stomach heal.    In addition, regardless of the surgery, eating for the first couple of months post op sucks...as the body heals and you are starting to adjust to the surgery, it becomes easier....but people don't get "buyers remorse" because it's a walk in the park.  As a DSer, I eat mostly out of habit, not because of hunger.  If i am busy and running around, I normally won't "feel" hungry.    Scott