Why am I so hungry??

I just read the post about you guys that have to remind yourselves to eat-- 600 calories over 2 days.  I'm jealous because I am always hungry these days.  I have to remind myself to stop eating!  Then, I get really full and feel awful.  But, about an hour later, I'm hungry again.  What's wrong with my pouch??  Could I have stretched it accidently or something?  I'm panicked about this! 

First - we need to eat, so you don't need to feel guilty about eating as long as you're eating the right things and not over-doing it.  Personally, I have yet to get the "hunger" sensation back and I am over 2 years out and I count that as a good and bad thing.  People are going to have differences there, so you're not unusual, just different than others. Second - it is almost physically impossible to stretch your pouch, especially so early out, unless you are knowingly eating way too much to the point of hurting yourself and making yourself physically ill over and over.  The pouch is made out of the least stretchy part of your stomach, so I am pretty sure that you haven't stretched your pouch.  When something stretches it is almost always the stoma (opening from your pouch to intestines) and again, that is something that happens over time and it is something that happens when you stuff yourself over and over. Third - I could help better if I knew exactly what you're eating.  If you're eating a lot of mushy or slider foods (mushy= applesauce consistency or soupy foods that slide right through the pouch - think protien shakes, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, cream soups; slider foods= things like crackers, chips, and other things like that which turn into mushy foods when wet) then they may just be moving rapidly through your pouch leaving you hungry sooner.  If you want to feel satisfied longer, and if you are allowed, eat more dense protiens and complex carbs that will sit in your pouch longer. Fourth - If you are eating simple carbs (chips, potato products, bread, pasta, crackers, granola bars and so on) they are also going to leave you hungry again sooner because they cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise (since they are the easiest for your body to break down) and then fall just as quickly.  Protiens, fats and complex carbs give your blood sugar a gentler rise (since they are more complex they take your body longer to break them down) and then sustain that level longer.  So if you are going to eat carbs make sure to balance them with protien and fat so your blood sugar levels are sustained longer.  Carbs make you want more carbs.  It is a vicious cycle. And the best piece of advice I have for anyone is to keep a food journal.  Write down everything you consume and when so you have an exact picture of what and how much you are actually eating.   You're only about a month out right?  At this point it also might be a good idea to measure what you are eating to make sure that you are not eating too much.  It takes a while to make the adjustment mentally to how much is appropriate for you to eat.  And since your body is not all the way healed, it takes longer for your brain to get the message that your pouch is full (that is why the full / awful feeling comes later).  At a month out 3-5 ounces per sitting is about right to give you an idea.  Eat slowly, and allow your body to process how much you have eaten so you will be able to stop before you get over stuffed.  I hope this helps! 

As usual, Amy said it best and covered all the bases.  I believe someone posted a while ago a list of "Emotional vs. Physical" hunger.  It was a really good reference.  You may be feeling emotional (or boredom, or stress-activated) hunger that really isn't hunger at all?  I know that was a big thing for me pre-op...eating out of boredom or sadness, or happiness, or you name it!  Some people still struggle with it post-op

Ah, thanks so much!  That definitely helps.  I do think I have been eating a lot of the mushy and slider foods as I am still in the "soft foods" stage.  I will try to bring in more dense proteins and complex carbs, that's a great idea.  It's also good to hear that I probably did not stretch my pouch--I am definitely not repeatedly eating to the point of being physically ill.  I do think you are right about my brain taking longer to realize I'm full, because when I am full, I am definitely FULL!  (but it's very rarely painful)  I'll start measuring to see if I'm staying it the area of 3-5 ounces.  THanks!

I would definetly agree with everything Amy said (as usual!)....I would add though that one thing I have noticed with myself is sometimes I want to eat when actually I am thirsty. Are you drinking enough...I usually have to make a conciouss effort to drink enough - If I'm really faltering in this area then I promise myself that I have to finish a 16 oz bottle of water between each meal (three hour intervals) this way I make sure I drink the minimum 64 ounces a day....The other thing to consider is appetite vs. physical hunger - or psychological vs. physical hunger - this is much trickier to master, but generally the best way to tell the difference, for me anyway, is to think about where I'm feeling the hunger, am I craving food? or am I actually feeling hunger pangs? If it is psychological, most of the time it is close enough to a meal time anyway, so I just eat, but if it has only been say, one hour since I last ate, then I have to put it off, think of a diversion - drink water, etc...This whole appetite vs. hunger thing is much more complicated then that though, so if you think that may be an issue for you, then perhaps start a new thread about it and we can all get some good dialogue going about the topic...good luck!

Yes, these are all good points.  I have to really think about whether my hinger is psycological or actual hunger.  I don't think that I always get my water completely in, so that could be part of the problem.  I will make a better effort and see if that helps. Thanks!  :)

Scarletta you are definitely not alone.  My biggest surprise after having RNY is that I am so much hungrier than I thought I would be.  I still get starving and my stomach still growls like crazy if it has been a little while since I have eaten.  I heard all of these stories of people having to remind themselves to eat and I really thought I would come out the same way.  Wrong!  For a while it really freaked me out and I thought that I wouldn't be able to accomplish my goals, but so far everything is working just fine.  I eat the right foods I just need to pay closer attention and not overdo it.  I usually eat about 1000-1100 calories a day which is higher than a lot of people at my stage but I am losing weight at a rate I am happy with.  So don't panic, everyone feels differently after surgery and we just happen to be some of the still hungry ones. :)  Drink your water and when you are hungry don't stress, just eat some healthy, high-protein foods and I am sure you will be just fine.

Thanks for the advice--I am glad to hear other people have had this issue.  I was also hopint to never be hungry again.  I will try to  make sure that I am eating the right thing each time and not confusing my hunger feelings.  Thanks!  I feel better!!!

You had surgery the day before me.  I am always hungry too.  I am hungry about every 2 hours.  I have been snacking on protein bars.  I will eat 1/4 of it every time I am hungry.  My stomach can tolerate everything.  I have had no problems with meats, pastas, carbs..  Dont feel bad. You are not alone!

Im sure Amy went over most of this but here it goes... You shouldnt be eating until you get really full and feel awful - make sure you are measuring your meals, you should be taking ONE bite and waiting ONE to TWO minutes before taking another... and stick to your meal times... at least 20 minutes to finish a meal, if not longer (depends on the guidelines you are given). Make sure you are not drinking 30 minutes before and waiting at least 30 minutes after eating to begin drinking. Get on an eating schedule and stick to it... make sure you are eating every few hours and getting in your fluids when you are not eating. Be consistant with this and dont wait too long to eat. Make sure you are meeting your nutritional goals each and every day. You said you feel hungry an hour later - are you drinking your fluids? Many times we confuse being 'hungry' with thirst... if you are sip sip sipping on your fluids and getting in the required amount that should really help with your 'hunger'.  As stated above look at the emotional side as well - are you wanting to eat because you are bored? are you stressed? there are many reasons... you have to sit back and ask yourself if your body is physically hungry or if its just your head/mouth that is hungry.