I'm hungry all the time- gaining weight

I would like to learn more about how to cope with the increased gastric emptying since it seems to be an issue for so many of us. If I find anything out from the bariatric internist, I'll post the information. I sent her an e-mail last Friday, but she has been out of the office, so I haven't heard back.

I find that I feel the need to eat every 3 hours or so. I plan the food for the day, so that I stay within my caloric range. 3 meals/day with no snacks isn't my reality and I don't think that it is realistic for me at this point in time. JMHO.

gail

I am a month away from being 1.5 years post op and I have been experiencing this for a few months now.  I am always hungry.  Dense protein use to keep me full for hours and I would have to make myself eat again but now when I eat dense protein I'm looking for something else within 2 hours.  If I eat anything else then I'm looking for something else an hour later.

I'm not sure if I missed the possibility of rapid emptying when I was doing my research on VSG but I never expected this to happen.  I have gained some weight back and it's going to be a struggle for me to not gain a significant amount of my weight back.  I've put on about 10 lbs and it happened very quickly.

We're only a month apart and I have also been experiencing similar symptoms. The increased gastric emptying is real and I am so glad that someone posted about it. Seems like there are several of us, who are experiencing this issue.

I think exercise is my saving grace so far.

gail

Hi Jen,
I am sorry to hear about this problem and I must tell you that I understand and relate to it.  I am sure that the gastric emptying is happening for me as well.  I have had to modify my eating to work with this new reality.  Here is a list of things that work for me.

1) I drink more and more every day.  I find that many times I am really thirsty and the hot tea with vanilla soy milk fills me right back up.

2) I now eat closer to 3-4 ounces of dense protein at most meals. 

3) I eat multiple snacks a day that involve veggies.  I make different types of low cal veggie dishes that are my "free" snack foods.  I can eat them without any guilt.  They include steamed artichokes, or broccoli and red onion salad, or cabbage and carrots in yogurt dressing, or cucumbers in rice vinager, or other interesting and appetizing veggies.

4) I always have some broth based homemade soup in the refrigerator as more or less "free food".

5) I eat by the clock.  I wait a minimum of three hours between meals, even if I feel a bit hungry.  I have told myself that hunger is not an emergency and I can wait another hour, or drink something that is calorie free, or have some veggies or soup if I really need it.  But regular, protein meals only happen every three hours.

6) I have come to accept that this is my new reality and that I have to work with it.  It is very different from the weight loss phase and I strongly suspect that it is going to be my new normal going forward.

 
First...... Make an appointment with Dr.C.....He is available to you.....Use him....you paid for it.......

Here are some things I've learned about Satiation and making it last longer.

**Yes, I know everybody is different..... so take these as "General" suggestions .........

- One of the traps we can fall into is basically some of our old ways coming back....... feeding hunger is a huge trap. When we mentally loosen up and give in to hunger.......we either eat more or more frequently or the wrong foods or all the above.
When you eat more often....say every two hours.....guess what....you and your body gets used to it and it can become normal. I try and eat every 3-5 hours and that seems fine and normal to me. (yes, I've done the every two hour thing and got used to it and deemed it "Not Good" for me.

- Under eating your capacity with Dense.....harder to digest foods......Not anything you haven't heard before.......but not everybody "Gets" the concept.

It has a lot to do with getting VERY in touch and intimate with your Pyloric Valve and it's function. Controlling your Pyloric Valve is very important in understanding how to keep food in your sleeve longest as well as many other advantages including keeping your portion size the smallest.

- For me....Chicken....slams my Pyloric Valve shut right now......like a sink stopper.......Same with Mackerel......My Pyloric Sphincter shuts (insert anal joke here) down hard.

So..... #1 To get maximum Satiation and longest duration........You/we must understand how the Pyloric Valve works and use it to our advantage.

To get maximum advantage of a closed Pyloric Valve it helps to eat foods that are harder to digest.......foods that your stomach needs to break down in a pre-digestion process with stomach acids before it releases the food into your small intestine.

Raw, stalky, crunchy, fibrous Veggies are great a great accompaniment to a dense protein for maximum duration in your sleeve.

I use cucumber with the skin a lot in my food prep.....Broccoli Stalk, carrots, Radish, Bell Peppers, green beans, cabbage......Raw or VERY under cooked is best.

- After your meal of Valve closing stay in your sleeve longer foods........let it go through the process.......don't drink anything for more than an hour or more if you can (I can't).......as fluids can stimulate the Pyloric Valve to open.

** So this is my take on it based on what seems correct for me and what I've learned. Every time I post something like this..... someone always has a more elaborate example....which is fine. My point is to learn how to be the "Gate Keeper" of your Pyloric Valve to get the maximum efficiency out of your Sleeve........

Your Pyloric Valve empties your sleeve..... You control your Pyloric Valve......

Hope this helps......

frisco

Frisco...there was alot of great reminders in your post..thank you!  I am finding myself alittle more hungry lately too so this was helpful!

Patty

I think all of the above points are valid. As far as the veggies go, I have found that raw carrows, bell peppers, cucumber (with the skin), lightly cooked asparagus, etc., do help to fill the sleeve and help to decrease the gastric emptying. Sometimes, I do have a snack of some veggies. It doesn't take very much to do the trick. Plus, the veggies help to add needed fiber to our diet.

Thanks for the reminder.

gail

I think Frisco makes an excellent point too. In addition to the supplements which help with hormonal fluctuations, I have found that when I measure out my food and eat a reasonable amount, NOT what I CAN eat but what is reasonable, I find that I stay fuller longer.

Great reads !!!! thanks all !!

Thank you so much for posting this!  I am currently struggling somewhat with the same problem.  I say "somewhat", but if I wasn't going to TOPS weekly to weigh in, I would have gained 10-15 pounds by now.  I'm up 3 pounds and stuggling week to week to get it off and keep it off.  It doesn't sound like much, but it's a struggle and I know that 3 pounds can turn into 10 in a heartbeat. 

I took a lot of the responses you have had to heart and going back to more dense proteins and going to incorporate veggies into my snacks instead of fruit.  I'm wondering if the extra carbs in fruit is having a negative affect on my appetite.  

I feel like my head is right back to pre-WLS.  That really is upsetting.  I am also still preoccupied with food, but that has never changed.  I think for me, it's going to be that way for the rest of my life....I'm always thinking about my next meal.  I truly think I'm addicted to food...just like a junkie looking forward to his next "fix".  I hate it!!!!

But let's stick together and beat this evil hold that food has on us!  We can do this!!!