Question:
Help! I'm hungry ALL THE TIME!

I am 8 months Post OP and have lost 94 lbs, so I know I'm not a fast looser, but lately, I am HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. I sometimes wonder if I have stretched my pouch, or if the food goes through too quickly. I started weightlifting about 4 months ago, and though I feel great, I am really fighting the mental hunger, and the GRAZING!!!Any suggestions to help get through this? Do you think I have a ruptured staple line? I never get sick on anything... no dumping, etc. Yet, at one sitting I can still only eat a small portion compared to before surgery, I seem to get hungry in about an hour after I've eaten... sometimes sooner. HELP!    — Kay W. (posted on November 21, 2002)

November 21, 2002
I had this happen to me, too. Don't panic! I think your body is at the point where it actually DOES need to eat more often for a while. Try scheduling it and eating something every 2 hours until your body gets back on track. I did that and it really helped. Now I am back to eating every 3-4 hours with a smaller appetite. The other things to watch are: How much protein are you eating? (When my appetite increased, I upped my protein and it helped my carb cravings diminish) AND What are you eating for breakfast? (I find that eating carbs for breakfast makes me hungry all day long. If I stick with protein for breakfast--like cheese, eggs, deli meat, cottage cheese, etc.--I eat less and feel less hunger all day.) Hope this helps and happy losing!
   — ctyst

November 21, 2002
I go thru that also - presently 11 months out from rny- Seems like the fullness I want depends on food density - or just the time of day (?). I am not hungry ALL the time but I try to ask myself if it is head hunger? I attended a wls group recently - and the loss of food as a comfort was discussed with professionals- "it's not the food -it is you" type of thing. Review water-logging to get satiety. Good luck to both all of us with this problem.
   — charlene M.

November 21, 2002
I, too, feel hungry all the time if and only if I eat carbs in the morning. I notice if I start off with carbs in the morning I crave them all day. If I eat only protein in the a.m. I'm fine. I hope this helps.
   — Mary V.

November 21, 2002
I have to second the posts about carbs making me hungry. When I went through a period of increased carb intake I was more hungry, more often. Besides that, drink a lot during the day so there is something in your stomach and it won't be crying for food ;)
   — kultgirl