Question:
Anyone else find eating just makes you hungrier?

I am 2 1/2 years post op from a transected proximal RNY. I have almost NO restriction as far as how much I can eat and when I do eat, I just feel hungrier again within an hour. If I eat a full "normal" meal (without carbs even), I will be hungry and want to eat again within an hour. No, I don't drink with my meals. I am so frustrated, I am seriously considering just giving up and living off of vitamins and protein shakes for the rest of my life. Anyone else feel like you've just got a "straight pipe" that never fills up now? And as far as getting a revision, I do not have the willpower right now to fight with the surgeons and insurance companies. I just don't. It took 10 months of constant full-time fighting to get this the first time.    — ediecat (posted on May 25, 2005)

May 25, 2005
Have you gotten your mechanics checked? Maybe your stoma has stetched? If you can eat a dense protein food like a chicken breast, and an hour later have room for another one, I would say something is not working. If I don't eat dense foods, I can eat again in an hour, but things like scrambled eggs, hamburger, chicken... that hangs around much longer.
   — mom2jtx3

May 25, 2005
Hi, I'm almost 3yrs. post op also and I have went from 268 to 150 to 170. It's because of my poor eating habits which i'm now trying to work on, and I too feel hungry a lot. How much can you eat? Can you give me an example?
   — mamita093

May 25, 2005
I've experienced the same thing. I have noticed that if I avoid the 'white' carbs for several days that the hungries tend to lessen. I joined WW just so I could learn to eat properly and it's amazing how much crap I was eating when I thought I was actually doing well. Anyhow, I know how you feel. Rebecca
   — RebeccaP

May 26, 2005
I'm interested in knowing more about your portions also. I am almost 21 months out from transected proximal RNY, and feel a lot like you do at times. I get hungry pretty quickly even after a good-size meal. I have taken to just ignoring the hunger as much as possible, and eating on a schedule more than because of hunger. I eat breakfast around 8 AM, snack around 10 or 10:30, lunch at Noon, snack around 3:30 OR 4, dinner at 6:30, snack around 8:30. I'm not saying that I don't get hunger feelings in between these times, I do, but not always. I think it does really depend on how much protein I am consuming. I tend to gravitate toward too many carbs at times, and need to really concentrate on getting the proper amount of protein. Having said all that, I know that our pouches and stomas do stretch over time, and that is normal. But I think if it becomes extreme and we would start to really gain weight back (more than 10 pounds or so), then the doctor should check out what's going on. I have heard that there are some docs who will do a procedure to put a band around the stoma to keep it smaller. I don't know too much about that, but have heard of it.
   — Carlita

May 27, 2005
I have found that if I am not doing something to keep busy or just lying around I tend to want to eat more. If I have something to do and am busy most of the day I will just drink and eat as I am suppose to. If you do not have a busy schedule to attend to then find something constructive to do and what will take your mind off of eating as I do. My weightloss has stopped for the last almost 3 months and I in keeping up with my activities and eating patterns have found that while I am busy I have no time to eat stuff I don't need, but will grab what is convenient like a protein shake and or cheese and crackers with peanut butter. When I exercise strenuosly I tend to want to eat after so I have changed my routine to every other day and drink protein shkaes as I do and other fluids to curb my cravings for foods. I cut the grass yesterday and helped my son fix on his car and was busy so I ate like I was suppose to and drank my fluids as well and did very good. I am just saying try to keep a busy daily schedule and see if things improve with the cravings.
   — mspisces

May 27, 2005
Please, have your mechanics checked. Even if you don't fight for revision, that's ok, at least knowing that you do have a straight pipe (it can happen) would make you know that you're not nuts. A relaxed stoma is not a character flaw. It's a mechanical flaw and more common than you realize. It's only just now coming out of the woodwork and solutions are just being tried in the last year or two. A swallow almost ALWAYS shows "rapid emptying", which is not helpful to know, since you had a clue. Better to get an endoscopy, if you can manage it. Peferably with someone who is very familiar with "our kind".
   — vitalady

May 28, 2005
I have just read a book called, "Passing for Thin", author and subject, Francis Kuffel, in which a she maintains a weight loss of 170 pound over several years (not without struggle), WITHOUT the help of our tool. You can bet she gets hungry. You may want to read it. Good luck on your efforts. I find that I sometimes need a wakeup call. We are all addicted to food. That is what got us to the point of surgery.
   — lindarodham6