Question:
Are you hungry all the time?

Since the DS stomach is "functionally normal" ie. pyloric valve is intact, does one feel frequent hunger pangs? It seems to me that once the stomach size is reduced and food intake is reduced, the stomach will still empty at the same rate causing nearly constant hunger pangs. Is this the case or are hunger pangs killed when 3/4 of the stomach is taken out?    — artistmama (posted on August 4, 2001)

August 6, 2001
I am 6 mnth post op, I had open RYN and have lost 116 so far. I do feel hungry throughout the day. I did not for the first 2 mnths or so, but now I get hungry every 2 to 3 hours. I eat a small amount, always mindful of carbs and sugar. We must remember that we cannot eat as much as before, and do not absorb all that we do eat. As long as I am not grazing,(eating constantly all day) then my DR says that eating every couple of hours is fine. Hope this helps.
   — Sue B.

August 6, 2001
An interesting discussion on this subject appeared here last week, and we were giving the website www.oregoncenter.com to read recent research papers on the subject. According to this source, satiety is triggered by the stretching of the new pouch. To get the "full" message to the brain, you have to eat (or drink) enough to fill the pouch up. You can fool the brain into thinking you are full with water. Read the paper, it's very interesting...and it seems to work. If I eat enough to fill full, I notice that I then forget all about food for three or four (usually longer) hours at a time. Be careful of eating small meals that don't fill you up...you can take in too many calories and never feel full. And be especially careful of grazing.
   — Anne G.

August 6, 2001
I TYINK SOME PEOPLES POUCH IS LARGER TYAN OTHERS CAUSING THEM TO FEEL HUNGRY MORE OFTEN THAN OTHERS. HOWEVER WITH THE STOMACH GONE THEREIS NO WAY YOU CAN KEEP ON THE WEIGHT.
   — [Anonymous]

August 8, 2001
I feel compelled to answer this, as my Dr. is the Oregon Center site mentioned here. I am six weeks post-op and prefer to eat small meals every 3-4 hr. as opposed to three meals per day. The PA in my Dr.'s office just discussed this very point with me on my last visit. It is perfectly okay to do so...and eventually go to three meals per day. He also feels that I will get the much needed protein this way. The articles are very informative and the Doctor who wrote them (Dr. Flanagan) is very experienced and very good.
   — Barbara B.