Question:
my surgeon told me after 1hr of eating i'll be hungry again w/banding

has anyone experienced that. I know everyone's body is different but 1hr after eating i'll feel hungry again and I must wait 4-5 hrs before eating again    — bchicks42 (posted on September 6, 2007)

September 6, 2007
I just had the Lap Band surgery one month ago. I eat three times daily and I am not hungry 1 hour after. Has your doctor been doing this surgery long? I would make sure he has enough experience. You will get hungry eventually, but not 1 hour after. My doctor told me not to drink while I am eating so that the food will take longer to digest. I'm supposed to eat 30 minutes after drinking and then wait 30 minutes to drink after I eat. Lynda
   — Lynda C.

September 6, 2007
Possibly before you get proper restriction with your band, you might be hungry soon after eating a small meal, but that's because the band isn't able to work without restriction. Until your band properly restricts you and holds food in your pouch for several hours, you might think the band isn't even there. After I healed following surgery, I reached a point where I couldn't tell any difference in my eating. But then I started getting fills and finally (after 7 months) felt restriction. Now it's 4-6 hours before I feel hungry again--if I eat the correct foods (mostly protein) and I don't drink for at least an hour after my meals. I've had my band for over a year, and I love it!! I can eat tiny amounts of food and be perfectly satisfied. What a great tool.
   — Kathy S.

September 6, 2007
I was hungry also - but I had to think; is my stomach hungry or my brain and taste buds? A lot of times it was my taste buds. Drinking lots of water and other calorie free liquids such as Crystal light helps. My doctor told me that if I need a snack to eat fresh fruit. Have you had a fill yet? Having the just right adjustment on the fills may make all the difference. I have found its a pretty fine line, but my doc is great and very willing to work with me to get into the green zone. Good luck. Also I have found that this isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be - it still requires changing bad eating habits and eating the healthy way. Its true that the band is just a tool, not a magic treatment. Hang in there!
   — beckiemclarty

September 6, 2007
Feeling hungry stinks! If I were feeling hungry like that I would make some fat free vegetable soup and sip on that. The body needs nutrition while we lose weight. Low cal, non-fat, high fiber foods satisfy hunger and keep the cravings away. Love, Lisa http://TheSkinnyOnline.blogspot.com
   — belovedideas

September 6, 2007
You might want to post this question to the Lap Band forum. I'm sure you'll get a LOT of passionate answers :-) I had my surgery in May and have just had my 4th fill (I'm 2.25cc in a 3cc band). I'm hoping this is the one that will give me restriction - I'll have to get back to you in a few days (I'm on liquids, which is required right after a fill). Even before this last fill, I can say that I wasn't hungry an hour later - more like 3 hours later. But I can eat way more food than I should be able to. 2 days ago I could easily eat a cup or 1.5 cups of food at a time - but that amount would fill me, and kept me full for 3 hours. All doctors are different - some do fills very, very slowly and it can take 6 months or more to get you to restriction, where you can eat 1/2 cup of food and not be hungry for hours later. Other doctors will do it a bit faster - I convinced my doctor I knew what I was doing, so she let me come in every 2 weeks for a fill. Your doctor may have other reasons for wanting to discourage you from choosing the band over a bypass (if you're extremely obese, or are a sugar junkie, for example, bypass may be a better solution for you). But seriously, if this is the experience he sees in his practice (that most of his band patients are hungry after 1 hour), then you might want to look for another surgeon who's better with post-op band patients. Best of luck Beth
   — Beth F.