Question:
Hoodia or other appetite suppressants?

Anybody take any thing post-op to help with appetite control. I get so hungry and I am a carb person. I have all thru and before surgery. I have gained 35 lbs. I originally lost 110 lbs. I would like to lose at least 15 of these pounds. Any suggestions would be appreciated.    — tchandler (posted on March 13, 2006)

March 13, 2006
You got your tool with WLS. Go back to basics. Check out what other people are doing here. Ask your bariatrics doctor too.
   — sor09

March 13, 2006
I had surgery August, 2003. I lost weight very well, but am still overweight. I have kept to a stable weight but had trouble at Christmas time this year. I have thought about taking Hoodia, but don't want to go down the suppressant road. I still don't actually feel physical hunger, but I DO like to eat! I did find this info: 5 Foods That Suppress Your Appetite The cold and ugly truth about weight loss is that you will be hungry some of the time. While there are many tactics to reduce hunger--from avoiding refined carbohydrates to meal-timing strategies--the best may be finding food and beverages you can consume when you're feeling intense hunger pains that don't have a lot of calories, reports NewsTarget.com. These 5 foods really do control your appetite and suppress cravings--without adding calories: 1. Water or broth 2. Green leafy vegetables, including lettuce, cabbage, and bokchoy 3. Homemade instant banana pudding 4. Pickles 5. Apples The idea is that if you eat two cups of anything, your tummy will thank you by turning off those gnawing hunger pains. But if the two cups of food is cabbage instead of cashews--20 calories vs. 900 calories--you have succeeded in curbing your appetite without incurring a lot of calories, notes NewsTarget. That's the idea behind appetite control foods. Appetite Control Food No. 1: Water or Broth Fresh drinking water--from a tap or bottle--is a powerful appetite suppressant. NewsTarget says if you drink 8 oz. of water at the first sign of hunger and then wait 10 minutes, you'll almost always suppress your appetite. If water doesn't work for you, drink organic vegetable (or chicken) broth. Heat it up a quart at a time, and for only 20 calories you'll be full. Appetite Control Food No. 2: Green Leafy Vegetables Lettuce, cabbage, bokchoy, and other green leafy vegetables have so few calories that you don't even need to count them, but they will fill your tummy and turn off the hunger signals to your brain. Don't like to eat them plain? Add a low-calorie salad dressing (look for one that is 25 calories per tablespoon) and enjoy. Or, stir-fry the veggies in water. Add onions, garlic, and soy sauce for more flavor. Appetite Control Food No. 3: Instant Banana Pudding Don't look for this in the grocery store. You have to make it yourself. Purchase the ingredients from a health food store. Here's the recipe from NewsTarget.com: Pour a quart of soy milk into a blender. Add two scoops of unsweetened banana-flavored simply natural spirutein soy protein powder. Add stevia powder as a sweetener. Blend. While the blender is running, add 1/2 tablespoon of guar gum powder and 1/2 tablespoon of xanthan gum powder, both of which are thickeners. Appetite Control Food No. 4: Pickles Buy natural pickles only, avoiding those with added sugars and artificial food coloring. An entire jar of pickles has only 50 calories. Appetite Control Food No. 5: Apples Apples do have a few calories and a few carbs, but they will fill you up for quite a while, which will stop you from eating more calorie-dense foods, notes NewsTarget. The bulky fiber of apples will fill you up before you overeat. Good luck!
   — JoSyrNY

March 13, 2006
I checked your profile and noticed that your surgeon was Heap -- did you by chance get the 'mini-DS' which is really not the DS at all? I would suggest you ask your question on the OH Duodenal Switch forum board. It's rare that someone with a DS will regain that much weight. There is normally a 'bounce back' regain of 5-10 pounds but not 35. You need to know exactly what Heap did with your insides.
   — [Deactivated Member]

March 14, 2006
Hoodia is the latest craze in appetite suppressants and there is no research to support its effectiveness. In fact, an expert researcher in complementary and alternative medicine recently interviewed on CNN indicated that if you think you are buying Hoodia you are probably not; it is grown in extreme desert like conditions and not easily propagated or found.
   — rjfp04

March 14, 2006

   — Kasey

March 15, 2006
Tina, you may want to check out WLS - Grad forum here. That way, you don't get ignorant "advice" from people who haven't had surgery yet or are within the first year and don't know how difficult it gets 3,4,5 and more years out (I'm not referring to most of the postings you received). I don't have easy answers for you. I'm struggling too. I've gained back about 20% of the weight I lost. My appetite and head hunger feel out of control. But I'm not giving up. I wanted to let you know you aren't alone!
   — bt

March 15, 2006
I would like to talk with you about your weight issues also if you don't mind. I couldn't find the forum you were talking about on this board. Since I couldn't access your profile. Please email me, this is for the preson with intials B.T. Thanks Tina
   — tchandler

March 25, 2006
I have tried "HOODIA" SEVERAL times over the last few months(different mg) & i found it didn't work at all !!!! I would take several pills at once 2-3X a day more than recommended dosage & NOTHING!!!! I found that it was worthless, don't waste your $$$, but its your choice...GOOD LUCK
   — DEBFINN