Question:
Anyone else having problems knowing if they are full or hungry?

I am a little over 5 weeks out and I still have no clue if I am full or if I am hungry. I go to the gym every morning and do 35 minutes of cardio and lost around 32 pounds. At this point I am very stressed because I don't know if I am hungry or not, and when I do eat I have no clue if I am full because I feel the same way I did when I started eating. I am at the point that I only eat in the evening when its dinner time and a example of that would be a salad. I do get in my water, not very good with protein or other medicine. I guess I am just stressing because I am not eating all the much and I do exercise everyday but I am not losing anymore weigh. Has anyone else had any of my problems? -Shari 287/255/155    — lupe L. (posted on December 29, 2003)

December 29, 2003
Hi Shari...You will probably get quite a few responses..and I think they will all pretty much say the same thing...YOU MUST EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT...If you don't- Your body is going to tell itself it is starving and to HOLD ONTO ALL THE FAT IT CAN !! Eating nothing but a salad for a day is not even CLOSE to enough- 2nd You MUST MUST MUST work on your protein. You body MUST have protein, and you can get EXTREMELY ill if you don't- and I'll tell you, if you don't take you vitamins you are GOING TO LIVE TO REGRET IT. I did very good taking my vitamins for the first 6 months, then I got relaxed and "forgot" most of the time to take them. I am now experiencing neuroligical problems due to lack of B-12 (it only takes a minute to take them, don't mess yourself up by not doing it) as far as feeling full and not knowing when your hungry--- I FEEL you there. For some reason, my stomache no longer tells me when I'm FULL, so I need to weight and measure my food...Sooooooo make sure you try to eat more, (protein first) Take your vitamins- and don't be hard on yourself..This is all about trial and error/ a learning experience...Take Care Kim
   — WABBIT F.

December 29, 2003
my doctor said it takes a couple of months for the new stomach to really start working...meaning you might not feel hungry or full for about 2-3 months. it took me about 2 months to feel hungry and full.
   — franbvan

December 29, 2003
I agree with the previous poster, you must eat in order to lose and you must get in your protein and vitamins and minerals. You may feel like you don't need them now, but later on done the road you are going to wish that you had. I know it is hard. I am 5 weeks out also and down 33 lbs, but I look at it this way, I may be loosing slowly, but that gives by skin time to shrink too instead of having all that extra skin hanging around. Also as far as knowing if your hungry or not, I have the same problem and my surgeon's nutritionist made up a schedule for me to go by and eat and it helps. I measure out my food as the schedule says because I don't get a full feeling most of the time and if I do get a full feeling, it usually feels very uncomfortable and the surgeon said this mybe my "new full feeling" for awhile but that in a few months, I should be "normal". I hope this helps you.
   — KittyKatt

December 29, 2003
I did have the same problem with knowing if I was full or hungry..it went away after I started eating real foods (after 6 or 7 weeks out). You do need to eat more. Not only to lose weight, but to get the nutrition your body needs to be healthy. Your body is going thru alot right now, you need to be feeding it.
   — thekatinthehat

December 30, 2003
I am 5 1/2 months out and I have learned to eat very slow so it is easier to know when I am full. I eat only until I am comfortable then I stop. I eat 98% protein and I lose quicker when I drink a protein shake everyday. Otherwise my body holds onto the weight. I do not lose if I do not eat enough. Make sure you take your supplements as we can not eat enough nutrients in a day for our body. I feel better than I have in years - down 89lbs!! Just listen to your body and you will learn from trial and error. Take care! Laura/270/181lbs/goal 150lbs.
   — laurab

December 30, 2003
I over 2.5 years out, and I have NEVER had a good gauge on when I am full, nor does my sister who had the same R&Y surgery performed. I am either under or over (yes, I still throw up food when I am over full). I believe there are people like myself, who will forever have to measure or eyeball their food to determine if they are full or not. I am amazed when people say they can eata lot morefood on one day than another. This has not been true for me since I had my surgery performed. I have a friend who had the surgery performed six months after me, and she knows when she is full and when she isn't. Also, she can eat quite a bit more than I can at a sitting. Everyone is different, so I would recommend measuring out a small amount and then adding to it depending on how you are feeling. This may be a trial and error situation for a bit. Additionally, I had several long plateaus, and I never felt true hunger for over a year after surgery. We may belong to the same club! ;) The best to you in 2004!
   — sheron H.

December 30, 2003
I couldn't tell when I was full in the early months while I was measuring my food. When I stopped measuring my food at around 6 months, I started noticing that when I got full, the meal didn't taste good anymore and I felt like if I ate another bite, it would come back up. It still does that at 15 months out.
   — joeandteri