Question:
I often have a hard time getting full - no matter what protein, etc I eat.

Does anyone else find that they don't get as full as they should. I am almost 5 months out but have been able to eat at the least -a cup since 3 months post-op. I am a vegetarian, but eat eggs, & seafood. I can eat 2 eggs plus a handful of veggies & barely feel full. I never get sick from overeating either. My weight loss has slowed due to my increased hunger & ability to eat so much. I walk 5-6 times a week (30 min) & only lose maybe a pound a week on average now. Help!! My doctor has no answers.    — PETRA D. (posted on March 25, 2004)


March 25, 2004
Just because you aren't "full" doesn't mean you're "hungry". If you stop at one egg, are you okay or are you truly hungry? Personally, I have tried to avoid that "full" feeling you are seeking-it really doesn't feel good. Most of the time, I don't feel ANYTHING-not hungy, not full, not a thing. Is this what you're experiencing? I'm just trying to figure out if you feel satisfied yet crave feeling full? If so, are you seeing a nutritionalist or a psych? They may be able to talk this out with you. I hope this hasn't come out sounding judgemental, I'm certainly the last person to judge! (I drink, *GASP* , regular soda!) :0) I hope you get to the bottom of this.
   — jenn_jenn

March 25, 2004
I would increase the exercise. Join a gym and doing some serious cardio for 45 min a day 5x a week. Then increase as you get used to it.
   — mrsmyranow

March 25, 2004
Some of us never get that full feeling. It took me several years (I'm 4.5 years out RNY) to realize that for some of us, "full" means that feeling we used to get after a Thanksgiving dinner. However, to normies, "full" means being no longer hungry. Thanks to the restriction of the surgery, I finally understood that, and have accepted the "no longer hungry" feeling. Of course, if you ignore this feeling, it will usually come back up. How to achieve satiety when the head says eat and the body says stop? Eat small meals more often...even every 2-3 hours, if need be....or have a protein shake. It takes practice, but you'll get the hang of it. OK, that said, if you really feel you're able to eat way more than you should, have your mechanics checked.
   — Leslie F.

March 25, 2004
I'm about 6-1/2 months post-op, and started to feel hunger again at about 4 months, I think. That's when I began to eat more snacks, usually mid-morning and mid-afternoon, in addition to my regular meals. I started to be able to eat more at that time also. My weight loss has slowed considerably, but I expected it to do that, as I started as a lightweight. Having the regular snacks really helps me, and I try to make them protein-based, as that is better for us nutritionally, and they take longer to digest. Also, there are many times when I feel I can eat much more at a meal than at other times. My "big" meal of the day is usually lunch, and often I only eat a few bites of dinner. But sometimes dinner can be fairly big, too. I don't think your amounts sound that out of line, really, although everyone is different, both in their weight losses, and in how much they are able to eat. If you are really concerned, and go more than a month without losing, I would check this all out with your doctor. He/she can check your "mechanical" apparatus to make sure everything is as it should be. Best wishes. Lap RNY 9/11/03, 254/180/???
   — Carlita

March 25, 2004
Suggestion, WATER LOG YOURSELF....Drink water right up to the minute you are gonna eat. My nutritionist recommended this to me when I was 6 mos out, it helped. heather open rny 8-15-02 305/183/175
   — heathercross

March 26, 2004
Keep in mind that the softer the food, the more of it you can fit in, so if your eating soft eggs and soft seafood like fish, you will be able to eat more of it, than say chicken breast or hamburger (dense foods). I'm a believer that if you are hungry, eat. But be sure you know the "hunger" feeling as opposed to "I just feel the urge to eat more" feeling. Eat frequently, basically when hungry. I am 2 years post-op and eat about every 3 hours, sometimes less, sometimes more. Snacks such as an apple or peanut butter crackers or a protein bar would conform to vegetarian diets and are filling. And exercise? Unless you are power walking and getting the heart rate up there, while walking is good for overall health, it is not helping to burn those calories by boosting the metabolism. Try cardio-heart pumping exercise a few days a week, like a dance class, or treadmill.
   — Cindy R.

March 26, 2004
Have you ever heard of the "cottage cheese test". I work in a bariatric office. To do this test you need a cup of cottage cheese drained fill the cup full to the brim. eat for 5 minutes just so your full not where you get sick,just that full feeling, then pour water in the cup and measure the water in ounces - it should give you a estimated guess on how big your pouch is then start eating 2 meals a day according to the size of your pouch. I have done this. my pouch is 7 ounces. Good Luck:)
   — Skye P.

March 26, 2004
I just want to amend what Cindy said about walking as exercise. It is true that hard cardio burns more fat IN THE MOMENT OF EXERCISE than walking does. However, building up your muscles in general (either through weights or simple weight-bearing exercise, such as walking) does increase your metabolism because it just takes more calories to maintain muscle. Also, NASA did a study on walking while they were trying to determine ideal exercise for astronauts. What they found is that walking two full miles at a stretch switches the large muscle group in your legs and buttocks over from prefering to burn carbohydrates to prefering to burn fat as its fuel source. This affect will last from four to six hours after you stop walking. The key is that it must be a full two miles and it must be ocntinuous as the effect has to do with the number of repetitions of lifting our body weight in a row. (Unfortunately for astronauts, it also has to be at Earth's gravitational pull.) You're probably not getting a full two miles in during 30 minutes. At a decent walking pace, two miles will take 35 to 45 minutes, so trying increasing the length of your walks. While cardio is excellent exercise for a number of reasons, walking is also beneficial to burning fat. Do both for the best results.
   — Vespa R.

March 26, 2004
I was a vegan, but gave it up after finding that I have a serious hormone problem that lead to my weight gain within 7 years (never was obese until then). I also read that soy did not work with my medical conditions and cause increase weight gain. The best thing to do is find a nutritionist who is experienced with WLS and vegans (not all are). I had this option with my nutritionist, but decided it was too cumbersome. But if you are adament about being a vegetarian allow this type of professional to assist you so that your surgery will be a success. I admire your desire to remain a vegertarian!
   — Anna M.

March 26, 2004
you are "POST" RNY - with what you are describing you could have a non functional pouch; your food is going directly into your intestines.. which if is the case you will NOT ever get that full feeling and be able to eat more than your peers. Step one is to have your doctor order an Upper GI test to see if you have any pouch function. One "SIDE EFFECT" of having the RNY is what is basically the 'opposite' of stricture; your stoma did not reduce down after surgery, thus rendering your pouch non functiona. IF you are one of those poeople who have this problem, you will experince what you are describing.
   — star .




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