Question:
I am 9 days post op, when will my extreme hunger go away?

I feel so hungry all day. I try to hold myself back when I open the fridge, but I just want to grab everything and stuff my face! I feel like i am on a regular diet that I know I cant keep up. When I it down and eat my meal, which is 2 ounces of pureee, I can never finish it though. I am miserable when my family eats, when my husbands makes pork chops and on the grill, I want to grab them off the grill and eat it right off the bone. Will this extreme hunger go away? It is getting so hard to deal with this. I feel I am on one of those stupid diets in the past.    — Laurie L. (posted on November 17, 2001)

November 16, 2001
Laurie, It sounds like you need to chill out and try to redirect your attention. Your relationship with food is forever changed and you need to realize that. You are doing great with a 25 lb loss already!!! I know what you are talking about though. Eating pureed food is not satisfying but necessary right now. When you get to move on to real food, even though it is a tiny bit, you will be eating what your family is eating. Try to concentrate on the losing part of this adventure and step outside when your family is cooking something that smells yummy. As for people noticing just a 25 lb loss, I started at 305 lbs so everyone talked about seeing the loss in my face for the longest time. So be patient, soon, and I do mean soon, people will be asking how you are losing the weight and telling you how great you look. It is very early in your journey (I'm only a few months in front of you) so relax, feel smug that you have made such a brave decision, follow the rules and watch the weight melt off. Good luck to all us losers!!!
   — wilkywanch

November 16, 2001
i cant speak from the WLS experience yet, surg dec 6, but i can tell you from past diets..that feelings are just feelings. Wow the smell of good food..what it does to you!!!! From what my WLS supporters have told me, this too will pass..sure it smells wonderful and we know it tastes wonderful..but if you can 'DRILL INTO YOUR BRAIN" that its only for awhile...say goodby..and one day say hello but to smaller portions...that is, if your system can tolerate what you desire...Good luck...I know it can't be easy. But keep thinking better health, better days, and better looks ahead!!!
   — Jackiis

November 17, 2001
You are suffering head hunger. Your brain is telling you to eat as you did in the past. It eventually goes away. Took me a month or so to adjust, and it was terrible during the 10 day clear liquid diet. Once I started eating good food it just slowly went away. Worst was watching my wife eat..... Try to distract yourself and concentrate on the goal, a slimmer healthier YOU!
   — bob-haller

November 17, 2001
I am also 9 days post-op. I am hungry, too. But I just was able to add an egg and 1/2 piece of lightly buttered no-crust toast to my daily diet of broth/jello/water. Today, I had broth/jello for breakfast. Drank my 20 oz. of water inbetween that and lunchtime. At lunchtime I made a scrambled egg and 1/2 pc. toast. Well, I was able to get about 90% of the egg down and couldn't even touch the toast. I felt like I was getting nauseous. In my other life, I would have forced down that egg and eaten the toast, just because I was allowed to have it. I waited 1/2 hour and started drinking my next 20 oz. of water before dinner. My dinner tonite is broth/jello and that is it. I do get hungry....but it is mostly head hunger. Don't forget, we are only 9 days into our NEW bodies. We have to adjust our eating habits and try to decipher what is real hunger and what is head hunger. Most of the time, it is head hunger. Good luck.
   — Dianne K.

November 17, 2001
I don't know if this will help, but take the light bulb out of the fridge... if you can't see it as well your less likely to want it.
   — [Anonymous]

November 17, 2001
How much protein supps are you getting in? Getting in your basic 60g will help a LOT with the real hunger, as in needing nourishment. But wanting food is NATURAL. This is not an unnatural or mental illness thing here. It's real. Can you have perhaps mashed potatoes with a bit of the pork gravy? Or even packaged pork gravy? You wouldn't get much food value, but if you're getting the nutrition supplementally, then the head hunger things might be brought under control by getting close, but within your guidelines. ???
   — vitalady