Question:
has anyone taken any thing ove rthe counter for hunger and if so what

   — icannie (posted on January 16, 2003)

January 16, 2003
I'm not out as far as you so I haven't gotten my full hunger back yet, but I would hate to see you try the 'gimmicks' that got us here in the first place. Have you tried 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day instead? When you get hungry, drink a glass of milk really quickly and see if that helps. Is it head hunger that maybe excercise can help with. Try having a mid morning snack of only protein. And if all else fails go over the pouch rules again ( I think it's at www.pouchrulesfordummies.com) Good luck! You are doing great!
   — Dana B.

January 16, 2003
A couple of things here. One is that, unfortunately, hunger does come back. Mine returned at about 6 months postop and, although it is not the same as preop hunger, it was disappointing. One thing that I did to help was to increase my protein to 100 grams a day. I also went to eating only protein for breakfast. The reason is this: If I start the day with carbs, I crave them all day long. I eat more carbs and just MORE. So I went to protein only for breakfast (cheese, eggs, refried beans, deli meat, cottage cheese, etc.) and the carb cravings died down. I also started eating more often. My body was HUNGRY! So for a month or so, I went to eating every 2 hours. I did eat less food but just more often. If you do this keep an eye on your total calories to make sure you don't balloon up. That means making careful choices that include lean protein and plenty of non-starcy fruits and veggies. You don't need pharmaceutical assistance. You can do it!
   — ctyst