Question:
Is it normal to be hungry 2 hours after eating?

I am 12 days RNY post-op. I have only lost 17 lbs so far. I am on the pureed diet, I eat 3 oz of food at a time - 1 oz of 3 of the 4 food groups. 3 meals a day, no snacks. My problem is I get full after eating my meal but within 2 hours I am hungry again. I thought with this surgery I wasn't supposed to be hungry anymore. I had such high expectations and now am getting very discouraged. I know I'm not getting in enough water, would that help? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated... Thanks    — Danielle P. (posted on February 5, 2002)

February 5, 2002
Your weight loss is great!!! Although I am still pre-op, from my other WLS friends it sounds like you may need to drink more water. Good luck and things will get better:)
   — kelly7275

February 5, 2002
You sound like you are doing well weight loss wise. It's easy to get discouraged in the beginning because the surgery itself is so hard on a person. And it's such a huge adjustment mentally too. The first 4 weeks or so were really hard to me too. My Dr. didn't want me to drink straight juice, but water I would get sick on, so I was doing half apple juice and half water. It went down really well, and I still do it alot. It gets better. I'm 4 months out on the 8th and I'm 156 lbs now. Doing really well. It really is worth it and it works awsome. Please don't get discouraged. This sight helps alot, the people are awsome about giving encouragement. I should know, I posted lots of questions at first because I was so discouraged. Lots of love, Alicia
   — alicialeew

February 5, 2002
Your hunger pangs are probably what most post-ops refer to as head hunger. We spent years being obsessed with food and that isn't going to go away in a couple of weeks. It will take a little time for your body to adjust to your new stomach capacity and you begin to feel comfortable with the amount of food you can consume. And, you are probably at home recovering from surgery and not having much to do, so your mind will gravitate to your old habits. I thought a lot about food the first couple of weeks post-op. But thinking about it was all I did because I followed my Doctor's instructions and stuck to my timetable and weighed or measured everything just as I was supposed to do. It is all new to you and it will take a few weeks for you to get used to it. I am only 3 months post-op and I am hardly ever hungery anymore. I sometimes forget to eat and I almost always have to remind myself to eat. I am free of the food obsession and I am over joyed by that fact. When I go to the grocery store, which is once every two weeks now, where as pre-op it was 2 or 3 times every week, I just naturally seek out foods that are good for me. My old favorites don't even appeal to me anymore. I eat lots of fat free yogurt and sugar free popcicles and I make home made low fat soups because that is what I tolerate the best. You will do fine. It is too early for you to worry that WLS won't work for you. Give it time. Everyone loses at their own and different pace and you may be a slow starter who gains momentum as you go along. Others lose small amounts consistantly and still others lose quickly and then plateau. What matters is that you are losing and you will continue to lose and it is weight that will be gone forever. You also mentioned water intake. You need to get in as close to your 64 ounces as possible every day. Water helps flush your system and you'll get sick quicker from dehydration then you will from lack of food. It is hard at first to get all of that water in, so just do the best you can.
   — Susan M.

February 5, 2002
You might want to try smaller more frequent meals. We EXPECT to be hungry every 2 hours and eat accordingly. Tiny meals, not to "full", just comfy. 2-3 hours later, another tiny meal. Not grazing. No, the eating portion of the meal is "done" in 15-20 min. It is much more satisfying to most of us than starve & stuff routine some docs think will work for us. They don't live with a pouch. Maybe you can divide up your 9 oz of food into 4-5 meals?
   — vitalady

March 7, 2002
It isn't abnormal to feel some hunger after 2 hours, especially while on pureed foods, which will empty from your popuch faster than regular foods, especially if you take ANY fluids with your meal. Try sipping water frequently between meals because that will help relieve feelings of hunger. BTW, your weight loss is great.
   — Marcia Z.