Good day all. I am 11 days in and feel like a failure! I am far more hungry then I expected I would be. I could not even get through 7 days of clear. I had an egg and I had some prtien shakes. My doctor told me as long as I tolerated it it's ok. I have no energy and am sad. Is this all part of the process?
11 days in
- Thread starter Claudia
- Start date
JudyNY
Member
Claudia, you are not a failure! Energy will take time to regain but you will regain it! After all you just had surgery. All doctors seem to have a different schedule for going from clear liquids to full liquids to mushies, etc. My doctor put me on full liquids on day 4 and it lasted 2 weeks. It included protein drinks, yogurt, diet pudding, strained soups, V8, etc. So I am glad you checked with your doctor before moving ahead of his schedule. However, I had the sleeve and it might be different for the other surgeries. Hang in there!
3momchaos
Member
I’m sorry your feeling like this! This is an incredibly difficult process no matter how prepared we feel before surgery. I am 2 weeks post op tomorrow, and my energy comes and goes, but when it goes, oh man, I can nap for HOURS and still sleep all night. I’m not really sad, but there are time when I’m missing the foods I would have had. But then I remind myself why I am going through this process, and that I won’t feel this way forever. My drs office did not require 7 days of clears, but 7 days of protein shakes plus clears, and now I can move onto pureeds, but I am hesitant. It’s always best to listen to your care teams instructions though. Which surgery did you have?
WazzuCoug
Member
Yeah, they don't really prepare people for the potential of the hunger feelings, especially with the sleeve. One thing is for sure, the surgery didn't fail you and you are not failing at what you are doing!
Not everyone feels those levels of hunger, but it isn't uncommon at all. There are several things going on. Your brain gets into a habit with food, and I think it often still expects you to eat just like you used to eat. The surgery does a lot to reset some of our hunger related hormones, but the effect varies a lot from person to person. I hate the term "head hunger" because it implies that we all had some sort of mental health issue with food, which simply isn't always the case. However, we do have years of eating habits that are well ingrained in our system and we have genetics that want to prevent us from losing weight. Right now you have a mix of hormones and adjustments going on that may take a while to settle down.
There were times during the first few weeks that I wondered if the surgery did anything at all. I certainly knew if I ate too much, I could feel it, but from the beginning I would get hungry and I felt like I was eating more than many people who talked about one or two spoonfuls and then being full. That wasn't me. I was eating 1/2 cup and then 3/4 cup of food when others who had the surgery at the same time I did were still having trouble eating 1/4 cup. However, I'm still down 65 lbs since surgery and 75 lbs overall after 16 weeks, so it's not all about how restricted you are or how much you eat compared to others.
Here are things that helped me then and still help me now when I feel hungry and I feel like I shouldn't be hungry (like it's only be an hour since I consumed something).
I can't say that has always cured my hunger, but if I'm hungry after all of that, I just live with it until my next meal (although I continue to sip water too). Over time, especially after I started eating real food, those weird and untimely hunger feelings went away and now I feel like my hunger pattern is pretty normal. I get hungry around the time when a snack or meal is appropriate. Do I never feel hungry at other times...of course I do, and then I follow my steps and if I have a snack, it's not a big deal. Don't stress over getting a few more calories.
As you progress and start incorporating real food, make sure you make good food choices and stay hydrated, those are the two most important parts of this journey.
Having been through some hunger ups and downs, I believe it will get better for you. Stick with the plan and make sure you are drinking a lot of water.
Oh, a side note on water. Try to drink plain water vs artificially sweetened drinks. Recent sudies in the last few years have demonstrated that artificial sweeteners cause hunger signals, sometimes intense hunger signals, in people (based on clinical research with humans). There was a very high correlation of being more hungry and actually eating more when people consumed artificially sweetened drinks. I am pretty sure, based on my own experience that it is a very real effect for many people (not all, but many). Artificial sweeteners are not great for the microbiome either, so the more you can minimize them, the better. In my opinion.
You'll get through this! It's possible you'll have some continuing hunger issues along the way, but it is still 100% possible reach your goals and then maintain them!
Best wishes!
Not everyone feels those levels of hunger, but it isn't uncommon at all. There are several things going on. Your brain gets into a habit with food, and I think it often still expects you to eat just like you used to eat. The surgery does a lot to reset some of our hunger related hormones, but the effect varies a lot from person to person. I hate the term "head hunger" because it implies that we all had some sort of mental health issue with food, which simply isn't always the case. However, we do have years of eating habits that are well ingrained in our system and we have genetics that want to prevent us from losing weight. Right now you have a mix of hormones and adjustments going on that may take a while to settle down.
There were times during the first few weeks that I wondered if the surgery did anything at all. I certainly knew if I ate too much, I could feel it, but from the beginning I would get hungry and I felt like I was eating more than many people who talked about one or two spoonfuls and then being full. That wasn't me. I was eating 1/2 cup and then 3/4 cup of food when others who had the surgery at the same time I did were still having trouble eating 1/4 cup. However, I'm still down 65 lbs since surgery and 75 lbs overall after 16 weeks, so it's not all about how restricted you are or how much you eat compared to others.
Here are things that helped me then and still help me now when I feel hungry and I feel like I shouldn't be hungry (like it's only be an hour since I consumed something).
- I sip water almost continuously for 30 minutes. If I am still hungry;
- I sip water and do something distracting like check out this forum and other bariatric sites, engage in a hobby, do some yard work or anything that keeps me away from food. I do that and continue to sip water for 30 minutes. If I am still hungry;
- I have a snack or a meal; I know I'm not lacking on water (which is often interpreted as hunger), and I assume that my body still needs something.
I can't say that has always cured my hunger, but if I'm hungry after all of that, I just live with it until my next meal (although I continue to sip water too). Over time, especially after I started eating real food, those weird and untimely hunger feelings went away and now I feel like my hunger pattern is pretty normal. I get hungry around the time when a snack or meal is appropriate. Do I never feel hungry at other times...of course I do, and then I follow my steps and if I have a snack, it's not a big deal. Don't stress over getting a few more calories.
As you progress and start incorporating real food, make sure you make good food choices and stay hydrated, those are the two most important parts of this journey.
Having been through some hunger ups and downs, I believe it will get better for you. Stick with the plan and make sure you are drinking a lot of water.
Oh, a side note on water. Try to drink plain water vs artificially sweetened drinks. Recent sudies in the last few years have demonstrated that artificial sweeteners cause hunger signals, sometimes intense hunger signals, in people (based on clinical research with humans). There was a very high correlation of being more hungry and actually eating more when people consumed artificially sweetened drinks. I am pretty sure, based on my own experience that it is a very real effect for many people (not all, but many). Artificial sweeteners are not great for the microbiome either, so the more you can minimize them, the better. In my opinion.
You'll get through this! It's possible you'll have some continuing hunger issues along the way, but it is still 100% possible reach your goals and then maintain them!
Best wishes!
You are a godsend! Thank you for replying and for your tips and kind words. No one was telling me they felt hunger. No one was telling me they could consume more. No one was telling me they were never nauseous. Your words bring me great relief. I know this is not easy. I know this is a long road. And I feel confident I can do it, I just didn't know if something wad wrong with me. I thought I would be the 1 in 1,000,000 case that the surgery simply did not work. You have inspired me to fight another day. Thank you
WazzuCoug
Member
Your welcome. There are so many different experiences. I spend a lot of time on Reddit and Facebook groups, and there are plenty of people going through something similar to you. I've only gotten nauseous once, fairly early on, and like I mentioned, I definitely felt hungry more than I thought I was going to, and I even wondering if something was wrong based on the amount of food I seemed to tolerate, but I adjusted and things are moving along just fine. You can too. The surgery will help you get there. Be patient, eat good foods, stay hydrated and keep working on lifelong habits.
TraceyT
Member
Hi Claudia - welcome to the group!
You're not a failure. You're human - just like the rest of us. The hunger can impact each of us differently. Some get hungry - some never seem to get hungry.
If your Dr. is ok with you eating an egg and drinking protein shakes - then talk to your surgical team about options for your hunger. They should be able to point you in the right direction for curbing your hunger. You GOT this!
JGranger
Member
Simply by having the surgery and being here, you've proven you are not a failure. I am 7 weeks today since my surgery and I am just getting to the point where I feel hunger, but I definitely felt tired the first few weeks. Not only was I only eating a few hundred calories per day, it turned out my iron was low, so at my three week appointment my surgeon put me on iron supplements. Things will most definitely get better for you, and before you know it the most annoying thing in your life will be not having any clothes small enough to wear! In the mean time, follow your surgeon's instructions as closely as you can, and you will be well on your way to a healthier life.