Gastric ByPass/VSG/LapBand

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Is there something wrong with me?

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ErinShannon
ErinShannon Posts: 158 Member
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I have numerous friends/relatives that have had weight loss surgery of some sort, be it the band, sleeve or gp. From talking with them and reading things online, I was under the impression I wouldn't be hungry after the surgery or that my cravings would go away.

Well I am 11 days post op and I do get hungry. Like yesterday for example, I ended up in the ER just to make sure my muscle spams in my legs weren't clots and so I had gone 9 hours without food/drink (spent over 4 hours in ER and they forgot about me...grrr) and by the time we left I was so hungry but it actually hurt. Of course I can't "eat" (really drink since I am still on liquids) much - I can only do 6 oz of protein at this time.

And today we drove past a restaurant and I could smell the chicken and it actually smelled good and I kinda craved it but wouldn't even think of touching it - I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my tool. I've worked too hard for it. As I said I am still on liquids at this point.

So is there something wrong with me that I can feel hungry and still get cravings?

Thanks, Erin

Replies

  • rhondadwyer69
    rhondadwyer69 Posts: 74 Member
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    There is NOTHING wrong with you - I had band surgery back in May and I do get hungry and I most certainly have cravings!!! The surgery is to help you with portion sizes and to help you eat until you are full. Do you have a support group you can join at your surgeons office or the hospital you had your surgery at? I strongly suggest you get connected with a support group bec/this is one of those things that you would discuss with other patients and find that you are normal. Have a great day and don't worry, YOU ARE NORMAL!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • ErinShannon
    ErinShannon Posts: 158 Member
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    I live in the boonies ...lol...the hospital I had my surgery at is 3 hours away. They do run a support group up here once a month though, I missed it this month cause it's always the first Weds of the month and I was still recuperating. But I plan on being back to it for October! :-)
  • JfMarrs
    JfMarrs Posts: 110 Member
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    Since surgery I always got hungry when I smelled food, but I knew I couldn't eat it if I tried so I assumed that is what is known as head hunger not real hunger. Since surgery I have more or less had to make myself eat every few hours as well as force myself to constantly sip water. I think you'll find when you first start eating dense food like chicken or beef you will get full very, very quickly and if you eat just another bite you will wish you didn't for a little while at least that it was how it was with me. There is nothing wrong with you at all, your brain is still thinking you can eat, it hasn't had time to figure it out yet. :)
  • JimLeonardRN
    JimLeonardRN Posts: 296 Member
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    I do that too! But I think it's more the mind than anything else.
  • gspea
    gspea Posts: 412 Member
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    I do that too - even 2 months out from lapband. I know alot of it is my mind. I an still trying to re-train the brain. this is a process - you can't expect to have it all in place in just a few days. You will do fine - listen to the others above. It is a tool and we have to learn how to use it. I did hit that point of where if I put one more bite in my pouch was going to make me sorry. So another learning opportunity! :tongue:
  • mommycline
    mommycline Posts: 106 Member
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    Everyone is different. My husband had terrible head hunger and was super grouchy after his surgery. I had none. Stay strong.
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
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    Nope. Nothing wong with you. I am always hungry, too. Even from day 1 and I'm now 4 years out. And despite that, I reached goal and have stayed at goal for 3 years.
  • TriciaAllen7251
    TriciaAllen7251 Posts: 283 Member
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    I am with you. I am 13 months out and still deal with head hunger and cravings. There have been times I have given in to the head hunger and boy have I paid for it. I try to remember those "wonderful" times of "refunding" what I ate. Don't do it. It's not worth it. Just do the best you can and remember, this is a marathon not a sprint. You can do this and the band will be your best friend and at times your worst enemy. I love my band today.
  • _kim68_
    _kim68_ Posts: 12 Member
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    I started feeling hunger pains about 4 weeks after my RNY. I usually feel them at least once or twice a day.
  • mandynsnuf
    mandynsnuf Posts: 81 Member
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    You are normal :) Unfortunately the surgery fixes our guts and not our brains :(
    Mandy
  • Arthemise1
    Arthemise1 Posts: 365 Member
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    I still get hungry a lot and get cravings, just not as bad. I have to diet like I always used to, but it's more manageable now.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    Nope nothing wrong with you. Starting at about 4 weeks out I started getting real tummy growling hungry. I can tell the difference between head hunger and real hunger...and I for sure get real hunger. Not as frequently or as severe as I did before surgery...but enough that it gets my attention when I have gone too long without eating anything. Of course, I really don't have any issues with food anymore. I can pretty much eat anything, just not as much of it as before. I have to be really diligent and pay attention to what I am eating, but I think my tool is helping me to stay on track..which is exactly what it is supposed to do :)
  • jmwolffyy
    jmwolffyy Posts: 212 Member
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    I noticed it within hours of waking up from surgery!!! My husband turned on the TV and there was the most beautiful (fake) pizza. I could almost smell it, and I kept thinking "why in the world would I ever think I wanted pizza right now?" Until I figured out that we are constantly bombarded with images like this and told how wonderful each food is... It's no wonder we learn to eat with our minds (our senses) rather than with the reality of our bodies. We see the cheese bubbling and the steam rising, we smell the great scents of hot cheese and pepperoni, and our salivary glands go into overtime wanting to taste it. That all happens WAY above the stomach. So it is real hunger, but it is hunger for what we have been programmed to want over all our years of being exposed to commercials and billboards and even the smells as we drive past the restaurants! I tell myself that even in the worst case scenario, once I can eat real food, if I still absolutely crave something, I can take one or two bites of it and allow that to meet that craving, and then add something healthy with it to complete my meal.

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