is hunger pleasant or not?

[JackieOnLine]

I was surprised to hear people describe hunger as unpleasant - because I was always happy to BE hungry since it meant I now got to eat. and I love to eat.

apparently, I am always eating soon enough it doesn't become unpleasant. but for many - most, maybe - they dislike the feeling.

what is your experience? how has it changed with WLS?

this far out, I am back to where I was pre-op - I get a little hungry, I love that feeling, and I eat. since I have found that eating frequently is not only OK, it's best for me, this works.

 

[huneypie]

I don't like it and I guess that's why I didn't do well with the sleeve alone.

 

[Joanne]

I don't mind the "empty stomach" feeling kind of hunger - but more often I get VERY overall hungry, like the weak, need to eat now hunger. Don't like that at all.

 

[brooklyngirl]

I always found stomach hunger to be unpleasant, painful actually, especially when it hits in the middle of the night if I get up to go to the bathroom. My head hunger is much less than as a pre op, but tummy rumble hunger is the same, if not a little more frequently.

 

[JackieOnLine]

Feeling like that 24x7x365 is actually my greatest fear of living with the procedure

hopefully, nobody feels like that all the time - we need some DSers will talk about it but for me, it comes down to planning. if you always have food with you or know you can get it, then you should be able to avoid feeling "bad" hungry - really hungry, in fact.

would that feeling mean your blood sugar has tanked? because I know what I am shooting for is blood sugar that is as level as possible all day long. done by making sure I am eating protein (and fat) often. in fact, it is very infrequent that I eat, say, an apple - or anything - that is both low protein and low fat. and I only do that when I already have protein/fat in me. as a base for the day, I mean.

I'm saying breakfast and Second Breakfast are very important in making the whole day go well.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I always found stomach hunger to be unpleasant, painful actually, especially when it hits in the middle of the night if I get up to go to the bathroom. My head hunger is much less than as a pre op, but tummy rumble hunger is the same, if not a little more frequently.

I think head hunger is an entirely different thing. unless we don't mean the same thing? I think head hunger means wanting to eat when you aren't actually hungry.

needs it's own thread!

also: I was told more than once that I couldn't have felt real hunger when I was only one week post op but I think I did. I felt a little REAL hunger, took ONE sip of broth and I felt very very full.

but I know people's experiences are different.

 

[Jo777]

I actually don't mind it- but unless I'm too busy or intentionally not having food for a set amount of time- I don't get true belly hunger a lot. It's a 50-50 for me when I get it. I do often wake up with belly hunger, and kinda like that- but I usually just grab my coffee with Premier vanilla as creamer (I actually prefer this to what I was doing- half & half or cream/almond milk.. plus bonus protein..) and that stops my belly immediately. I get to work, and after the morning meeting I either eat an egg and bacon or some-such fat/protein.. Like you Jackie- I rarely eat anything that doesn't have a combo of fat or protein in the mix.. even if I'm having fruit- it's with full fat Fage or PB on it.

I occasionally go more than 6-8hrs between feedings, have even hit longer.. and if I get hungry- it's not the consuming OMG make it stop feeling, and it passes.. but when I start feeling tired.. I know- my body needs food.. and when I do sit down and actually eat, I get that nice warm *sigh* relaxed feeling within mins of fueling. I do carry an Ostrim meat stick in my purse for emergencies, but anymore.. I realize, it's not a biggie if I opt to skip a meal here and there.. If I've been off the wagon and eating sugar/wheat.. then I tank fast, but my normal fat/protein/veg/fruit as a dessert on occasion intake keeps those swings from happening.. so my body will more often signal hunger by making me empty rather than "hangry" like it used to be years ago.

 

[Jo777]

I think head hunger is an entirely different thing. unless we don't mean the same thing? I think head hunger means wanting to eat when you aren't actually hungry.

needs it's own thread!

also: I was told more than once that I couldn't have felt real hunger when I was only one week post op but I think I did. I felt a little REAL hunger, took ONE sip of broth and I felt very very full.

but I know people's experiences are different.

lol, head hunger for me is always.. I think early post-op, it was gone till one day a few months out I thought about, of all things, tobiko sushi.. and salivated.

I had true belly hunger start back from time to time at about 3-4mo post-op, but head hunger came back a little sooner.. and today, I have just as much if not more head-hunger than I ever did, but far less belly hunger. I think for me, part of it is the small meals.. I *could* eat every hour and satisfy that head-hunger, but mostly don't.. my belly however doesn't signal me to be hungry enough to keep myself healthy if I only ate when physically hungry as my intake per meal is so small (then again, if I would ever try it, I'd prob be one of those that get and stay uber-small..)

My husband, who is naturally lean pretty much only thinks to eat when hungry, so for him it's maybe 2x a day, sometimes only once.. funny how we are all wired differently. I used to hop on him years ago about his "snake meal" style, that it couldn't be good for him (despite the fact he was lean, and I certainly wasn't??) then lo and behold, today's metabolic studies are kinda backing up the eat when your body tells you, naturally.. he just intermittently fasted, before it had a name.

 

[brooklyngirl]

I think head hunger is an entirely different thing. unless we don't mean the same thing? I think head hunger means wanting to eat when you aren't actually hungry.

needs it's own thread!

also: I was told more than once that I couldn't have felt real hunger when I was only one week post op but I think I did. I felt a little REAL hunger, took ONE sip of broth and I felt very very full.

but I know people's experiences are different.

Definitely agree, head hunger and tummy rumble hunger are two totally different things! I felt the rumbles starting about 6 days post op I think, and it took a few sips of something with a little substance and it was gone. I feel it about 2-3 hours after eating these days.

 

[Happy DSr]

post surgery, I never again experienced the same "hunger pains (pangs?)" that I had pre-op. My tummy growls, but it also gurgles and rumbles when it processes the food, not when it is empty. I could easily go all day without feeling any hunger. I do notice weakness/lightheadedness, but making sure I have hydration solves that pretty quick. Some days I have to remind myself to eat, which is usually not too hard as I love food and can always knosh on some protein

 

[Happy DSr]

my DH always asks me if I amd hungry (when we are out or when a meal time is approaching - usually it is because he is getting hungry). My answer to him is always - "I am never hungry, but I can always eat!"

 

[southernlady]

The only time I get rumbly hunger is late at night and too damned lazy to get up and do anything about it. LOL

 

[bugirll]

I get weak and lightheaded when I'm really hungry. It's quite unpleasant.

 

[MsBatt]

The kind of hunger I had pre-op was constant, grinding hunger. Very unpleasant, and trying to make it go away got me SMO.

Post-op, my hunger is VERY different, and it can be very pleasant, if I don't try to ignore it too long. But if I try to put off eating too long, it can really whup my ass. I'm talking nausea, dizziness, the shakes---hypoglycemia, I guess, though I've never checked.

Fortunately, I'm rarely ever far enough from food for that to happen. (*grin*)

 

[Tabitha]

Before surgery, feeling hungry would make me feel really sick. I would get light headed, get the shakes, and feel awful. I also never felt satisfied unless I stuffed myself.
Post-op...I am rarely hungry. I force myself to eat, but if I get busy I have been known to forget it. And it takes very little to make me full. Every once in a while I get really hungry days where I feel like a ravenous wild beast....usually the week before my period, LOL. And then I am hungry like 2 hours after I eat.