Return of hunger after bariatric surgery

Surprisingly, no hunger

Bariatric patients are often surprised that they don’t feel any hunger after the surgery. It is a very confusing time when you are used to eating, your head is messing up with you when you should be eating, it’s lunch, snack, or dinner time, but you do not feel any hunger at all. But it can be quite the opposite. Just thinking about eating is making you nauseous and anything on the plate directly disgusts you.

I know what I am talking about. I had it like this for months. I felt overeaten after three bites, literally three, and I had still a lot of food on the plate. I didn’t want to eat. I was the most happy when I was somewhere away and didn’t have “time” to eat. I felt happy, it was easy and I didn’t have to be worried about what would make me feel sick like a dog. I am not telling it here to ask for praise, it is a pure description of how I felt the first maybe 8 months after the surgery. It was not an easy time for me.

Real hunger or head hunger?

I have seen people saying a month after the surgery that they are dying of hunger, that they are never full, never satisfied. It is a little weird, the surgeon cut a lot of your stomach and the part that produces hunger hormones is missing in the great part. So the so-called hunger is not likely to be coming from here. It is much more probable that it is only head hunger. You think that you should be eating much more, everybody else around you is eating, so yes, you should be too – no, you don’t have to, and that is where this feeling of hunger most likely comes from.

Distinguishing between real hunger and head hunger is a master lesson for every bariatric patient. The beginning is really hard. No doubt about that. I have a full post about it here : https://bariradka.com/2024/07/29/hunger-management-real-or-head-hunger/

When it will come back?

I asked when I should be feeling some real hunger again and the surgeon told me that it is likely that after the first year, something like that is likely to come back. I should learn how to deal with this. So I was all prepared waiting for the real stomach signal, but nothing. It was a year, then another three months, then six months. And nothing happened.

I asked again and they told me that I might be one of the few people who will never feel hunger again. Is this even possible? They told me that yes. It has been 2,5 years now and indeed, still no pangs of hunger. I can go two days without food (don’t recommend this, it was a test) and no, no hunger at all.

It needs a system!

So I stayed within the system I developed after the first six months when I was supposed to eat and drink at certain times and I never felt like it. I have alarms set in my phone and they rule my day. When the phone beeps, it is time to act. I check what it is, the food or drinks are prepared in the fridge, so I go, take it out, and get it inside. Yes, it is annoying, but if I didn’t do this, I would easily go a whole day without food. I tried and I ended up like this. So this is not the way.

You will learn to deal with it

Most people go back to some level of hunger and they learn to work around it. It can be a little difficult when your body starts to send hunger signals more frequently than it  “should”. Then the way to is to explore meals that are loaded with protein, as it makes you feel full longer. At least they told me this is the strategy.

The feeling of hunger can be very individual and differ from one person to another. But during the first year, you learn to understand your body quite well, you know what is ok, what is not, what is heading to disaster, and what you shouldn’t be doing. And it is the same when you start feeling hungry. It is something new for you and you have to learn again how to navigate around it safely.

You are not likely to gain weight

What is it? Real hunger, head hunger, craving, am I bored, emotional, what is going on here? And go from there. It is a process and you won’t learn it in a week. Sometimes you will make mistakes and you will learn from the lessons. It will be the same as when you were learning what you can eat and what not. Patients are often scared that they will gain the weight back.

It is not likely if you are still doing what you should be doing, eat whole meals, prioritize protein, add veggies, have a treat now and then, add a protein shake when necessary and you will be fine. Be very aware of old habits, they can be very clever and start sneaking in without you ever noticing, and all of a sudden you have gained 5 pounds.

Check your weight periodically

That is why stepping on the scales at least once a week is a good idea. Just to check how things are going. If your hunger is back, you are entering into a new chapter. You will have to learn to eat the way that you are not hungry, but that you don’t gain weight at the same time. It can be a little bumpy road at the beginning.

Nutritionist is your friend

Maybe you won’t know how to do it. You might gain a little. It is ok, nobody in the world knows it all. If you are lost and things are falling out of hand, don’t be ashamed and ask for help. Do you remember your old friend’s nutritionist? Bingo! That one. Call them, have an appointment, and take things over. They know what to do and how to navigate this new thing. That is why they are on the team and they will sure help you. Just act early so that you don’t have to lose 20 pounds later. That would be really unfortunate.

How are you going with the Hunger Games? Has it come back? Or are you like me and still nothing? This is a very interesting topic. Let me know 🙂