WLS Question – Why Am I So Hungry One Day and Not The Next?

Advice please…..

Why is it somedays I feel like I can eat an elephant and others I can’t even eat a snail??!! This scares me…got me thinking my pouch has stretched. What is going on?? Any advise would be great. Thank you. I’m 8 months post-op from DS.

– Carla

Yes, Carla…it IS completely normal to feel so hungry one day and not the next.

The fear I want to relieve from you is the idea that you’ve stretched the stomach. It’s far, FAR more difficult to stretch such a resilient organ than fears tell us. Layers and layers of muscle. This is why we throw up instead of explode  

By the way, this makes me think of an old Myth Busters episode when they test pop rocks and soda making a stomach explode! The myth was busted…

Instead of overthinking the hungry days as something being wrong, I would just pay extra attention to how to treat it. Some days we wake up tired, so we take a shower, open up the windows, listen to some upbeat music, take a walk if we can…tools that help us combat feeling tired.

Some days we feel more hungry. The tools for those days would be more water, identify true hunger versus head hunger, don’t be afraid to eat more of the meat or low-fat cheese you need to fill up, (I wouldn’t drink shakes because they don’t stay in the stomach long so the hunger will come back sooner). You get the idea. Don’t let it scare you, just focus on how to handle it well and know that it will pass again. Keep your meal pattern as consistent as possible. If you aren’t hungry one day, eat three meals anyway even if very small amounts…don’t skip. If you are super hungry the next, push fluids in between your meals but don’t beat yourself up if you need a cheese stick or a boiled egg to get to your next meal.

*While it IS difficult to truly stretch the stomach organ, you CAN stretch the stoma or the opening of the pouch. Lots of carbonated drinks may be the culprit here. This can cause heartburn since acid can more easily kick up into the esophagus. It can also allow you to fit more food or large bites in but the overall restriction would still exist. Thus still making post-op eating behaviors of small bites and eating slowly incredibly important to tap into the restriction and feel your best after meals. 

At the end of the day it’s all about staying on track with the basics:

Its true, bariatric programs differ on the post-op recommendations. For the same reason that pediatricians say different things. Doctors have different feelings, approaches and mindsets. You have the find the one that works best for you.

For more information on the best plan for weight loss after surgery (including losing re-gain) join the members side of FoodCoach.Me for full access to my video course library!