Hungry all the frigging time

[Terabith]

So, I had a hysterectomy 8 weeks ago.  Kept one ovary, and I haven't noticed any hormonal issues.  But ever since about five days after the surgery, I have been hungry ALL THE TIME.  Ravenously hungry.  We don't even own a scale, so I'm not sure if I'm losing weight or not.  (Which...that would be awesome.  But I don't know if I'm losing or gaining.  With the amount I'm eating, I would expect gaining.)  I slept late this morning, so I skipped breakfast.  But for lunch I had some almonds, some carrots and hummus, blueberries, and a couple chips ahoy cookies.  For dinner, we had a chicken/ rice/ cream of mushroom soup casserole thing with steamed broccoli and fresh cherries.  I had a scoop of ice cream a couple hours later.  I've drunk a ton of water, although I did have a pepsi today as well.  I have been fairly sedentary.  (I know I need to exercise more.  I just haven't really gotten back into the swing of it post surgery clearance.)  I'm ravenous.  I'm significantly overweight, but before surgery, fasting was pretty easy for me.  I didn't get all that hungry very often, and I didn't eat all that much at any particular time.  Now, they also removed a 20 lb ovarian cyst that was compressing everything internally, so I've sort of figured this is sort of like a reverse lap band and that my stomach just has all this more space now.  But I would have thought by now my body would have acclimated.  

[Rosie_0801]

It seems natural to me that a body trying to recover from major abdominal surgery would demand ingredients to work with.

[gardenmom5]

I would focus on quality protein.

 

[klmama]

Hmmm.... I don't think it sounds like you actually ate very much food today, so it doesn't surprise me that you are hungry.  However, you mentioned having some cookies, ice cream, and soda.  That may be part of your hunger - when I have sugar, I get completely ravenous.  I need to eliminate the sugar to not feel so hungry.  I find if I have some eggs or other animal protein at breakfast (or lunch, if I skip breakfast), that helps a lot.      

[Terabith]

I just ate some more carrots and hummus and drank a glass of milk.  I'll try upping protein and cutting sugar.  

[moonflower]

It doesn't sound like much food to me either, but I've also been nursing or pregnant or both for 8.5 years

Unless by scoop of ice cream you mean pint of ice cream, which is sometimes what I mean by scoop of ice cream 🙂  but if you're talking normal 400 cal or so scoop, no, that doesn't sound like an enormous amount of food

I think your reverse lap band theory might be right, though

[Tanaqui]

Healing takes energy. You just had major surgery. Your body needs food.

That said, I'd focus on fiber and protein to stay full.

[Pawz4me]

I'm not a worshipper of protein (and that's an under statement) but I need a lot more complex carbs than you're eating in order to feel satisfied. That much simple sugar combined with lack of complex carbs would leave me feeling both a tiny bit nauseous and ravenous. Also, for me not getting in a decent amount of calories by mid afternoon is a recipe for disaster in the evening. It doesn't work for me to go into my most tired/least willpower part of the day hungry. I do best if I eat a larger lunch.

[freesia]

I agree with the others—the combo of not enough food with a lot of simple carbs.  Have you ever had blood sugar problems?  My hunger was dramatically cut when I went low carb. Insulin makes you very hungry.  Hummus, in particular, is prime for me to feel ravenous bc of blood sugar spikes.

Every body is different, though. But I would concentrate on adding fat and protein to help your body heal and cut back on the sugar and carbs and see how you feel.

Edited August 13, 2019 by freesia

[73349]

That doesn't sound like a lot of food to me. Maybe you just got used to not being able to eat normally? Or the pepsi messed with your blood sugar?

I'd try something like celery and peanut butter for a snack.

[StephanieZ]

The meals you describe are desperately short of good (or any) fats. Fats create a feeling of fullness. I'd add significant fats to your diet for several days and see if that helps. Avocados, full fat dairy, nuts and nut butters, meats -- especially bacon/sausage/other fatty stuff. If you're willing to pay extra, I'd aim for organics/free range for dairy and meats since animal fats accumulate toxins, so if you're upping your animal fats, it's best to avoid those treating with chemicals/medications. If you're willing, I'd cut out as much of the sugars/empty starches (non whole grain starches, sugars, etc) as you can, since you are overweight & carbs drive weight gain. 

I second Rosie's comment that your body needs extra nutrition and calories to heal from major surgery. 

I'd buy a scale and/or start doing regular body measurements (maybe waist + thigh) to monitor whether you really are gaining or losing. 

FTR, I have waffled between 20 lb overweight and "normal" BMI over my adult life. I'm currently near the lowest body weight I've been in my adult life (BMI of 23), and I eat more fat now than I ever did before, and I eat "whatever I want". I just buy full fat stuff instead of lower fat as I did for 20 years or so. I only buy full fat dairy, eat tons of butter, etc. I still eat sugars/starches freely, but I also exercise a LOT. (About 10-12 hours/wk of vigorous exercise.) So, I don't have to "control" my eating, and whenever I'm hungry, I eat what I want. But, if I didn't burn 5000 or more calories a week exercising, I wouldn't likely be able to do that long term w/o gaining. 

[Katy]

You're recovering from major surgery and you need more protein. Think about what you ate today and aim for at least 60 grams, preferably 100+.  Ideal for recovery is  1 gram for every gram pound of lean body mass.  So if you weigh 180 & your bodyfat is 35%, you'd aim for about 117 grams of protein.  Obviously if you have some genetic condition that prevents you from breaking down excess protein ignore this advice.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Katy
Clearly I am incapable of coherent writing when there's a fussy toddler around.

[gardenmom5]

the other thing of which to be aware, sugar interferes with the satiation receptors in the brain.  if you're eating sugar/sweets (incl. fruit) - you'll naturally eat more because your brain doesn't realize you're full.  

[Matryoshka]

I'll agree with everyone else on the sugar and simple carbs being the culprit.  Although I wouldn't blame the hummus as much as others - a serving has just 3 net grams of carbs and Zero sugar (unless you're getting some kind of hummus with added sugars and other non-normal hummus ingredients).  Admittedly, I usually eat 2 'servings' worth at a sitting, but that's still only 6 net carb grams, which is very low. And hummus also has healthy fats, which moderate carb uptake. Of course, it will defeat the purpose if you eat it with lots of carby things like chips  that's more likely where a sugar spike is coming from.

[ktgrok]

Hummus is great but you need more almonds, eggs, meat or greek yogurt or soy or something. Protein is what your body uses to heal. 

[freesia]

But every body is different and reacts to carbs differently.  Hummus definitely spikes my blood sugar (I test) and makes me hungry.  It may not be the hummus, though.  Potatoes spike my sugar, corn products less so.  It's really individual.

And fat really helps regulate how carbs work--definitely add fat if you are hungry.

[Matryoshka]

19 minutes ago, freesia said:

But every body is different and reacts to carbs differently.  Hummus definitely spikes my blood sugar (I test) and makes me hungry.  It may not be the hummus, though.  Potatoes spike my sugar, corn products less so.  It's really individual.

And fat really helps regulate how carbs work--definitely add fat if you are hungry.

It is completely true that different bodies react differently to carbs (and other things).  Hummus (at least per serving) contains very few carbs to react to or spike anything, though.  It contains more grams of fat than carbs, and a high ratio of fiber.  I guess if you ate a lot?  I limit my portions by drawing little lines in the tub - it is easy to eat a lot of it.  Though I'd still guess it's more likely what you are eating with the hummus that's spiking your blood sugar - unless you're eating the hummus with a spoon?

Edited August 13, 2019 by Matryoshka

[freesia]

5 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

It is completely true that different bodies react differently to carbs (and other things).  Hummus (at least per serving) contains very few carbs to react to or spike anything, though.  It contains more grams of fat than carbs, and a high ratio of fiber.  I guess if you ate a lot?  I limit my portions by drawing little lines in the tub - it is easy to eat a lot of it.  Though I'd still guess it's more likely what you are eating with the hummus that's spiking your blood sugar - unless you're eating the hummus with a spoon?

I usually eat it with salad now—and only a couple of tablespoons.  Maybe I’ll try testing again.  I’m feeling hopeful that maybe I was wrong. 

[Terabith]

I usually eat hummus with carrots, sugar snap peas, or bell peppers.

[sweet2ndchance]

12 hours ago, Terabith said:

I had some almonds, some carrots and hummus, blueberries, and a couple chips ahoy cookies.  For dinner, we had a chicken/ rice/ cream of mushroom soup casserole thing with steamed broccoli and fresh cherries.  I had a scoop of ice cream a couple hours later.  I've drunk a ton of water, although I did have a pepsi today as well. 

How much is "some"? A handful? A cup or so? Half a bag? My idea of "some" and dh's idea of "some" are often starkly different. Everyone's idea of "some" is likely different.

Here is what I imagine from your description:

some almonds would be a handful (15 - 20 maybe, I'm imagining smaller store bought almonds)

some carrots and hummus would be maybe a cup or so of baby carrots and a couple of tablespoons of hummus (if I was feeling hungry it might be more like a 1/4 cup (4tbsp)) 

blueberries would be a cup or so of store bought or maybe a handful of plump fresh picked

a couple of chips ahoy cookies (you've got will power or lots of kids to help you if you only had the 2 - 3 cookies I'm imagining lol Cookies are my nemesis)

chicken and rice casserole (I'm imagining one serving which would be a cup or so of the rice mixture and a single breast or if the meat is cut up, maybe a heaping cup or so of casserole)

steamed broccoli (1/2 a cup or so)

fresh cherries (a handful, 6 - 10 maybe)

a scoop of ice cream (1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on how big your scoop is)

Pepsi (a 12 oz can?)

 

So I see maybe one serving of protein at lunch, maybe. Between the hummus and the almonds you might have had one serving of protein. Between the carrots and blueberries you might have had one fruit and veggie serving. Not much of a lunch. I wouldn't expect anyone to be full on just that. Even with the cookies.

So dinner looks pretty good. You've got some protein, fats, carbs, fruits and veggies. Not bad so long as you didn't go overboard on the carbs or try to skimp on the servings trying to "be good" about your diet.

Did you eat the ice cream out of habit or because you were hungry? Dh and I both have issues with eating out of habit rather than hunger. It happens sometimes you just have to keep trying to remind yourself that you don't need to eat out of habit. Habits don't need to eat. :-)

We gave up soda a couple of years ago but I don't think a single soda now and then is a bad thing. Even though dh and I gave up soda, we still let the kids have some from time to time. Usually when we eat out when we travel so it's not often. The combination of cookies, ice cream and soda in a single day though might not have been the best choice and the spike in blood sugars from them could definitely contribute to feeling hungry all the time.  

The amount of food I see in your description is roughly two snacks, a single meal and a dessert. No matter what your weight is, that's not enough food to sustain you. And it is definitely not enough post surgery to help your body heal! Even those of us trying to lose weight need to eat, even when you are sedentary. My dh is mostly sedentary due to a medical condition right now and he is trying to unlearn bad habits as well that haven't help. Fasting to lose weight is rarely the answer. It is better to focus on good food choices that are filling and healthy rather than try to limit your food intake to the point that you are hungry all the time and are even more tempted by those edible guilty pleasures.

You might want to look into talking with a dietitian to get a better idea of what it is healthy and normal to eat in a day at your weight and health condition. I think you might be surprised at what a dietitian would suggest for you to eat in day while losing weight. 

[Terabith]

The almonds were in a single serving package/ sleeve labeled 250 calories.  Not sure about how much hummus and carrots.  Probably 3-4 Tablespoons of hummus?  About a cup of blueberries, maybe two handfuls of fresh cherries or so.  I think it was two cookies.  I don't really like chips ahoy cookies much, but I was hungry and they were easy and there.  The ice cream was a scoop from the ice cream store.  It was a high class, expensive ice cream store, and it really is a fairly small scoop.  We went out for ice cream because we were all still hungry.  Broccoli was about a half cup.  Chicken, rice, and mushrooms was about a chicken breast and 2/3 to a cup of rice.  I had a glass of whole milk before bed.  

I don't drink soda very often, but ever since the surgery, I need a dose of miralax a couple times a week, and the texture in water is gross.  So I pretty much only drink soda when I'm doing that.  

[Mbelle]

I went through a hungry..more like starving phase.  I was trying to lose weight and I did up my protein.  I had to give it up and yet I was still starving.  I mentioned it to my endocrinoligist ( I have hypothyroid) and although my thyroid was in ideal range he restested and did even more test.  My insulin/blood sugar was close to borderline bad.  I take metformin now and have no had any other spells of being starving.

 

edited: typos/wrong word

Edited August 13, 2019 by Mbelle