5 weeks out, feeling increasingly hungrier as the weeks go by

I've been feeling the stomach grumbling and the overall "hungry" feeling lately. This started within the last 2 weeks or so. I've been taking my omeprozole daily so I don't think it's acid. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's hunger. I have it when I wake up in the morning, I eat some yogurt, it goes away, then comes back about 1-2 hours after each meal...every time disappearing immediately after each one. I'm wondering if maybe I should stop trying to ignore it? I'm currently eating 3 meals a day (2-3 oz per meal, mostly fish and chicken) and around 8pm I have a string cheese to stop the grumbling about an hour or 2 before bed. I've also been drinking Lemon Tea protein powder throughout the day, 2 scoops per day. Should I eat another small meal during the day? Maybe in the afternoon? Do I ignore it? What should I be doing differently?

You should eat every 2 or 3 hours.  Something fat free. Maybe like Fat Free cottage cheese with sugar free fruit cup, sugar free popsicle, sugar free jello.  Eating something will also help raise your metabolism and make you feel satisfied. I am in the same boat as you.  I had mine October 16. 4 weeks ago today.  My day is like this. Morn ing Protein drink, lunch 1/4 cup cottage cheese with sugar free fruit cup, or some days, I have a poached egg. Lunch I might have 1/4 to 1/2 cup soup. I also like tuna pureed with onion and dill relish and have that over a few reduced fat wheat thin crackers. Tonight I made a grilled cheese with Low carb, low fat and calorie bread with 2 slices of Kraft FAT FREE slices with Spray butter on the bread. I peeled a dill pickle and had that with it.  The total meal was 2 grams of fat and 70 calories.  I ate that slowly for 45 minutes. Yummy.

It's worth noting that every plan is different. For example, my plan is three meals a day - not one every 2-3 hours. My plan is also not a fat free one and I stick to full fat versions of things. 

Are you taking a PPI such as Prilosec or Nexium?  Acid often mimics hunger and many of us find that being on a PPI fixes this issue. 

I'm sorry - I missed that you're taking a PPI already.  You might need a higher dose or a different one.  

I actually stopped taking it for a few days a couple of weeks ago thinking that since I hadn't had any heartburn issues prior to surgery and none since that maybe I wouldn't need it. Boy was I wrong. A couple of days later I started having bouts of heartburn like crazy! I had never experienced it before so it was a new feeling but when they say burn, they definitely mean burn!! It even burned to breathe deeply! I promptly started taking it again and have been taking it regularly for about 2 weeks now.

Thirst can also be mistaken for hunger, I know the rumbling you're speaking of. My plan requires me to eat every two hours; breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner with 64 oz of water in between. Having a bottle of water and constantly sipping helps a lot.

I was going to ask if they have been drinking enough water. Or sipping on hot liquids help me alot too.

Yolanda, 

I have the exact sameproblem and eat the way you do with the two shakes and several small meals.  Like you, the feeling also disappears after eating a small snack.  I take fumotarole (I think this is Zantac, I can't remember)  which is essentially the same ppi you are taking.  20 mg 2x per day.  I see my surgeon this coming Wednesday so will ask about it.

I find a warm drink, like tea, will fend off times like that - somehow the colder drinks make me think i'm hungry.  Weird.

HI, Yolanda,

I'm starting week 4 and weeks 2-3 were horrendous!  I was hungry all the time.  I wasn't hungry for sweets or carbs but for meat.  But I was afraid that I would mess up my surgery if I didn't follow the plan.  I wasn't getting all my protein and/or water.  It was one or the other.

Everything changed about four to five days ago.  Once I was able to add most foods to my diet, I felt that I was getting more protein and that has made a difference.  I was afraid to eat every few hours.  But it is working for me and I feel more full longer. And seeing the weigh come off has been a great booster to my low times. 

Jenny