3 weeks out and no appetite whatsoever

I'm 3 weeks post op and have absolutely no appetite. In fact, I care nothing at all about food. Nothing sounds good to me at all. When I do it something it tastes good but the thrill is gone. I'm just going through the motions. 

This is really what I wanted all of those years that I was fighting with my appetite. I'm 47 and all of my life, even as a child, I wanted to eat all of the time. Seriously. After breakfast I was thinking about lunch, after lunch I was thinking about what was for dinner, etc. This new feeling of "meh" about food is freaking me out. This is a complete change for me and it is very unsettling. 

Everyone has been telling me to not worry, just enjoy it and watch the weight come off. I am a worrier, though. It's very hard for me to take my mind off of things that worry me. I'm trying. 

I have to make myself eat or drink a protein shake. Afterwards I feel full but I never feel truly hungry. I'm just putting something in my stomach because I know I need to. 

Here's my worry: will this be like this for a long time? and for how long? I'm conscientious about eating now because I'm a newbie, but years down the road, I can see myself going a whole day without eating. I have the kind of job where I am busy all day and can easily work through lunch and I worry that I will only eat a couple hundred calories per day if I'm not vigilant about it. 

Does some appetite come back? Right now I miss it a little bit. I'm glad that I no longer have constant appetite and hunger. That's a relief, but it would be nice to get some enjoyment from eating again. 

-Anne

Hi, I'm 5.5 months out and I feel hunger, but not in the same way.  Most of the time it is just head hunger.  I've removed all snacks from my plan - other than my PM protein shake - but no nuts or cheese sticks.  i found with it sitting on my desk, it was calling my name.  like.. Eat Me.. Eat Me.  and made me think of food all day long.  Now with no snacks, I eat my breakfast - yogurt, lunch - salad with lunch meat on it - my protein shake - dinner - whatever i'm cooking for everyone else only 1/10th of it and if I feel like I need something after dinner, I'll go for my bran cerial and milk, but I've gotten sick on this the last 2 times I've done this - so I won't be doing this again anytime soon.  maybe another yogurt, but nothing heavy before bed.  

So don't stress over not feeling "hunger"  you're healing and it will take a while for it to come back.  

I will be nine years in October and still have not felt hunger since surgery.  I eat on a schedule, get full quickly and get low blood sugar if I miss meals.  I eat two meals of 300 calories each and four small meals of 200 calories each for a total of 1400 calories a day.

Hunger does come back for many people and some people are hungry from day one.

You just had your surgery and are in the healing stage. As weeks and months go on you will get some of your appetite back. It won't be as before surgery, but you will get it back. Congratulations on your surgery.

there are a few lucky people who never get their hunger back, but most do after a few months.  Mine came back at about six months out, but it's not nearly as intense as it was pre-surgery.

I am 6 years out and have never been hungry. I eat by the clock every three hours. I make a list of what is available for me to eat and pick something off of it every three hours and eat it,whether I want to or not. It is not about enjoyment anymore ,it is about surviving.

even when you go back work. You better make time to eat,or your body will start cannibalizing your muscles for fuel. If you don't give your body plenty of protein,it will start using your heat,lung,kidney muscles and your body muscles.

this is what happens to anorexics. Once their body uses all the fat on their body and stored fat,it starts ontheirmuscle tissue. This is what kills them,their heart and kidneys become so damaged they can't live.

This is not a game. Did you know when you went into the surgery that no appetite was often part of the deal? It is because the part of the stomach taken  off produces most of the ghrelin,the hunger hormone.

so,we eat and drink now to live  and get on with life.

For me, it was like this for about 9 months.  I mourned food, not because I no longer could have it, but because i didn't get the glee from it that I once did.  Take the perspective that you can now focus on what your body needs nutritionally without dealing with cravings for what you shouldn't have.  Take emotion out of it, give yourself what you need, and ride it out.

I was exactly the same way for the first ten weeks. Then one day I thought, oh boy I get to eat soon, instead of, oh no I have to eat. Just like that I started enjoying my food again. But my appetite isn't out of control like it was before surgery. 

Anne, I could have written your post myself!  My surgery was just one day after yours, and I am experiencing the exact same thing.  I see it this way though...I had almost 50 years of eating whatever the heck I wanted, and yes it was delicious, and now I am simply going to eat so that I don't die.  I use the timer on my cell phone to make sure I eat something when I am supposed to, and drink water when I am supposed to, because otherwise, like you, I could go all day without eating.  Don't you wi**** worked that way...just don't eat, and watch the pounds fall off, without health consequence?  Oh well.  As it is it's a chore to get in the required calories and protein.  I assume it will get easier.  Unlike you, however, I hope my appetite never comes back...I find it so liberating to be free of that monster!  I wish you all the best!

Oh man, that is my DREAM! Constant hunger is what got me into this situation in the first place. I've never been able to lose a single pound without painful, ravenous hunger. I hope I have that experience after my surgery (on Monday!)

Glad you're doing well!