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Help! I'm getting hungry again.
About half a year to two years after your stomach reduction, the hunger hormone starts being produced more again, causing you to feel hungry more often. But how does this work exactly? And why does your body produce this hormone again? You'll read it here.
What is ghrelin, the hunger hormone?
The nickname of ghrelin—hunger hormone—says it all: it gives you a feeling of hunger. Along with other hormones, the hunger hormone ensures that you know when you need to eat and when you have had enough.
In this blog, we will focus solely on the hunger hormone, to keep things simple.
How does the hunger hormone work?
As soon as your stomach is empty, the hunger hormone is produced. This mainly happens in the stomach, but also in the small intestine.
The hunger hormone travels through the blood to your brain. There, it sends a signal saying, "Hey, the stomach is empty. It's time to eat!" The brain then sends another signal, giving you a feeling of hunger. You will eat something, providing your body with enough food and energy. Your stomach is happy and produces less hunger hormone, signaling to your brain, "I'm full again, no need to eat anymore!" Your brain responds by reducing the feeling of hunger.
The hunger hormone after a stomach reduction
After a stomach reduction, a large part of the stomach is removed. The removed part was mainly responsible for producing the hunger hormone.
A smaller stomach also fills up more quickly, so your body doesn’t need to produce as much hunger hormone to signal, "I’m empty, I need food!"
Therefore, less hunger hormone is produced after a gastric sleeve, which is great when you want to lose weight. With less hunger, it's easier to eat less.
Why is my body producing the hunger hormone again?
Depending on which type of stomach reducing surgery you had, the hunger hormone will start to be produced again about six months to two years afterward. Your body is seeking a new balance after all the changes. It wants to restore appetite and ensure you have enough energy.
For example, the small intestine begins to work harder. It starts to take over the role of the removed stomach and begins producing the hunger hormone again. This makes you feel hungry and want to eat more, which can be a challenging period.
What can I do when I feel hungry again?
Feeling hungry can be very unpleasant. Fortunately, there are several things you can do.
The most important thing is to check your current eating pattern. Are you still having six small meals a day, or have you slipped back into old habits? By sticking to multiple small meals a day, your stomach remains full enough.
You can also replace your meals with variants that contain more proteins and carbohydrates. This keeps your body satiated longer, and you feel fuller for a longer time. Try, for example, this protein-rich smoothie bowl with fruit or the poké bowl full of proteins and fibers.
Lastly, distraction can help. Go outside for a little walk or call friends. This way, you're less focused on the feeling of hunger. Before you know it, it's time for your meal, and the hunger feeling will decrease.
Need help? We are here for you
If you continue to feel a bothersome sense of hunger and would like more advice, our dieticians are here for you. Schedule a free consultation via our website.
