I am 22 months out and I have settled into what seems to be my normal. I measure and track my food every few days just so I don't slide back into bad habits and so that I can get a general idea of what I am really eating not what I THINK I'm eating. I don't obsess about it, but I am very mindful of it.

I own a business and I work from home and I've known my trend is that when I am "slow" or not as busy, I eat more. When I am super busy and spend most of my day out of the house, I eat less. I am VERY good about making great choices when I am out of my house for two reasons. First, I am CHEAP and I refuse to spend my money on a full meal knowing I can't finish it. I get doggie bags where I can but I am more apt to stop and get a cheese stick or two at the convenience store and I carry beef Jerky and mixed nuts in my car. I love a grocery salad bar where I can get a little chicken or seafood salad or a few slices of deli meat and cheese. Even better is the hot foods bar where I can choose a few bites of Protein and sauce, usually costing pennies.

Some of my days are super busy and I can go almost all day without eating and it amazes me. I almost always drink two cups of coffee in the morning, so Breakfast is out. (Drinking anywhere near a meal makes me vomit every single time.) lunch time is my busiest time some days and I might have a bite or two of nuts or jerky, but I am easily distracted (I have severe ADD) so when I get distracted by squirrels, sparkly objects and stoopid people, I forget about my mini meal all together. dinner is a must as it is time for my family. A few bites of protein is enough most days (unless I am on my period and then I'm starving) and I'm done.

I know the above isn't good and it isn't healthy. I strive to be more balanced and I am not trying to use that as an example of healthy living. I am simply AMAZED at how little food I really need,

I am still not convinced I had a food addiction. (Denial anyone!!?!?!) When I was on phentermine, I had little need or desire for food. When I started WWs or South Beach of Atkins, I had little desire or need for food. I quit smoking (college bad habit) cold turkey, I quit drinking cold turkey and had no cravings with each child, for two years around my brain tumor, cold turkey for three months preop and 3 months post, again, no cravings. I truly think food cravings for many obese people is over production of grehlin, hormonal, chemical imbalance, etc, but I am sure some food addiction played a part, too.

Anywho. TL:DR. I love not being controlled by food. I can eat 100-300 calories some days (yes, I know it's not healthy) and it's not even a blip on my radar. It's never intentional and it amazed me every time it happens.

Ha! I'm self employed also (Realtor) and when I get super busy some days ( the last couple months, YAY) I eat almost EXACTLY like you describe. I love the fact that I actually have to force myself some days to eat more because I'm still losing. Who'd a thunk it??

Edited February 1, 201511 yr by Babbs

AGREED!!!! As a Lap bander, I too am amazed.

If someone could have demonstrated to me before my surgery, how little I would be eating within a 24hr period, and still be as healthy and fit as a fiddle with energy to spare, (run 5 miles a day)..there is NO WAY it could be possible...and it is just as hard to explain this to people considering WLS or just starting out.

I do not even think about food all that much, so me too, if busy, just go without it forgetting I even needed to.

And not just work....I can bee traveling and attending an event so I am occupied with other things.

I have gone full 24hr days without eating....work all day and forget, then it is too late in the evening to eat. (my rule against reflux)

It really made a difference to our grocery bills....and when we eat out, which is often because both my wife and I work crazy hours, I bring home enough for two more meals.

Edited February 1, 201511 yr by B-52

I'm distinguishing between head and stomach hunger much better these days. I'm a bander. My head hunger feels restless and antsy and specific to a comfort food. My stomach hunger is more an annoyance, a growling, a task I have to take care of, and satisfied by a moderate amount of nearly anything.

When both hit at the same time I'm in trouble. So lately I've been eating lunch earlier (noon instead of 1:30) and dinner as soon as I get home (5.30). This tends to prevent me from getting too hungry to make sensible choices. If I'm obsessing about the perfect dinner, I try to focus on why I'm agitated. Then I try to get my butt out of the house right after dinner. I attend 12 step meetings and that helps a lot.

I'm a food addict, but I know many folks who are not. Some of them are in the mildly obese category. They don't obsess about food or diets like I do.

I love the salad bar too. I usually get that While the rest of the family go to the drive through. My last visit to the bar was $2.08. I'm a cheap date for my hubs now. Instead of our fancy date nights at a nice restaurant I buy clothes or fun jewelry. Soooo much more rewarding and it last longer! I don't think I have a "food addiction" I was just hungry all the time. I also quit smoking cold turkey after smoking a pack a day for 6 + years , no problem. Maybe we are either really strong willed or plain lucky?

Edited February 1, 201511 yr by Elode

Well, I do have a food addiction, but when I feel really hungry I have allowed myself to crossover to artificially sweetened coffee with hazelnut flavoring it doesn't add that many more calories to my day as I'm still losing, and it satifies something, on a really bad day I eat a lot of Protein. I am doing better. The urge to eat at times has been so bad I have cried. I am fighting though as hard as I can can't wait till my band is tight enough to really feel the restriction some people feel.

@@amponder don't lose faith you will get there. With the band it takes some time to find that sweet spot and when you get there it takes some time to get used to being there. Trust me I have been where you are and I have been at that sweet spot and back to where you are again from having the band unfilled.

I'm finally back at that sweet spot..and trying to remind myself when I'm bored that it's just that and I don't "need" to be eating.

It's a learning process...but we will get there!

I too am amazed at how little is required, but how much better the quality of what I eat has improved dramatically! It also makes me realize just how much I was over eating at every meal and in between as well. I am one of those people that needs a regular eating pattern to keep me on the straight and narrow, so breakfast around 6 a.m, lunch almost always at noon, a snack at 3:00 (consisting of maybe some almonds, or tangerine, or mozzarella string cheese, etc not all of these, one of these) eating dinner PRIOR to 7 p.m., and having some almonds etc to tide me over if dinner will be later or if I'm having a hungry day. So far this pattern feels good to me.

I work from home too! curious what kind of biz you have?

@@LipstickLady love your posts......and having the appetite monster off of my back is such a relief. I love that I am in normal weight range, still losing, etc., and I love the smaller fun clothes and feeling so good about my body, but what I didn't realize is that WLS would give me freedom from that whole obsessing over food thing. I was battling hunger all the time and never satisfied -- always after something more. Now I am truly satisfied on very little and I love that. I don't believe in starvation mode now. Some days I have very little but there not any days that I ever eat very much. Don't want to.....

I'm chiming in also. I find it amazing on how few calories a body can use in a day. Never thought I'd be almost bothered by having to fuel my body on busy days. Makes me very conscious of how much I adore my band.... Hunger derailed every diet I was ever on pre surgery.