Search the Community

Hi everyone! I haven't been on this site in a VERY long time, but I am currently on a new weight loss journey and I thought I would report in with my experience and the hope that some of you newbies can learn from it. I had my VSG surgery on 9/1/2014, so 10 years ago this month. At the time of my surgery, I weighed ~260 pounds and I am 5'6". I have lost and gained weight a million times before that, with my highest weight ever having been 277 pounds. In the first couple of years after my surgery, I was able to get below my goal weight (165) all the way down to 154. During that time I trained for and ran in a half marathon and a full marathon, completing the full marathon in September 2016 (almost exactly two years after my surgery). I separated from my then-husband in May of 2016 and our divorce was final in December 2016. My life took a very different path after that and I did not stick to my healthy diet and exercise. I met my current husband in February of 2017 and while I love him dearly and he is THE BEST, he is a bit of a hedonist and we definitely supported each other in our hedonism. I became a connoisseur of fine craft beers and we have a large friend group who we go out with or have get-togethers with several times a week. I not only stopped running but stopped exercising altogether. Both my current husband and I put on weight in the seven years we have been together, especially during COVID, and I got all the way back up to 234 pounds! Last year, my husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and, in April, we resolved to turn things around together. Since then, I have lost 30 pounds and I am on my way down to my new goal weight of 180. So, here are some things I want to report, trying to lose weight again for the first time since immediately after my surgery: The restriction still works! I cannot eat much more than about 200 grams of food in one sitting. Once I cut out snacking and stopped drinking as many calories (beer), it was easy to rely on my sleeve to restrict my daily caloric intake. My metabolism is still normal. As a 5'6 female weighing 203.2 pounds, I still burn ~2100 calories per day just by living, according to my Garmin watch and it definitely tracks with the calorie differential I am logging and the weight loss I am seeing. I still can't eat and drink at the same time. I usually have to wait about 45 minutes to an hour to drink anything after I eat a full meal. Being overly full is still an unpleasant feeling. Before my surgery, I used to love the sensation of being "stuffed." Since surgery and to this day, it is still uncomfortable for me if I overeat in one sitting. Not a pleasant sensation at all, but not painful like it was in the very beginning. I can still get dumping syndrome if I'm not careful. If eat too much sugar too fast, usually in the form of ice cream or a milkshake, I get dumping syndrome and it is VERY unpleasant, fortunately, it is very rare. Food can still get "stuck." Every once in a while, mostly when I am eating turkey or pork it seems, food can get stuck and it is completely miserable. Be sure to thoroughly chew your food!!! Especially dense meats. My advice to anyone who is post-sleeve and still losing weight or trying to maintain their weight: Snacks are the enemy! It's so easy to get in extra calories by eating smaller amounts between meals. Your sleeve won't help you at all with this. Drinking your calories is easy and dangerous. I haven't given up my precious beer entirely, but I have cut back and I am mindful of the type of beer I am drinking as some types are more caloric than others. You can just as easily drink your calories even if you don't drink alcohol. Be wary of soda, milkshakes, energy drinks, juices, and too much cream/sugar/syrups in your coffee. Keep up with the exercise. It doesn't have to be training for a marathon like I did in the beginning. Currently, my husband and I take a ~mile walk after dinner each night and we try to do one, long, 4-5 mile walk/hike on the weekend. Just that moderate amount of activity can make a big difference. Be mindful of calorically dense foods. Even though I can only eat 200 grams at a time, if it is 200 grams of junk, it can have a LOT of calories! I hope the lesson that all of you take from this post is that the sleeve is a tool and it is all about how you use it. It can work for you, even 10 years out, as long as you use it correctly.

Hey, i do have a question about Maintenance calories in general, I lost around 135kg's in weight in the first year, and im "slowly getting there" and even considered recreational surgery now, but i have problems with the idea of Maintenance Calories and goals. So thats why i ask here now. Is the General Maintenance kcal after the surgery lower than the ones for a normal "person" ? or do we kinda "slip into" that?. i know all the math about calculating it, but is the normal Calorie intake calc. for people with a rny Bypass even a thing?

Hi. I'm sorry I don't completely understand your question! Are you saying that you're having Semaglutide shots to assist with further weight loss after having had a sleeve 18 months ago? I'm presuming you didn't reach your goal weight with the sleeve? How much weight did you lose - please can you share your stats as that would really help us to help you. It's also not clear when you introduced the GLP-1 addition. Is it that your team is advocating an 800 calorie a day maximum? AND you are sticking to that and not losing weight? AND that you think they aren't believing you when you report your intake? So sorry - so much to unpick here! Also - what do you mean when you say that 'everything now is loaded with calories'?

I’m right there with you. I’m 1 month post-op and I’ve only lost 16.5lbs. 14 were in the first 11 days. I’ve only lost 2.5 lbs in the last two weeks. I’ve been on soft foods and trying to count the calories along with measuring, as I only am able to eat about 1/4 cup of food per meal. I don’t know what’s causing the slow. I barely get 600 calories. I’ve been moving quite a bit since we’re trying to move into our new home. I’m still under the target weight loss the doc gave me. Just discouraged.

i've tried these picture calculators and am not entirely convinced they get the cal count right...especially with intricately-plated resto meals with those 10-ingredient sauce swooshes and crab-infused potato puffs lololololzzzzz. my own inquiry mind, ha! i like to know what calorie burn im at, and these days im on super-exercise mode, so i know im probably at a higher level than "normal". plus, i've sort of been trying to put on some weight since February, and my "unsuccessful-ness" of it all is starting to annoy me. (though secretly i kinda enjoy seeing a low number on the scale. sort of. kinda. i thinks. hello eating disorder!) ironically, i feel great. no health issues nor complaints. energy for days, and i can keep up (if not surpass) all the 20-somethings in class (p.s. im 53 this year). so i dunno.

Hey lovely It sounds like your mind is going into overdrive with everything and that's understandable I get it I've been there so many times. Only you can make the decision about if this is right for you. The sleeve will not solve your issues with food but it will help you to eat a lot less, for most of us it is the last resort. Ask yourself if you can carry on living your life as you are now. There are risks with every operation, even with having teeth out. Instead of looking at the bad stories look at the good! It does take a leap of faith to do this I'm not gonna lie but for me it was absolutely the right choice. I am type 2 diabetic and I was heading towards insulin. I had high cholesterol and there is heart disease in my family. I'm off my meds now and I feel amazing, it's just the mental struggle which is worse some days than others but I'm getting there and I'm early days. Another tip I picked up is to stop the diet mentality. In the beginning I was calorie counting everything even a bloody pickle! Now I keep an eye on my calories but I try not to obsess because when I do that it makes my brain fight the control. If I'm hungry I have some veges or fruit and I don't count that. Life does get better after the initial shock of such a huge life style change. Many people continue to tell me that life gets better and I have learned that it does gradually. Be kind to yourself though hun and give yourself time. I wish you well x

I think the way I'd put it it's best to is nail down your calories first, then depending on your goals, you can tweak your macros to better accomplish your goals. Since you're looking to drop a few more pounds and limited in terms of workouts right now, I'd probably recommend something more like this: 1600-1700 total calories a day. You could go as low as 1400 or so, but you may feel lousy if you do, so don't go that low for more than 2-3 weeks at a time. Target ~1.5 grams per kg of protein, or more. Thus ~115 grams minimum. If you are not struggling to get up to say 150 grams or so, that certainly won't hurt and may help you feel better. Fats around 70 or so should be just fine and will mean you're likely to be less hungry. You can go lower if you're comfortable doing so, but it will likely mean you're hungrier. Don't go below about 50 grams. Whatever's left over, make up for in carbs.

Yes, any crisps or crisp like foods such as pepperoni crisps or Serrano ham crisps mentioned above are all a big no for the purée stage. Sure look at them for when you’re much further out but ensure serve the portion recommendations. They can be moorish and before you know it you’ve eaten 2 or 3 serves and there’s 200, 300 calories. (I’m looking at you those pork crackling/scratchings.) It takes at least 6 weeks for your tummy to heal. (Think of all those sutures and staples holding it together.) The staged diet of liquids, to purées, to soft is all to protect your tummy/digestive system and not damage your it or impeded your recovery. Remember too any desire for crunch is a craving and thus a head hunger. It’s got nothing to do with real hunger. The first weeks after surgery are stressful and emotional & naturally your head tells you to seek something to comfort you: food and often crunchy or salty food. Look for distractions at these times: craft, read, play a game, call family or friends, sip a warm drink, go for a walk, etc. It does help. You will get through it and learn to better manage cravings in the future.

I’m not a calorie counter. Didn’t have to & I was happy about that. I’d done it before and for me it just made me think about food more and I found it annoying and frustrating. However I would check my calorie intake and I still do random checks especially about new foods or recipes. I was more vigilant about portion size because that was the requirement I was given (1/4- 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup at around 6 months). I still watch that carefully though I’m more aware now of the portion size of what I’m eating without having to get my scales or measuring cups & spoons out regularly. And I can eat more than a cup of course. I’m probably equally vigilant about the nutritional quality of what I eat. (Sister-in-law was just telling me about a new protein bar she’d found and I’m googling the nutritional info & ingredient list & comparing it with the one I already eat.) If you are required to track your intake then you have to track every single thing you put in your mouth to eat or drink. It can be very easy to consume a lot of extra calories without realising it even ‘healthy’ ones. If your team hasn’t set this as a requirement, than do what you feel most comfortable with. You know your relationship with food and eating getter than anyone. Though I’d probably at the very least do random checks if it isn’t a requirement. Yes, stalls are frustrating and can be depressing. Remember they are an important part of the process and it’s the time your body shuts down to take stock of where you are now Whithead your weight loss and changing diet, and what your needs are around things like digestive hormones, metabolism, etc. Weight loss is stressful on your body & it needs to take a breath to better manage the changing situations much like you do psychologically during a stressful time. The stall will break when your body is ready. Stick to your plan and don’t stress your body more than you are required to by your plan. It will be okay. All the best and I hope your surgical site heals soon.

Congratulations on your loss. I was a savory girl Lee bariatric world and post sleeve I became a sweet girl too. Then post SAFI that went away but has started to come back. I think MAYBE it’s just our bodies wanting carbs and sweet food is usually the absolute highest in carbs so the quickest way to get them. I did not have the bypass but I don’t think your friend is correct about eating whatever you want. I know that was for sure not true for the me with the sleeve. I started at 235, lost down to 168 then gained it all back plus some to 258 and was still gaining when I started the preop diet for my revision. I have also heard plenty of regain stories on here about the bypass. Now, does it malabsorb some of your food, absolutely. So if you were like 900 pounds before it’s possible you would stay a bit smaller just because you pretty much already ate all you wanted volume and calories wise before and the malabsorption would in theory make you weight a bit less if you ate the same exact food, but it would only be a bit less anyways and who of us wants that. . As far as a more common starting weight I really don’t think so because even at our high weights we still weren’t eating absolutely all we would have liked to or we could have and if we ate any and everything we wanted, even with some calories not absorbing that’s still probably giving our bodies more than we were eating before. I do know from experience that what fuel I put into my body changed how I feel, though, so even if I could get away with eating anything I wanted cosmetically, I know that I wouldn’t feel as good as I do when I eat a balanced diet and keep up my activity. That processed junk that most of us used to eat all the time is not good for us and it doesn’t give your bodies what it needs to run efficiently. Another thing to keep in mind is that we are still pretty early out to be relaxing too much. Most people have a 10–15 pound bounce back even if they keep working at it. I don’t know about you but I’ve still got more that I want to lost. I definitely don’t want to be bouncing back!! for the sweet cravings try the sugar free popsicles again. They can trick my brain sometimes and others i Have fruit. I figure calorie wise they may be more calories but at least it’s not added sugar. I try to avoid that as much as possible because that makes me have more cravings the next day and for like a week.

This is a question I'd recommend consulting your bariatric surgeons office about. Now having said that, everyone is different, I personally didn't have much pain following my surgery BUT my energy was low for several months (5-6 months) remember you will be on a significant reduced calorie change that your body isn't used to. Disney requires a lot of walking and I know I couldn't have done days at Disney walking that much only 4-5 weeks out. Again, everyone is different. Also, I was told NO travel for 3 months following my surgery: too much sitting on plane (blood clots), distance from surgeon if an emergency medical situation were to arise etc. So again ask your surgeons office. Sorry to not answer directly.

You are killing it! Your point about calories is really on point as well. I recommend any bariatric surgery patient read up on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The simple explanation is that if you work out a lot, you need to eat more. If you don't, then you are a lot more likely to start having a hard time with things like fatigue, various injuries, getting sick a lot, lack of concentration and depression. At its worst, you can get really sick, leading to heart issues and worse. My personal experience is that women tend to struggle with this more, though anyone can be impacted. Some people here might think it doesn't affect them because they don't consider themselves athletes, but if you are working out multiple days a week, it is a risk, especially considering how hard it can be for us to get more calories in. Over time, you'll hopefully learn where your personal limits are. For example, I've found that right now I can maintain my weight reasonably well up to about 30 miles a week, but beyond that I lose weight whether I want to or not.

Have you cut back on your exercise regime ? Yours did seem to be full on. Especially when we are on such reduced calories. I find a 30 minute brisk walk in the fresh air energises me and is great for a relaxing sleep later

I feel like you may be overthinking the malabsorption component of RNYGB? Yes, this does elevate the risk of nutritional deficiencies for some vitamins & minerals since absorption sites are somewhat bypassed. You've got to keep in mind though that ALL bariatric surgery patients are going to be nutritionally deficient, at least during the weight loss phase when you'll be eating a very low calorie diet. Very low calorie also means very low amounts of most vitamins and minerals. Even if your diet were perfect (virtually no one has a perfect diet), you just can't consume sufficient food to make up for your nutritional needs. Yes, you'll eventually get back to eating more normal amounts, but until then, bariatric multivitamins have been formulated to make sure you don't suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Keep in mind too that the supplementation recommendations are all based on averages and in reality very few of us are average. The volume of food and the nutritional quality of said food, as well as genetic and epigenetic factors all influence what you'll be able to get from diet alone, as well as how well supplementation works for you. As a result, ALL supplementation recommendations are set up to ensure ~95% of patients will have no nutritional issues. Bariatric multivitamin manufacturers also tend to over-rotate on anything that does not have an established upper limit since they know that their consumers will be having frequent labs done. If someone were to be deficient in a particular vitamin, then they're likely to seek out a different product. You can see this pretty clearly by simply looking at something like the ASMBS recommendations vs the massive amounts of many vitamins found in bariatric multivitamins. Know too that it's entirely likely your bariatric team will have you adjust your supplementation after your labs are done post operatively. Many will want to do labs around 90 days, 180 days, then annually thereafter to monitor for nutritional deficiencies (or sometimes even excesses). I for example had to modify what multivitamin I took because my B12 level was sky high. I get the cost concern, and you may be fine with just a regular multivitamin, but keep in mind your overall food bill should drop since you'll be eating so little. This should more than cover the cost difference, so personally I'd err on the side of caution and take a bariatric specific multivitamin at least while you're in the fat loss stage. Once you're in maintenance, you might be able to adjust that (with your doctor's blessing).

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!

not american, so no thanksgiving pics to share, but here are some thingsn i've prepared/eaten the last week or so (NOTE: i'm currently in an effort to gain weight - the horrors! lol - so my food choices may be a little off-the-bariatirc-norm...) 1) bbq pork and seasoned rice one-pot-rice-cooker-meal. my portion: 266 cals...ate almost all of it 2) homemade chilli topped with cilantro and feta cheese, home focaccia and sliced avocado sprinkled with sumac: 599 calories for whats shown. ate everything except the foccacia (too chewy for me!!...mr ate it instead) 3) more of my homemade chili, some cheddar cheese, more cilantro, and some Tostido's Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (my fave!!!) 276 cals...ate it all! 4) homemade guacamole with the above mentioned focaccia that i slow toasted to make crisps with cheddar & cilantro & sour cream: 370 cals...ate all except 2 the focaccia crisps. 5) homemade crispy pork belly...omg THE. BEST. CRISPY. PORK. BELLY. EV-AH!!! this pic is of the entire slab. i had roughly 1/2 cup volume of it. ate it all!! 250 calories! 6) junky snacks: - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 1 chocolate : 123 calories - 2 walkers mini shortbread cookies + 3 sour keys candies 103 calories yep, ate all it ta-da!

I agree, almost certainly just fluid retention. Both hormonal changes, as well as exercise will lead to extra fluid retention. Keep in mind that when you stress your muscles, whether by cardio or by strength training, muscle fibers break down. The repair process requires fluid buildup to do things like help remove waste products and transport things like cytokines and amino acids that are needed for muscle repair. It's really unlikely to be fat, since in order to gain that much fat in 10 days, you would have had to eat over 10,000 more calories than you burned off, or roughly 1,000 more calories every single day. While a little bit of it may be additional muscle, it would be a really small amount (maybe a 10th of a pound, if that). You're just not eating enough to pack on a lot of muscle in just 10 days, and even if you were eating a lot more, you just don't have enough free testosterone to gain much muscle in 10 days. Even male bodybuilders taking anabolic steroids couldn't pack on 3 pounds of muscle in so short a period.

I struggled to eat enough to slow my losing though not as much as you are. I reached goal at 6 months and was barely eating 900 calories. It took another year to get to about 1300 calories and for my weight loss to stabilise. To increase my intake I was eating all day long or it certainly felt that way. I had three meals and 5 or 6 snacks, predominately in the afternoon and evening. It took another year +/- to get to around 1600 calories which is about what I eat now to continue to pretty much maintain that initial stabilised weight.. And yes I still snack but only 3 or 4 times a day now to meet my caloric needs. So, yes, some of us do take time to get those calories up. But you are a more extreme case. If this has happened in rare other cases, what did they say what treatment was used in those cases? Can they stretch your pouch via an endoscopy or balloon? Have they suggested you incorporate those nutrient dense, high calorie smoothies like Ensure used for those with digestive and eating issues?

Nope there’s no normal. You have to work out what you need in regards to nutrients and calories to maintain & your body to function effectively. Gender, height, age, weight, activity levels, how your body functions, etc. all play are part. For example 2000-2400 calories is the recommended calorie intake for a woman. If I ate that I’d be as big or bigger than I was before surgery. In fact I never ate that much when I was obese. When my weight first stabilised I ate about 1300 calories yet a year or two later I began consuming about 1600 & still maintained - my needs obviously changed or stabilised. If I weighed more, was taller, younger, more active I would need to eat more. As to working out what I needed, I just slowly ate more as I was able until I stopped losing and my weight stabilised. A basal metabolic rate calculator can give you an idea of what you may need calorie wise but much like BMI calculators they’re not perfect - don’t consider genetics, health needs, muscle mass, etc. I found the one below pretty on point for me but … https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

Congrats on taking the first step! As @FifiLux pointed out, the keys are really going to be reducing portion sizes and making good food choices. These will be really important after surgery, so getting started on them sooner rather than later is the right approach. By the way, fad diets like Low Carb and Keto may work for some people, but as you said, they don't work for you so there's no point going there. It's also really critical you don't try to make drastic changes all at once. What you need to focus on is one sustainable positive change at a time until it becomes the new norm for you. People almost inevitably fail when they make wholesale changes to their diet and activity level simultaneously. Also, If after implementing a particular change it still feels like a challenge to you, then keep at it until that one is just part of what you do. Once you get to that point, only then is it time to try to make another change. My suggestion is to pick no more than 2-3 things per month you want to change about your diet and activity level and start with the ones you think will be easiest first. Changing subjects a bit, let's do some math here. To lose 6 pounds a month, you'd need to reduce your energy balance by -750 calories a day. This can be made up of lower intake, greater activity, or most likely both. At your current weight, walking ~3 miles an hour would burn ~200 calories per mile. Thus a 30 minute walk would burn ~300 calories and an hour walk would burn ~600. Add in smaller portions of the same things you're eating now and 6 pounds a month will be easily attainable. Keep us updated as you progress and the smart folks here will be glad to help.

I think our bodies are kindly used to running on a varied amount of calories because if you think about it back in like caveman days or whatever they may eat a feast one day and nothing the next so eating a little more one day and a little less another it’s kinda works out. We just have to be honest with ourselves and make sure we really are eating a little less the same amount of days as the days we eat a little more. Or I know I do. 😂

This sounds like the three week stall. Totally normal! Your body burns glycogen for energy, and during extreme calorie restriction, you burn a lot of it. Glycogen is stored in the body along with water, so each gram of glycogen you burn for fuel also releases 3 grams of water, which you flush out. This is why you lose weight so quickly the first few weeks, not because you are burning all of that weight just from fat stores. After the first few weeks, you start to be able to eat some solid foods along with your protein shakes. This gives your body a chance to replenish the glycogen you burned, which is vital for survival. But it means that for every gram of glycogen you store, you also store about 3 grams of water. Your body is continuing to burn fat during this time, but you won't see it on the scale because it kind of zeroes out with the whole glycogen/water storage thing going on. After a week or two, your body will be back to normal in terms of glycogen reserves and you should start to see your weight decrease again at a moderate pace. I really wish doctors would explain this to patients before surgery because it's just basic science, and people totally freak out when they are eating nothing and not seeing the number on the scale go down. I think doctors forget that their patients have failed at about a million attempts at weight loss prior to surgery and we are naturally prone to believing we are failing again. But you're not! Also, counting calories at this stage is pointless. You're in a massive calorie deficit. It's impossible not to be unless you are doing something terribly wrong against every bit of medical advice. Focus on protein and water but don't stress over calories until you get to a point many motnhs from surgery where there may be a legitimate possibility that you are overeating.

Great advice from @SpartanMaker as usual. I’d also add if you’re lifting weights you’d be building muscle which is heavier than fat. So you could have been losing some fat during this time while building muscle. May be consider having a dexa scan to measure your current muscle, fat & bone density. Then have another in a couple of months to compare. Are you still in contact with your dietician? If not maybe arrange an appointment. Because you are aware of your average daily calorie intake, I presume you’re measuring and tracking every thing you’re eating and drinking every day. I’d take this with you to the appointment and ask the dietician to go through it with you in case you are missing something not only in regards to calories but nutrients as well. If you’re a random tracker like I was and am, vigilantly track everything for a week or two before seeing the dietician. Don’t give up though. The scale may not be moving but I bet you’re fitter, stronger and generally healthier than you were before.

Thank you! I have to agree, I noticed when I was making myself eat less, I cannot even work out well, I am lifting lighter or running slower because I am lethargic and fatigued. I do have to admit I am on the straight struggle bus with not being able to work out. I feel like I am eating too much however I am not eating near the calories I was. I do think it has to do with the dietician from my program shaming me into how much I was eating at my 6m appt. She told me that I needed to stick to 800 calories max, 100g protein, 140g carbs and 40g fat. I told her that is just not possible with sustaining my activity. She got into my head and I have been avoiding my 1yr check up for this reason because now I eat even more but I weigh 25lbs less. I wanna be you when I grow up! I was running 15ish miles a week and that was insane to me but 30miles? wow!!! how do you break that up? I would love to do a mini marathon though I am very intimated. I ran 5miles at once ONE time. The next day I couldn't move hahah

Great advice above by all. I wanted to add that sometimes people think there's something wrong with them or with the surgery, but what you're feeling is absolutely normal. Sure, some of the things you're feeling might not qualify as "true hunger", but that distinction is sometimes not nearly as clear as some people make it out to be. Much of what we call head hunger is due to hormonal responses not unlike those generated by actual hunger. This can be especially true when we're in a significant calorie deficit, like you are in right now. My point is that your body is designed to do exactly what it's doing, so don't beat yourself up for it.