How do you know you are hungry? Is it stomach-growling? Emptiness in your stomach? Thoughts of food? Describe what hunger means to you.

Not growling because banded tummies are loud.

Not thoughts of food for sure, because that's head hunger not real hunger.

It's the actual physical feeling of hunger, which ironically most obese people don't even know what that feeling is like so it's a major learning experience in the beginning. You have to learn to listen to your body.

Definitely not thinking you're hungry- this is the mindless hungry I would have given into pre-band but does not mean hunger. I have seen someone on the forums post this about hunger: if you are hungry, you will open the fridge and eat whatever is there. If you're not actually hungry, you will search the fridge for the "perfect" thing.

I know I'm hungry when I start to feel the grumbling in my stomach. My stomach actually growls too, but is not much louder than pre-band. When my stomach growls, I am at a place where I should have eaten earlier and I am ravenous. This is also a time when I am weaker in my decision making, so it is always in my best interest to have something healthy either prepared and ready or a healthy snack (think Greek yogurt and light string cheese) so I do not eat something I will regret later.

This is a great question I was banded on Aug 22 this year and I am having a lot if trouble with this. I don't think I am hungry but others around me keep telling me it been a long time since I've eaten So I have something. Then my side hurts and I'm in pain. So I do wander how often am I suppose to be eating and how much is enough instead of when its to much food and then pain.

I basically structure my time to include approximate meal times, about 4 to 4.5 hours apart. By doing this, I usually am authentically hungry, but not beyond the point of reason to make poor choices about food. In the evening I usually get hungry again; depending on what my Protein grams for the day by that time I will have a Protein shake or just drink additional Water.

I realize that for those who have young families and/or work outside their home this may be difficult. I am a retired "empty nester", so time is usually mine to structure as I choose to.

I will try eating at certain times and see if it is better.

Great question. This is something I am battling now. Head hunger vs physical hunger..... I am a creature of habit. Breakfast @8, lunch @noon, dinner @7. Schedule hasn't changed in years. And my tummy knows this, so I get hunger feelings at each time. Is it physical hunger or habit? If it is habit, is that bad? The schedule works for me. I eat my small portions, stop when I get the first sign from my band. This seems to be working for me right now. But I am very aware that I might be eating before I am physically hungrey.