I'm at 4 ccs and I'm still getting hungry between meals and the small portions aren't enough but it seems my band is pretty tight. Is it something I'm doing wrong?

Look at what you are eating.

Do you log your food?

Are you eating Protein first?

Are you drinking enough?

Are you physically hungry or is it just head hunger?

I think it might be head hunger... Because I know that I'm eating the right things... I just don't know how to get over it.

I want to eat when I'm bored. So, if I think I'm hungry I'll find something to do. I'll go for a walk, do some crafts, get online, anything to stay busy. The other thing I do is have a drink if Water, that often stops the hunger.

Hope this helps.

Hi

I had a really had time with “head hunger” in the evenings.

I’m going into my 7^th year of being banded and have talked about this here several times but I think it’s worth repeating for new bandsters.

Try and take it one day at a time. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t go into this journey saying “I’ll never be able to eat this or that ever again.” I can eat ANYTHING except rice and apple skins and no carbonated beverages. Follow the guidelines given to you by your doctor. Remember… take tiny bites (the size of your pinky fingernail) and remember to finish what you have in your mouth before you take your next bite.

When I was losing weight I checked in every month with my family doctor to get weighed and measured. (I don’t own scales) I also attended two coffee groups for people that were banded. These things really kept me motivated and on track. I still check in every month with my family doctor to get weighed-in and I host two coffee groups. For me support from fellow bandsters plays a big part in this journey.

Back when I was banded my family doctor came up with something called the “Egg Timer Distraction”. It’s kind of difficult to explain here but I’d be happy to email you the .pdf document. It REALLY helped me with “head hunger”. I can’t tell you the number of people in my lapband coffee groups over the years that have said how helpful this “trick” has been in dealing with their head hunger. Also I found keeping a food journal also keep me on track.

Also, I’m not really a “diet” book type person but I recommend you pick up two books.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle – by Dr. Michelle May

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. May speak at a conference when she came to Toronto and her book and guidelines really work well with the lapband journey.

The second book is:

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite – by David L. Kessler

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions and also if you would like a copy of the “Egg Timer Distraction Document”. --- tomander@bell.net

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

tomander@bell.net

I'm at 4 ccs and I'm still getting hungry between meals and the small portions aren't enough but it seems my band is pretty tight. Is it something I'm doing wrong?

well, i get hungry between meals and when i do, i drink something to see if am truly hungry or am i just bored or it is because i see my ole man snacking on a bag of lays chips......and if i am hungry, i eat....i choose to eat filling/protein filled foods as they help keep me full longer..you can try that...

what does the band feel like that you feel it is tight? I have a 10cc band with 6.5 in it and just don't get hunry if I eat regularry (every 4 hours) and the right food. If I just want something I have hot tea, Snapple, fruit or yogurt. It take a while to get your head in the game and get that voice to shut-up if you get hungry earlier then 4 hours you might need a fill.

I agree with pretty much all of the responses. After years of grazing all day long it was difficult for me to understand and deal with this feeling. The first step is identifying the difference between real tummy rumbling/empty tummy hunger and head-hunger/cravings. Also hydration plays a huge role in all of it. And of course keeping active combats the boredom eating and combats stress which is a huge eating trigger. If you are careful about what you are eating, good healthy Proteins and fresh fruits, veggies and dairy and avoid processed carbs and sugars it goes a long way to combat the cravings. Eating processed low quality foods just makes you want to eat more.

When it is not mealtime and you want to eat, you should first drink a good amount of Water. Hydration makes a huge difference. Take a walk if you can. If there is a specific food that you want or crave, tell yourself that you can have it but not until your next meal. If you still want it then, you should go ahead and have a little but I have found that the craving would often go away before my next meal. It is very hard at first but with time you can condition yourself to identify types of hunger and not give in to unnecessary eating.