Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

What is head hunger?



Recommended Posts

What Tiffany said! Also the I am bored I think I am hungry vibe or the I just saw an Olive Garden commercial, I think I need to eat vibe. LOL I could go on and on.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ohhh! THAT head hunger! Got it. Thanks!

So the trick then is to manage the difference between your head saying it's time to eat, and your wristwatch saying it's time to eat? If you never have hunger pangs, how do you decide when it's really time to eat?

And one more thing: What does being "full" feel like post-op? I know we're supposed to eat slowly, to give your stomach time to warn you it's full. But I'm someone whose stomach (pre-op) doesn't have a full switch. I can eat until I'm miserable. How will I know I've had enough? (Can you tell I'm getting myself psyched up for my Wednesday visit with my surgeon? I'm already starting to buy diet stuff. I must have the bug. :ohmy:)

Dave

Edited by Dave_NW

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ohhh! THAT head hunger! Got it. Thanks!

So the trick then is to manage the difference between your head saying it's time to eat, and your wristwatch saying it's time to eat? If you never have hunger pangs, how do you decide when it's really time to eat?

And one more thing: What does being "full" feel like post-op? I know we're supposed to eat slowly, to give your stomach time to warn you it's full. But I'm someone whose stomach (pre-op) doesn't have a full switch. I can eat until I'm miserable. How will I know I've had enough? (Can you tell I'm getting myself psyched up for my Wednesday visit with my surgeon? I'm already starting to buy diet stuff. I must have the bug. :))

Dave

Dave, I literally had to set an alarm on my Iphone as a reminder to eat every 3-4 hours. Without it, I would literally forget to eat.

Immediately post-op, you might not get a full signal and that's why it's so important to measure your portions, eat slowly, but do not stretch your meal out over to long of a period because the food moves through as we eat.

I didn't get a full signal for months. Literally, I measured food for the first 3 months. Of course, pre-measured stuff makes this easier. And, I always measured by volume not weight with measuring cups. The little kid's ounce medication measuring cups is what I used until I got to 1/4 cup of food then just plain ole measuring cups work just fine.

I get the hiccups when I'm full. I have rarely eaten to a stuffed or uncomfortable feeling. I took that "one last bite" a couple of times early out, and well that one last bite came back up. I called it my little hitchhiker. It's a creepy, crawly feeling of undigested food coming back up your esophagus. NOT pleasant, so I learned my lesson quickly.

Now, I eat on a decent schedule.

Breakfast- around 9ish

snack- around 11

lunch - around 1

snack - around 4

dinner- around 6-7

snack - around 9 or 10 (this is not a daily thing, only if I'm shy on calories or protein)

Through my losing phase, I ate 4 meals. No Snacks. I just can not consume 1500-1800 calories a day in just 4 meals anymore, and if I don't eat that many calories consistently, I continue to lose weight.

I will tell you that if you are prone to allergies/sinus drainage, take your meds, use your spray, whatever you need to do to prevent sinus drainage sitting in your sleeve. That's the most miserable thing in the world. I've had major allergy attacks and had to go on thick liquids and mushies for a day or two because food wouldn't fit in there with all the mucus. Disgusting, I know, I apologize, but it's something that I never thought would be an issue.

I don't get hungry at all, but I know when I get cranky, and kind of have this "oh sh*!" I haven't eaten anything feeling, that it's time for me to eat something. It happens a lot with my hectic schedule, but I'm still never hungry.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

LOL, that all sounds understandable. Before surgery I could pack in some food. I would eat Cereal late at night after a full dinner and I would eat it from a mixing bowl lol. I could eat a box of Fruity Pebbles in one sitting. Things are different for me now. You will feel the fullness believe me. It feels like pressure right in the center of your chest. Heaviness in that little tummy is for me easy to distinguish. As for feeling hungry the hunger pangs I get now are sorta intense. Like when I wake up in the morning it feels totally empty and like something is pulling on my stomach. I have to take my PPI first so once I take that with a glass of Water and get something in there it amazingly calms down just from the Water being in it.

Some people don't feel much hunger at all. I think I feel a healthy amount of hunger it is enough to tell me to eat and I manage to get my nutrients down. It is different for everyone but I think most will agree that you will know when you are full and it only takes once of eating too fast or overeating before you learn to pay more attention.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks again. There is so much great information here. I can see I need to start taking notes. :)

Dave

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Head hunger for me is not my stomach growling. It's that feeling in my head "oh boy, what sounds good?"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I do feel hungry, nor much though, and I'm satisfied with small amounts of food or a drink. For years my fulness signal hasn't worked, I did therapy with an eating disorder psychologist and she told me that so many decades of dieting and bingeing messed up my cues of when I felt hungry and when I felt full. For the first time in decades (I'm 41 now and started my first diet when i was 9!) I learned with this surgery when I'm really hungry (physical physiological hunger, not head hunger) and when I'm full. Full at first hurt like a chest oppression that mp8 mentioned, not nice. I have now learned the right amount to eat before feeling that uncomfortable fullness and I don't eat a bite more, it's not woth it! This is an incredible journey, the best of luck to you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks, ladies. I'm an I.T. computer tech guy, so I think in a linear fashion. I see this weight loss as a basic math equation - the right kind and method of food volume in, plus exercise and common sense, equals the right weight lost. Your experience is very helpful in teaching me what to expect. I'm getting more excited than ever. :)

Dave

Edited by Dave_NW

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • bellaamey

      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×