Almost six months out--Head hunger vs body hunger

[Foxbins 625]

I should preface this by saying that I am five and half months out from surgery and I lost my hunger afterwards.

Yesterday morning about 7 a.m. I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and my stomach was growling and rumbling. I realized that my stomach was saying that it was empty since I had not eaten anything in about 16 hours. I thought about what I might have for breakfast--egg, bacon, yogurt, Protein shake, chicken salad--but nothing sounded appealing, because I was not hungry. Empty, yes, but not hungry. However, I can also finish a meal, know that I am near-to-full, and have the thought, "I want ice cream (cake, Cookies, candy, chocolate, etc.) (you will notice I never want any more of what I just ate or something good for me, it's always empty calorie stuff) and I know that I cannot possibly be empty or physically hungry and that's my head hunger trying to tempt me.

I have had to learn how to reinterpret my body/mind signals, because before surgery I was hungry (head or body or both) all the time, so I ate all the time. Now I interpret the stomach growling not always as "hungry" but differently depending on the circumstances. My stomach growls now a lot more than it used to and it's not always due to being empty, so I have to figure it out. It means I eat mindfully now, not just shoveling food in to quiet the noise. Sometimes a glass of Water quiets the growls, sometimes it's meal or snack time.

The head hunger I can see becoming a problem during maintenance if I am not vigilant, because my head really does want dessert after every meal...

[meggiep 57]

I totally get what you are saying- I have had to get so good at reading what my body is saying! I have had a tough time figuring out when I am full - wish I had a hiccup like some do, or even a sneeze!

I too have no hunger but I try to eat every 3 hours or so to keep my metabolism humming. It is so weird not being hungry!

I can't decide if I have head hunger but I have those times of a kind of restlessness where I want to reach for something carb loaded just out of restlessness or boredom- but I love tat there is not real hunger- that saves me.

[Carmy 0]

i get it - totally - but i eat all the time - ok well at least it feels like it. I graze, like a cow but i really try to graze on almonds, or Protein Bar but sometimes i want something sweet - i go for a yogurt or a no sugar added pudding or even a no sugar added fudge cycle. Should I be having these things - oh i don't know but it curves whatever is going on. At least its not a candy bar right???

I am doing what i can. I too am almost 6 moths out July 12th is 6 months. What will the dr. say??? Oh who knows. I have lost about 70 lbs since my surgery so i am thinking i might be doing something right.

[Maddie 9]

At just over a year out, I only get stomach hunger on very rare occasions. I have learned to recognize other ques from my body. Instead of hunger, I notice feeling empty and/or weak. I do still have to fight head hunger though. Writing what you eat and drink in a journal can be a lifesaver. When I want to eat just for the sake of eating, I have to ask myself, do I really want to have to write that down. Most times I say, nah forget it, and I walk away. You have to find what works for you. The further out I get, the more conscious i have to be. In the beginning I was more worried about what would hurt or make me sick. Now, I worry more about how what and how much I eat. You'd be surprised how often I get this little image of my surgeon in my head. At my 1st consultation, he said, "it's up to you to make this tool work. You will always be a big girl on the inside". When i think of him saying that, I ask myself this: At this moment in time, do you want to feed the big girl on the inside, or please the thin girl on the outside. My thin girl is learning that she can kick the big girls butt. LOL