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Head Hunger Vs Actual Hunger



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Ok, So how long did it take before you were able to seperate your head hunger from actual hunger. I am ok during the day, I have to remind myself to eat. When the sun goes down, then my mind starts in. This evening after my shrimp/tofu stir fry, I have had a SF Jello, a SF fudsicle AND 6 small shrimps. I don't want to get back into my grazing habits like before...

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Longer than I hoped, but I am a really slow learner. With VSG you may never feel "genuine" hunger again. Other VSG's still experience real hunger after VSG.

Today, I say I am hungry but I am just emotionally eating, socially eating or eating because something smells/looks good. Usually I eat according to the clock. At lunch, I am "hungry." At suppertime, I might be the first to ask - "what are we having tonight?"

Each one of us is different, or least that is my experience in the SoCal Support group. So you will need to listen to your body and separate real hunger from head hunger. You can do this, give yourself a chance to know the new you.

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Eat by the clock. Get up, drink something, eat Breakfast (protein). If you need to, eat a bite of something (Protein or veggie) mid morning. Eat lunch (protein). If you need to, eat a bite of something (protein or veggie) mid to late afternoon. Eat dinner (protein). Allow yourself one SF snack after dinner.< /p>

Hunger to me is an empty feeling. I need to put a little Protein in my system every 4 hours. Anything else my stomach tells me is either acid or head hunger. I treat the acid with OTC meds and GASX strips. The head hunger I tell to go away - it ruled me for most of my life and its "reign of terror" is over.

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I'm not able to feel hunger either nor can I determine fulness. Last nite I was still licking a sf pop when everything started to come up and I didn't even know it would happen. I messed all over my shirt, pants and the floor!

That's the second time it happened. I was shopping and decided that I was going to buy food at this store becse I always bought Cookies or nuts or Jerky there before sleeve (12/5). So I bought a 2.6 oz bag of tuna in Water and sf Jello and sobe Water. I fell into the tuna in the car and ate it with my fingers while driving. Also scarfed down a full box of Jello. When I got in, was still hungry. Had the sf pop finished off another jello and the tuna bag, drank the sobe water and started to lick another pop when everything just came up on its own. No feelings at all. Maybe one or two burps. I'd bang my head on the wall, but that would be just to feel better when I stop. What the heck is going on? I don't call it head hunger. I call it mouth hunger. I actually salivate during these "attacks of the mindless belly"

Comments? Suggestions? Please!

I'm 28.2# since 12/5 so not exactly not working the sleeve but there must be something I can learn to stop this.

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      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.
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      1. summerseeker

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

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