About two years ago, I went from working 8a-5p to 8p-5a. This was and still is so confusing for my body. It became really difficult to determine when I should be eating so I just ate....possibly cause I wanted to. Today, this light bulb came on. I woke up famished. I'm doing the pre-op diet of course but...had I had a little something before going to bed and then the rest after waking up...I could have avoided this very uncomfortable empty feeling. I really didn't make it better by getting up, getting ready for work and still refusing to feed my poor belly. If I listen to my body more and respond appropriately to it's hunger just as I do for true pain...maybe we can quite fighting each other. #working on my relationship with my stomach

Understanding true hunger vs. cravings will be a great tool for you once you're banded. Just remember how you feel when you are hungry so you can avoid those late day cravings.

@@blacktxbelle I agree with what @@2muchfun said. If you can learn to listen to your body and the signals you are getting now, then you are going to totally rock it once your banded.

The band will help with sending those signals to the brain that you are no longer hungry and or have had enough food. Knowing that, and being able to recognize and understand these feelings prior to banding will make listening to your band and your body that much more harmonizing.

Best of luck to you, you sound like you are off to a great start!

So the first night of my pre-op diet, I must have drank so much. The second day, I did much better. I drank when I was thirsty and sipped my protein drink at mealtime. I still tend to let myself get a little too hungry but I tend to think more in the past week about what and why I am eating and drinking. I'm determined to build a new relationship with my body. #Learning to recognize my hunger cues.

I am so happy to feel in sync with my body again after a kind of stand-off for a long period of time. I felt sort of betrayed by my body or just unable to communicate. A separation. Now I AM my body and that feels so good. Reunited.

Good luck with this pre-op phase! You're really on the right track with everything -- so happy for you. The listening is a wonderful thing. I had to practice quite a bit but now I really get it and that's made all the difference.

I eat when I'm hungry and don't eat when I'm not hungry. I was such a restrictive dieter and had a lot of deprivation going on (which would bounce the other way, of course) so it's the eating when I'm hungry that is hardest for me. I have to acknowledge the hunger instead of trying to distract myself from it or prolong it until later so I can save up or something. Had to work at shedding my dieter's mentality and now I really do welcome hunger. And satiety.

This weekend I began journaling again. I did it for two reasons.. One, I have suffered from mild-moderate depression since the lose of my first child back in 2002 and two, because it helps to write things out especially where I don't want to "talk about" anything. My depression has been well managed for years but I know that I still have triggers. There have been some times where I indulge in food just because of how I feel. Yesterday, I noticed that after my boyfriend irked my nerves with an argument that we continue to have over a certain subject (nothing major just normal couple stuff) I reach and stuck a sf popsicle in my mouth. This was the first time in years I have actually noticed it. I feel like this pre-op diet is doing more for me than I ever could have know it would. I am really noticing when my body is trying to tell me something and I may or may not be acting appropriately. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get my life back.

This weekend has been really helpful. I always love my days off from work. I tend to try to catch up on all that lost sleep during the week. There is however a problem. I didn't think much about hunger when I was not home throughout the week. So, mental note to self it's going to be important to make sure I have things to do.

#Yay me! I'm still listening to my body and we haven't had a major fallout yet

Edited July 20, 201412 yr by blacktxbelle

Hello all. Well who knew a pre-op diet could be so enlightening. I've been very careful to listen to my body. Rather than just putting something in my mouth just because, I am really trying to be vigilant about looking for queues when it is truly time to hydrate or eat. My saving grace at the moment are the sugar free popsicles. I found tropical flavors. Yum! I know some of you have read that I like lean body shakes. I recent found on that is 40 gm Protein. I typically split it in half. They have a thicker consistency almost like chocolate milk. So far so good.