I'd like to reach out to folks who have seriously fought to treat and cure their 'head hunger' and have been successful at overcoming constant snacking and thinking about food every minute of the day!

My goal right now is to take in 70 grams of Protein daily along with all of my required and preferred Vitamins and Water every day - waiting 45-60 minutes after my last bite of food before I drink water (or shake) and then I wait at least 15 minutes from my last sip to start eating again. I was becoming so sick of chewable vitamins I finally called my surgeon and begged to be approved to take pills. I now take them with my 2 Protein shakes each day (in between the real food). I use very little water in my protein shakes. Just enough to get my pills down (about 6 ounces). I make sure I buy powder that is at least 20-30 grams of protein per serving because otherwise I would never get the amount of protein through regular meals. Still, I'm finding that I keep a timer to let me know when I'm ok to chow down again because my next meal is all I think about right now.

Any advice, recommended books, websites, are greatly appreciated. (My insurance doesn't cover therapy or I'd be very open to that!)

I have trouble looking at profiles so I have to ask how long you have been sleeved?

I am always battling head hunger. It was very strong after surgery. My stomach was now tiny but my worries and thinking about food were still big. I had a hard time with liquid food. It was gross. Yogurt and blueberries got me through hard times. I knew it was about this mental battle. It gets better every month. I am eight months sleeved now. Every habit changes after. Friday is a celebrate eating day in my family. We made it through the week and who doesn't love Friday. On pay days we would have a special meal usually eating out. I would eat more after work at dinner time. Food was a reward of survival. The sleeve is my biggest tool in fighting these battles. My sleeve knows what to do my mind takes longer to learn. My advise would be to not just be mindful of why your eating but mindful of why your thinking about eating and why. Keep things in the fridge to help. I like yogurt. Watermelon helps although I know some people wouldn't eat watermelon. Carbs. I was thinking about the head hunger on Saturday. It was a boat day on the lake. We usually get sandwiches, and chips. not low calorie ones. At first after surgery in may I would bring a sandwich it would last all day. This Saturday I brought yogurts and apples. The whole day I kept thinking about wanting a sandwich. I didn't need one it was just the ritual. I'm over it. It gets better.

Thanks for these suggestions! I am newly sleeved on 8/12/14 so I'm still on soft foods right now. I too go out boating and miss the sandwiches! Small world. The other day I went to a pizza b-day party and brought a Protein shake to curb the drooling! I kept repeating to myself that I chose this for better health. And that's the truth. The sleeve is definitely a great tool but I'm still struggling with wanting carbs every hour of every day.

@@DaniCan

HI......I'm dealing with this same issue. Thanks for your great advice. When were you sleeved? How soon can you actually get in 70 worth of Protein? Is it all in shakes at this point? Any advice is welcomed. I thing the food addiction and how to beat it is my BIGGEST concern.

I was sleeved January 22nd 2014. I didn't have trouble getting in 70 grams of protein. I used the protein shakes with milk that I bought from the doctors office for the first month. Cornerstone brand. After that I used syntrax nectar with water. I ate egg whites, refried beans, tiny bit of grated mozzarella, Greek yogurt. Getting enough water and fiber was more difficult. The head hunger is getting better. I can eat a tiny piece of pizza. I ate crackers with cheese for a while. I have favorite things that last for a while and then something else will come along. Right now it's oinkos yogurt. Watermelon apples. I can eat a few fries but they get yickier every time. Not worth it. Head hunger is getting better. It's interesting.

Are you sure you're getting enough liquid? When I complained of hunger a couple of weeks after surgery, my doc said that it was probably thirst. I've embraced that idea ever since. If I think I'm hungry between meals, I drink more. fluids. I still get hungry about 3-4 hours after a meal, but that's normal. I have a healthy snack like Greek yogurt or V-8 to hold me until meal time. So pound those fluids all day long (except around meals), and see if it helps. Good luck!

Edited September 19, 201411 yr by Rogofulm

this term, head hunger, just hits the nail on the head about how I've been since my surgery July 14. My stomach tells me when i'm not hungry, when I'm full, when I'm dangerously full... my portions tell me when nearly done or done, but my brain keeps thinking things like.... but i haven't eaten enough or... but i'm not getting as much of a portion as *he/she* is getting (like its a competition) or... having cravings between meals and having to count the minutes until its an appropriate time to eat again. I've had a suggestion for therapy but when I looked into it my health insurance doesn't cover any therapy other than the physical kind.

I've got applesauce, cheeses (cheddar, cottage, babybel), greek yogurt, sugar free pudding as options if i really can't make it until another meal, but I find that I rarely reach for these.... writing this is a good reminder so maybe I'll remember this and start using them now.

good topic.

People with the overweight disease are predominately head hungry and not stomach hungry. My sleeve convinced me of that. I am one year post surgery and lost 150 lbs. I still put too much food on my plate and can't even eat even half of it. I eat every 2 hours but never eat carbs. My mainstay is protein then veggies then fruit. I also speed walk 5 miles 5 days a week.

Every one has to find what works for them, but in order for the sleeve to work you have to keep trying until you find it.

Wow... This must be what I have... I was sleeved 11-21-13 and have lost 80 pounds since then. But the past few months I've been stuck at 242. At work and at home at night I'm craving carbs, such as crackers or pretzels. I try to eat as much protein as possible to fight the cravings at work. I'm surrounded by chocolate at work as a huge bowl of mini candy bars sits not too far from my spiteful eye. I've been good at staying away from that and my biggest vice- ice cream, but just can't stop wanting the crackers or pretzels after dinner. I do try to drink lots of water during this time to help the brain realize I'm full, but I'm just wondering if I'll ever resume losing weight to get down to 200. Haven't gained any back, as it fluctuates between 242-245. For exercise I do a pretty intense 30 min stationary bike ride every other night. Still trying to find how to get in more protein. But in getting tired of cheese and beef jerky, and chicken is just too dense sometimes. Canned chicken breast I can handle, but I'm on this thread trying to reach out to those with the same issues. I'll have my 1 year checkup in November, and the NUT will probably not be too pleased :-( The push to lose another 40 and keep it off forever is a goal I can't give up on. Darn you head hunger!!!

@@DaniCan

HI......I'm dealing with this same issue. Thanks for your great advice. When were you sleeved? How soon can you actually get in 70 worth of Protein? Is it all in shakes at this point? Any advice is welcomed. I thing the food addiction and how to beat it is my BIGGEST concern.

I was told to get between 60-80 grams of protein as soon as stage 2 starts (after the clear liquid phase). I eat 3 meals a day and log in my protein, sugar, fat and calories. Then, I've kind of figured out how much I need to make up for with supplement shakes. I was drinking 2 shakes a day in between meals but the last few days I've noticed I can eat a little more now so I've cut it back to 1 shake a day (30 grams of protein per serving). I've noticed I really need to read the labels because the amount of protein varies a lot! But the extra protein has really helped me control my head hunger. And others have mentioned drinking more Water. Its funny, I was drinking a lot of water but I was also getting really nauseous every day. When I spoke to my doctor I was told to cut way back on what I'm drinking in 1 sitting. It was explained that a lot of surgeons follow 1 guideline for both sleeve and gastric bypass patients. And yet gastric bypass patients need more water than sleeve patients. I don't have all the medical reasons behind it but for folks out there suffering from nausea...something to ask about. I'm religious now about limiting my water to a certain amount at 1 sitting. I wait the appropriate time before and after I eat and that has helped me so much. To get more in, I start the morning with ice water, get ready for work, drink water in the car on the way to work, eat my Breakfast, wait then drink more water wait, drink my shake, wait and so on.

From everything I'm hearing and reading, carbs – starches and sugars (including/especially ice cream) – continue to be the main problem for people who fall off and then struggle to get back on the wagon. I recognize that I'm still in my honeymoon period after surgery, but I'm striving to put off introducing carbs as long as possible. Also, for anyone who hasn't heard about it, there was a new study published recently that compared low-fat and low-carb diets. In pretty much every way, low-carb came out better. If you're interested, here's a link to a NY Times article about the study. I fully recognize that we all have to find our new "normal" way of eating that can last us a lifetime. But I'm trying to define my new normal as a low-carb normal. Because once that peanut-butter-pretzel genie gets back out of the bottle.....

Following - great question

When I get head hunger, and just can't escape it's nagging, I eat meat, chicken or pork first to fill me up and retrain my brain to associate meat with head hunger. After eating protein, and I still have that nagging little voice, I will allow myself a small portion (remember I'm physically full from the protein), about 1/2 a coffee cup (a real coffee cup, not a Starbucks Grande!) of whatever I'm craving. I'm normally satisfied after that.

The best way for me to get through it was get lots of liquids, make sure it's not acid and eat on a schedule focusing on protein first even if you don't feel hungry

The only times I get food cravings for carbs are when I've eaten a lot of sugar.

Sugar begets carb cravings.

I underscore Roger's doc's suggestion that a lot of "hunger" is really thirst.

Finally, I use My Fitness Pal religiously to not only track my food, but plan my daily menus. If I know what I am going to eat that day, it makes it so much easier for me to stick to that plan.

Like the old proverb says: Plan to succeed.

Good luck to you.