We've seen the term head hunger used with great frequency. What does it mean to you? What do you experience? How do you differentiate head hunger from empty-stomach hunger? What do you do to avoid it? And when it strikes, how do you manage it?

I know head hunger from real hunger because with head hunger, I want to eat sweet stuff, or graze on things like nuts or pretzels. I also know that I'm often in front of the TV when I get the head hunger. Real hunger comes when I'm doing something and I feel hungry and know that it's time to eat.

When I have the head hunger, I do something so I can refocus and usually the feeling passes. I've often gone around the corner to get a manicure. Or I go up on the roofdeck with my Ipod. If I cn't get out of the house, I pick up my book, or go online.

Head hunger is more of an emotional response as opposed to a physiological one. It's more of an "I WANT that" instead if an "I need that".

I can honestly say since my surgery, I very rarely feel true hunger. I spend a lot of time thinking "Is this real, or do I want to eat because I'm bored/happy/sad/tired/stressed etc..."

It's probably been one of the greatest struggles I face since surgery. You're so used to giving in to it, you really have to make a conscious effort to fight it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. As long as winning most of the time, I'm doing pretty darn good

Yes, for me also I rarely experience true hunger anymore....as a matter of fact I have no desire to eat most of the time, and my taste for food is very different.

So as far as head hunger, it is for me a desire to have something...a craving...don't know where it comes from.

It could simply be from passing by a do-nut shop/bakery, or I may start thinking about a recipe my mother used to make when I was small and I have not had in years....

I will go out of my way to obtain - cook what it is I'm craving, but after one or 2 bites, thanks to the band, I realize I really did not want it, or it was something I cannot eat...either way I wind up throwing it away...

After a year of this, I started to dismiss the cravings as soon as they came because I knew no matter how much II thought of them, I would be wasting my time and $$....

And now, 4 years later, I dismiss the cravings as fast as they come.

However, there is something other than head hunger or real hunger....from eating so little, sometimes your body is trying to tell you it is in need of some element you're denying it....could be sugar, a carb, or perhaps some lack of vitamin-mineral...or simply water-hydration.

It is very hard to know and listen to one's body....but it can happen especially when we are not eating so much.

I had a craving the other day...or was it my body telling me it needed something....so I ate a pint of ice cream and the desire was satisfied...what was in the ice cream my body needed-wanted? Sugar? dairy Product? Type of fat? I have no idea but that could have been fought off as a head hunger - craving. But in this case it wasn't.

I also find myself grazing, snacking all day at times....especially weekends...but it's ok with me because I look at what I are over a 24hr period, not per sitting. I'm not dieting anymore. If I snack all day sitting in front of the TV, then there will be no dinner....

I just make sure it is not junk....I have become very health conscious...you are what you eat!

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.

I am week 2 postop and get head hunger all the time.... I just call it cravings. For me, it's not real hunger but it's hard nonetheless.

I just try to stay on my eating schedule and that's that. I start realizing that the food I am craving aren't even foods I eat all the time (ice cream, pizza, lasagne,beef patty, grilled cheese, Pasta, burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc etc) I might have these things once in a while but not every day. This make me KNOW the difference between my head telling me what it wants or my body.

I sip Water then realize I was prob thirsty then wait until my next feeding to eat my next meal.

I also realized that this head hunger is apart of the issue why I gained the weight in the first place. Since I am so early on in this process I just go back to the 6 mths preop and the pain after surgery.

Good luck! It's a long journey ahead of us all :-)

Thanks you all for your posts about "head hunger". I have not had surgery yet as I am still in the contemplation/research phase. This was/is a HUGE concern for me as I do find I eat more when I am bored or emotional about something.