Head hunger/food noise

[Erin18 135]

Can someone give some helpful tips or info about ths topic?

[Jonathan Carlson 66]

Does that mean eating when you're not really hungry? I do it all the time. I could use some advice too!

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[ChunkCat 707]

I remember the first time I realized I have food noise. I was given Saxenda and several weeks into it as I increased the dose, I noticed that the mental pressure to eat was gone... It was like that voice that often brought up food throughout the day was suddenly silenced. I never even realized it was there before, it was such a familiar thing in my mental landscape it didn't occur to me that not everyone has that! GLP-1 medications in general are known for this side effect. Meds for ADHD like Vyvanse and anti-depressants like Wellbutrin are also known to help with this.

When I went off my Ozempic before surgery, the voice came back with a vengeance!! I didn't have much of a appetite pre-op, but man did it come back post-op... For the first month I was sooo hungry. And the voice was SO loud. Thankfully I have a lot of techniques to manage inner voices, due to a decade of somatic based trauma therapy. I think without that, the process would have been so much harder for me.

One thing that helps me the most is distinguishing that part as a PART of me, not ALL of me. So instead of "I'm hungry!" it is "I'm noticing a part of me feels hungry." This may seem like a weird distinction, but research has shown when we do this with emotions "A part of me is angry." vs "I'm angry!") it helps us create a little space between us and the feeling and helps us remember that there are other parts of us present and not all of them are caught up in the emotion of the moment. Remembering there are parts of ourselves that are like Switzerland helps us navigate internally when voices get loud. So I apply this to head hunger too. I identify the part of me that is hungry. I ask it what it needs. I validate its experience. And then I offer to just sit with it for a while and be present with the feeling of hunger. Then I let it know when we are next going to eat and orient that part to thinking of what we might want to eat at the coming meal.

I'm sure this approach won't work for everyone, it is just what I tend to do. I notice when I hear the parts of me that feel things and give them some presence, they often start to soften, or have something important to tell me about what we are experiencing in that moment. For instance, I have severe ADHD. I get easily distracted and forget to eat. Post op it has been a struggle. That voice is there to remind me to tend my body. It may be louder than most people have it, but it still serves a purpose and when I can give it a job it tends to fight with me less. I eat every 3 hours. Without exception. If I go past 3 hours the voices get really loud and I feel sick, probably my blood sugar dropping... So I eat every 3 hours. But I eat within a 30 minute window, then I'm done. I don't snack in between. If my body tells me we need more food before the 3 hour mark I stop to reflect why this might be. If it is because I am bored, I find something to redirect the energy to and wait. If it is due to a workout or being sick and burning through energy faster. I may add in an earlier meal.

Seeing my body as something to partner with, as something I have a relationship with that I want to be a GOOD relationship, seems to help me remember to treat my inner voices with kindness and compassion instead of judgment and irritation. If someone you were closely connected to constantly ignored you or snapped at you, over time you'd either get louder or go away. That is what I did to my body. So now when I hear the voice it is a reminder that this is something I'm working to relate to in a healthier way, so I choose a reaction to it like I'd choose a reaction to a friend reminding me to eat or drink Water. Sorry for the long ramble, it just happens to be something I've been reflecting deeply on over the past 6 months!!

ETA: I do take Wellbutrin for depression. I have never noticed it affecting that internal voice, but some notice an impact. If you are struggling deeply with this voice, you might consider a medication that can support you in this. I have a good friend who has ADHD and noticed when she started Vyvanse it significantly helped with the food noise and binging behavior. It isn't a good solution for everyone, but it is a good solution for some. ❤️

Edited May 12 by ChunkCat

[Arabesque 6,563]

Simply put head hunger (& food noise) is not real hunger. It just often is more powerful & what we listen to.

They often have an emotional cause - sad, angry, anxious, stressed, frustrated, etc. & you use food to comfort or sooth yourself. They can have a hormonal cause like craving carbs in the lead up to your period. They can get louder when you’re bored or because of habit & what you’re doing like watching tv. After surgery they can be particularly strong. You can be on a emotional roller coaster after surgery, your hormones can be all over the place, everything is strange & you can worry about doing the right thing or making a mistake - information overload, you may have some pain or discomfort for a little while after, and so on.

Generally, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture it’s head hunger. Your tummy rumbling (hunger pains/pangs) aren’t usually a sign of real hunger either - just your digestive system working.

Real hunger feels different. Because we tended to listen to the food noise & head hunger cues we forget what real hunger feels like. I get restless like something is wrong. Don’t crave anything. And there is always a logical & legitimate reason to be hungry - I haven’t eaten (missed a meal) or didn’t eat much of my previous meal or it’s around or after my usual meal time.

Distraction is the easiest & most commonly used technique to help. Read, check social media & this forum, phone a family me, ring friend, harder, craft, go for a walk, undertake a household task (clean out a cupboard or drawer), sip a warm drink. Delay satisfying the head hunger or food voice - often it will lessen in intensity & can pass after 30+/- minutes. I used to ask myself do I need this food or need the next bite or do I just want it. If I want it why? Actually I still do this a lot. Makes you really think about what’s driving you to eat, why the food voice or head hunger is shouting & it works towards understanding your relationship with food,

Have a chat with your therapist too. If you didn’t meet with one as part of your pre surgery process, it may be helpful to ask for a referral to help you work your way through this. Many find them extremely helpful.