I read so much from people who are struggling that they are still hungry - They think that the band will take away their hunger.

For me it hasn't - Yes I am full on a smaller amount of food - I can be physically full but mentally hungry which manifest it's self in to what I consider some times as physical hunger

I just wanted to know from other how the band affected their hunger issues.

For me I say they have banded my tummy & not my head where the real problems lie...

Thanks for your imput..

I still get hungry, it just takes a little longer and I get satisfied from a smaller amount of food. I am happy that my band helps me in this way.

Do I still have head hunger? Yes, I do. I will continue to struggle day to day with the horrible "head hunger". I think we all wish the band could fix that.

I guess the real question, even though it sounds stupid, is what do we usually mean by hunger--a drop in blood sugar that makes us feel light-headed and weak? I haven't really gotten that since I started doing Atkins a few years ago. Stomach growling? Well, with the band my stomach can make all sorts of weird noises both before and after I eat. Craving food? AHHH- that one I know well. It doesn't really have anything to do with whether my body needs food or if I've just eaten a meal. I still crave sweets, but when I think about them, I really can't figure out exactly what I want anymore. A donut? No thanks, I've tried eating them and after about two bites they make my stomach hurt. Pie? Same thing. Cake? same thing. Cookies--ooohhh, those I can eat, but I refuse to buy more than one at a time so they are never around when the craving strikes. Ice cream? Never really my weakness.

I still snack too much because I like eating. If I am really, really craving something, I will have it, but don't keep the really bad stuff around, so I have to decide if the craving is so bad that I want to make a trip to the store (11 miles for me). Sometimes it is, but usually it's too late at night or my common sense reappears and I just take a bite of a granola bar. The band stops me from eating too much at once, and I have been tight enough in the past that most of my serious cravings are tempered by the bad eating experiences I've had.

I voted no but I'm full for longer on a smaller amount of food.

My brain has been retrained to view a healthy, moderate plateful of food as enough, its taken a LONG time but at almost 3 years out, I dont panic that I dont have enough food on my plate. I can view an apple as a decent snack, whereas before it wouldnt have touched the sides.

But I get hungry every bit as much as I used to. In fact true hunger - stomach growling, feeling hollow, I get that more. The cravings and head hunger, about the same.

Edited September 6, 200817 yr by Jachut

I can go all day without eating - if I am out and about doing things I really don't think about food - never have - even when I was 250.. I never had the light headedness that pple talk about nor have i ever felt weak from missing a meal or 2..

I haven't tried a donut since I have been banded - cake/cookies can eat with no problems - but like Snowbird - I don't keep the stuff around the house and if I want one - I buy just one.

My neighborhood store sells individual piece of cake, pie, cheesecake - Oh I will pick the item up turn it over look at the calories - 1 piece of cheesecake 700- choc cake 500 and I just put it back and say oh no that's too many calories - so I stick with my sf pudding & fudgecicles

so I stick with my sf pudding & fudgecicles

My SF pudding saves me every time! Have you tried the new dark chocolate, chocolate mint and banana supreme with chocolate? YUMMY!!!!

My SF pudding saves me every time! Have you tried the new dark chocolate, chocolate mint and banana supreme with chocolate? YUMMY!!!!

Yep love the dark choc & banana I have this new thing I do,

Those sugar ice cream cones are only 20 calories - I cut my fudgecicles up and stick it in the cone - 120c for an actual ice cream cone..

I also make my own sf banana puddings with the mini vanilla wafers

sf banana pudding - lite cool whip - mixed together then I have these little 1/2 cup container that I put a wafer in with a slice of banana then spoon in the pudding add another wafer and slice of banana and the more pudding - Yummy

My SF pudding saves me every time! Have you tried the new dark chocolate, chocolate mint and banana supreme with chocolate? YUMMY!!!!:lovechoc:

I see you are from Baton Rogue LA - You did ok during Gustav??

I see you are from Baton Rogue LA - You did ok during Gustav??

Thank you for asking.

Gustav kicked our butts. My family is fine. We were very fortunate. Big tree uprooted in the front yard, 8 ft wooden fence down in the back and some roof damage.

Baton Rouge, in general, is a complete mess. This area has never seen anything like it. We are quite a ways inland, so the most we had ever gotten prior to this was 70 mph gusts. This storm gave us sustained winds of that and over 90 mph gusts. It is awful to drive around and see the city. I just got an automated call from the school board and my kids don't return to school until MAYBE the 15th. I teach in a neighboring district and I return to work on Monday.

Like after any disaster, people are tired and frustrated. It will take a little while, but we have a lot of help and it will get better.

Oh, and thanks for the tip about the banana pudding. It sounds yummy!

Thank you for asking.

Gustav kicked our butts. My family is fine. We were very fortunate. Big tree uprooted in the front yard, 8 ft wooden fence down in the back and some roof damage.

Baton Rouge, in general, is a complete mess. This area has never seen anything like it. We are quite a ways inland, so the most we had ever gotten prior to this was 70 mph gusts. This storm gave us sustained winds of that and over 90 mph gusts. It is awful to drive around and see the city. I just got an automated call from the school board and my kids don't return to school until MAYBE the 15th. I teach in a neighboring district and I return to work on Monday.

Like after any disaster, people are tired and frustrated. It will take a little while, but we have a lot of help and it will get better.

Oh, and thanks for the tip about the banana pudding. It sounds yummy!

After Katrina I am so terrifed of what those hurricanes can do - One of my Lucky #7 girls lives in New Orleans and I was watching the weather channel and it showed that it miss NO and hit you guys..

Hugs - that has to be horrible to live thru - thankfully your damage wasn't worse.. I will take my earthquakes over your hurricane any day.. We have no warning which isn't great - but the odds are more in my favor - you get hurricane annually were as my eq are 1 - in a 100 yrs that really do any damage..

We were lucky in the past few years. Nothing until now since Katrina. Now we are having to watch that danged Ike. He is turning toward Florida and Cuba.:lovechoc:

Bump - - Answer Please - I need some more data than 10 pple - we have more than 10 pple who have gotten to goal....

I have found the EAS advant edge chocolate drinks to be a life saver for me. If I am really hungry, I drink my "chocolate milk" which staves off the hunger for a long time. I have also noticed that when I eat the amt of protein I'm supposed to get that I don't get hungry between meals. I eat a lot of cottage cheese, low fat, low carb yogurt, my shakes, sf popsicles. I don't have the cravings I used to have. It's really strange but I love not feeling hungry all the time. I love going to partys or out to eat and I feel no need to eat the food. IT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO ME ANYMORE and I am loving it. I feel normal for the first time in 55 years. Ya Hoooo

I get full on a small amount of food and I feel so full that eating does not sound appealing to me. Sometimes at dinner, I am not hungry and nothing sounds good. I eat something high in Protein because I know I need the protein.

The night time munchies are bad but I have started eating Fiber one Bars. I have an issue with not enough fiber and these have like 33% of our daily needs. The are 140 calories where as the sugar free fudgesicles are only 40 calories. I don't feel as satisfied on one of those though. I haven't gained any weight on the extra 100 calories.

Head hunger to me is nowhere near as bad as physical stomach growling hunger that I used to get. I would get so hungry that I felt physically sick.

Denise, have you tried the Curves chocolate and peanut bars? They're smaller than the Fiber One bars and 100 calories, and are really yummy. The do have less fiber, again partly because they are smaller. They are a great snack.

Denise, have you tried the Curves chocolate and peanut bars? They're smaller than the Fiber One bars and 100 calories, and are really yummy. The do have less fiber, again partly because they are smaller. They are a great snack.

I just got the fiberone oat & pb -love them - 150 calories - but since I am no longer in the weight loss phase - I get to add a few to my daily food intake. Plus I need the fiber :0)

I still watch what I am eating but have a couple of extra calories to play with daily or weekly :0)...