OK. You may of seen my other thread "what does full feel like" well this is just the opposite, "what does hungry feel like?"

I had never thought of this before until my wife, who has also been banded, asked me and our fill nurse this question. The nurse said in all her years, she had never been asked that question nor did she know how to respond.

Now think really hard about this before you answer. What is real hunger. For me I said it was just a craving for food. I see it, I smell it, I want it. That's probably not a true signal that "I'm hungry." Because if I'm really busy, I don't eat much nor does my wife because our minds are busy. It was this way at pre band as well as post band. Sometimes I guess it could be a growling stomach, but mine growls more after I eat than before.

We are uncovering some real skeletons in our closet. We feel we got to our large size by not understanding these signals and eating because of our impulses. The difference is now, I can wake up in the morning and feel what I think is hunger, but only after a little bit of food, that urge goes away. With out the band, I would have no other signal to stop eating other than to stuff myself.

So what does hungry feel like to you?

Hungry for me is feeling that gnawing feeling of emptiness in the pit of my stomach, complete with growling. Usually I can tell if I'm really hungry because I get grouchy and snippy. All the girls in my family are the same way (mom, sisters, daughter...).

Usually if I start to feel hungry the first thing I do is check the clock. If it's only been a couple hours since my last meal then I know it's probably head hunger or thirst, not true hunger. If it's been 4-5 hours, then I know I'm truly getting hungry, not just bored. I got the way I am by eating when I was bored and boy, it's a tough habit to break!

Hungry for me is the growling I get every morning before I start drinking my Protein shake. Since it takes me all morning to drink it, I'm rarely hungry once I begin. It's the same as the previous poster...raw, gnawing ache for something, but not really a craving. More like a need.

I too am a clock watcher. I know what times of the day I'm likely to get hungry. About 9:30 pm until bedtime is the worst.

For me, when I am hungry my stomach starts growling and it is a totally different feeling/sound than the digestion noises after eating. I also sometimes get sort of a burning sensation at the back of my throat. Not sure how to describe and it doesn't hurt...just kind of uncomfortable.

When I don't have those stomach growling noises or the burning in my throat, then I know it is just me "wanting" food rather than "needing" it.

I was on a diet once that you could only eat when you truly felt physically hungry (the sounds, feelings, etc.) and so I started learning how to really listen to my body. I did lose weight however over time I went back to my old habits of eating whether I was hungry or not and here I am!

T

Hungry for me is a new feeling. I was always "head" hungry but never recognized true hunger. I can now distinguish the two.....when I am truly hungry my stomach feels like it's moving and rolling around in there, and it's loud! lol

My stomach now growls loud when I am hungry! There is no mistaking it!!

Full feels well, full! I feel like I suddenly can't eat another bite and a tiny bit burpy. I had a half of a sandwich at lunch today and I also got some fruit. I finished the half sandwich and went to take a bite of fruit and I felt like "nope.. not another bite". I wouldn't get that before.. I could keep taking bites, I can't and don't want to do that anymore. Strange...