Hunger

How come sometimes i dont want to eat all day, in fact i have gone 24 hrs without eating. Then at other times i am mentally wanting food even when i just ate and know i cant eat more. how do i beat the mental cravings for food, because i really dont have any physical desire for food. Most times I just eat to get protien, or because of some mental craving. I am havig slight difficulties in determing when to eat. I am very confused about my hunger feelings. Even when I am ready to eat by the time i take my vitamins I have no room for food, because i have to start drinking to try to get 64 ounces of fluid. That brings Me to another question. Some days I can meet or exceed the fluid requiremnts, and others i dont fell like drinking more than approx, 32 ounces. I need some advice on how to balance my hunger, and drinking, and supplements. Everthing else is great except the freezing. I am glad I did it, and i have lost about 60lbs in 6 weeks. Thanks for you time and helpfull advice.

David, you said it yourself, that it is mental. Somebody in my support class put it right: "The surgery is on your stomach, not your brain." Support groups help (hope you're in one), and I do visualizations about my goal to determine if my "mental craving" is really worth it. I look at different foods and determine if there is a way I can legally incorporate it (I found that one or two frozen mozzarella sticks, baked not fried, is legal even though it seems decadent). Read labels at the supermarket, and you'll be surprised what foods you CAN eat the makes you feel like you can have a lot of the stuff you didn't think you could. That can help a lot. As far as when to eat, my nutritionist suggests getting a watch with an alarm on it and set it for three hours. Every three hours, eat something. If you are craving food, you gotta wait until your watch beeps. In the meantime, get at least 48 oz of liquid in. I couldn't do it, either, until I discovered Crystal Light Lemonade (I love lemonade), in the on-the-go packets. I buy .5 liter bottles of water in bulk, then add a packet to 4 bottles and refrigerate them before I go to bed. In the morning, I'll put two of those in the freezer while I have breakfast and let them get slushy. I can go through those pretty quick. While I fix lunch, I put the other two in. I go through those slower, but if I have room, I'll set up two more for the evening and there is your 64 oz. I don't always make it, but I try to at least get 48 oz, which my nutritionist says is okay. Supplements vary depending on your surgeon, your PCP and your nutritionist. All I'm required to have is calcium, multi-vitamins, folic acid and B12. My B12 is taken care of by one Health-Tech B12 strip on Monday morning. I take a Viactiv chew before my three big meals, a Flintstone chewable at breakfast and dinner and a folic acid pill at lunch. Finally, if you have time (and I know it's hard), if you are really getting a "brain crave," go out and walk for 10-20 minutes. A lot of times, getting away from the temptation and exercising a little will short circuit the craving. Hope all these ideas help. Good luck!

David, I don't know if this will help, but it does help me. If I get a craving for something I shouldn't eat, I close my eyes and visualize what it was like to eat it. I "pretend" that I'm tasting it. Then, I say to myself, "OK, you know what it tastes like. If you eat some, it's not going to taste any different. Same old, same old." For some reason this puts the craving in perspective and I'm ok. Congrats on your weight loss. It sounds like you are doing a good job.

It is all a mental thing!!! I have had the same problem and that is why this is going to be a complete life change. Your stomach is changed but you are going to have to work with your mind. It is not going to be easy but hang in there. You can do it! Bonnie