Head Hunger Article

Spend time listening to the talk among weight loss surgery patients and you're bound to hear the expression "head hunger." It's a popular term to describe a mental craving for food versus a physical hunger. Patients *****gain weight and are not compliant with the dietary rules established by their bariatric centers often claim the head hunger was too powerful and forced them to eat foods known to cause weight gain or known to slow weight loss. Foods such as pretzels, chips, sweets, pastas and baked goods are against the rules of weight loss surgery, yet these are the foods patients eat when suffering from head hunger. The nature of the gastric bypass or lap-band weight loss surgery reduces physical appetite during the initial months following weight loss surgery. Most patients report a complete loss of physical appetite which of course is one of the components that makes weight loss surgery successful. So why are so many patients regaining weight or stalling before reaching their weight loss goal? Head hunger. It seems to be the loophole that enables a patient to break the rules and not take responsibility for non-compliance. While I understand there is an emotional attachment to food I also say using the head hunger loophole is self-defeating and unnecessary. Successful patients do not use the term nor do they indulge "head hunger." Prior to WLS patients had another kind of "Head Hunger"- head hunger to lose weight, to be healthier, to be more attractive. That head hunger was so extreme nights were spent lying awake plotting the next argument to the insurance company, defending their personal obesity crisis and fighting for this miracle of modern medicine. Head hunger? THAT was head hunger. It seems counterintuitive that patients who fought so hard for to have WLS now want to say "Oh, I'm so hungry for chocolate cake or Alfredo sauce or XYZ, just this once it's ok - I deserve one little treat!" This thinking is exactly what got us to morbid obesity in the first place! I say, forget about food head hunger - do not indulge it for one minute. Instead focus head hunger on the lighter, more attractive more confident person you fought to become. The chocolate cake is nothing, it has no power. Forget about it, it just doesn't matter anymore. Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Oh Mary... my toes hurt. I needed to read this article!!! Thanks for the swift kick in the you know where that I needed!!! Love ya!! Denise

Denise, This is what we are here for is to give each other a swift kick back into reality. This article helped me put things back into perspective, we all are dealing with various demons....head hunger is something I believe we all face whether we admit to it or not. & Mary

Mare, that post is dead-on. I admit to using the excuses and I'm working on it. Thanks for the reminder!! Hugs, Nancy

I just have to reply to this message. Thank you for the strong message, but the one thing I find with "Head Hunger" is to have a small taste of the chocolate cake (or whatever I'm craving) and it doesn't usually taste as good or it is all together going to make me sick and then I remember why I had this surgery!!!! Depriving myself just seems to make the "wanting" stronger and feed the self destroying thoughts. I've learned to make food a low priority- my old life revolved around it and I will not go there again. I've found that the surgery was alot more emotional than I ever realized it would be and that food is not as important as I once believed.

Wow that article hits the nail on the head! Thanks for sharing Mary......I needed that same wake up call!!!! Michelle