Hungry ever....

I was just reading on the RNY board through a handful of posts that people are having serious battle with hunger at various points in the weight loss journey.  Some were 8 months post op others more than that.  Then I was just out of curiousity checking out the DS board and it was commented on there as being a common problem with RNYers.

I am only a little over 1 week post op and I am for sure dealing with the desire to get back on foods but I wouldn't consider it actual hunger. 

So needless to say I am at a sort of vulnerable point here and this whole possiblity of being so hungry is freaking me out. 

Do you feel there is truth to this?

 I am six months out and I do get hunger pains, but they are nothing like pre-op.  Now the pains remind me to eat instead of make me feel like I need a 6 course meal to be satisfied.

Yes I get hungry. I have from definitely about 6 months out, but its hard sometimes to figure out if its in my head or not. I usually drink a lot of water and it goes away, which makes me think its in my head, BUT I genuinely am hungry when I wake up in the morning most days. It just takes a while to figure out what hunger feels like to you now, and also what's just mental cravings or behavior that got you into trouble in the first place.

Sometimes when I am anxious or angry or sad I'll start pacing the kitchen looking for food. That's definitely a leftover behavior. Its moments like those that I am most thankful for restriction because even if I tried I couldn't eat like I used to. Further out you can definitely cheat the surgery though, no doubt, so you have to be mindful of that or you will be in the land of re-gain.

The times when I am hungry it's usually a reminder from my body that it's been too long since I last ate.  That rarely happens though and it's usually the fuzzy head, dizzy feeling from low blood sugar than hunger.

In the evenings...I get that head hunger.  I want to munch on something and there's no way that it's true hunger.  Lately, I've been making a cup of tea and that takes care of it.  I have heard and read that sometimes if you feel hungry, your body may need liquids...so drink. 

It's important, early on, to distinquish between head hunger and real hunger.  For me, most of the time, it's head hunger because I rarely get hungry.  But that's an important emotional obstacle to overcome that early on.

Yeah, you do get your hunger back. Mine didn't come bac****il I was a year out. However, mine is more low blood sugar related. If it gets low, I get ravenous. But I'm never hungry now - I eat every few hours to keep my blood sugar up and if I do get those hunger pains it's usually in my head and emotionally triggered.

Honestly, I battle more with the food demons in my head than with hunger - that has been the hardest part. Just know that you will face that as well and if you deal with it head on, you'll be fine. You will have set backs but that's normal for ALL people, not just those who have had surgery. I have a friend who is a beautiful size 8 and has always been that way and she always struggles with eating well. She always reminds me that just because she is "thin" it doesn't mean she doesn't have the same cravings as me. That was a huge revelation for me.

Don't worry about all this yet, just keep practicing good skills, develop good habits and when the time comes for more changes, you'll be ready for it.  

Thanks all!  That really puts it into perspective. 

I really shouldn't even be worrying about this all yet.  I think that I have a strong support system though in my husband so hopefully he will be able to help me through the emotions.

Thanks for the help!   Ellen