Do you ever miss it?

So, I have been working hard on the head hunger and cravings issues lately.  They have been kicking my ass.

I see people who post that they don't miss the food, are never hungry, blah blah blah.

I'm just wondering if I'm the only person out there who misses the food.
Now I wouldn't want to go back, I enjoy being active, running races, bicycling, and generally living a more healthy lifestyle.  However there are days when I want to go to the all you can eat restaurant and put the financial hurt on them.

I even find myself waking up at night and the first thought in my head is about food.  That never used to happen before I had my surgery and lost the weight.

I never thought about food before, I just ate when I wanted to.  Now my day is consumed by the thought of food.  I count, measure, weigh everything I eat.  I stare at the clock and anticipate my next meal. 

Anyone else, or am I just the lucky one?

Scott

Hi Scott,

You are not by your self. I am almost three years out and I have developed pretty good eating habits but I still want things I shouldn't have. I have a sweet tooth now that I didn't have before. There is a lady in the office where I work that keeps a candy basket full of a little bit of everything. I am fine if I can just not look at it, but once I look in it or even worse I take a piece I am in it all day. Only one or two pieces at a time but once I give in that's it. At the house it is easier to put a hold on it because I buy the food and do the cooking. I find myself wanting to eat some times when I shouldn't, but I can make healthier choices.

What they say about them operating on your gut not your head is true. I had issues with food prior to surgery and I still do. I think I can handle it a little better now but I still have my days. I use to eat when I was happy, when I was upset, when I was tired or just when I was bored. Food was my friend. So yeah I miss food but I am to old to go back to the way I was. I started to say the way I was living but I was not really living.

pan head

Thanks for the reply,

I was starting to feel like the odd man out.  The local support group is full of people who are either exceptional or chronic liars.  None of them ever have any food cravings, or issues with food.  No head hunger or anything. 

I hear you when you talk about emotional eating.  Food was probably my best friend.  It was certainly the drug of choice.  It calmed me, comforted me, picked me up when I was down, helped me celebrate.  Food was the center of my world without my even really knowing it.  I knew I liked food, hell I was 441 pounds, but now that I have to monitor myself so much more closely, I was just smacked in the face with how important and how big a part of my life it was.

Scott

You are not alone Scott. I have constantly battled head hunger especially for the last year or so. Like you, food was (is) my drug of choice and I turn to it when I need to "escape." 

The only thing I know is my cycling challenges continue to get tougher and tougher and I realize I won't be able to complete them if I put on the weight. Frickin' 10 pounds feels like a hundred when climbing 14K foot Mt. Evans on my bike. So, I traded one addiction for a more important one which in this case is a healthy one. Figure it's better than drugs, huh? :-)

 
Great question. Hang in there brother....keep battling!

Boner

Hey Boner, so how is the bike riding going?
I haven't been around much, and haven't see too many posts from you either.

My rides have increased a lot.  I am really enjoying it.  I have done a couple 70+ mile rides.
It almost doesn't feel like exercise unless i'm in the granny gear trying to get up the side of what feels like Mt. Everest.  Or if I try to hang with the better/faster riders.

Scott

Hey Scott,

Bikin' is good and I'm trying to stay in somewhat competitive condition. Summer 2008 was my max condition and accomplishments with the bike but this past summer wasn't anything to sneeze at so I'm happy to "maintain." My times were slower but I was still able to do some rides which I hadn't done before. Top of the list was climbing 14K foot Mt. Evans which is the highest road in the US. It was brutal but what a feeling of accomplishment. i was high for a couple weeks after that ride. Sounds like you've turned a valuable corner with cycling or for any form of exercise for that matter when you said, "it doesn't seem like work," Cool for you!

Regarding this thread (a good one I might add),  you hit the nail on the head for me when you said,

"Anyhow, it's not a quality issue it's a quantity issue for me.  I wasn't raised to leave behind food.  You ate what was given to you and you were happy to get it.  If you didn't eat it you went without, so needless to say almost nothing was left behind.  And if anything was left behind there was always someone there to fini**** "
 
That's me in a nutshell, mass quantities and the feeling of being stuffed. Weird but true.

Nice job sticking with the program, man!

Boner

I am considering a triple crown event we have here in California.  There are about 8-10 double century rides that qualify.  If you complete 3 of them in a year you get this *****ing cycling jersey.  I enjoy the riding and I want the bragging rights.  I might have to give it a go.  But then again it might have to wait until next year.  I have 2 major triathlons on my schedule and I might not be able to squeeze in those rides.

That sounds like quite an impressive ride.  14k worth of climbing.....  I hate mountains, probably because I'm a terrible climber, but I am working on them.  I don't want to let the hill beat me.

Scott

Hey man.  Nice to see you back.

Hey Scott,

All we need is Buckeye John, Larry the Wad AKA......."we're putting the band back together" ala the Blues Brothers. :-)

Hope all is well.

 Boner,

How have you been? Yeah, I really would like to see those guys back, too. Have you heard from them lately? Buckeye posted about a year ago. That's the last time I know of. 

Is Padre still on here?

Dave