Head Hunger
Does head hunger ever go away?
I find myself asking this all the time. I do not regret for one moment having the lap band surgery. I know that was the right choice for me. I could not have had gastric bypass and been sucessful with it. I'm too addicted to food. I need the dr's office stepping in and tightening up that sucker when the weight starts to climb again.
Since my sugery I've had my ups and downs.. (mostly with my weight! hah) I started out at 256lbs and have gotten all the way down to 119lbs and promptly went into congestive heart failure. Since then they have been playing with my band and I've been playing with food. My weight goes up and down.
They had to remove all the fluid from my band because it had gotten too tight and nothing would pass. I've had to endure my weight going up while they struggle to find my sweet spot and start on my weight loss journey again.
Recently my weight ballooned all the way up to 165lbs while waiting to get the right fill. Last Friday I got a tiny bit more put into my band and finally the weight has started to come down again. The first few days after the fill I only had liquid. I wasn't even hungry but all I could do was think about food and what I wasnt able to eat.
It made me think about my obsession with food. I remembered back to being a child (a fat child) and always wondering what I was going to eat next. When time was breakfast, lunch & dinner. What would be my snack? I have had this obsession with food as long as I can remember.
It makes me realise that it's going to take more than this band to be successful.
I have thought about therapy...I've also thought about hypnosis. I know I need some kind of help.
Does anyone else struggle with this?
Diane
I find myself asking this all the time. I do not regret for one moment having the lap band surgery. I know that was the right choice for me. I could not have had gastric bypass and been sucessful with it. I'm too addicted to food. I need the dr's office stepping in and tightening up that sucker when the weight starts to climb again.
Since my sugery I've had my ups and downs.. (mostly with my weight! hah) I started out at 256lbs and have gotten all the way down to 119lbs and promptly went into congestive heart failure. Since then they have been playing with my band and I've been playing with food. My weight goes up and down.
They had to remove all the fluid from my band because it had gotten too tight and nothing would pass. I've had to endure my weight going up while they struggle to find my sweet spot and start on my weight loss journey again.
Recently my weight ballooned all the way up to 165lbs while waiting to get the right fill. Last Friday I got a tiny bit more put into my band and finally the weight has started to come down again. The first few days after the fill I only had liquid. I wasn't even hungry but all I could do was think about food and what I wasnt able to eat.
It made me think about my obsession with food. I remembered back to being a child (a fat child) and always wondering what I was going to eat next. When time was breakfast, lunch & dinner. What would be my snack? I have had this obsession with food as long as I can remember.
It makes me realise that it's going to take more than this band to be successful.
I have thought about therapy...I've also thought about hypnosis. I know I need some kind of help.
Does anyone else struggle with this?
Diane
Therapy is a good option. None of use got to be obese because we did not know what to eat or how to walk on a treadmill. It is all emotional and psychological. At times I would go so far as to say that obesity is a mental illness. That being said if you cannot afford a therapist OA is also a very good free option
Does anyone else struggle with this? Only almost all the time. I am currently attending OA meetings and working the 12-steps to overcome my compulsive overeating. Yes, it looks a lot different after weight loss surgery, and I am truly grateful for the wonderful tool of GBS, but learning how to work with this tool is a daily process for me. The support, cameraderie and understanding I find in OA is amazing and is giving me hope that one day I will be free from the obsession around food.
Blessings, Jill
WLS 5/31/07. Maintaining a weight loss of 141 pounds and feeling amazing!
Diana,
Oh yes, I struggle with this every day. As a food addict, I have to rely on making good choices and finding ways to overcome or mitigate compulsive eating. And make no mistake - this is NOT about "learning" how to eat or what to eat. I've known a ton about nutrition since I was a very young person. I know what is "bad" for me and what is "good" for me. But knowing that intellectually and being able to control impulse and compulsion are two different things.
One thing that struck me in your post is how much you are relying on your safety net to get you through every day. In reality, our "tools" no matter whether they are GBS, Lap band, or any other tool, is JUST a tool. It's meant to help you out when you need that extra boost or measure of safety to keep you on the right track, just like a safety rope is there to catch a window-washer if he slips. It's NOT meant to do all the heavy-lifting day in and day out. Using it that way will wear out its effectiveness (as you're already seeing occur) and end up with results that don't match your needs or expectations.
A crutch or safety net should be there only when you MUST use it - with the goal of getting yourself strong enough and confident enough to not need it on a regular basis. Then, it's there to catch you if you slide... and can work well for you.
Maybe try and reframe some of your thoughts around your relationship with your band - are you doing your part by measuring your food, selecting healthy non-slider foods, eating slowly, getting in all your hydration, etc? Or are you relying on it being over-constricted to stop you in your tracks? Are you being an active participant in your weight management? Can you view your tool as a "silent partner" in this journey for a while and eat in a way that will never trigger it "kicking in" consciously? That might be an interesting exercise to try.
Just some thoughts that might help - you're on the same journey as so many of us, and the mind-game part of it is literally 95% of it for many.
And, yes, I think therapy can be a great supplement to the journey. I'm finding it very helpful.
Karen
Oh yes, I struggle with this every day. As a food addict, I have to rely on making good choices and finding ways to overcome or mitigate compulsive eating. And make no mistake - this is NOT about "learning" how to eat or what to eat. I've known a ton about nutrition since I was a very young person. I know what is "bad" for me and what is "good" for me. But knowing that intellectually and being able to control impulse and compulsion are two different things.
One thing that struck me in your post is how much you are relying on your safety net to get you through every day. In reality, our "tools" no matter whether they are GBS, Lap band, or any other tool, is JUST a tool. It's meant to help you out when you need that extra boost or measure of safety to keep you on the right track, just like a safety rope is there to catch a window-washer if he slips. It's NOT meant to do all the heavy-lifting day in and day out. Using it that way will wear out its effectiveness (as you're already seeing occur) and end up with results that don't match your needs or expectations.
A crutch or safety net should be there only when you MUST use it - with the goal of getting yourself strong enough and confident enough to not need it on a regular basis. Then, it's there to catch you if you slide... and can work well for you.
Maybe try and reframe some of your thoughts around your relationship with your band - are you doing your part by measuring your food, selecting healthy non-slider foods, eating slowly, getting in all your hydration, etc? Or are you relying on it being over-constricted to stop you in your tracks? Are you being an active participant in your weight management? Can you view your tool as a "silent partner" in this journey for a while and eat in a way that will never trigger it "kicking in" consciously? That might be an interesting exercise to try.
Just some thoughts that might help - you're on the same journey as so many of us, and the mind-game part of it is literally 95% of it for many.
And, yes, I think therapy can be a great supplement to the journey. I'm finding it very helpful.
Karen
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