Head Hunger making me SAD! Advice Tips Tricks??

Good Morning All!

So I have been struggling with what I think is head hunger......I have been very blessed not to have felt this way until 6 months out.....and maybe it is head hunger or maybe it isn't.

I know the rules from my surgeon - I can have up to 1 cup of food per meal 3x a day.  I know 1 cup fills my pouch, I know it will be 1 cup for the rest of my life and that is what I committed to when I had surgery.  It is the weirdest thong though - I feel sad when I am dishing up my plate.....I want to eat more......I have been making really yummy healthy food and I just get so sad when I dish up the plate.  I know in my head that my pouch is full, I know that more than likely I will feel satisfied by the time I am 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through my meal.  Even though I know I am full I feel hungry.....but I know I am not....this is head hunger right?

Does anyone else struggle with this and what are some tips for coping with it?  I know all of my limits and have make the commitment to changing my life.....not just to get that crazy part of my brain on board :-)

That's happened to me a couple of times, where I've finished my food, I know I'm not hungry, but wish I could eat more. It's hard to deal with. I just have to tell myself, "you're not hungry, the food you ate was tasty, but you're done. You can have more at your next meal." I know that if I just give it ten minutes I'm fine. That feeling goes away. And I'm fine.

Thank you for the response.  It is crazy how that happens - knowing youa re full but still wanting to eat.  Guess that is how I got to be 290. After I ate breakfast this morning and had my head telling me I was hungry I got up and took a stroll around the floor at work - distraction helped!

See, and I have this problem mostly at dinner time. At breakfast I barely want to eat. I'm just not hungry. I can go til 1-2 o'clock and not want to eat but then all of a sudden I'm starving! So I make myself eat in the morning. But dinner I just want to eat and eat some more! So I only allow myself my protien and veggies. If I want more, I'll eat more veggies or protein. If I dont feel like eating that, then I know it's not true hunger, so I don't eat.

I totally agree - dinner time is the worst for me!  I plan like a crazy girl when I am at work during the week - everything is portioned and frozen and in my 'lunch purse'.....I am busy so I often forget to eat.  I also screw up my eating times because I am BAD and drink coffee so I usually have to wait 30  minutes after my last coffee sip to eat my lunch.  Dinner time is tricky b/c it is time to sit down with my family and eat dinner together.....the trickiest time is after my little one goes to bed - my brain goes loony with food thoughts......this used to be my BIG grazing time. 

I think your idea of protien and veggies is great!  Do you have a 'limit' as to the volume you can eat from your surgeon?  I find it confusing b/c everyone has different guidelines:-)

I can drink right up to the time I eat. My nut says eat ten minutes after my last dip of water. But liquids go right through your pouch, so you shouldn't have to wait 30 minutes after your coffee to eat. I'm drinking my coffee right now and as soon as I fini**** ill eat breakfast. (Still haven't eaten).

As far as volume, I'm supposed to eat only 1/4 cup. Apparently they made my pouch small. And usually that's all I can eat if the protein is dense, like steak. But if its softer, like beans or chili, I can eat 1/2 cup easily, plus some salad or something.

I struggle with this alot and lately almost every day. It's worse when I am bored or under stress. To cope with it I log everything I eat and try to get the biggest bang for my calories ie I eat salad or carrots to fill the need for chewing. I eat frequently in small amounts. But grazing is a slippery slope so one has to be careful. I chew sugar free gum and sip water. Some days are worse than others. I try to eat consciously and not out of anything other than true hunger but its not easy. Therapy is helpful and necessary for some people.

Hi Laura -

Thanks for the response.  I hear you about being bored and stressed!  I think  logging everything would be helpful for me - it would give me a project and a good look at what I am using my calories on.  Thanks!

I feel very similar.  I'm only about 2 weeks out.. but the first few days I cried... I realized that I like pizza... but it's not just the pizza.. I actually enjoy sitting down to eat half of a pizza (or more)  I actually enjoy pouring half the cereal box into a bowl and consume the whole thing. I enjoy eating large portions and now that I can't - I find it depressing.  Although it is getting easier. 

My aunt was a smoker and gave it up 20+ years ago.. she said not a day goes by where she wouldn't like to have a cigarette.  I think food might be similar... We very well might always want to eat alot more than we can/should... it's a daily struggle.   You're not alone

I have cried too about what I put in my body for food and liquid.....I always get stuck with trying to figure out the sensation of hungry and thirsty.....I get then confused all the time.  I have cried when I have had food only to realize that I was hungry.....and then having to wait to drink.  How is your recovery going?  I am 6 months out - I remember being 2 weeks out :-)