That empty feeling

I realized last night as I was falling asleep that I had that empty feeling in my stomach.  Not hunger, just empty.  In the past I would have gotten something to eat, but on my liquid diet having just had a protein shake the hour before I knew it wasn't hunger.  What I realized was that this is the same feeling I get when I'm worried or anxious about something.  Some of you may already have gone through this, but this was a major revelation for me.  Until this happened I could never get a handle on why I would eat when I wasn't hungry.  Food definately comforted that almost lonely feeling I would have when my stomach feels this way.  Anyway, I got up and found my cat, shared my thoughts with my husband, and went back to bed.  It's taken me all these years to figure this out. 

Wow! What a revelation. Thank goodness for our lovely cats huh... Glad you figured it out.

wow, that's an amazing revelation. isnt it wacky when a lightbulb goes off? learning my motivations around eating have been such a blessing to me. i was definitely an emotional eater but i have been working on it. feeling my feelings was new for me but now i find that i'm so much more centered and grounded because i'm feeling and expressing my feelings rather than stuffing them with food.

 Oh, Lucy, that's huge!  And what a blessing to have such a revelation before the surgery.  There will be so many afterwards, too.  

My relationship to food has completely changed, thanks to my tool.  My relationship to my emotions has, too, even, because food doesn't help me cope in the way that it once did.  

I'm so happy that you're on this journey and can't wait to hear more of these as your new life unfolds!

Thanks to all of you.  This forum has been very helpful and insightful.  I'll be using you as my support system and I'm so glad I have this tool.

I would call this your first NSV! 

Probably stupid question, what is NSV?

Not stupid at all.  Non Scale Victory!

I also feel the "empty pouch" feeling when I forget my Prevacid... kinda of a gnawing feeling I mistook for hunger... but which wasn't.

NSV is a Non scale victory.