I Need Help With My Head Hunger!

I am about 5 weeks out of surgery and I can't seem to control my head hunger. I'm really worried. I've given in a couple of times but mostly I try to wait at least 3 hours between meals.  I want to eat even when I am full and this is driving me crazy.  I don't know what to do about it. I tried sugar free popsicles, but really nothing seems to work.  Did anyone else feel this way?  Does the head hunger get better/easier to manage?  I'm at my wits end with this thing!

I think it does get easier.

Sometimes we're really thirsty versus hungry... so my deal was when I was hungry before I should be (well even now I do it too) I drank something then water now LOL coffee mostly and then I was forced to wait per my Dr's plan 30+ minutes and by then I sometimes don't feel "hungry" anymore.

I occupied myself with other things (this helps too) and held out till my next meal.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/content/50-Things-to-do-instead-o f-snacking.html LOL hey I know this girl ;)

I'll also add if you are eating dense protein in your meals versus other stuff I think that helps too. I never feel hungry after eating a meal of chicken or something sturdy like that. Be sure you are getting in what you are supposed to be getting protein gram wise (most Dr's say at least 70 g/day minimum YMMV)

Best wishes with it... I always say the head stuff is the hardest to work through on this journey. Word of advice: master your head before it masters you. Now a bite or 2 of something in between a meal can't do too much damage (capacity wise) years from now... a bite or two won't satisfy and if the head wins then watch out.

~Michelle "Shelly"

I check myself on the hunger thing by asking myself what is it I want. If it's snacks of the junky kind, like chips, cookies etc, then I know I'm not hungry.
If the idea of some very yummy protein or veggies prepared in some healthy way sounds good to me, then I know I am hungry.
One point is not to have foods in your home that you know have a negative impact on your current goals. Easy snacks lead to easily picking them up and putting it into your mouth. So when i was early out, and working on changing how I handled eating and food, I kept all junky stuff out. I tried to have things that required preparation so I wouldn't pick up easy food and start eating, because I did catch myself eating without even thinking of what I was doing.
I think the only easy food I had on hand was lean deli meats, cheese, canned soup, and veggie sticks with low cal dressings to dip them in.
My eating plan was to eat 3 meals a day with snacks if I felt I wasn't getting enough protein or calories in. Very low calories work against our bodies if we eat too few calories for a long time.
So, maybe planning smaller meals, with added healthy snacks would work better for you.
Good luck with this, many people struggle early out. This period of your life helps determine how well you do from here on out.

About  the only thing that really  works for me is daily intense exercise .  The endorphin release  lasts the rest of the day  and effortlessly holds me back from  the temptation to overeat.

Buy a cute exercise  outfit , some high end  well cushioned fore and aft men's sneakers so ya don't get injured ( buy em onsale is my advice last years  models work JUST as well) , a great music player and headphones and Ure OFF  ...

Incidentally  exercise while Ure losing minimizes  lose skin  and MAXIMIZES  results and health

For me, my weight issues were about so much more than the physical stuff.  At least half (probably more) were mental with head hunger.  I ate for many reasons when I was not actually hungry.  Counseling helped me figure out what those reasons were and ways to change my behavior and develop strategies to overcome my head hunger long term.  I will always have to be cognizant of head hunger and work hard to stave it off for the rest of my life.

So, I highly recommend counseling/therapy.  There's no shame in it and it's been a very valuable part of my journey.

Good luck to you!

P.S.  If you are curious, my reasons for eating include stress, boredom and habit.  Counseling helped me figure this out.  And I'm working on the long term changes for each.

I keep myself pretty darned busy on a day to day basis. I make my food and exercise plans and make myself stick to them one day at a time.

It is so hard to change old unworkable habits, and for me, it hasn't gotten easier with time. It did get easier months one through eight, but since then I just have to work with myself on a daily basis. Exercise does help a lot, though I dislike doing it. And I don't keep bad stuff in the house. I distract myself every way I can. "Hunger in not an emergency" has become my mantra.

Keep your eyes on your new skinny you goal!