Cravings......

Hi all! Okay, I'm thinking/hoping to have WLS and my big problem is cravings 2 to 3 hrs. after dinner, while watching TV. Most of the time it's salty snacks, but once in a while it is for a sweets. My dietian is having me assess how hungry I am, or if I'm just mindlessly eating.  My question is....do these kinds of munchies/cravings go away after surgery? I know after my gallbladder was taken out, all I craved was breads and rolls. This did eventually fade, thank goodness.   I have read on OH where a lot of people have to remember to eat during the day, and to me, that would be so awesome....not thinking about food all day. 

Stacy

Hi Stacy, and welcome to OH. I can only relate my experience here, but whether or not the cravings will go away will depend a bit on exactly why you're having cravings. There's a difference between real hunger, which is your body signalling that it needs fuel, and "head hunger", which is your mind telling you to eat something. If you're having cravings because your blood sugar is dropping, then WLS *along with the subsequent changes in diet and the way you eat* will help with that. But if it's head hunger, well, there's a saying here: The surgery fixes our guts, not our heads. If you've trained your body to eat while you're watching TV, then that's habit and head hunger. I still get cravings now and then, but it's because I'm bored or anxious or otherwise mentally triggered. I'm one of those people you talk about having to remember to eat, as I have no feeling of real hunger anymore.

The head hunger is something I will work at for a long time, maybe forever. If I felt it was hampering my weight loss efforts, I would find a good therapist to work with me, or maybe join OA. As it is, so far I'm managing to keep things under control.

Good luck to you on your journey!

The mindless eating may be the sign of someone who processes things kinesthetically.  Fiddling with something (in this case eating) helps you focus.  I use this strategy when I'm teaching adults.  I provide things to fiddle with their hands and hard candy to fiddle with their mouth.  Instead of munching, try holding something that you can fiddle with.  Something squishy, or one of my favorites, a pipe cleaner to wrap around your fingers again and again really helps.

That is really interesting.

Some people's hunger goes away for a while, only to return, some don't feel hungry. Cravings and snacking - that is a different story.  A lot of times as long as there items are not at my house - I don't care... But some call my name when they are home. I dump - but still find ways to eat not so good food - eat just enough not to get sick -know how to cheat..

RNY results in some hormonal changes that make hunger disappear temporarily. Mine lasted about nine months. It is VERY odd to no longer be hungry all the time. But the hunger does come back, so you have to use that time to learn new habits.

Cravinfs are a different story. That's in your head, so you need to find ways to deal with that.

No.  Having surgery on your stomach doesn't make you quit craving things.

Thank you all! It is good to know that I need to address this problem right now, and get a handle on it. I didn't seem to have such a snacking problem when I smoked (quit 17 years ago) and that is probably the reason why. I do a lot of crafts, but a many of them require you to look and concentrate on what you are doing. But, I do have some mindless ones (crocheting) that I might just pick up again, just to keep the fingers occupied. Thank you all again for your wise wisdom!   Hugs!  

don't know if this helps due to calories, but i often used salted almond and peanuts in the shell to help with my late salty/crunching cravings, watch amounts.  not sure if you like pork rinds but no carbs and less calories than chips and crackers.  good luck

I used to snack a lot while watching tv.  Now, I keep my laptop with me and do puzzles, etc.  It has helped me a lot.