head hunger - i got it baaaad

I have struggled with head hunger on and off for about two years. Today, well this month actually, has been bad, bad, bad.  I get up everyday and remind myself that today is a new day and I can start again.  I will have a week where I am good, then boom! I am suddenly a "hangry" (hungry and angry) mess!  Arggghh.  Just reaching out.  I don't have the option of a group as I live too far away. 

My weight is fairly stable but I have to be careful.  I keep a close log of my weight and although I weigh pretty much exactly what I weighted last year at this time, I know I have fluctuated by about 10 pounds through the year. 

I'm three years out and still would like to drop about 15lbs.  I am very active, but have a knee injury right now as well as a bad bout of plantar faciitis.  It's very frustrating.  I haven't had any physical troubles since surgery and I am viewing this as a total set back. 

You are not alone - Head Hunger sucks!!! I will be 1 year post op on Thursday and deal with this also, I think we all do. The best part is you know it is there and nothing you can do but fight it best you can and don't beat yourself up when it gets you. I did a post on my blog recently When Old Habits Creep Back talking about my recent fight as well.

Good Luck and keep fighting it - you can do it!!!!

I hear you.  I have head hunger bad sometimes too.  Sometimes I give in...darn it...and sometimes not.  I try to time my meals and snacks and drink in between.  Some days not so easy.  You aren't alone, and I don't have any real advice other than I think this is something we will always battle.

Giselle

I have been pushing against this off and on for the last 2-3 weeks. It's specifically related to when I feel sad and/or lonely. For me, part of what I'm learning is that I need to restructure my life so that I feel less lonely. The sad part will take therapy and longer term work, but I'm doing that, too.

I'm also finding that while I can talk myself through the head hunger and handle it appropriately sometimes, there are certain foods that if they are available in the house, my ability to talk myself off the ledge goes straight down the tubes. (Namely: Peanut butter. I dunno why, but it's very hard for me to walk away from it.) So I'm learning that I just cannot buy those foods or have them around at this time in my life (and maybe not ever again.)

LOL!! I'm sitting here reading this and eating peanut butter Greek yogurt I just made! I too struggle constantly with head hunger and peanut butter is my go to food here of late. It doesn't help that my hubby loves peanut butter and jelly! I got some PB2 for me and he got smuckers natural peanut butter. Every now and then I will eat 2 tablespoons of his instead of mine. I just LOVE peanut butter. I can eat it by itself!

 I just LOVE peanut butter. I can eat it by itself!

Yeah...me, too.

Ah, maintenance is fun, isn't it? It's good that you have some "start again" moments and can actually achieve a week of "good" - because it's better than incessantly beating yourself up or having the F- its. I think we live in an interesting frame when we're formerly obese.... outside looks normal or skinny, inside still has the same genes/food issues/metabolic/structural issues. Some of those we can work on, some we just have to accept.

Here's my interesting slant on head hunger - in addition to trying to keep the emotional eating under wraps, I have to deal with post-run head hunger. As in, the day after long runs, I am FAMISHED and have been eating (quantity and quality) way beyond what my pouch would like. So.... that's fun.

Oh yes, I know what  you  mean.  Nothing like 20km to stimulate the appetite!  I miss long runs *sigh*.  Soon I will be back at them. 

See that's why I like coming to this forum. I learn so much every day....I am just a few weeks from my surgery and working on getting some weight down and following the low carb/hi protein he wants me on ahead of surgery.  And even though I am completely not hungry, not even a tiny bit, when I hit my driveway at 4:30 it's like it turns into Pavlov's driveway and I start thinking about what I can eat.  I walk in the house telling myself I'm not hungry but I still feel like I "should" have something!  Argh.  So it's jus****er and get on with the routine. I hope that after surgery I'll use the tool to re-educate my head but I see from the vets that it's likely to remain an issue.  Knowledge is power, so it's good to know ahead of the game.

Running is in my future!

I lost today. I have the foamies pretty badly and feel like I'm going to hurl. However, I now realize that I need to get on an antidepressant and I also need to deal with some other issues that have been creeping up. So, I am re-reading Gabor Mate's in the realm of hungry ghosts. I am off to the doc for some antidepressants and also for pain control for my knee and foot. It's a nasty cycle.  Today was terrible. Tomorrow will be better.