7 months and alwayss hungry

have lost 70 pounds and I haven't put any weight on but lately all I want to do is eat even when I'm full. How do I teach my brain to shut off. I don't want to fail but I can't stop. I'm so scaried of stretching my stomach out. I always eat until I'm full sometimes I even get sick. I need major advice. I eat a lot of cottage cheese yogurt and Turkey but I've been craving cake and junk slot.

Sounds like head hunger.  Are you working with a therapist?  One thing that really helps me is to drink 32ounces before each meal.  if I feel the munchies or what I think is hunger creeping up on me I will make some hot liquid like broth and sip on that or grab a couple of SF Popsicles.  If I am still legitimately hungry then it protein like a couple of pieces of lunch meat.  It is very difficult to stretch your sleeve, but CAN be done I'm sure.  What does a typical day look like for you? Can you give an example of what you might be eating in one day and how much? That would help us out a lot to give better advice.  You should not be eating until you get full.  You want to under eat your sleeve.  I have very rarely ever felt full.  I eat four ounces at a meal and that is it because that is MY plan.  What does your day look like and are you working with a therapist?

Today I had a few sips of protein shake and 1/2 cottage cheese for breakfast for lunch I had 1/2 cottage cheese three pieces of Turkey for a snack I had a handful of raisins but then I grabbed a brownie and ate half of it. I'm having trouble staying g away from candy and cakes.

Are you limiting carbs?  for me, carbs cause serious cravings, so I limit myself to primarily dense protein and low carb veggies with a little dairy and a tiny bit of fruit.

I am very careful about my carbs, and I still have a desire to eat more than my tummy can hold.  but its not as driven as when I consume carbs. I've been able to manage it so far as long as I eat dense protein first, and stay away from junk food.

good luck,

Caro

Very good advice... 

I eat alot of dairy cottage cheese, yogurt , and milk.

It may be that you are not on, or perhaps need a new, PPI. Eating until overfull and sickness could be a sign of reflux. Sometimes PPI's don't work as effectively in which case, an increase in dose or a new PPI can be beneficial.

In the past, one thing that has helped keep me more satisfied is having really flavorful food.  Are you just sticking to bland stuff?  Or are you adding seasoning and flavors?  

I also struggle with wanting to eat when I'm not hungry, which means I'm trying to fill an emptiness that has nothing to do with food.  Usually it's stress, sometimes boredom.  If you're like me, you have years and years of experience using food as a source of comfort.  And that brownie, or other junk food, is pretty darned comforting, for about the length of time it takes me to eat it.  After that, not so much. 

I use several approaches to tackle this.  (1) Spend more time thinking about whether I'm really HUNGRY, or whether I just WANT something.  If I'm not really hungry, I need to try to address the urge another way - little stress relievers, deep breaths, a quick break from my desk, a walk outside, some calming music, something that addresses the need behind the urge (2) If I'm eating past the point of satisfaction, it's often because I'm finishing my food serving.  I seem to have a major issue with posessiveness about my food - that serving is MINE, and I DESERVE it.  (weird).  I try to be better about starting with a smaller portion.  I also have an easier time stopping if I don't try to throw out the extra food, but save it in the fridge for later if I'm really hungry for it.   (3)  Get the carbs out of my system.  Detox isn't fun, and it takes me a good week before I'm past the worst of the cravings, but once I've gotten through it, resisting the junk gets much easier.  It's hard enough to fight the food urges that go with being an emotional eater, I don't have the energy to fight my body's carb detox cravings too, so I don't try to do sweets and junk in moderation - it's not worth it.  (4)  Especially while you're going through carb detox, focus your eating on more satisfying food.  Maybe cottage cheese and yogurt work great for you, I do better with more solid proteins - they fill me up faster and keep me full longer.  And do what you can to make sure you're eating protein sources you enjoy.  (5) If you have the option, consider getting some help - a good therapist can be worth her weight in gold.

You can do this!  The mental work post-op is hard, no doubt about it, but it's crucial to your long-term success. 

Thank u for the advice I will try it.