Head Hunger

I need some tips to fight my head hunger. I am 3 months post op & I find myself with a lot of head hunger these days. It's actually scaring me.

insert newbie boilerplate disclaimer

I'm sorry you are struggling with this! ((hugs)) and also sorry I don't have any post WLS real-world experience to offer. But I am very familiar with head hunger and combating it. Sometimes it seems like my whole life has been about white knuckle dieting and will power. Some days I win. Other days I lose. And I play a continual head game with my head hunger, LOL! I make it into a contest to see how MANY win-days I can string together in a streak. But I ONLY concentrate and commit for today. Each day I have to wake up and commit to the new day, to do the following when head hunger hits. Here is the path I follow. Apologies in advance for its length! Hope it helps you, cuz head hunger is the PITS!

Head Hunger Mind Games:

Step 1 - Identify if it's true physical hunger or head hunger. My simple test-answer the question yes or no: Does a hard boiled egg sound good to you. (If yes, then go eat a hard boiled egg and wait 20 minutes. Repeat the question and action step until you can no longer answer yes. No one EVER got fat from eating 3 or 4 too many hard boiled eggs in one day. If you can't tolerate a hard boiled egg, sub that with 1 ounce, or even 2 tbsp of dense protein.)

Step 2 - If it's head hunger, then capture the thought. Reassure yourself that death from hunger is not imminent. Acknowledge out loud to yourself that hunger does NOT constitute an emergency (unless of course your hypoglycemic, reactive hypoglycemic, or diabetic because then it really truly COULD be a medical emergency).

Step 3 - If it's head hunger, stop what you're doing. Stand up. Raise your body up as tall as it will go with a straight back. Slowly and fully, deep breath. Take in a large comfortable breath very slowly. I purse my lips while I do it and count to 4. Hold that breath for a count of 4. Then slowly release and blow out the air to a count of 4. Then hold it for 4 seconds. Repeat these steps. It's called 4 square breathing and is a way of balancing yourself and releasing stress, while fully oxygenating your blood. I do this 3 or 4 times. It sure helps taking away anxiety!

Step 4 - If it's head hunger, drink some water and wait 30 minutes. While waiting, explore what the feeling is behind the hunger. Are you bored, sad, depressed, angry, frustrated, tired, lonely, in the habit of eating at this same time every day? Really get into it and explore it. A friend who is a therapist tells me I have to process "stuff" and that there is no way through it but through it. In other words, I gotta deal with it.

Step 5 - After successfully processing the emotion/situation driving your head hunger, then insert a positive reinforcement like:

a. You are successfully working on building a better you.

b. You are in control of what goes in your mouth and when.

c. You determine when you need to nourish your body.

d. You have control over your life, your emotions, and success.

e. You choose to be happy.

f. You choose to succeed.

After a while of doing these steps it comes almost reflexive and happens so quickly. It's just like learning a new, successful behavior. Hope you'll try some or all of it and that it helps you! ((hugs))

G'day, Ms.FluffyChix :)
Thank you so very much - this is a wonderful post, full of some truly great tools!
And those affirmations? Fantastic!

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."
~ Buddah

When you "feel" hungry, grab something to drink. We often think we're hungry when we're actually thirsty! It's a good habit to get into. :)

This happens to me more than I realize... if I drink drink drink, then the feeling often subsides.

I am also just over 3mos post op and have had this more lately. I've found it is definitely worse when I eat carbs. I try to keep it to 30-50 carbs per day spread out. For the most part to fight it I just talk myself out of it and offer myself some protein- like some turkey pepperoni- to snack on. I also find microwave popcorn helps curb the salt craving if I have the carbs available.

Drink water

Drink decaf coffee

Drink hot tea

Chew a piece of gum/ or suck on a SF hard candy

Walk around... get up and change what you're doing... talk to yourself... cry with yourself... get mad at your brain for being an ass... do a couple of exercises... talk to yourself more... get pissy with your brain and tell it to F off...

Seriously, it's a mind game, and it's hard. But if you have your menu for the day, and you know your calories and protein are spot on with your menu, then you just have to find ways to distract yourself.

And I needed to write this out, especially today, because my brain has been messing with me all week.

And, as to the suggestion of popcorn... I'd like to say that might not work for everyone, since I'm fairly certain that the popcorn I ate Saturday night is the culprit to all of the cravings and mind hunger I've been experiencing all week long... especially at only 3 months post-op.

Sorry you're going through this... it's hard. It's the hardest thing, imho, to deal with. Hang in there!!!

Amen! And Amen! Sing it sistah! Those carby snacks will just tear. me. up. with desire for more!!

Word, Ms. FluffyChix! :D