Head hunger? What has the sleeve done for you?

I can't say what happens with "head hunger", because I simply don't have it.   I do not feel hungry, unless I go at least 18 hours without eating, and even then it is a very, very mild sensation.  I can not say that I have really felt HUNGRY, since I had my sleeve done.

I have felt a desire to eat thigs that I shouldn't.  But that was not real hunger, it was just desire.  Generally I have not given in to those feelings, occasionaly I do.

You ask what my sleeve has done for me one year out.  Well, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm very close to one year.

I can eat comfortably 1/2 cup of a solid, 3/4 cup of something softer.  Before I had my surgery, I could easily go to a buffet, and eat three large plates of food.

I have lost over 150 pounds, pounds that were causing me to have diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and that were keeping me from enjoying life.

I can not understand anyone that does NOT realize that they will have to ALWAYS CHOOSE to eat the right foods, will ALWAYS have to control their urges to eat all of the bad stuff, and that believe that the sleeve will just do everything for them. 

Didn't you have any education about the sleeve BEFORE your surgery?

This is one of the many reasons why I object to surgeons that just do the surgery and turn their patients loose.  Without proper screening, without proper education, and without proper follow-up, the chances of failure are very high.

As has been said on these forums hundreds (if not thousands) of times;  THE SLEEVE IS ONLY A TOOL.

You have to do the work.  You have to change your lifestyle, permanently.  If you do not do these things, you have wasted your money, wasted your time and had a major surgery for absolutely nothing.  Just to have another failure to add to your list?

Unless you have dealt with the reasons why you got yourself so very overweight, you will likely fall right back into the same old patterns.  None of us set out to become walking Goodyear Blimps.  That was not our life's ambition, to see just how big we could possibly get.

But we all did that to ourselves, for reasons that may not be apparant.  If we do not deal with those causes, preferably before the surgery, we will sabotage ourselves, we will have to fight every day to try to stay on program, and we will likely fail at some point.

You say food has never been that simple for you.  Then you have not dealt with the issues behind your weight gain.  It's really that simple.

Get into counseling, and find out why you do this to yourself.  Deal with that problem (or problems), and you will find that food will become simple.

Food is NOT the problem for any of us.  It is ourselves that is the problem, and until we make peace with ourselves, we will find food a real problem.  Or, we will simply transfer those feelings into another harmful practice.

Reading comprehension 101!!!  She hasn't had her surgery yet.  She is doing her RESEARCH.

Where do I start? First off, Old Medic. Okay I've read enough of your posts to know you're a tough love type and I get it. Thing is though I haven't had surgery yet. I've said I don't know how many times that I've been researching and researching and am waiting for the financial ability to follow through with the surgery. Also I never said anywhere that I  thought I was going to have surgery and magically not have to do any work or make any tough choices. Again if you'd really listen to me you'd see that's the  opposite of what I think. I am more than well aware that I have to make tough choices. I am more than well aware that I will not be able to overeat and eat garbage. However what I was wanting to know is everyone's different stories as to how the sleeve has HELPED them along the way with doing those things. I'm  not trying to pick a fight but I just don't think it's very nice to talk down to someone when you didn't even read what they wrote.

As for everyone else, you've given me exactly the information I was looking for. Like I said I do expect to have to eat right for the rest of my life. I don't expect to stuff my face with carbs all day and never ever feel hungry again and magically not care about food anymore. I know it's going to be tough. I think this is stuff everyone knows if you have half a brain. I was just curious as to how the sleeve have made the once impossible job of losing and maintaining easier for everyone.

I would love to point out the things each and everyone of you said that have helped me but as usual there are just too many to list. As always you are the most helpful and understanding group of people a person could hope for. I was really afraid that my post would be taken as someone who wants to be lazy and not do any work when that's not the case at all.

Those of you who have read anything I've written before would know that I'm a 30  year old mom and wife who's  missed out on too much already in life. I am miserable and more than willing to do the work involved. It's just that when you read about people's trials in life and you can learn more about them when it's something that may happen to you...well it's  natural to want to know more.

So again you guys have answered my questions and then some. All in all I wanted to know if it was worth it for you and I think the resounding answer was YES!!!! I know every person is different but reading everyone say they'd do it again and that it has most definately helped..that's what I was looking for. Thank you all.

Pre-op, I had a raging appetite. I could eat an enormous meal and 1/2 hour later, I'd be hungry again. If I was luckily, I could go 2 hours before getting that "You're STARVING and you are going to DIE if you don't eat something" feeling. But not very often.

I never have that feeling now. I do get hungry. But it's because my body needs fuel. It's appropriate hunger that leads me to eat about the calories my body needs.

For example, today I did a 90 min. bike ride and burned between 600-1000 calories. Afterwards, I ate my cheese stick and hard boiled egg that I had brought for an after-workout snack, but I was still hungry. So a bunch of us went to Panera Bread and I consumed .... a cup of Hot Chocolate and half of a kids' PB & J sandwich (on whole grain bread). I gave away my tube of yogurt and couldn't finish my sandwich. I was too full and I no longer felt particularly hungry.

Pre-op I would have had the snack, but it would have been a Snickers bar and then I would have gone to Panera bread and had the hot chocolate and I would have had the soup and sandwich (which comes with an apple) and I would have ate it all and then, on the way home, I would have started to get hungry again.

So, yes, you do have to make good choices and watch what you eat, but it's not like being on a diet to me. It's about being healthy and not going nuts eating junk food ... just like all my skinny friends who keep an eye on their weight.