Head hunger vs. Head obsessive food craving

Haven't had surgery yet.  Going to surgeon today and will probably get my date today.

I get head hunger and have experienced it many times.  Over my 56 years I have developed ways of coping with it.  One thing I DO have a problem with  is twofold.

1.  Sometimes I may or may not have true hunger, but have a literal obsession with eating some specific item.  I may get a craving for it, wait 20 minutes, do something else, brush my teeth or whatever.  Nothing works.  Thoughts of the food will will keep coming to me over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.  I feel like if someone touched me I would break into a thousand pieces until I eat whatever that food may be that i am craving.  Then when I actually eat the food in question, I feel better. 

Regular head hunger I can fight, but I don't know how to fight this shrieking demand in my head .  I believe that it is usually triggered by some extreme stress that goes way beyond the day to day stresses one encounters.

2.  Night time pain related eating - I have chronic back pain.  If I forget to take my pain medicine soon enough before bedtime, I start hurting really badly.  Once I take my pain meds, I know that it will be 45 minutes to an hour before i start getting relief.  When I am in bed hurting, there is no respite from the pain so watching tv, or reading (my best distraction) don't work.  The only thing that seems to work is going into the kitchen with all the lights on and reading and eating at the same time.  Those two things at the same time can keep me distracted enough so I don't focus on the pain as much and I eventually feel better and can go to bed and go to sleep.

These two things are some of my bigger concerns once I get the surgery.  I do plan on going back to my therapist for more Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for this and also to be aware of any symptoms of transfer addictions so they could be addressed immediately.

Does anyone here have similar issues and if so, how did you cope with them post surgery?

Thanks!

I know what you mean....double white castle burgers was one of my things...and I'd have to drive over 40 mins to get to them! Of course, over my life the 'thing' I had to have would change, sometimes everyday.  It's not a craving for that food...it's a craving to be transported somewhere other than where I was.....truly an escape was all I was looking for.

you're just a tad younger than me....I've spent my entire life 'examining' my weight issues.....honestly, I came to terms about those things while I was considering WLS in the past year.  for me, it was a choice....would double white castles win?  or was I going to make the very best of the time I have left....you and me, we're not young anymore, we're on the other side of the hill....in our 20's, 30's. even 40's I felt like I had plenty of time left....now, not so much.  F**k the white castles, pizza, etc....I'm going to have the best rest of my life I can posibly have. 

On the other hand, if you are like my hubby (to be sleeved in 2 weeks) and have a ton of medical issues, well, again, it's a choice.  do you want to  live with diabetes, heart issues, high bp, etc etc.....or do something about it.

What it boils down to is - you have a choice...give in to the obsessive head hunger, or make the changes now.  the clock, she's 'a ticking away.  either get more therapy before committing to WLS, or make you choice now, one way or the other.

I hope I am not being too harsh on you....we're too old to be babied/coddled...gotta face the truth.  I truly wish you the very best in whatever you do

Hugs,

Sophie

Oh, you're not being harsh, Sophie!  I completely understand where you are coming from.  And generally I have come along way with your usual head hunger so I'm already pretty vigilant with that.

I guess my particular issue here to being borderline OCD.  Kind of like when I go to the grocery store and I have to go up and down every single aisle, always in the same direction and ending up the same place at the other end of the store, no matter if 10 items to get or 100.  I generally have been able to let go of some things, but there are other things (both food and non food related) that won't leave me alone, won't leave my mind unless I act on it.  It's kinda like, if you ever read Stephen King's "Firestarter", where Andy can give someone a mental "push", but sometimes that "push" starts "ricocheting" in the person's mind and goes out of control.

I def know I'll be going back to get some more therapy about this, just wondered if anyone else experiences this to that degree.

Thanks Sophie!

oh yeah, am a SK fan, I know what you mean!!  re ocd...ehhh, if I may, what about meds?

see you here on the boards!!!

Sophie

Thanks for reminding me that I am old.  I am 66 and 4 months post op.   I have been slipping a little bit daily.  A piece of this here, a taste of that there.  One night I ate 4 serving bag of cheese popcorn.   Did not feel any restriction there.   That was the start of my slip ups.   I have lost 60 lbs with no exercise.   I had this surgery for health reasons and even with all this weight lost I still take insulin, a lot less, metforin, blood pressure pills and the dr just took me off of Crestor for cholesterol to see in 2 months if my numbers are still within good range because they are really low now.

I need to get back to basics.  My nutritionalist keeps wanting to raise my calories.   I was doing fine at less than 800.   Then 2 months ago she said raise it to 1000.  Now last month she said raise to 1200.  I will not go to 1200 because that would be maintenance for me and I have to lose at least 55 more lbs.

Any helpful advise would be appreciated.

Sorry to remind you you're old Mokee.....LOL...I want, for the first time in my life, to feel like a spring chicken!!  I know I'm not, but I want to have that experience in my life.  Stay strong, back to basics, and stay young!

Discuss with your health care provider your desire not to go to 1200 calories.  It's possible that since you are over 65 he/she is concerned that you will lose subcutaneous (insulating) fat without trying.  (I know - I wish) but it is a normal occurrence of aging over the age of 65.  The loss of insulating fat is why nursing homes have to be kept at between 72 and 82 degrees by federal law.

the best advice I can give you about night time pain related hunger is don't EVER forget your medicine. that might be an unconscious permission for you to sit alone while everyone is sleeping and eat and read. Set your phone alarm,set a timer,make SURE you get that med IF you really want to change this behavior. You have to REALLY WANT to change it and you can. This behavior can very seriously derail your weight loss post op cause I am sure you are not eating dense protein,right?

As for the obsessive craving,that is ADDICTION calling your name and making you it's ***** I know cause I am addicted too. I have to work a 12 step program where carbs and sugar are concerned. Being addicted to food is no different than being addicted to alcohol,drugs cigs or sex. Those of us who are addicted have to learn to manage our addictions the best way we can without giving in. The withdrawal from carbs and sugar is EXACTLY the same as cocaine withdrawal.

GL it can be a devastatingly hard road,but oh so worth it!

I think there is an "addiction" type issue but I also think there are some other psych/OCD issues for some people....

But I agree that it's best to always identify your weak spots, your triggers, and work with those. We can't always control our brains, but there is a lot we can do, and we should.

Thank you to Angelsmom86 and those *****sponded -- this is a thoughtful, very important discussion. Thank you all for the courage to participate in it...

Overeaters Anonymous is an excellent program for addresssing food obsession...