An appetite I'm afraid of....

[CJsmom84 90]

I've been hungry (mentally) I don't think its my almost time if month(which tends to be the time my appetite picks up) I just have a veracious appetite and its been difficult to control. I don't need preaching I need help with solutions on how to control. I'm not binge eating I'm just eating throughout the day grazing if you will, and I try to go to bed early but I've had trouble sleeping for the last week. And I find myself tired, but forcing myself to walk for at least 45 minutes every other day. I'm 6 weeks out on monday. Thanks for the help.

[AMannCPhT 7]

I am having the same problem lately, it was my birthday on the 14th and I had a few things I shouldn't have had, I didn't get sick but ... anyways i am getting scared that I am eating to much. I know I need to plan better but I just don't know where to start, it is hard to cook small servings when I am used to cooking large scale. So you are not alone but we can do this together

[Doreykn 113]

When I get that feeling, I drink more Water or go for healthier snacks... cheese & multi grain crackers were & still are my go to snack!

[CJsmom84 90]

Thanks guys makes me feel good that I'm not alone. Thank you for the snack advice

[AMannCPhT 7]

Oh I also use my fitness pal and set my profile for everyone to be able to see my diary, most of the time that makes me think before I eat bc I don't want people to see that I ate badly or had too many calories in one day, maybe something like that would help you too

[920amy 409]

If I think I'm getting hungry, I drink about 4 oz of Water or iced tea (whatever your SF drink of choice is) then I wait. Often times I find I was just REALLY thirsty, and the drink solved it. Good luck!

[clk 3,519]

It's easy for binge behavior to transform into grazing behavior post op because that's what our sleeve allows. So it's good you're asking for help.

One - I'll always bring it up first, so don't be offended - check your PPI. Is it really only mental or is it acid, too? Just double check it any time you feel hungry or when you're poking your head in the fridge too often.

Two - what's your diet like? Are you low carbing? Fill me in. Because a lot of times, your body will start to absolutely CRAVE those foods it needs for your mental and physical well-being. If you're more freshly sleeved and only really have room for Protein now, consider rethinking your eating plan to incorporate more quality grains and vegetables. That might help with the desire to eat and give you back some control. Men do excellently on Atkins but women tend to need a better balance to feel satisfied. You might also need more calories than you're consuming. I don't know your diet so I can't say, but I'm happy to try and offer suggestions if you are open to that.

Three - You have a choice here and you're in control of what you choose to consume. Water always helps. An extra Protein shake will never hurt you. If your body tolerates them well, fibrous veggies are filling and good for you. Do you drink tea? A warm cup of tea will curb your appetite and is comforting to hold and sip over a longer period of time, often long enough for us to forget we were feeling peckish. Find something you can comfortably eat without compromising your nutritional goals.

Four - cravings happen. It stinks. During my cycle I could eat paint chips off the walls. It's gotten better as I've gotten farther out from surgery but it's not uncommon. And our hormones are very wacky in the first year post op. So it's possible that you've simply been burning off fat cells (which I've read store our hormones) and are feeling the effects of that. The choice is yours: indulge or distract yourself.

Good luck. It's pretty normal to hit these points off and on and you're definitely not alone. Having no physical hunger is great but really, physical hunger isn't why we were obese in most cases! It's breaking all of these habits and food cycles we get into that will really help us change for good.

~Cheri