How do you stop the "brain" hunger

[aubtracken 5]

"Change you way of thinking" well, that is easier said than done. How do you bandsters deal with the brain hunger, the just constantly wanting to eat even though you know you aren't hungry! There are times I feel like im have to eat something or im gonna go crazy, even though I know its going to hurt trying to go down. Sounds crazy right?? HELP!!

[B-52 7,113]

First, for me, the band had to be working as it should.....

Then, I may have cravings, head hunger, etc....but every time I would give in and start ti eat it...the band would be there doing it's thing.....and I would usually throw out what I was craving....eventually when the cravings come, you realize they are futile, and eventually after that I dismiss the craving as soon as I get them....

Call it Behavior Modification....

But again, for me...it's all about the band....

[Leepers 1,195]

I wish I had the answer for you. 95% of the time, I'm doing great. But recently, I have been fighting a lot of cravings and head hunger. It is a real mental battle. The band is not going to ever stop us from eating crappy foods. That's the reality. I try to focus on my goal. Like, I'm a few pounds away from 250. And if I give in and eat that extra stuff, I'm gonna have to wait that much longer to get there.

Some people go ahead and have a small amount of whatever it is they're craving and then move on. I'm too scared right now to do that. I'm really trying to stay low carb and sweets free. But, I do look for alternatives and a lot of the time they help. I'm nearing that TOM, and I've been having really bad sweets cravings. Someone had Krispy Kreme donuts at work and it took all of my willpower to pass them up. So when I got home, I ate a banana and a glass of pure O.J. The natural sugars in the fruit and juice really went a long way in helping my cravings.

Have you had much weight loss yet? To me, seeing that weight come off is the biggest motivator of all. There is a quote on here a lot, "NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS."

Best wishes.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

"Change you way of thinking" well, that is easier said than done. How do you bandsters deal with the brain hunger, the just constantly wanting to eat even though you know you aren't hungry! There are times I feel like im have to eat something or im gonna go crazy, even though I know its going to hurt trying to go down. Sounds crazy right?? HELP!!

well, if you are truly hungry, then eat something

there is nothing wrong with eating...food is glorious....grab a piece of fruit or a Protein bar or drink something.....you are stronger than you give yourself credit for sugar..promise.

Edited February 27, 2014 by ☠carolinagirl☠

[2babutterfly 483]

I have been struggling with this lately after school and in the evenings..I have been trying to drink extra Water, chew some gum or if I have to find a healthy snack. My favorite right now is sugar snap peas. They have a great crunch. Does this always work? No! But I keep trying

[I♡BypassedMyPhatAss♡ 804]

I agree with B52, it helps a lot when your band is working optimally, and after 6 months of eating healthier, I crave less now than I used to, it's like the cycle has been broken finally. And I agree with Leepers too, seeing the new me makes it so worth it to stay on track. I drink tons of Water and try to stay busy, cause when I'm idle I tend to think of food more.

[HealthyNewMe 1,935]

DON'T BRING THE STUFF YOU'RE CRAVING INTO YOUR HOUSE. Don't have it easily available...... My daughter and I had this conversation last night. I don't crave sweets any more bc I've not been eating them for a very long time. Yet, if I brought a box of Girl Scout Cookies into the house, that's all I would be thinking about. Same thing about my favorite bakery's cake. I went to a party last week, and my best friend had a cake from there. I ate two bites and then threw the piece into the garbage. In the past, I would have wrapped three or four pieces to bring home( saying I was bringing it home for my kids----- LOL), and then I would have fought the battle for the next day or two, until I would have given in and eaten them all. But, now I REFUSE to bring my trigger foods into my house. Honestly, I don't really crave it anymore. Do I still have head hunger? Heck yes. But I can't act upon it!!!!! BTW, every now and then when my head hunger hits me..... I must GET UP AND DO SOMETHING.... ANYTHING!!!!!

[KateB 63]

I do all the above to battle the brain hunger. I don't bring it in the house, think of my goals and let the band do its thing. The cravings have decreased but some times old habits die hard. I'll eat some grapes or a piece of cheese. Just think of how hard you've worked, don't go and sabotage it and let the old ways back in. You could easily buy a pint of ice cream and enjoy it but the guilt and setback are too high a price to pay for me. And really, it doesn't work any more. I can easily talk myself out of a craving. Best of luck!

[lisacaron 5,075]

When people say it's all in your head they are being truthful!!

It's not just that it's a "mind" thing it's a brain thing. food is medicine and many of us have been self medicating with food for many many years for many different reasons and ailments.

Suddenly we shift everything, and we stop eating sugar, and we stop eating so many carbs and we increase our Protein and we start moving our bodies more and the body's physiological reaction to this is WTF just happened to us?!

Your brain is looking for all the hormones and chemical compounds it's so used to having and now those things are not there. So it sends out some signals to you to say hey what happened to that particular element? Be it sugar or salt or even fatty greasy foods. They all break down to chemicals that react to the Proteins and hormones in our bodies.

The feelings of those cravings gets even stronger when the "ailment" that you would use those foods to medicate is also present. For example maybe you are over stressed about something today or emotional about something where you would normally have a cookie or 4 now you are not. Your body ups the calling for sugar and you are suddenly craving sweets at what feels like an uncontrollable level.

That's what head hunger REALLY is. When your craving it's your body calling for something it's missing...and maybe it's a good thing for your body that it's missing all that sugar or all that sodium, but until your body and your brain get used to doing without those amounts you get those urges and cravings.

That is another reason why you should eat something when hungry and substitute your craving with something that is healthier. Having 2 or 3 crackers will give the body enough sugar and carb to be satisfied and tune down the sugar craving and it's better then a bag of M&M's or a cookie and far fewer in calories.

As we learn to work with our band, we are better able to make those choices and choose the more nutritious foods our body wants and needs over the items that amount to zero nutrition. It is by no means easy, but trust that as you move forward it does become easier and soon you'll be craving Proteins and vegetables and fruits.

[MandaMom23 684]

I still struggle with head hunger. I was a mindless eater for over 20 years (give or take, when I wasn't on some kind of crazy diet...), breaking that habit is a tough one! Before my band, I had no idea just how many times a day I was mindlessly wandering into the kitchen, and grabbing something to eat! I try to really pay attention to my body now. I've found that many times, I'm actually thirsty so simply a bottle of Water or some tea will satisfy my 'hunger'. If that doesn't work, I'll have a healthy snack...a few almonds, greek yogurt, string cheese, etc. There are times that doesn't even work...that's when I tell myself it's time to find something else to do, like housework! UGH! haha

[gowalking 10,790]

For me..head hunger if often partnered with passive behavior. If you sit and watch TV, you will probably look to get a food fix even if you are not truly hungry. Try doing something to take your mind off food. Exercise is a good idea but if you aren't into that, even something as simple as polishing your nails, taking a bath, reading a good book, talking on the phone, or doing something, anything to distract yourself should work.

I used to come home from work, sit in front of the boob tube and eat like there was no tomorrow. Now I go to the pool two or three times a week, read, post on this site, and listen to music (always makes me stop thinking of food). I also get a massage once a week as a little gift to myself for working so hard. Non-food gifts are a good thing and they can be anything that makes you happy. Good luck and hang in there!

[Jodi WIlliams 4]

I think there are two things to first look at . Is your band at the right tightness . Staying in the green zone is vitally important . The second is to recognize that you still have old habits that need to broken. I find that if you are hungry . Have a glass of Water or do a job around the house that will take you about 10 mins ..do that job first . You will find that by the time you have completed the task your craving will be gone. Distraction is always a powerful tool ! If you still want to eat, have one more glass of Water and wait 5 mins then eat. This will fill you a little and will prevent you from overeating .

[dragonflylvr21 161]

I think for me personally .. Head hunger is the biggest obstacle! My surgeon said it is the leading cause of complications and slow to no weight loss! I am in counseling dealing with issues that resulted in self pity and over eating! Weight was a shell for me .... A protective coating! I don't need it anymore! I have started to push my body to see if I am near the green zone and I am really close! Here is what green means to me... 1/2 to 1 cup of food that keeps me satisfied for 4 hours! I am almost there! If I get hungry before four hours I drink Water and that usually wards off the hunger! But you have to eat the right foods for max weight loss.. So 3/4 of your meal should be protein! The rest veggies and carb! Eating right helps the full feeling last! When I get head hungry I brush my teeth or chew gum to help ward the feeling off! I wish you all the luck in the world and know you are not alone in this journey! We are all her for you!

[LeeB1946 261]

I too have brain or head hunger. I call my partner in surgery. She ad Ru n Y bypass one month before I was banded. We see each other weekly at an OA meeting and get lots of support and are there for one another when are heads are hungry. Play with your band, give it a name, and when the head hungry feelings creep in tell your band he/she is not hungry and to please tell your head the same. I know it sounds silly, but it works for me when my head says eat and tell "Audry" to tell the head to shut up. Sometimes I even use slightly stronger language. Audry was named after the man eating plant in the musical "Little Shop of Horrors!" Her line was "feed me, feed me!" When Audry wants to be fed she lets me know when and how much to eat.

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[aubtracken 5]

Wow you guys are amazing! I'm not usually one to share thoughts and feelings especially personal ones. I guess I didn't really realize the support that could come from people you dont know. Thank y'all so much for sharing your thoughts and opinions. I have to understand there is help out there if you just ask. I was never really good at that either. My "brain hunger" is still in full swing sometimes, but my distraction from it now is coming here and reading your replies and knowing im not completely crazy and alone about how I feel. Blessings to everyone on your journeys! Keep strong and Keep going!! <3