To us "old timers"

asia1967

I would like to hear your take on this, or if you have or had experienced this.

I just finished eating, I have the full feeling, I am not thirsty but I still want to eat. (not head hunger)
I took my time, enjoyed my meal, so what gives. It is not all the time and I have not figured out a rhyme nor reason. Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be appreciated.
As an after thought, I wonder if I have gone just past the full mark and it reminds me of the old me and want to continue to eat to the point of bursting.

ac7nj

I don't know how or why this happens but I have the same problem. I just try to ignore it and say to myself just get busy and then I won't think about it.
I'm seeing my psychologist soon and I can bring this issue up then, if I get a magic answer I'll pass it on to you.

pawoodhull

I get that too. The need to eat even though I've just finished a meal and I am not hungry. That's head hunger. You are not physically hungry, but your brain says "eat". Yup, head hunger. I'm dealing with this right now, have been all morning. I had breakfast and a snack and I still want to eat. I know I am not hungry, I do not need to eat, but I want to. What stops me most times is the knowledge that if I continue to eat I will be sick. I make myself wait a 1/2 hour and then drink something with flavor, like a flavored water or tea of some kind. My head hunger today is more of being aware that I want to eat and why, not so much the need to eat. so I'm not really battling it right now, just aware of it and waiting to eat until my normal lunch hour.

T if you think it's really being a little over the full mark triggering your old behavior to eat until you burst, then maybe portion your meals a little smaller so you don't get past the full mark?

Pat

garber6th

I get that sometimes too. Someone recently posted something about eating what I need to eat, and not just eating how much I CAN eat. Made me stop and think, and it echoes what Pat said - practice a little more portion control. One thing that's weird for me is that I feel so normal now, and sometimes my brain forgets that I had surgery and my tummy is NOT normal, if that makes sense.

bikrchk

I agree with Pat. That's the "definition" of head hunger and it's the reason I was sleeved to begin with... So I COULDN'T go past full. I know if I do, I will mightily regret it now. Even at a year and 1/2 out my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I find if I weigh\measure, then take some off the plate before I even start, I'm WAY more comfortable. I'll wait at least 15 min and if I still feel like I want more, then maybe a spoonful or 2, but at that point it rarely ever happens. I've moved on to something else. I usually have so many leftovers that if it was THAT good, I'll get some for my next meal anyway so I tell myself to look forward to that and move on.

thin2be2013

That is a good question.....as I have noticed this also. I am 16 months out in a few days and have noticed if I eat high protein+high fiber in the same meal I don't tend to get this way....but if the meal is just high protein I do. I am anxious to hear what ac7nj doc has to say about it.

Mangopickle

i concur, you are still desiring to medicate with food. you want the meal to be more than just nutrition. you want it to be an extended pleasurable activity to satisfy and relieve stress. When this happens you must ask yourself "What is wrong?" am I tired, bored, angry, afraid, stressed out, broke, annoyed....etc. Food is not your savior, comfort, friend, reward, or activity! It is just food-You are full! ergo you are NOT hungry. I had to yell at myself a lot those first 6 months. Eating is no longer my default activity for all occasions. Life is my activity. it is not about what we eat-it is about WHY we eat. When you truly deal with the why you will escape from food prison and the head hunger just fades away.

asia1967

ac7nj> I would love to hear what the doc has to say, that would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

asia1967

Pat> I think that is what is happening, I am eating I get the trigger that I am full. I wait a minute or two then eat a couple more bites. Bingo now I have a (or what I think is) a physical reaction to eat more. Hmm will have to pay closer attention to my eating habits again. Thanks you rock!

asia1967

Garber> Makes total sense. Thanks for the reminder, I use to say just because I can doesn't mean I have too. Re: eating more!
Thanks for your response.

asia1967

bikrchk> "I find if I weigh\measure, then take some off the plate before I even start, I'm WAY more comfortable. I'll wait at least 15 min and if I still feel like I want more, then maybe a spoonful or 2, but at that point it rarely ever happens"
I like that idea to take a little off, because I do way everything that I eat. Going to give it a try. Thanks tons.

asia1967

thin2be2013 > I never gave it much thought about the fiber with the protein. Thanks for the tip, greatly appreciated.

asia1967

Mangopickle> That is a great point, because I don't get it all the time. I quit constantly worry about food. I do do soul searching and asking myself why at I eating. Still a work in progress I guess. Thanks for the advise.

asia1967

Ok peeps: I just finished my supper, and I really paid attention to what I was doing.
1. I put on my bread plate the amount of food that I had logged into MFP for that meal ahead of time.
2. I did take my time and enjoy my meal, however I noticed that even thou I was done as in full I started to finish what was on my plate and caught myself.
3. I realized just because I logged it and it fit in my calories doesn't mean that I need to eat it right now.
4. I put extra on my plate for later which is only setting myself up for disaster. Duh what was I thinking?
So to concluded my ramblings, Tonight I took a much smaller portion, did not worry if it was enough or not just weighed out my portion and ate until I got my trigger. Then I had more then enough left over for another meal. I also realized that it took me a lot less forkfuls to get the trigger.
So I guess some of the old bad habits had found their way back in even thou I was trying to be diligent with measuring and weighing that I wasn't paying attention to some of the telltale signs.

Thanks everyone, greatly appreciated.

pawoodhull

Great jobT!! I too have the issue of still wanting to "clean my plate". I really thought I was over that and OK with tossing the little bit left after I get my full cue. I too am still a work in progress because some days I can hit my cue and toss the leittle bit left and sometimes I find myself eating it and thinking "it's just a couple more bites".

Thaeda

asia1967 wrote: »

Ok peeps: I just finished my supper, and I really paid attention to what I was doing.
1. I put on my bread plate the amount of food that I had logged into MFP for that meal ahead of time.
2. I did take my time and enjoy my meal, however I noticed that even thou I was done as in full I started to finish what was on my plate and caught myself.
3. I realized just because I logged it and it fit in my calories doesn't mean that I need to eat it right now.
4. I put extra on my plate for later which is only setting myself up for disaster. Duh what was I thinking?
So to concluded my ramblings, Tonight I took a much smaller portion, did not worry if it was enough or not just weighed out my portion and ate until I got my trigger. Then I had more then enough left over for another meal. I also realized that it took me a lot less forkfuls to get the trigger.
So I guess some of the old bad habits had found their way back in even thou I was trying to be diligent with measuring and weighing that I wasn't paying attention to some of the telltale signs.

Thanks everyone, greatly appreciated.

WAY TO PAY ATTENTION! Wow, you got some good info there--- Great work!!

asia1967

Thanks Ladies: Sometimes the obvious isn't always obvious! You two continue to inspire me to stay on track and I value your input, advise and friendship! T.

ac7nj

I'm also from the clean your plate generation. I hit my trigger and see just a bite or two left, I don't always choose the right answer. This is still a work in progress for me.

jrnguyen

It may sound silly, but I over fill my plate to avoid cleaning it. When there are just a few bites left, that's when I'm tempted to finish it. If I put enough on my plate that there is a lot left over after I hit my full mark, I am more willing to just stop and put up the left overs.

dcc56

My eyes too seem to be bigger than my new tummy size. I get this idea in my head that I am so hungry I could eat the volume I used to eat...but I know I can't. I've figured out what I need to do is decide on my portion at the beginning of the meal and just stop when it's gone. I get a box to take the rest home...like a burger for example, I immediately cut it in half and in the box it goes for another meal. But my head still thinks I am SO hungry I can eat the amount I used to eat...since I've had years of over-eating I guess it's going to take years to un-do that...I've also learned that I need to wait a bit for the full signal to register in my brain. Things don't work as fast (or as well) as they used to in my old bod. Tee hee.
Good luck.

pawoodhull

jrnguyen wrote: »

It may sound silly, but I over fill my plate to avoid cleaning it. When there are just a few bites left, that's when I'm tempted to finish it. If I put enough on my plate that there is a lot left over after I hit my full mark, I am more willing to just stop and put up the left overs.

Interesting! I haven't tried this but it makes sense.

This thread did cause me to do something a little different last night. I weighed out my meat and took about 1/2 can of my vegtable (beets). About 3/4 of the way through my meal, I stopped eating for a few minutes. Then I assesed how I was feeling. I decided I was feeling very close to my full cue, so I put the rest of the meal with the rest of the leftovers.

Not any hungrier later in the evening that I normally am. Actually had the protein bar as a snack becuse I needed the calories, not because I felt the need to eat again.