Wanting to eat
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jamielslater
Posts: 125 Member
So I am only 14 weeks out from surgery and all this week all I have wanted to do is eat. I am very strict about what I eat and I know I'm not really hungry, but I just feel like eating. Does anyone have any hints for me to battle the mental game of this? Any tricks would be greatly appriciated. I try to stay under 80 grams of carbs and over 60 grams of protein. I have been eating between 800 and 900 calories. I just feel like eating!
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I would have a protein shake or maybe drink some water - sometimes we really just need hydration and we mistake it for hunger. I would drink a big glass of water and if after 15 mins or so you are still hungry, make a protein shake.5
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I agree! Sip sip sip vs snack snack snack!2
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My personal opinion is just eat more. But make sure it's healthy food. At 14 weeks out i was probably eating 1500 calories or more a day. Drinking plenty of water will help satiate those feelings too.1
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Thank you everyone. I could definitely use more fluids in my day.0
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Jamie, at 14 weeks post opt you are in a perfect place. Your calories are right where mine were at between 800/900 per day. At 14 weeks I think there is a certain amount of relief that you're past any complications and you're fully back on solid foods. That relief for some reason makes your brain say ok, now eat something. If you're truly hungry you need more protein. I'm not sure if you've set aside a few calories for snacks but you can add an ounce of chicken or turkey for a snack and still stay within your allowed calories. I had to push my evening meal to a later time because when I ate early I felt like I was hungry before bedtime. I try to put at least two hours between dinner and bed time. The other thing you can do is to exercise when you know you truly aren't hungry but your brain is saying eat something. Walk in place for 5 minutes, sit in a chair do leg lifts, lift a couple of 5 pound weights, anything you can do for 5 minutes followed by a few sips of water. The exercise will help you with the weight loss and the water will improve your hydration. You're doing good, stick with it.4
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@loveshoe thank you so much for the encouragement. Today has definitly been better. When did you have surgery?0
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I had surgery in February of 2015. I'm coming upon my 2nd anniversary. I was a slow loser and had plateaus every time I lost 10 - 12 pounds. I would then not lose anything or only a few ounces for the next week or so then lose steady until I dropped another 10 pounds. I'm still trying to figure out maintenance. Some days are perfect, others are not. My HW 267, SW 233, CW 131. My original goal was 150 but in trying to figure out maintenance I lost an additional 20 pounds (I was shocked). Every week you're in the weight loss phase you can learn/add one new thing that will help you when you get to maintenance. I still use the basics to stay on track.5
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@loveshoe do you mind if I ask your age and heighth? I really appriciate the feedback. I've been losing 1-2 lbs per week, which I'm happy about. I just wish I could get my head to catch up with my stomach.0
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I agree with @Aztec4Life and @loveshoe - it is OK to eat a little more at this stage if you are truly hungry. At 14 weeks your body is in transition and some days you will need more fuel than others. It is almost impossible to overeat at this point, so don't sweat the extra snack or 100-200 calories. Just keep listening to your body, find your full signals and stop when your body tells you to. Some days you may need 1000 - 1100 to feel satisfied and that is OK. I know at some point around 3-4 months I had to increase my calorie intake in order to keep losing weight weight. I know it sounds counterproductive but for me, it worked. I tried going back to 800-900 and every time I did, I stalled. The guidelines are just that - guidelines because they work for most (but not all). It is not an exact science. So don't beat yourself up if some days you need a little extra. An extra string cheese or two is not going to derail you.2
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Agreed with everyone else here. If you need an extra cheese stick, yogurt or whatever else to get you over a "hungry hump" then by all means do it. Most days for me 5 months post-op, 1200-ish calories per day is good enough. Every so often, it's not. If I eat 1400 or 1500 calories on those days to feel satisfied, it's still less than the 2274 daily I need to maintain my weight. Though, I usually feel guilty for eating more so will walk to burn some extra calories.
So even on days when I eat more, I'm still eating at an over 700 calorie deficit. I'm going to lose either way.2 -
A trick I use is drinking flavored herbal tea. It helps me hit my water goals and satisfies my snack-y cravings at the same time!5
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When I know that I am NOT physically hungry but my brain is telling me to eat something I will use cinnamon gum.
It make my mouth happy and takes my focus off of food!3 -
I want to eat cause I want to eat!!....
I drink cups of tea. I have found though I'm snacking again.
I'm not hungry just want to bloody eat!!!!!1 -
I find some days are better than others. I know my problem is head hunger. I am going to have to get past that. Can anyone recommend a good book to read regarding this?
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I had gastric sleeve June 22, 2016. I lost 27 Lbs before surgery and almost 63 since then. I feel like I get hungry every hour. I think some of it is actually thirst and I haven't been the best at managing my fluids. I've started rewatching episodes of My 600 Lb Life. It's helped me see some of the mistakes I've been making post surgery. For example, eating carbs instead of protein. Or just making excuses for giving in to cravings. It's hard to know sometimes which is mental hunger and which is physical hunger. Still, I'm so happy for how far I have come. The most I ever lost before was about 25 lbs. to make it to almost 90lbs down doesn't seem quite real. Thanks for letting me share.5
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trudimosteller wrote: »I had gastric sleeve June 22, 2016. I lost 27 Lbs before surgery and almost 63 since then. I feel like I get hungry every hour. I think some of it is actually thirst and I haven't been the best at managing my fluids. I've started rewatching episodes of My 600 Lb Life. It's helped me see some of the mistakes I've been making post surgery. For example, eating carbs instead of protein. Or just making excuses for giving in to cravings. It's hard to know sometimes which is mental hunger and which is physical hunger. Still, I'm so happy for how far I have come. The most I ever lost before was about 25 lbs. to make it to almost 90lbs down doesn't seem quite real. Thanks for letting me share.
That show can "scare me straight" every time!7 -
Jamiee - I read 'The Emotional First Aid Kit: A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery, Second Edition' I think it had an entire chapter about head hunger. I purchased from Amazon but you may be able to find at your local library. I also read 'The BIG Book on the Gastric Sleeve: Everything You Need To Know To Lose Weight and Live Well with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, 2nd edition'. I can't remember which one was suggested/required reading before surgery.
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@loveshoe thank you for the input. Do you recommend one of the books over the other or are they both worth purchasing?0
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Jamie, I can't remember if one book was better than the other. If you are a member of Amazon prime there are several bariatric books you can read for free on the Kindle or Kindle app. You can never have too much information. At my last bariatric support group meeting we were directed to this link for portion sizes and nutritional information. https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ It has nothing to do with WLS but does have good nutritional information. You can download it for free.3
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@loveshoe Thanks for those book recommendations!0
