One of the hardest things to deal with, after weight loss surgery, can be head hunger. I am not joking about head hunger. It is hard and real!! What exactly is head hunger and why do some people get it, and some do not? How do we get rid of, prevent, and cope with it?
Head hunger is an emotional hunger instead of the actual physical hunger. Knowing the difference between the two is one thing but knowing when to act or not too is very different. A majority of the time after surgery, the hunger that is being felt is head hunger. Remember that 80% of the stomach removed during surgery? In that 80% was also part of the stomach that produces the hormone ghrelin. This hormone is responsible for telling your brain that you’re hungry. This is the main reason why a majority of people do not feel hungry after sleeve surgery. Even now that I am almost 3 months post-op, I still do not get hungry. Do I get head hunger? Yes. Head hunger can hit at any time but happens more when we are not busy. Funny how that works. Head hunger can often be cited as one of the main reasons for being unsuccessful in the weight loss surgery journey.
Ways to manage head hunger
There are ways to manage head hunger. I highly recommend learning the difference between head hunger and actual physical hunger. Emotional journaling is an excellent way to keep track of head and actual physical hunger. This also enables one to think in advance about healthy snack options. An emotional diary is also good for controlling mindless eating. Prior to surgery, it was not uncommon for me to mindlessly eat while watching TV or movies, working, or driving.
Head hunger can also lead to negative emotions. It is common to feel guilty after eating food that is neither needed nor nutritious. This can lead to further mindless eating, creating a vicious circle of negativity. I always ask myself these 5 questions to help determine if I’ve got emotional or physical hunger; 1) Am I hungry?, 2) When did I last eat?, 3) Am I thirsty?, 4) Am I angry, tired or upset?, 5) Am I bored?. If my answer is yest to any of these questions, I take a 5 minutes of deep breathing and have some water. Always have water!
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