Hunger & Fullness – What it Feels Like After ESG

“Head Hunger”

I realized today that “physical fullness” can happen even while being “hungry”. Prior to ESG I would lose my appetite (or desire to eat) right around the time I felt physically full (feeling the need to unbutton my pants, or looking forward to that burp to release the pressure). They went hand in hand. However, after ESG my appetite is still there, even after I have had my allotted food and my stomach pouch is filled up. I was hesitant to believe this was what is referred as “head hunger” because this is how I feel hunger most of the time. However, I learned first hand what “head hunger” is (by accident) today, and it definitely is a real thing.

I decided to have a little more food after my lunch because I was still “hungry”. Also, I kept fearing that my stitches came out again because of the constant hunger. So I had an ounce more. Then I waited 10 minutes and was still “hungry”, so I had another ounce more. I was getting discouraged because my appetite didn’t fade right away and I was thinking all my restriction must be gone. But then 10 minutes later I was physically miserable. Yet, somehow I still felt “hungry”! It just didn’t make sense. Obviously my stomach did not want food since I was uncomfortable (and even nauseated), but the rest of my body and mind still felt “hungry”.

So that’s what “Head hunger” is. Feeling hungry when your stomach pouch is full.

Physical Hunger

My husband often says he forgets to eat. This never really made sense to me until I realized he only gets the physical signs of hunger (most of the time). His cue to eat is that he starts getting tired and realizes it’s been a while since he’s eaten. This concept is foreign to me. I’ve honestly always been a little bit jealous of this. So this is an example of physical hunger. Getting tired or weak.

Restriction/Fullness

One thing I have realized for certain is what restriction feels like post ESG varies by individual. For me, in the beginning I felt some “tightness” in my upper belly. But it’s different than that uncomfortable “fullness” I felt prior to ESG. Expecting to feel fullness the same way as before ESG on less food probably isn’t a good expectation to have.

It seems everyone has a different experience when it comes to ESG and appetite supression. I see some lose their appetite for a long time, others a shorter time. It’s just one of those things that varies by individual. My actual appetite was reduced for about 2 weeks after ESG.

Redefining “Hungry”

Now that I know my hunger is my head/hormones/something other than my stomach, I’m going to really pay attention and treat the different kinds of hunger separately. I know hormones play a large part in all of this (and obesity) so I need to learn more about ways to suppress appetite without increasing quantity of food (other than eating low carb, which I already do).