Mind Over Matter after Weight Loss Surgery

Posted: Dec 06 in Weight Loss Blog by

Changing your perception towards food can be your biggest weight loss help in Ft. Myers and Naples while gearing up for weight loss surgery.

Mind Over Matter after Weight Loss SurgeryAfter weight loss surgery, the amount and type of food you eat regularly will have to change. The specifics of your post-bariatric surgery diet will vary based on the particular type of bariatric surgery you opt for, but you can expect your diet to become drastically reduced. Former staples like sweets and fattening side dishes will also make their final exit from your plate.

Taking steps to change the way you think about food prior to weight loss surgery might be one of the biggest ways to give yourself a little weight loss help in Naples and Ft. Myers.

The restrictive nature of weight loss surgery will help you resist foods by reducing your hunger, but feeling satiated isn’t going to necessarily change your emotional or mental desires for food. After weight loss surgery, bakeries are going to smell just as good, pizza is going to look just as scrumptious and menus are going to be just as enticing. It is up to you to resist those temptations so that you don’t end up with an upset stomach or other uncomfortable side effects.

Overcoming Cravings and Emotional Eating after Weight Loss Surgery

Cravings and emotional eating are the two most common causes of overeating. After weight loss surgery you will need to take steps to control both of these tendencies if you want to stay on track with your weight loss efforts.

The good thing about fighting cravings and emotional eating are that both are mental habits. Multiple studies have proven that the more you think about a certain food the more intense a particular craving will become. If you are craving a piece of pizza, thinking about that piece of pizza is going to make the indulgence harder to resist. On the other hand, if you begin thinking about a deadline at work or a pair of pants you’ve been wanting to purchase, your food craving is more likely to dissipate.

Emotional eating takes a bit more effort than shifting your mental focus. The biggest cause of emotional eating is stress, so to overcome emotional eating you are most likely going to need to engage in some stress management practices.

Great stress management techniques that can reduce your stress levels include:

  • Yoga
  • Walking
  • Deep breathing exercises
  • Journaling
  • Mental health counseling
  • Participating in a favorite hobby
  • Reading a book

The next time you are stressed and are thinking of heading for a snack, you will be better off engaging in one of the above activities—or another one like them—and foregoing the extra calories.

Try implementing healthy changes like altering your perspective of food prior to your bariatric surgery date so that you can adjust to your healthier way of life before undergoing your weight loss operation.

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