The most important thing is first to recognize your
weaknesses when it comes to food - are you an
emotional eater, compulsive eater, a binge eater or
just love to eat? If you are unclear what is the
problem, monitor your eating by keeping a food log
for one week, including time of day, how you felt
before and after eating, and how long it took you to
eat the meal. Just because you underwent surgery,
your “emotional” reasons for eating do not
disappear. If you still have trouble identifying the
problem ask a loved one if they have noticed a
pattern in your eating
Once you have identified your weakness, the best
way to control it is by planning. Pay attention to
difficult places, people, or foods. Before letting
yourself get out of control, make a plan. Plan out a strategy so you do not
overindulge (plan to clean up, organize a game with
the kids, take a walk after eating, be the first one to
volunteer for a chore that is not by the food).
Distraction is a great way to keep away from food,
positive coping strategies are a great way to soothe
and comfort you in bad times, and re-education on healthy choices is a perfect way to take back
control. Remember: You are in control of what you
eat, how much you eat, and how you eat it. Once
you have learned this, you will be able to be more
active in prevention. You have come a long way
since your surgery and there will always be work to
do.
1 comment:
One of the most significant eating adjustments after weight loss surgery is adapting to eating only a very small amount of food. Since the stomach is physically smaller after surgery, patients must learn to pay very close attention to new sensations of feeling full and satisfied. The process of healing after surgery, including the three-stage eating plan that progresses from liquids to soft foods to solids, can help increase awareness of their eating behavior by learning to eat in response to hunger cues and to stop at the first sensation of fullness. This heightened attention to sensations of fullness is one important step towards avoiding overeating.
While it is often a relief to surgery patients that they now have a tool to control portion size, at times, patients struggle to adjust to small amounts of food, not because they don’t feel full but because they miss being able to eat large portions. Sometimes we just want to eat a large amount, perhaps because we were so accustomed to larger portions before surgery. This can be an especially poignant feeling when eating out in a restaurant or social setting, where food options are tempting, servings are extremely large, and other people are eating large amounts. A sense of deprivation can cause patients to feel like we need more food, even though we are full, and can lead to episodes of “eating around” the surgery (eating foods that go down easily instead of solid proteins). To regain mental control, we can focus on the sense of empowerment felt when making the right food choices, reminding ourselves of the internal peace and feelings of accomplishment that come with taking care of the body.
These feelings, especially for patients who have had a life-long struggle with weight, can start to help overcome feelings of deprivation. To regain physical control, we can reaffirm our commitment to our nutritional plan; following the rules provided by the nutritionist and getting the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and nutrients can help stave off physical cravings making it easier to make a healthy decision even in a tempting situation. Emotional, mental, and environmental cues to eat can distract us from actually listening to the needs of our bodies. With the restrictions on the amount of food we can eat provided by a Lap Band surgery or a gastric bypass surgery, we have a wonderful tool to help control portion sizes and overeating. When we follow our nutritional guidelines and eating “rules”, we are more likely to feel full and satisfied and not need to overeat.
Still, we’ve only had surgery on our stomachs, and so we can’t expect the surgery to eliminate these external cues, but we can use the surgery as a tool to help us as we navigate a different and healthier lifestyle.
Anne Keefe
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