In order to lose weight after weight loss surgery and keep it off for years, it may be necessary for you to reevaluate your relationship with food. Weight loss surgery can help curb your physical appetite and allow you to feel full on smaller portions, but most people don’t gain weight because they have an extraordinarily large appetite. For many people, the struggle with obesity occurs, in part, because of the reasons we eat that having nothing to do with physical hunger.
After weight loss surgery, you may find it physically impossible at first to turn to food when you’re not physically hungry. Eating too much might make you physically sick. However, it’s still possible to sabotage your weight loss goals after surgery if you:
- Primarily eat fatty or sugary foods
- Eat more often than you need to
- Eat very soft foods or drink while eating so that you can eat larger portions
In other words, it’s possible to “cheat” the weight loss surgery if you really want to. Of course, having weight loss surgery is a sign that you don’t want to cheat; you want to lose weight and be healthy. However, your relationship with food may get in your way if you don’t take a closer look.
Before and after weight loss surgery, ask yourself:
- Do I eat because I’m stressed, lonely, or sad?
- How do I feel before and after I eat?
- Am I most likely to overeat or eat unhealthy foods in certain environments or social situations?
These types of questions can help you identify why you eat when you aren’t physically hungry so that you can begin to address these potential obstacles. Perhaps you need to make a list of alternative stress relievers or find new activities to do with your friends. Taking the time to answer these questions will help you be more successful after weight loss surgery.
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