How to Avoid Emotional Eating After Bariatric Surgery

Those who struggle with excessive weight often have a “best friend” that might as well be the devil in disguise. This so-called "friend" sits on your shoulder, whispering in your ear during your most vulnerable moments, tempting you with comforting but unhealthy choices.

This “friend” isn’t a friend at all—it’s food, and your dependency on it may have led to challenges that contributed to the decision to undergo weight loss surgery.

Today, we’re discussing emotional eating after bariatric surgery. Many of us can relate to heading to the pantry during times of stress or sadness. Emotional eating is when you find yourself eating without being physically hungry—consuming excess food your body doesn’t need, which can often lead to weight gain.

While bariatric surgery can boost your confidence and enhance your quality of life, feelings of anxiety or unhappiness can still creep in, triggering old emotional eating habits. Here are some steps to avoid falling back into the cycle of emotional eating:

1. Find a New Place to Hang Out

If your common leisure spots in the house are close to the kitchen, it could encourage emotional eating. According to Laparoscopic.md, breaking emotional eating habits involves breaking your “pre-surgery routine.” If you tend to head for the kitchen during moments of anxiety, try doing something different. Replace that habit with “life-affirming” activities like going for a walk, doing stretches, or engaging in a hobby that keeps you out of the kitchen (Laparoscopic.md).

2. Only Eat When You’re Physically Hungry

This sounds simpler than it is, especially when emotional eating feels like an addiction. However, breaking an addiction starts with self-awareness. Be honest with yourself when emotional eating is in full display. Before taking that first bite, ask yourself questions like, “Am I really hungry?” or “Am I eating because I’m emotional or bored?” These questions can trigger a shift in your mindset, allowing you to make a conscious decision to stop and choose a different activity instead (Mayo Clinic).

3. Create a Routine for Your Food Consumption

Do you notice you get hungry at specific times of the day? That midnight snack, the afternoon bag of chips, or the mid-morning donut—your body craves these foods at specific times because you’ve trained it to expect them. Humans are creatures of habit. By creating a consistent meal schedule, you train your body to feel hunger only when it’s time to eat, helping you avoid unnecessary snacking or emotional eating (Harvard Health).

Support Your Health with Vita4Life! Multivitamins

Remember, taking a quality multivitamin is essential to maintaining your health after bariatric surgery. These vitamins help replenish the nutrients your body may struggle to absorb post-surgery. Vita4Life! Multivitamins provide the key vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make Vita4Life! Multivitamins part of your daily health regimen today to support your ongoing success after bariatric surgery.