Bariatric surgery is an incredibly effective weight loss protocol and the most effective treatment for obesity today – the gold standard, actually. Weight loss operations allow thousands of people to enjoy the activities they may have had to forgo due to excess body mass.
Even though your body and mind may have changed throughout the weight loss process, the world continues to turn, and not everyone knows you’ve had bariatric surgery or even understands what that means.
The ads on TV and the grocery store shelves remain chock-full of tempting foods and drinks that are decidedly bad for maintaining your goals over the long term. A constant barrage of cues, sometimes called “food noise,” can trigger cravings, make old habits resurface, and challenge even the most committed patients to stay on track.
Strategies for Managing the Food Noise Around You
Planning for what you should do when you start losing your will begins early in the bariatric process, when you’re still losing most of the weight. Having a blueprint keeps you as far away as possible from falling off the wagon, and if you do fall off, having a plan helps to pick you up and get back on track quicker than if you didn’t.
Use the first few months of rapid weight loss to establish good exercise and dietary habits. Just because it’s easy to lose weight in the first few months after surgery doesn’t mean you won’t have to be disciplined later – quite the opposite.
You must watch what you eat and drink, and you have to make time to go to the gym, work out at home, or exercise outside. Ingraining good, solid habits into your daily routine means that eventually, when weight loss begins to slow, you’ll be disciplined enough so you won’t be taken by surprise, consume empty calories, or experience too much weight regain.
Keep Talking
The most successful patients collect a support team right out the gate, even before surgery. Your bariatric practice is a significant part of that, but it’s also important to remember your bariatric encouragement circle includes family and friends. Furthermore, over time, you may develop some support group buddies or discover some great websites that offer sound advice on overcoming the myriad challenges bariatric patients encounter.
When the food noise becomes too loud for you to handle, when you genuinely start to worry that you may break, start eating more, or notice weight shifting back the other direction, it’s time to talk to your support team.
Stress Management
For many patients, chronic stress triggers the perception of loud food noises.
How do you address that? Better sleep, talking honestly and openly with friends and family, seeking behavioral therapy, scheduling a visit with your dietitian, exercising regularly, or going on a strict diet for a week or two. These tactics will keep you focused.
Remember, we can’t always fix every problem immediately. So, if you’ve lost your will to go to the gym, heading over there for even 10 minutes and just sitting around, not doing any exercise, is better than not going at all. After a couple of those visits, you’ll be back on your exercise track before you know it.
Have a Lookout
Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t even realize when the food noises have taken over and made us less willing or able to continue our diet or an exercise program.
To that end, having a lookout in the form of a support group buddy, family member, or friend is very helpful. Remember, you must have a rock-solid agreement where you do not marginalize or get upset with them if they point out that you may be going off track. This is a no-judgment zone on both ends, and remember, they have your best interests in mind. While it can come across like they’re criticizing you, they most likely aren’t. Instead, they’re reminding you not to return to how it was before.
Learn to Cope
Food noise is everywhere. It’s the reason why the food industry is so huge. It’s also why virtually every coupon you see is for some highly processed food with lots of sodium and saturated fat. Cheap-to-produce foods often have bigger financial margins and tend to trick our taste buds as well.
To be mindful of food noise is to practice recognizing it before it controls your choices. Plan meals ahead, remove tempting foods from your immediate environment, and practice pausing before grabbing a snack. Even small daily strategies, like having healthy alternatives ready or setting specific times for indulgences, can keep your eating habits consistent, build resilience against the constant bombardment of unhealthy cues, and strengthen your ability to maintain long-term weight loss.
Being strategic is a great way to mitigate the effects of food noise and reduce the risk of falling back into bad habits, and don’t forget to be patient with yourself.
The team at SAMPA is here to support you. We understand that managing food noise can be challenging, and our experts are dedicated to helping you develop healthier relationships with food while guiding you towards your weight loss and wellness goals.
