Have you ever felt anxiety and emotional eating? You may have recently had plastic surgery or weight loss surgery in Mexico and feel the need to eat a portion of your favorite comfort food. You can rest assured because that feeling is completely natural. After surgery in a Tijuana bariatric center, it is very common to experience some anxiety about eating. However, although this process is quite common, you may wonder, to what extent is it normal?
While feeling anxious is part of the recovery process, it’s actually something that needs to be controlled entirely eventually. The reason? Because if you succumb to this desire, you can ruin the results of your weight loss surgery procedure. So do not hesitate to seek help from your bariatric surgeon and nutritionist so that you can successfully overcome this challenge.
In this blog, we help you combat anxious eating and enjoy optimal results. In addition, you will see what you can eat to stay healthy after having bariatric surgery, such as a gastric sleeve procedure. Stay tuned to find out.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating refers to a severe feeling when a person eats without having a natural appetite or need to eat correctly. In itself, the person simply feels the need to eat impulsively and uncontrollably. Although he does not feel hungry, he only does so to satisfy a feeling or thought that makes him anxious or stressed.
However, this action is dangerous for the body because it can lead to overeating or other activities that vary from person to person but always manifest themselves and give an apparent effect of satisfaction.
When you have that feeling of anxiety, the body asks for energy to fight what it thinks is dangerous, but this forces the brain to continually consume foods that are not necessarily healthy for the body, in such a way that the body asks for more and more to feel satisfied, which may become a type of addiction.
This effect has severe implications for the body, especially if weight loss surgery has been performed at the Tijuana bariatric center. Therefore, if you feel identified with these feelings, do not hesitate to ask for help. Your nutritionist or dietitian can help. But, if it is diagnosed as an eating disorder, therapy will be highly beneficial. Do everything you can to address emotional eating, so the results of your bariatric surgery can have a positive and permanent impact on your life.
How can you combat anxiety and emotional eating successfully?
When choosing what to eat and what not to eat, you should choose foods and ingredients rich in protein and high nutritional value. If you undergo Gastric Bypass Mexico or gastric sleeve surgery, your specialist will recommend that besides adhering to nutritional guidelines, you must fight emotional eating to obtain incredible results. Let’s see some sample recommendations that can help you.
Avoid junk food. – After feelings of anxiety, there is usually a very intense desire to eat, especially unhealthy foods that provide some sense of comfort but do not provide nutrients. Typically, this type of food does not satisfy people’s true nutritional needs, so be very careful with what you put into your body.
Exercise. – Moderate exercise can help reduce craving feelings significantly. How so? Physical activity helps the body regain control of negative emotions, in addition to focusing your mind on something other than food. In turn, the brain releases endorphins, dopamine, and irisin, important hormones to reduce anxiety levels.
Eat more fiber and prioritize protein. – Fiber is a fundamental and nutritious element for the body, helping in the digestive processes. Mainly, it allows the stomach to absorb a number of nutrients that make you feel full faster, thus reducing cravings. Therefore, a healthy fiber-based diet is a key to counteracting cravings. These are some foods with a high fiber index that you should consume:
- Spinach
- Pumpkin
- Lettuce
- Carrot
- Artichoke
- Green beans
- Apple
- Peach
- Plantain
- Asparagus
Additionally, protein shakes and bars are great to snack and reduce the desire for emotional eating. These are some essential foods you can include in your diet after the bariatric procedure, especially since that sensation of eating will manifest itself in the weeks after the surgery. Therefore, consider the suggestions of your surgeon and bariatric experts at the Tijuana bariatric center. Only then can you overcome unhealthy habits and enjoy a healthy life.
Remember to eat small portions after bariatric surgery
After bariatric surgery, specialists recommend reducing food portions entering the stomach. Of course, after undergoing Gastric Bypass Mexico or gastric sleeve, you will have a natural desire to eat less due to the significant reduction of your stomach’s size.
In addition to the quantities to control the anxiety to eat, you must teach the body not to ask for more food than necessary. Since you don’t need a large amount of food to feel satisfied, you can limit yourself to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks in between, but always in small amounts so that your body gets used to it.
Keep in mind that maintaining a mindful and healthy diet can ease anxiety symptoms in the long term. If you recently had surgery at the Tijuana bariatric center, you will already know what to do so that emotional eating does not dominate you. Just be determined to follow the instructions, and you will see how your health will improve remarkably.
Great efforts provide great results – Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico
At Health & Wellness Bazaar, we are committed to ensuring that your efforts pay off abundantly. In our facilities, you will find experienced bariatric surgeons who will help you follow a correct diet and thus avoid falling back to high BMI levels. Knowing that you are in expert hands will give you greater security and confidence to live a healthy life from now on.
If you want to improve your relationship with food and reduce anxiety, don’t wait any longer; reach out to our Health & Wellness experts, and stop putting off the crucial decision to improve your quality of life. Our advisors will be happy to answer all your questions, so call us now at (858) 779-2552 or email us at [email protected].
