7 Tips to Overcome Compulsive Eating
January 18, 2017Weight loss surgery (WLS) is a wonderful thing. It gives people their life back. I often hear stories of how people were able to stop all kinds of medications after surgery. They get their health back. They can get on airplanes without seat extenders and can finally go to the amusement park with their kids. It is amazing. Despite all of the good things WLS does, there are things that it cannot change with the surgeon’s knife. Unfortunately, many habits like compulsive eating cannot be eradicated surgically.
One of the many reasons people decide on surgery is to help with overeating. By the time a patient gets to surgery, he or she has been overeating for quite some time. As a result, the stomach is stretched out and it takes a lot of food to feel satisfied. In addition, many patients have used food and overeating as a way to deal with stress. After surgery, that coping mechanism is no longer available. This is particularly difficult for patients that compulsively overate before the surgery.
Now that the surgery is over, it is time to focus on changing those habits that helped pave the road to surgery.
Overcoming Compulsive Eating
- Pick one goal to deal with at a time. I am going to list a lot of different ways to help with overeating. Pick one to start. Too many times, we try and make a bunch of changes at once and hope that things change quickly. There is no magic wand that is going to make it all better. Remind yourself that change is a process and it happens one step at a time.
- Drink plenty of water. I say this a lot like it is a cure-all. Of course, water and hydration does not cure everything. However, it is worth repeating that often times we think we are hungry when really we are dehydrated. If you feel like you are going to eat your arm off, ask yourself, “When was the last time I had fluids?” If it has been a couple of hours, then you probably need to drink some water first before you reach for a snack. Not only will it rehydrate you and help with those hunger pains mimicking thirst, but it will also fill you up so that if you are really hungry you will not overeat.
- Before taking a bite, identify what you are feeling. This is the first step of mindful eating. Mindless eating usually is the result of trying to deal with some type of feeling. How often have you taken a handful of chips or chocolate or grab something out of the refrigerator because you were anxious, sad, angry, or bored? Food will not fix those feelings. Start to become more aware of how you feel so that you can deal with those emotions head-on and not through food.
- Before taking a bite, really ask yourself, “Is this what my body needs right now?” Again, this is part of the process of slowing down your eating and being more aware of what you are putting in your mouth. Compulsive overeating is eating just to eat and not to provide your body with any type of nourishment. As you saw after surgery, your body really needs surprisingly little food to maintain itself. Your body definitely does not need an entire bag of anything to thrive. Listen to your body.
- When you are eating, don’t do anything else but eat. Make a pledge to not eat while standing up. When you actually eat something, you should only be eating. The television should not be on. You should not be on your phone. Your focus needs to be on what you are eating. Sit down at the table and take slow, purposeful bites so that your body can truly enjoy and process the food. Remember, digestion starts from the sight or smell of food. Your body and brain need time to realize they are full. When you are not paying attention to what you are eating then you will most likely overeat because you did not give your body a chance to get the signal that you are full. Even if you have a snack, sit down and eat it without distractions.
- Change up your routine. As much as we like to think we are dynamic people, we really are creatures of habit. During the day, we do a lot of the same things. We make our coffee a certain way. We take breaks during the day at a certain time. We brush our teeth the same way. Sometimes overeating happens out of habit. Instead of coming home from work and watching television while eating, try going for a walk around the block first. Find an activity that will occupy your hands while you watch television. Sit in a different spot on the couch. Change it up.
- Know when to get professional help. If you are still struggling with compulsive overeating after trying the above tips, it might be time to seek out professional help. Compulsive overeating may be part of a bigger problem like obsessive-compulsive disorder or a binge eating disorder that requires professional help. Seeking a therapist or a psychologist may be the way to go. There are even some studies that indicate medications can be helpful. Don’t think you have to deal with this all by yourself. There are plenty of people who are dealing with the same thing you are.
Remember that the surgery is a tool and only the beginning of your weight loss journey. In order to be successful after surgery, your habits need to change as well. Think of life after surgery and your new-found habits and lifestyle changes as the “new normal.” The goal is not to return to previous habits once the scale hits your desired number. The idea is to make permanent, long-lasting changes that will provide you with years of great health.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melissa Bailey, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with active practices in several states. She has been in the field for over 20 years and received her doctorate from Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Chicago with an emphasis in Health Psychology and is currently head of Bailey Psychology Group. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Bailey has a special interest in the field of Autism. Read more articles from Dr. Bailey! |
