Ideas to help keep us on the right track

I struggle a lot with the whole mental aspect of WLS.  I've been lucky to have very little physical issues with the surgery and the whole process.  My big problem has always been in my head.  I was reading an article in September's Reader's Digest and found a few things that I think can really help for us as weight loss surgery patients who need help staying on the straight and narrow.  

I'm going to start doing these few things today and will report back at a later date if I feel like they have helped me.  Here are the things are I am going to try:

The first one is supposed to increase your willpower.  Right before, or even when you are in need of the mental fortitude to be strong and stay away from the junk, try this exercise.  Squeeze one or more of your muscles and hold it for 5 seconds or longer.  I plan on squeezing my glutes, since they are still rather large.  It seems that the larger the muscle group, the more it helps.  Maybe I'll just drop down and do some planking or something.  When I get that urge to eat something, I'll do this, and hopefully it will help me to resist the binge!

I also have an issue with anxiety, so I'll try this next one for when I'm feeling out of control or I can feel the anxiety building:

Power breath.  Breathe in for a slow count of 4, then breathe out for a slow count of 8.  Do this for 1 minute.  Always exhale out for twice as long as you breathe in.  This is supposed to increase your heart rate variability, and that can protect you against stress and anxiety.  

To feel more positive when you're feeling down, play superhero.  Just list all of the positive attributes of a superhero.  Just making a mental list of all of the good things about superheros can put you in a positive mindset.

This article also lists the reasons why these things work, but I don't want to go so far as to copy the whole thing out and risk copyright infringement, but I am going to try these techniques when I find myself in a place where they could help.  

Does anyone have anything else that they have tried to add to this list?

These are great Deanna!  Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for kicking this off! I am not far along post op, but have spent a lot of time pre op getting ready to tackle this stuff! Which I agree is the biggest part, for most of us! A few things that have been helpful to me:

Meal Tracking. Not so much for calories, but for patterns and triggers. It can take a while to see them. One's I have noticed in myself: being in the car, visiting my parents and celebrations and boredom. None of which are actually attributed to negative emotions. I am very much a happy eater! I also sometimes stress eat for distraction. So, ive been able to control a lot of these once i knew they were there. No food in the car, hard stop. Doing active things with family rather than sitting around the table planning the next meal etc.

Visualization. This one sounds hokey, but its basically what athletes do. Before a situation im not confident about, I stop and picture myself doing the thing. This is crazy helpful to me. Its super helpful when dealing with the anxiety of the unknown or new experiences.

Emulation. I look at the healthy active people in my life, and try to copy their habits (in a non creepy way hahaha) Sometimes they indulge, mostly they don't. Sometimes they skip a work out or activity, but mostly they show up. They are consistent. Take time to plan their life, aren't always reacting.

Anyway, that's what ive been playing around with. Cant wait to hear what others do!!

Road trips are a trigger for me as well! I recently figured that out. I think it stems from a lot of things, but I need something to do with my mouth and hands... I used to smoke... then I switched to eating (a lot apparently)... now I just fidget if I'm driving, or sleep if I'm the passenger LOL...

But when we stop for gas, I've always made a snack/drink run... it's hard to adjust to that, ya know?

These are great!  Thank you for listing them.

Funny thing about emulation:  one of the best role models I know of "healthy and active," a neighbor who has run the Boston Marathon and is about 60 years old with grandchildren, and a lovely person besides--has a little sign beside her kitchen sink: 

"Deep down inside me is a fat girl screaming to get out.  I can usually shut her up with cookies."

Yes, it is a little duplicitous, but it makes me giggle every time I think of it.

I'm with you on the head struggle. Thanks for taking the time to share ! 

I have good luck with physical/visual reminders. I have a little clip-on badge for my sport medical ID with a unicorn on it, and that's my "you're a special sparkly unicorn and you are WORTH it so don't you DARE fsck this up" totem. I had something similar for my smar****ch, and since I'm switching to a Samsung Fit I need to find something that will work similarly.

I love cute sparkly unicorns that say big bad swear words.

Thanks, Deanna. I am always in need of good ways to fight the fight.

I get RD, too, and thought this was a great article!  I'm glad you shared.