Many patients greatly underestimate the significant psychological impact that changing one’s lifestyle can have. For many patients, turning to food as a coping strategy in times of stress has been the norm. With bariatric surgery, this tendency to turn to food for comfort can decrease your success with weight loss. How you choose to deal with stress will significantly affect your weight loss journey.

There are many reasons why our relationship with food can be complicated. Boredom, negative emotions, a culture focused on food and celebration, abundant availability of high-calorie food, or unhealthy habits can all lead to a tendency to turn to food inappropriately. It will be essential for you to spend some time assessing your relationship with food, your food habits in times of stress, and healthy choices you can begin to use as you start your weight loss journey.

Try asking yourself the following questions:

• When do I tend to eat?
• How do I feel when I eat?
• What emotions do I experience that tend to trigger a desire to eat?
• Do my family and friends impact my eating habits?
• Does conflict often end in mindless eating?
• What activities (like watching TV) trigger mindless (or ‘fog”) eating?
• Do I have healthy ways to cope with stressful times and situations (like going for a walk, gardening, coloring, journaling, calling a friend, teeth brushing, chewing gum, walking the dog)?

Once you have assessed your behaviors and triggers, it will be important to identify and utilize healthy alternatives other than turning to food. Stress is inevitable. Be aware of your triggers. If you know you tend to become stressed in certain situations, you can prepare yourself better for those situations in advance. Knowing that a situation has been stressful in the past can allow you to plan and think of different ways to handle it in the future.

Schedule time for relaxation, even if it is only 15 minutes per day. You are worth it, and it is necessary to refuel yourself. We all need relaxation on a constant basis to refresh both our minds and our bodies from the tensions of the day. Make some time for yourself. Spending just a few minutes alone without distractions can allow you to feel more prepared to manage your stressors. Talk a walk to see nature, listen to some calming music, or sit quietly and focus on your breathing as a strategy for increasing your sense of inner peace.

Develop a support system. Spend time with people who are supportive and encouraging in your change process. Surround yourself with people who build you up, not tear you down.

Plan ahead. Lack of organization, feeling overwhelmed by tasks, or being stuck in chaotic patterns can all lead to making impulsive and often unhealthy decisions about food and coping.  Take control of your life one aspect at a time. It is okay to change things in the lives of your spouse or kids in order to make healthy changes for your benefit. They will benefit from a healthier you and have you around for many years to come because you are prioritizing your health.

Express your feelings verbally or try writing down your thoughts about what you are feeling and experiencing. Internalizing your emotions can lead to unnecessary stress. Having an outlet for feelings can be especially helpful; talk to your spouse, a family member, a friend, or a professional. Your feelings are not wrong; they are personal, important, and should be expressed in a healthy and constructive way.

Find healthy distractions. Engaging in activities that you enjoy can distract you and be especially helpful in reducing stress. Look for ways to volunteer, hobbies you’ve always wanted to try, music that inspires you to move or dance, exercise that makes you feel empowered, or crafts that intrigue you. This will help divert your tendency to turn to food in times of stress.