How to Manage Food Cravings After Bariatric Surgery?

Here are several Tips to manage/reduce food cravings after bariatric surgery if they happen often:

• Do not skip meals – If you skip meals, you are putting yourself at a higher risk of extreme hunger later on. With hunger comes the cravings and unhealthy food choices. Give your body what it needs before it loses control over hunger.

• Eat a high protein diet – It is very important to incorporate more protein in your diet after bariatric surgery. Protein helps your body to heal by itself after surgery and regains lean muscle mass, keeping you strong and healthy. Foods higher in protein take longer time to digest. Hence, a diet rich in protein has the benefit of keeping you full for longer. So, you won’t feel tempted to snack in between meals. 

• Drink more water – It is very common to confuse being hungry or thirsty. They can feel very similar. Dehydration can make you feel hungry and cause cravings. Those who are well hydrated often experience fewer cravings and generally feel better throughout the day.

• Do not forget balance – Although protein remains the highest priority in your meals, it is also important to include some healthy carbohydrates and fibre in your diet.

• Focus on stress management – For many, stress and anxiety are triggers of emotional eating. And emotional eating is strongly linked to cravings. Stress encourages our bodies to release a hormone known as cortisol, which can make us feel hungry and increase our cravings. 

If you’re experiencing such a situation, try to find an alternative way to improve your mood or manage the emotion. For example – Try going on a walk, meditation, listen to calming music, try giving your friend a call. etc. Taking care of your mental and emotional health is very important to manage food cravings.

• Reassess boredom – Many times we eat mindlessly, when there’s nothing else to do. Distract yourself with activities that you enjoy doing for example – reading books , knitting, sketching, work in the garden,  etc. Occupy your mind so you can stop dwelling on the item you are craving.

• Establish a sleep routine – Poor sleep can affect your appetite and lead to food cravings. Try to have a consistent sleep schedule. It will be helpful to turn off all electronic devices like TV, cell phones about 1 hour before bed. The blue light from these devices keeps you awake and makes it harder to fall asleep.

• Incorporate activity and exercise – Research shows that being active helps to reduce junk food and sweet cravings. Exercise helps to manage the stress levels and emotional health, which improves your sleep and keeps your focus on a healthy lifestyle. Try different types of exercise that you find enjoyable. For example – walking, dancing, yoga, water aerobics etc. Slowly incorporate physical activity in your daily routine.

• Limit Artificial sweeteners – When following a low sugar lifestyle, different types of sweeteners present in the products may be adding to your sweet cravings. Example – Aspartame, sucralose are about 500 to 700 times sweeter than natural sugar, making the product unnaturally sweet. 

When we get used to such products, naturally sweet foods become less satisfying. Try to look at products that contain stevia or alcohols like erythritol. These products aren’t as sweet as aspartame but similar in sweetness to regular sugar. They are zero calories, and help you to stick to your low sugar lifestyle after surgery without the cravings.

• Enjoy a healthy snack – Sometimes there’s no denying a craving. But finding healthy alternatives will help. For example – If you want something sweet try low sugar fruit or granola bar instead of a brownie. If you’re craving something salty, reach for kale chips. There are plenty of options for healthier versions when you crave. Try crispy oven-baked chicken instead of fried chicken. 

• Don’t forget the fiber – Foods high in fiber like non – starchy vegetables and fruits help slow down digestion and add bulk to the stool. It helps you feel fuller for a long time and also helps fight constipation.

• Remind yourself of how far you have come and ask yourself if giving in to your cravings will help or hinder the progress you have made and the success you have achieved.