Experiencing food cravings post-bariatric surgery is quite common. However, these cravings can pose a challenge for those committed to maintaining a nutritious diet. It’s comforting to know that these cravings are often linked to chemical imbalances in the body, and understanding this can greatly assist in controlling them. Decoding the Science of Cravings Extensive research […]

Food addiction is a complex phenomenon that affects many individuals. Understanding the science behind food addictions can shed light on the underlying mechanisms and contribute to effective strategies for managing this condition. Studies have confirmed that food addictions are real and can lead to obesity as a result of uncontrolled eating. The science behind food […]

Halloween is a season of candy and sugared goodies. And as a bariatric patient, this can be quite frightful. It can be hard to resist the temptation to open the bag of mini chocolate bars you planned on giving out to trick-or-treaters. And it can be even harder not to pick out your favorite treats […]

It’s late on Thursday night. You’ve worked all day, the kids are in bed and now it’s time for you to study. The professor has assigned a lengthy reading assignment. You sit down and barely make it to the third page before you’re fidgeting, distracted, and … bored by the content. Mindlessly, you set the […]

Stress eating, or “emotional eating” seems to be as common a problem as mosquitos at a Fourth of July picnic! In fact, when I work with patients who are struggling with weight regain, the majority of them attribute the increase in pounds to “stress.” I remind each of them, in a playful, yet serious way, […]

Last month I talked about why we crave certain foods. Whether it be sugar, salt, carbs, or chocolate, there is often a reason we have an uncontrollable desire that leads to us yearning for that particular food group. This is often times a result of some chemical imbalance in our body, such as a magnesium […]

Are you a sugar addict or do you love your salty, crunchy chips? We have all experienced a time when we feel like we can’t control our cravings and they just “take over” and the next thing we know is we have cleaned out our entire pantry looking to satisfy the craving. Although this could […]

“Hi, I’m Connie and I truly am a grateful, recovering addict.” When I first attended 12-Step meetings and heard people saying they were “grateful recovering” addicts, I thought to myself, “Why in the world are they grateful for being an addict?” Twenty-nine years into my own recovery, I can tell you why people who are in a […]

Food addiction is a very serious and real problem. Not simply because it leads to weight gain, but because in most cases it is a result of some psychological battle that the patient is dealing with. The problem is more than just the food. In a way, you could say that food is a symptom of […]

In the world of medical doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and other medical and mental health professionals, there’s a debate, of course, about the concept of “food addiction.” Without question, scientific research shows addictive behavior regarding sugar consumption in animals. But what about humans? Brain scans of humans specifically show similar patterns for people “under the influence” […]

Over the past couple of weeks, I have covered topics surrounding the idea of food freedom. We have looked at how to feel freedom from obsessing over what you eat and how much you are consuming using the idea of “meaningful matters” as well as using lists. Today, I want to touch on the ultimate […]

Food Freedom suggests being able to live your life without the burden of thinking about, obsessing over, and focusing on food all the time. One way to enjoy food freedom as a post-op patient is to use a food list. Keep in mind that weight loss surgery helps you lose weight in the initial months […]

Think for a minute about your relationship with food. If food were a person, would you think of that relationship as being a healthy one? And what would other people who really knew how you and food behaved around one another think?

“Dieting” sounds so … restrictive. Most people, when they “go on a diet” describe feeling deprived. You’ve probably been taught somewhere along the road that your thoughts lead to feelings and together, thoughts and feelings influence behavior. If a person is thinking about what foods they are banned from, and feel restricted and deprived, and […]

Binge eating. Over eating, “What was I thinking?” eating. And, “I can’t believe I did that (again?)” eating. You’ll most likely deal with one or more of these eating experiences along your journey toward sustained good health.

For anyone who has tried to change their eating habits or even eat “in moderation” for that matter, knows that it can be hard to say no to that chocolate brownie that “has your name all over it”. What is even harder, is trying to stick to your healthy eating during the holidays. From Thanksgiving dinner […]

Have you ever felt “hungry” an hour after eating a full meal? Do you often times find yourself munching after dinner just because it “sounds good”? Well, you are not alone! Many of us confuse head hunger with physical hunger, which can lead to weight gain and other health related problems due to the type and amount […]