Bringing Mindfulness to Your Eating and Drinking after Weight Loss Surgery
Mindful eating feels like a buzz word in the health industry. Several disciplines discuss mindfulness. Even around finances - being mindful of where you spend your money; be mindful of your breath; be mindful of how you speak with others and your children. Being mindful can come across as a fad, however it is really important that we be aware of our actions. Often we can go in life on autopilot and you might end up in 10 years wondering where it went.
In this episode, we will unpack why it is so hard to bring that awareness, especially to food and how to mindfully eat after bariatric surgery.
Mindfulness really means to bring awareness and be conscious of what you’re doing in that moment. It is not thinking about what has happened in the past. Not thinking about what is happening in the next few hours. It is here and now. Like now, you are listening to this podcast, but no doubt, you’re doing something else - scrolling your phone, driving, walking or cooking. In our day to day lives, it is a big multitask battle.
So why be aware of being mindful? Being mindful particularly around your food, will help you:
Choose meal options that align to your goals - for example if you took five minutes to plan your meals, you would consume more protein than a meal that you did quickly and then not hit your protein target, whilst also struggling with hunger.
Remind yourself to not wash the food too quickly through the stomach. You will be more satisfied with meals as you have to be conscious of stopping the fluids half an hour before your meal and starting again half an hour later.
Be satisfied for longer - when we eat slowly, one of the satiety hormones, leptin, will have enough time to tell the brain that you’re satisfied. You will then stop eating at that point which will prevent discomfort and reduce the risk of overeating.
Reverse the weight regain or slow the rate of weight gain. The reason why this occurs is inevitably, you are more conscious of your food choices, know when you’re satisfied, and are less likely to confuse thirst signals for hunger.
Being mindful around meals will ensure that your environment is a positive influence where you note any pre-occupations, then bring yourself back to the present moment.
Food is necessary for health, however we do not only eat for fuel. There are environmental, social, emotional and physical reasons for eating. Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a habit of eating because it is there, eating in front of the TV as something to do, eating a whole bucket of popcorn whilst being distracted watching a new film.
Being more mindful around meals is an important strategy to manage weight regain, however it is challenging.
To start being more mindful around food, start taking some time to pre-plan your meals. Portion out your plate and keep to a meal plan or suggestion that you have previously planned. This way you know the meal is not ad-hoc.
When it is time to eat, take a breath, appreciate the meal in front of you - this will bring your breath to the present. Then start from the protein source post-bariatric surgery. Chop up your food small, to the size of an Australian $2 coin. Then, chew your food for 20 x. At least until a puree consistency. The stomach is largely the part of the gut that did a lot of the “churning” so we need to ensure it is chewed well as there isn’t that capability to the same extent post-op.
Then, wait at least 20 seconds between mouthfuls. This will help you ensure you don’t eat past the point of fullness.
Finally, try to make your meal times last 20 to 30 minutes.
If you work on that alone, you should notice you are eating less and subsequently see some shift in your weight, if that is something you’re focused on.
Apart from food, we also need to discuss fluids and drinks. As the holiday season is upon us at the time of recording, I felt that it was pertinent to also discuss alcohol consumption.
When we discuss mindfulness, it is not only food we need to be conscious of. Alcohol provides a significant amount of empty calories and little to no benefit to our bodies. It is preferentially digested, meaning it is processed first before anything else you have already consumed. It additionally increases the risk of vitamin depletion, particularly B Vitamins. After bariatric surgery, it increases your blood alcohol concentration in twice or three times the time it did pre-operatively.
So, if you choose to drink alcohol and are working on reversing your weight regain after bariatric surgery, here are my strategies:
Have personal rules around alcohol consumption. These work really well and I have several clients that employ this.
For example, I only drink with people and not drink alone. I only drink two drinks at a time and take a cab or uber home. I don’t drink alcohol and cook dinner at the same time. Multitasking may increase how much you drink, which goes against your goals. Have a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. This should slow down your consumption and help bring mindfulness to the occasion.Eat something such as a substantial main meal prior to drinking. This will slow down the alcohol consumption and help you make better choices.
If you struggle to not have alcohol daily, see your primary care practitioner as you might be struggling with addiction transfer. If you can take or leave alcohol, then this is not an issue. But if it is now a daily habit, that is a red flag that should be addressed.
I hope this helps manage your alcohol intake. These can be difficult conversations so if anything came up for you, explore that further with someone on your support team.
Before we wrap up this episode, I wanted to run you through one mindfulness exercise to demonstrate how it can be done.
This is called the chocolate exercise or you could use a sultana or any favourite food - mine would be lemon meringue pie.
First, Sit comfortably with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and hands in your lap. Breathing through your nose, focus on your breath moving in and out of your body. If physical sensations or thoughts interrupt your meditation, note the experience and then return your focus to your breath.
Tune into the awareness or sensation that you have in your body of feeling hungry, thirsty or maybe even feeling full. If you were going to eat or drink something right now, what is your body hungry for? What is it thirsty for? Just pay attention and notice with awareness the sensations that give you this information. (Pause)
Now, bring your attention to the item in your hand and imagine that you are seeing it for the first time.
Observe with curiosity as you pay attention and notice the colour, shape, texture, and size.
Is there anything else that you notice, sense or feel? (Pause)
Now place the item between your fingers and feel the texture, temperature and ridges. You may notice smoothness or stickiness. Again, notice if you have any thoughts, sensations or emotions at this time. Continue to breathe and be fully present in this moment. (Pause)
Take the piece of food and bring it toward your nose and smell with your full awareness. Notice if you have any memories, sensations or reactions in your body.
Even before you eat it, you may notice that you begin to have a digestive response in your body just by noticing and smelling.
(Pause)
With full awareness of your hand moving toward your mouth, place the object (fruit or chocolate) into your mouth without chewing or swallowing it. Just allow it to be in your mouth, roll it around to different parts of your mouth and tongue. Notice the flavour and texture.
Notice the physical sensations within your body, especially your mouth and your gut. Continue to breathe as you explore the sensation of having this item in your mouth. (Pause)
Next take just one bite and notice the flavour, notice the change of texture. Then very slowly begin to chew this piece of food, and notice the parts of your mouth that are involved in chewing. Notice the sound and movement of chewing, as you continue to notice the sensations and flavour. (Pause)
When you are ready, swallow this item and notice the path that it follows from your mouth and throat into your stomach.
Notice the sensation and taste that may linger in your mouth. Connect again to your body and your breath and notice your experience in this moment. (Pause)
How was that? Take some time to reflect about that experience, and see if you can integrate some mindfulness into your bariatric journey. Remember to take note of your surroundings and food on your plate.
Enjoy your food and drinks this week, I look forward to chatting again with you shortly.