Gastric Band Blog | Palmyra Surgical Gastric Band Surgery Specialists

Connect With Your Inner Child

As you begin to pursue surgery for weight loss in Columbus, it is important to take the time to become conscious of your own opinions and habits that revolve around eating. Many people that struggle to lose weight have battled with obesity their entire life, which makes it even harder to lose weight without the help of bariatric surgery. For many though, even after bariatric surgery the damaging thoughts and habits persist. In order to make the most out of your weight loss surgery, take the time to connect with your inner child and get to the route of your relationship with food.

Sometimes emotional eaters have an unhealthy relationship with food that stems back to childhood. Eaters may have learned to use food to soothe pain when they were children, and although they have outgrown the situation that led them to develop unhealthy eating habits, they still engage in the behaviors in an attempt to numb themselves to childhood pain that may have been the result of anything from fighting parents to school bullying. This psychological issue doesn’t apply to all people who currently struggle with their weight; however, it’s worth exploring your relationship with your inner child as you prepare for surgery for weight loss in Columbus so that you can develop healthy eating habits that will help you with your weight after the surgery.

One easy way to begin exploring this relationship with yourself is to look at old pictures. Choose a picture of yourself at an earlier age—perhaps a picture from your babyhood or the first year you started school. Take some deep breaths to clear your mind and use an affirmation such as, “I choose to look back at myself with compassion” to put yourself in the right frame of mind to do this work. Notice your feelings in the picture and about the picture.

After doing this exercise, you may find that you’re eating when you’re not hungry. Try closing your eyes and asking yourself how old you feel right now and what you’re feeling.

Obesity can be physically dangerous, so don’t put off seeing your doctor about your options–including weight loss surgery–if you’re overweight. Connecting with your inner child is only one tool you need to lose your weight and improve your health.