ConsciouS Eating

For some people the extra weight is a physical barrier that gets thicker with each pound and soon nothing can penetrate that barrier, not diets or pills or exercise or motivation or desire or even Conscious Eating, so the weight keeps increasing and slowly the real person completely disappears behind this physical shield. Bariatric surgery pierces through this physical shield and gives the patient a new tool to reduce the size of the shield.

Like any tool, it takes motivation, desire, and practice to learn the correct way to use it. When used consistently and consciously, this powerful, physical tool can make changes in the body size that could not have happened any other way. But it’s powers end there. It does not help women make the changes in their mind, heart and soul that are necessary for a complete and lasting transformation.

For some, bariatric surgery gives them the only tool they will ever need to lose weight. For others, the tool works for losing weight until they start to feel hungry again. Getting their appetite back ends the “honeymoon” period and an old struggle with weight begins to emerge.

The weight loss is significant, which begins to create changes in other areas of their life. They may feel angry at those strangers who never noticed them before but now with their new body, behave differently toward them. They may start to want a different relationship with their spouse or may find their work unfulfilling. They may start to feel more sexy and not know how to deal with the unwanted advances. They may start to grieve the loss of their old body and/or their old life. They start to notice that they are gaining some of the weight back and that brings up old diet feelings of failure. These women have an eating disorder called “Binge Eating Disorder” or “Emotional Eating” where they use food to deal with stress and/or feelings.
Many women knew about “emotional eating” before surgery but others became aware of it after surgery. This eating disorder blocks them from using their physical tool because food is their only way to deal with life. When you have an eating disorder before weight loss surgery, you will have an eating disorder after weight loss surgery.

The patient did not fail. Their struggle with bingeing or emotional eating was the result of growing up in families that did not validate or talk about feelings, so they came to surgery without the tools to deal with stress, anger, loneliness, boredom. They went through surgery to create a permanent physical tool to help them lose weight, regain their health and mobility. Great accomplishment. Conscious Eating is the next step toward completing their transformation. Conscious Eating can stop this eating disorder by offering them the tools to deal with life.

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