Recovering from Weight Loss Surgery
Every aspect of weight loss surgery is crucial to your success — including recovery. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect during the recovery period after you've had a weight loss procedure.
Have you ever found yourself digging into a pint of ice cream at midnight for no good reason? Do you eat just because there's food in front of you, even if you're not hungry? If so, you're not alone. Your appetite is difficult to control sometimes, especially when you want to lose weight.
Dr. Robert Snow and our team at Snow Bariatric Center in Flower Mound and Fort Worth, Texas, understand how your appetite hormones work. If you're finally ready to lose weight, Dr. Snow offers surgical and nonsurgical options to help you reach your goals.
Your appetite is your body's way of telling you to eat certain foods. It's your natural desire to eat and drink, and it dictates what type and how much food to consume.
Hunger and your appetite are two different things. When you're hungry, your body signals your brain to refuel.
Several factors affect your appetite, including environmental, medical, and health issues. Your lifestyle also influences your appetite, especially when you enjoy food.
Emotional eating is an urge that occurs even when you're not hungry. Stress and boredom can influence your appetite, sometimes causing you to make poor food choices to satisfy a particular craving.
Medications also affect your appetite. Steroids, antidepressants, and some diabetes medications increase your appetite, leading to weight gain.
However, you don't have to live with an out-of-control appetite — there are steps to take that help you control your appetite.
Losing weight is hard, especially when your appetite is out of control, but there are ways to make your stomach feel fuller. A few of the best ways you can control your appetite for a healthier lifestyle include the following:
Drinking water daily helps you feel fuller, leading to less grazing between meals. If you drink a glass of water before a meal, you may also eat less because your stomach's full of water.
Controlling your appetite can be as simple as adding more protein to your diet. Lean proteins like chicken, salmon (not quite lean, but it contains healthy fats), and legumes help you feel fuller during and after meals, controlling your daily appetite.
Fiber is plentiful in many fruits and vegetables, which helps to curb your appetite during the day. Fiber also plays a role in your blood sugar, which manages your cravings and helps to control your appetite.
Leptin is a hormone that helps you feel full, and omega-3 fatty acids increase it. Eating foods like salmon and other types of fish allows you to feel fuller longer, curbing your appetite for less healthy foods.
Giving up on your cravings is hard, but luckily, dark chocolate is an option. A small serving of dark chocolate may help you feel fuller than other chocolate types, satisfy your sweet tooth, and help you make it to your next meal.
If your appetite causes you to overeat, slowing down during meals can significantly help. When you eat, take smaller bites at a slower pace to help you feel fuller and longer and keep you from overeating at one time.
Exercise is also essential when it comes to taming your hunger. It's an all-natural way to suppress appetite, especially after an intense workout.
After exercising, your body feels fuller because of reduced hunger hormones. Ghrelin is one of the hunger hormones in your body that exercise reduces, which helps you feel fuller longer.
If you use all these tips but still can't curb your appetite enough to lose weight, Dr. Snow can help you with professional treatments to achieve your goals.
To find out how to lose weight with Dr. Snow, call one of our Fort Worth or Flower Mound, Texas, offices or request an appointment on our website.
