5 months post op - feeling low

[oban 2]

I'm new to this site and just wanted to know if anyone has experienced a drop in their mood after surgery.

I'm glad I had the surgery, I had been wanting it for more than a decade. I'm happy with my weight loss. So why has my mood fallen?

There are things going on in my life that are a bit stressful at the moment and are not connected to the surgery. I'm just not dealing with the stress and I just want to turn to food for comfort. I have been doing so well with healthy eating. But not being able to deal with my stress makes me want to eat to escape that stress. Its not the answer I know that but I am not sure what to do to get some peace in my head.

[AZhiker 2,253]

It's pretty normal to have mood swings during the weight loss journey. Hormones change, body image changes, and relationships change. And it's quite a dilemma when we find our "go-to" coping mechanism taken away, especially during times of stress. So we have to find other, healthy ways to cope and deal with our emotions. Exercise is great! Maybe not so fun to start out, but by setting small goals, you can regain a sense of control and empowerment. Exercise releases good mood hormones and really does help relieve physical and emotional stress. It relieves depression, improves all your bio-markers like cholesterol, HDL, LDL, glucose levels. It raises metabolism and builds lean muscle mass. If you haven't started on an exercise routine, I would highly recommend starting one now. Just start by walking and doing 20 wall pushups 3 times a day. Track your activity and gradually increase the level and add new routines. It can make a real difference. Get a step tracker - it is highly motivating. Now, for the magic......... if you get yourself into a routine that is enjoyable - maybe just walking 20 minutes a day, you will find that the pleasure chemicals in the brain will start to over ride the desire for food to deal with stress and negative emotions. It really does happen. It then becomes a wonderful way to cope with whatever comes your way. JMHO.

Hang in there. This, too, shall pass. You are not alone.