Bariatric procedures, while often medically necessary, can be emotionally and physically challenging. Supportive therapies examining one’s emotional relationship with food, coping strategies, and nutritional support are necessary to ultimately achieve one’s optimum level of health.

• Your relationship with food is a focus of bariatric counseling – Understanding the “when, what and why of eating.”

• Developing healthy coping mechanisms for emotional dysregulation.

• Education – Anticipating physical changes and meeting nutritional needs.

• Emotional support – Your changing body and relationship with food is an evolving process. It can be overwhelming, exciting, confusing- a spectrum of emotions. Understanding and normalizing these feelings is critical to healing physically and emotionally.

GLP-1 medications where medically indicated (type 2 diabetes, elevated lipids, high blood pressure) and/or patients with a significant amount of body weight to lose have demonstrated significant benefits. “Quieting food noise” is a common refrain for individuals who take these drugs. At the same time, these powerful medications (prescription and compounded) are easily accessible to individuals who may struggle to have a healthy relationship with food and have unhealthy weight loss objectives. 

• Develop healthy behaviors and set realistic goals in tandem with GLP-1 use. 

• Learn to use these drugs responsibly and to evaluate clear objectives that are reasonable, realistic, and sustainable.