5 Years Post-Op: Still Living with the Food Voices

It’s been five years since my bariatric surgery, and people sometimes think the further out you get, the easier it gets. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t. The battle with food—the cravings, the memories, the emotional pull—never really goes away. You don’t stop being a foodie just because your stomach is smaller.

Food still calls my name, every single day. The smell of a bakery, a new restaurant opening, even scrolling through Instagram—those voices are always there. The difference is, my tiny belly still can’t enjoy food the way my head and heart sometimes wish it could. That mismatch is hard. My appetite, my cravings, my “want to”—they never shrank. Just my capacity.

And five years out, I’ve learned something: restriction alone doesn’t save you. Over time, I started making little personal amendments to my rules. “Just a few bites.” “This won’t hurt.” “I’ll balance it tomorrow.” Before I knew it, I was creeping back into old ways—the habits that once made life so hard for me.

That slippery slope led me to a stint with a GLP-1 medication. It was helpful, and in many ways gave me a reset. But I’ve since stepped away from it—and that’s a subject for another blog post entirely. For now, what I’ll say is this: bariatric living isn’t a finish line you cross and walk away from. It’s a lifelong negotiation with food, body, and mind.

Five years out, I’m still learning how to live with the food voices instead of fighting them all the time. Some days I win, some days I don’t. But I keep showing up for myself, and that’s the real work of bariatric living.

💬 If you’re on this journey too, I’d love to hear how you handle the food voices five years, two years, or even just months out. Share your thoughts in the comments—I know we can all learn from each other.

And if you’re looking for real, relatable recipes to support your journey, check out my cookbook Slightly Hungry, Mostly Anxious: A Bariatric Foodie's Guide to Mini Recipes, Food Ideas & Fast Food —available now on Amazon.