Post-Bariatric Weight Regain Behavioral Intervention

This intervention focuses on acceptance-based strategies with an emphasis on willingness to experience less pleasurable internal experiences (e.g., pleasure from eating calorically-dense foods) and aversive internal experiences (e.g., hunger, food cravings). Strategies to increase this willingness will be taught, including defusion (i.e., getting psychological distance from internal experiences to allow oneself to act independently of them). Mindful decision-making, as it relates to eating and exercise, will also be emphasized. Clarification and commitment to core values is another key component, as living life in accordance with one's values (e.g., health) makes willingness to make difficult choices worthwhile. Standard behavioral techniques for weight loss (i.e., self-monitoring, stimulus control, psychoeducation) will also be included.