It’s always helpful to manage expectations of any great undertaking head-on and right at the beginning. So…let’s just smack this one right in the face. Bariatric surgery is only the start of your life-long journey with weight management. That’s right, it’s only the beginning and it is a life-long commitment.
Bariatric surgery is just one tool in your belt. Imagine trying to cook an egg with a pan, but no fire, and no spatula. You need surgery to reset your body, you need the right types and amount of food to fuel your body, and you need exercise to maintain your metabolism, burn calories, and be healthy. It is literally an all-or-none thing. You will not be successful without all three. Understand it, accept it, and commit to yourself.
Commit…this isn’t something that works for part of the year, or when you aren’t “too tired” or “too busy”. Too many patients have surgery and think they are cured, or experience weight loss plateaus a year or two out and want to “trick” their body with a new diet. There are no tricks. More often than not, you plateau because you aren’t putting in the work with consistent exercise, and your metabolism is slowing. Read all about what happens to your metabolism as you lose weight here. Or email us at hello@bariatricfitnessrx.com to receive your free copy of our eBook How to Exercise: The Bariatric Patient’s Guide to Exercise.
Be consistent, apply some intensity and you will live your success story!