Baby Steps To Take After WLS

Your life is going to change tremendously after weight loss surgery. You are thrown into a new life pretty quickly and it takes some time to get used to the way things will be for you going forward. It is important to remember to take baby steps with your new life. If you try jumping all in right away, it might cause stress and depression. For some people, taking baby steps is the best way to approach life after weight loss surgery.

Before having surgery, you will be on a pre-op diet to get you ready for surgery. One of the best things you can do is start giving up food slowly before you reach the pre-op diet. Some people do well with dropping food cold turkey, but others need to take baby steps to let go of food. Figure out which person you are and stick to it. I have found that for me personally, baby steps make me more successful. If you are the same, try taking things out of your life gradually. First, stop drinking soda. You won’t be able to drink it after bariatric surgery, so you might as well quit long before surgery. After you remove soda from your diet, take out one of your trigger foods. Follow this process with all the unhealthy foods you have in your diet. By doing this, you give your brain a chance to stay with you as you make these healthy changes in your life. Going too fast can sometimes backfire so taking baby steps will give you a better chance at succeeding long term.

In addition, one of the most important things to add to your life is exercise. The surgery is just a tool and you will need to take additional steps to get healthy. Working out can help speed up weight loss and make you feel better all around. However, it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. I know when I started working out, I was confused about what I should even do. It took time for me to figure out what exercises I needed to focus on. Going to the gym can be scary because there are a ton of people there that look like they know what they are doing. I was always embarrassed when I went to the gym because I thought I looked clueless. I learned through experience that taking baby steps with exercise helped me stick to it. If you go to the gym one day and go full out and run 3 miles and do weight training, you will be so sore and it might be difficult to get you back to the gym. Instead, try adding in a few exercises at a time. This will help train your mind and body and will set you up for success.

By taking these small steps, you will be more likely to succeed long-term on this weight loss surgery journey. The surgery is a tool, but you must take these additional steps and give it your all. Weight loss surgery is a journey and you will be growing every single day as you go through it. Give yourself a break and focus on the small steps. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.