How The Facebook Community Can help Your WLS Journey

Congratulations! You have decided to take your life back and have weight loss surgery. This will be one of the biggest changes in your life. You will have to change the way you eat and the way you think. You will have to form new habits and adjust your lifestyle to align with your new goals. There will be successes that you will be excited to share as well as times when you need to improve in certain areas. It will be one of the most exciting and challenging times of your life.

One of the most important things you should do as a weight loss surgery patient is to find people who will be your greatest cheerleaders. It can be very lonely if you don’t have people to support you during the process. Some patients do not want to tell their family and friends about the surgery, which means they must find support from another source.

One of the best ways to do this is by finding a support group or community that you can confide in. Since we live in a virtual world, Facebook has quickly become one of the best places to find support. There are many support groups designated for weight loss surgery patients on Facebook. Through these groups, patients share advice, recipes, workouts, success stories, and so much more. Finding people that have the surgery in common can be lifechanging for some individuals.  I have personally used Facebook to connect with other people who have had the surgery and it has been such a positive experience. There have been times where I am struggling and stuck on a plateau and need advice from other people. Through the Facebook community, I was able to get new ideas on how to get through my plateau. There have also been times when I just needed to vent and share my feelings about life after surgery, and Facebook has given me the platform to do that. These groups can also provide the opportunity for you to share your before-and-after pictures. Recognition is so important on this journey. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the changes in your own body, but by sharing these pictures in a safe environment, you can hear from other people the changes they see.  

Finding people that have the surgery in common can be life-changing for some individuals. Not many people understand what it is like as a bariatric patient unless they are living the same life. These support groups create an environment where people can share their thoughts on all things weight loss surgery. Many people find lifelong friends through these groups on Facebook. Social media provides an opportunity for us to meet new people, even if they are miles away. These connections are so powerful and can help someone who doesn’t have many people to support them on this journey. I have met some of my closest friends through Facebook support groups and it has been a tremendous help for me on this journey. For those people who are not ready to share their journey publicly, these support groups can provide the outlet that you need after surgery. The great thing about Facebook is that most of these groups are private which means no one can see that you joined them.

You must remember that weight loss surgery is just as much of an emotional journey as it is a physical journey. Without support from other people, it will be a difficult road for you. Take the time to find a support group because this will help you be more successful. Whether you are just starting out on this journey or a veteran who is many years out, Facebook can be a powerful tool to form connections with other people on weight loss surgery journeys. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend you find a group that works for you.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can join the BariMelts Private Support Group on Facebook here.