A successful journey? It’s up to you.

[Sally Johnston 357]

Surgery itself is just one part of the picture of weight management. Surgery alone does not guarantee you will lose weight; it is a tool that can assist you to lose weight when teamed with lifestyle change.

Both professionals in the field and those who have had or are considering having surgery themselves seem to be involved in an ongoing debate over what is the best type of weight loss surgery. The three most common forms of surgery in Australia at present, gastric band, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy all have loyal fans and big opponents. In my Nutrition for Weight Loss Surgery Support Group the pros and cons of the different surgery types are regularly discussed by those who have been through the various procedures.

Whilst technically different, what is common to all forms of weight loss surgery is that the surgery itself is just one part of the picture of weight management. Surgery alone does not guarantee you will lose weight; it is a tool that can assist you to lose weight when teamed with lifestyle change.

Colleen Cook is a successful weight loss surgery patient from 1995 and is the author of the best selling weight loss surgery book, The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients. It is based on her research of the most successful long-term patients and the habits they have in common as they maintain their weight over time. Colleen is also the President of Bariatric Support Centers International, a company that specialises in providing education and support services for those who have had weight loss surgery and the professionals who work with them. Following is a comment from Colleen that stood out to me when reading her work recently:

“Successful patients took personal responsibility for staying in control. They were found to have a general feeling that maintaining their weight was indeed their own responsibility and that surgery was a tool that they used to reach and maintain a healthy weight.”

Colleen’s words illustrate perfectly that weight loss surgery itself does not cause weight loss. Those undergoing weight loss surgery will need to take responsibility for their lifestyle choices. To achieve the best weight loss results and maintain that weight loss in the long term, you will need to choose healthy and nutritious foods, increase physical activity and maintain regular follow up with your support team.

Are you maximizing the support available to you? Do you regularly follow up with your surgeon or bariatric GP to check your progress? For those with a gastric band, have you worked with them to find the green zone? Have you had the blood tests recommended to you to monitor any medical conditions or detect nutrient deficiencies? Have you seen an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist regarding an activity program tailored to you? Did you see your dietitian for the pre and post surgery info but never returned for ongoing support? Are you comfortable with the support team at your clinic? If not, you need to seek out a new support network. Ultimately it is up to you to utilise the support and resources available to you for a successful journey,

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

great post..

i can relate to this as i feel it is true

i spent my adult life (dieting and failing over and over) and lost belief that i would

ever be healthy....i was destined to be fat...once i sought help, gave instuctions to follow for

best results and tried and did the best i could/can, i started to get better..stronger and yes, healthier..

i see/read things of people and go gosh, maybe if i this or that and find myself slipping back into

that dieting thinking/comparing me vs super person........where i know, that i am losing inches at my

pace,,,,,,,and if i keep doing what i am doing, i will get there.........eventually

as you wrote, it IS up to me....

[DLCoggin 1,788]

There is a lesson here for all of us. Your short term goal is weight loss. Your long term goal is weight management. Both are absolutely possible. But long term weight management requires that you continually build your skillset and improve on the all important Prime Directive - lifestyle changes. Your short term goal is physical change. Your short and long term challenge is mental discipline.

Great article!

Edited February 5, 2014 by DLCoggin

[Sally Johnston 357]

Thanks you for your comments, I'm glad you enjoyed the article. It gives me motivation to keep posting articles when I hear people find them useful.

Your in good health,

Sally