The Medical Team Meant It. Did You?

[Connie Stapleton PhD 342]

The Doc: Post-ops – this one’s for you! (However, if you're a pre-op, you'll benefit a bunch by reading this before your procedure!) A friendly warning for everyone reading this article – pre- or post-op – these words are not for the faint of heart! You're going to be asked some questions and also asked to be 100% completely honest with yourself as you answer the questions! Don’t worry too much. The questions are few in number. You don’t even have to tell anybody else your answers, but if you tell yourself even a “little white lie” you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice. The reason? Recovery from obesity requires being completely honest with yourself about what you are doing and what you’re not doing to manage a healthy weight. Then you have to honestly decide what you are willing to do if you want what you told your weight loss surgery medical team you wanted: your health back and to be able to do things you couldn't when carrying an extra 100 + pounds.

The Post Op: Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Just what are these questions? Can you flunk the test? The good news is, this isn’t a test, but the questions can test your patience a bit, and might be challenging to answer. The goal is honesty, so just do your best and don’t worry, we’ll go easy on you. It won’t take long to figure out that there are many more questions where these came from (and the answers will likely be the same!)

What the Nutritionist told you (and hopefully the psychologist, your PCP and the WLS surgeon, as well):

1. In some way, shape or form, during your pre-surgical preparation, the dietician told you that in order to keep your weight off over time, you are going to have to eat “healthy” portions of the right foods (and by “healthy” we do not mean “healthy” = huge; we mean “healthy” as in nutritionally healthy portions = measured/reasonable amounts of food).

Questions:

a. Did you get this message during your pre-surgical preparation for WLS?

b. Did you agree that you would, indeed eat “healthy” portions of food after the surgery (with an implied, forever more)?

c. Did you mean what you said when you agreed to maintaining “healthy” portions of the right foods after surgery?

(I’m fairly certain you did mean it.)

d.

ARE YOU DOING IT?

Are you maintaining “healthy” portions of the right foods ever since you’ve had WLS?

a. If not, what’s up???

b. If not, what are you willing to do in order to get back on track with this?

2. In some way, shape or form, during your pre-surgical preparation, the dietician told you that in order to keep your weight off over time, you need to eliminate or reduce/minimize the simple carbs that you eat (meaning white rice, white potatoes, Pasta, white bread, most “baked goods,” “junk food,” and sugary foods (most “baked goods,” candy, soda, sweet tea, cake, Cookies, etc.).

Questions:

a. Did you get this message during your pre-surgical preparation for WLS?

b. Did you agree that you would, indeed eliminate or reduce/minimize the simple carbs that you eat (meaning white rice, white potatoes, pasta, white bread, most “baked goods,” “junk food,” and sugary foods (most “baked goods,” candy, soda, sweet tea, cake, cookies, etc.)?

c. Did you mean what you said when you agreed to eliminate or reduce/minimize the simple carbs that you eat (meaning white rice, white potatoes, pasta, white bread, most “baked goods,” “junk food,” and sugary foods (most “baked goods,” candy, soda, sweet tea, cake, cookies, etc.)?

(I’m fairly certain you did mean it.)

d.

ARE YOU DOING IT?

Have you eliminated or reduced/minimized the simple carbs that you eat (meaning white rice, white potatoes, pasta, white bread, most “baked goods,” “junk food,” and sugary foods (most “baked goods,” candy, soda, sweet tea, cake, cookies, etc.)ever since you’ve had WLS?

a. If not, what’s up???

b. If not, what are you willing to do in order to get back on track with this?

What the Physician told you (bariatric surgeon and/or primary care physician):

3. It is important that you utilize the first 12 – 18 months (the “honeymoon period”) to establish healthy lifestyle habits regarding food and exercise.

a. Did you get this message during your pre-surgical preparation for WLS?

b. Did you agree that you would, indeed utilize the first 12 – 18 months (the “honeymoon period”) to establish healthy lifestyle habits regarding food and exercise?

c. Did you mean what you said when you agreed to utilize the first 12 – 18 months (the “honeymoon period”) to establish healthy lifestyle habits regarding food and exercise?

(I’m fairly certain you did mean it.)

d.

ARE YOU DOING IT? DID YOU DO IT?

Are you/Did you utilize the first 12 – 18 months (the “honeymoon period”) to establish healthy lifestyle habits regarding food and exercise?

a. If not, what’s up???

b. If not, what are you willing to do in order to get back on track with this?

4. It is important that you engage in and maintain some form of physical exercise (keeping in mind your physical conditions) more days of the week than not, in order to maintain your weight loss.

e. Did you get this message during your pre-surgical preparation for WLS?

f. Did you agree that you would, indeed engage in and maintain some form of physical exercise (keeping in mind your physical conditions) more days of the week than not, in order to maintain your weight loss?

g. Did you mean what you said when you agreed to engage in and maintain some form of physical exercise (keeping in mind your physical conditions) more days of the week than not, in order to maintain your weight loss?

(I’m fairly certain you did mean it.)

h.

ARE YOU DOING IT?

Are you engaging in and maintaining some form of physical exercise (keeping in mind your physical conditions) more days of the week than not, in order to maintain your weight loss ever since you’ve had WLS?

a. If not, what’s up???

b. If not, what are you willing to do in order to get back on track with this?

What the Psychologist/Mental Health Provider told you:

5. It is important that you fully understand that unless you do what the doctor and nutritionist tell you to do for the rest of your life, you can (and most likely will) regain your weight. Are you willing to follow through with the nutrition and exercise guidelines after surgery in order to keep the weight off? (And if you’re lucky, they encouraged you to seek therapy if you struggle).

a. Did you get this message during your pre-surgical preparation for WLS?

b. Did you agree that you would, indeed, do what the doctor and nutritionist told you to do for the rest of your life, or you could (and most likely would) regain your weight?

c. Did you mean what you said when you agreed to do what the doctor and nutritionist told you to do for the rest of your life, or you could (and most likely would) regain your weight?

(I’m fairly certain you did mean it.)

d.

ARE YOU DOING IT? DID YOU DO IT?

Are you doing what the doctor and nutritionist told you to do in order to prevent regaining your weight?

a. If not, what’s up???

b. If not, what are you willing to do in order to get back on track with this? ARE YOU WILLING TO GO TO THERAPY?

The Post Op & The Doc:

Above we have noted five topics basic to nearly every surgical weight loss program in this country:

1) the need to eat healthy portions of healthy foods,

2) the need to minimize simple carbohydrates,

3) using the first year to learn and implement healthy habits,

4) engaging in, and maintaining healthy support, and

5) it is possible to regain weight after WLS if you don’t follow what you were advised to do.

The Post Op & The Doc have seventeen years collectively working in this field. We have seen and talked with thousands of patients who have shared with us that they did hear this information before surgery, they agreed to do what they learned, and they meant it. Yet many have been unable to follow through. That’s normal. It’s difficult to make the behavioral changes needed to keep weight off. If you start to regain, you can catch yourself and get headed in a healthy direction.

Many people are doing what it takes to get back on track so that they can get and keep their excess weight off. They do what they set out to do when they decided to have weight loss surgery: Improve their health and have the ability to do more of the things they want to do.

The best way to get into the habits needed to maintain a healthy weight or to get back on track is to use the Gotta Do Em's. The Gotta Do Em's are what it takes to get and keep weight off:

1. Make Healthy Food Choices

2. Maintain Portion Control

3. Exercise Regularly

4. Drink Water

5. Eat Breakfast

6. Plan Your Meals and Follow Your Plan

7. Keep a Food Diary

8. Keep an Exercise Diary

9. Use a Healthy Support System

10. Get Individual and/or Group Therapy

There are lots of excuses for not following the Gotta Do Em's. It would be easy to say that you were overwhelmed with all of the information you were given pre-surgery and couldn’t possibly understand everything you agreed to. It would easy to say that you were just trying to get your forms completed so you could qualify for surgery and you therefore agreed to whatever you needed to. It would be easy to say you didn’t know then what you know now, so you were committing to things you weren’t prepared to honor.

Well, none of that matters because, the truth is, you can do what you said you would do and, if you really want what you say you want (improved health and a better quality of life), you must do those things you said you would.

The good news? You don’t need to do them alone. In fact, as A Post Op & A Doc always say, “No one can do this for you, but you can’t do it alone.” We all need support to sustain the Gotta Do ‘Em's. So utilize the support offered by your medical team, your program’s support group, and the people who love you and do the things you said you’d do! You’ll feel great about yourself and will get the results you were looking for as you headed into weight loss surgery.

A Post Op & A Doc have a copy of the Gotta Do ‘Em’s (and a lot more free handouts for you) at www.conniestapletonphd.com/apod and on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/apostopandadoc .

Cari DeLaCruz (The Post Op)

cari@apostopandadoc.com

www.conniestapleton.com/apod

Connie Stapleton, Ph.D. (The Doc)

connie@apostopandadoc.com

www.conniestapleton.com/apod

[Dee_1111 317]

Thank you for this article!!..I'm 4 years out and maintaining. This actually made me laugh!...cuz that's exactly what I heard before and after surgery. Eyes & Ears WIDE open. I was focused and determined. I did my research, got educated to the ways of becoming a WLS patient, Picked my surgeon, got my 5 PhD's in order. Packed my bag, and headed off down the YELLOW BRICK ROAD!!...What she's saying here people, is LISTEN to what your life is about to become! It has RULES, trials and tribulations. WLS comes with a price, it aint a free ride sista's ( and brotha's)..lol

[DLCoggin 1,788]

Love the "Gotta Do Em's"!

[Dee_1111 317]

right!!??..lolol..love this article