Time Management: Be realistic and honest with yourself about how much time you have available to dedicate to preparing for bariatric surgery. You may be ready for surgery once you have made time in your daily schedule for these four basic tasks: movement (i.e. physical activity/exercise), nutrition (i.e. meal preparation and eating), sleep (adequate sleep is vital), and hydration (adequate water intake and elimination of caffeine, soda and alcohol).
Developing Healthy Coping Skills: Research shows that bariatric surgery is one of the top stressors a person can face!! Surgery WILL tap out your current coping skills and leave you searching for something more! As if that were not bad enough; many of your old ways of coping will no longer be options after surgery, such as eating, drinking alcohol/soda, nicotine use or even chewing gum!! The months leading up to surgery is the time to develop new and healthy coping skills such as physical activity, art, crafts, journaling, meditation so that you will be prepared to thrive after surgery.
Identify and Educate Support System-You are not in this alone: Find out who will be your cheerleaders and let them know how they can help you before and after surgery. Most times family members have good intentions of being supportive but don’t always know how to help. It is your job to teach them how to help you! Taking your family members to support groups and consultations is a good way to help them learn. Your Bariatric Team of providers is also available to help you before and after surgery!
Assertiveness: Patients who learn how to speak up for themselves and ask for what they need have better outcomes after surgery. Most of our bariatric patients are very good at knowing what everyone else needs and taking care of everyone else; but learning what you need and how to ask for that is a new skill for many patients!
Start to Change Your Thinking Now: Bariatric surgery requires you to shift gears mentally in order to be successful long term and get the results you want to see and feel. Your change process begins as soon as you hang up the phone after making your initial appointment! Some examples of new ways of thinking in our post op patients are: “I move because I can!”; “I eat to nourish not to cope!”; “I am worth it!”; “I can do this!”
This blog was written by Dr. Jenny Wood, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist who provide consultation/evaluations to patients of the Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center.