Weight loss surgery is a huge decision for anyone. Far from being the “magic pill” of weight loss, any weight loss procedure is still a surgery and should only be entered into with a full understanding of what the patient is undertaking. Weight loss surgery procedures reduce the capacity of the stomach – thus decreasing the amount of food that we are able to eat. As as result, we lose weight. Long term, successful weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight is the result of committing to a new lifestyle of healthy eating of appropriate proportions and exercising regularly. Without this commitment, weight loss surgery will deliver a patient only so far.
For this reason, support is crucial following weight loss surgery. Which is why your weight loss surgeon will likely suggest that you join a support group for those who are considering or have undergone weight loss surgery. The type of support received in these groups can be priceless. You have access to people who represent the full spectrum of experiences and that are all at different places in their journey. So regardless of what you’re going through, chances are that there is someone who has gone – or is going through – the same experience. Support groups have proven invaluable for a great many people who are going through the weight loss surgery experience.
Helping others is another way in which we are able to stay connected to the weight loss community and also help ourselves in the process. So for those who have moved a bit further away from their weight loss surgery experience, they may feel that they need less time with their support group. But it’s important to remember that your presence in the group may be needed to help others so this may be time for you to stay invested in the group to offer guidance and support to people who so desperately need it.
Support is important through any experience and weight loss surgery is no exception. By putting yourself out there to be a resource for others who are in need of support, you go a long way towards aiding in your own recovery and building a foundation for long-term health.
Nicholson Clinic for Weight Loss Surgery 