It's time to start preparing for weight loss surgery. But let's not sugarcoat it, this isn't just a quick fix, it's a commitment to a new lifestyle.
Think of it like a buffet; the surgery is just the appetizer, but the main course is the diet and lifestyle changes that come with it.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because you're getting surgery, the weight will just fall off like magic. "If I can just take it off, I'll keep it off" is not a strategy, it's a fantasy.
A better strategy is to start preparing for weight loss surgery 3-6 months before the procedure.
Why 3-6 months? Because lifestyle changes take time, and let's face it, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a new body.
Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery:
How to Prep For Bariatric Surgery Part 1: Start Making Lifestyle Changes
How to Prep For Bariatric Surgery Part 2: MORE Lifestyle Changes
Setting Realistic Expectations
Why Lose Weight Before Surgery
Pre Op Diet Part 1: The "WHATs" and "WHYs"
PreOp Diet Part 2: Nitty Gritty Details of What to Eat and Drink
Lowdown on the Liver Diet Before Surgery
Should You Have a "Food Funeral?"
2 Week Pre Op Diet: How to Follow an ALL Liquid Diet Before Surgery
Pre Op Diet: How to Follow a Mostly Liquid Diet Before Surgery
Top Tips to Surviving the PreOp Liver Shrinking Diet
Preparing for Bariatric Surgery Mentally, Part 1: How Will You Stay MOTIVATED Long Term?
Preparing for Bariatric Surgery Mentally, Part 2: TOP 5 Ways to Stay ACCOUNTABLE Long Term
Stock up on the Clear Liquids and Pureed Foods You'll Eat After Surgery
Having surgery is not a “one and done” deal.
Start diet and lifestyle changes 3-6 months before surgery to increase your chances of success.
Start incorporating these "Great 8" lifestyle changes. Bonus: As you start to line up these habits, you'll start to see the numbers on the scale go down.
Weight loss is an outcome that always follows consistent healthy habits. Small changes lead to big results!
Remember a time when you “didn’t plan to eat the cookies”…but they were in the house and in a moment of weakness you found yourself plowing through the whole box?
You eat what’s around. Period. So no more cookies calling your name. It's time to purge the pantry and stock up on some bariatric friendly grub.
Make a "safe" house:
And don't worry, you don't have to sacrifice your loved ones favorite snacks - just store them in a cabinet you can't reach or in the fridge's bottom drawer where you can't see them.
Trust me, it's better than relying on inconsistent willpower. Willpower suggests there’s “won’t power.” A person trying to quit smoking or drinking doesn’t keep cigarettes or alcohol in the house!
Now let's talk about eating. It's time to set up a regular pattern:
Plan to eat within the first hour of waking up and then every 3 hours thereafter. Like this:
If you wakeup at 6am-
We're talking about preparing for weight loss surgery here, but you should know that whether you have surgery or not, eating small frequent meals and snacks like this will always:
Yes seriously. Seem like you''d pay a little better attention, doesn't it?
HOW you eat matters as much as what you eat. Don't just eat, eat mindfully. Eat intentionally and with awareness.
No multitasking allowed. When you eat, eat. When you watch tv, watch tv. When you drive, drive…
…You get the idea!
Make eating a primary activity when you do it. Sure, a tv can be on in the background, but if you’re paying more attention to the tv than your food, you’re at risk of eating mindlessly and overeating.
In other words…
…Uni-task when you eat.
Grocery shop like your life depends on it (because let's be real, it kind of does).
You can’t eat what you don’t have. Make sure you're never caught without the right foods on hand by scheduling a regular grocery shopping day each week.
Your ability to make a good decision about what to eat at any given moment has everything to do with how hungry you are AND what foods are around:
Schedule a regular, planned grocery shopping day each week to stock up on the right foods. Do it on the same day and time each week.
Schedule it on your calendar like it’s an important appointment. Because it is!
Continue to Lifestyle Changes #5-8----------------------------------->here