Your resolution after bariatric surgery for 2014: do what makes you happy
It is hard not to feel down in January in Connecticut. The weather has hit record lows with wind chills that make even the most devoted outdoorsmen into hermits. This leads you to watch way too much television and what do you keep hearing: That apparently you have been exercising the wrong way; the only food that is good for you tastes like cardboard; and that you need a stylist, a personal trainer, not to mention a nanny, personal chef, housekeeper and personal assistant to pull off the latest celebrity look. Whew! No wonder this is a rough time of year.
Ok, we can be a bit hard on you, too. We keep forcing the healthy lifestyle on you: Exercise daily! Did you remember to take bariatric multivitamins?! Sleep 8 hours a night! Make sure you take the right calcium supplement! Have you tried meditation? Make sure that you get 75 grams of protein every day! Gee, looking at it this way, it does sound a bit harsh. A healthy lifestyle after weight loss surgery is so important. It is the key to losing the target weight, reaching health goals and maintaining weight loss after Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, Lap-Band, and Revisional Procedures. But can you adhere to a healthy lifestyle without feeling miserable? Yes you can! By doing it in a way it makes you happy.
Implementing the happiness factor into a healthy lifestyle
Exercise – yes, you still have to do it. The way to exercise without misery is to do something you love. Take advantage of the winter weather and go snow shoeing, sledding, ice skating or skiing. Get together with friends and dance the night away, enroll in a tap dancing class or try dancing in a pool by joining an aqua Zumba class. Need a way to physically let go? Try boxing, karate or fencing. Offer to walk an elderly neighbor’s dog for extra happy points. If your exercise routine is getting you down, keep trying new things until you find one that you look forward to each day.
Nutrition – notice that the word is not “diet”. It is about nourishing your body with healthy, great tasting foods. Since post-bariatric surgery portions are greatly diminished and thus cost is no longer an issue, there is no reason not to have the very best. So see if you can find foods that you may not have had in a while or have never tried before. We eat with our eyes first. Set a beautiful table every day. Plate the food in an appealing way. Sit down and enjoy your meal. Who says that food should not make you happy?
Me time – So you don’t have a housekeeper, a nanny and a personal assistant? How can you have “me time” with your schedule? Time is our most valued resource. It is at the core of what makes us happy and also essential to a balanced, healthy lifestyle. It is hard to find hours in the day to do the things you want to do, no matter if you work full time or are a stay at home mom. If you forgo social media and television in the evening, you suddenly will find lots of time to paint, read a great book, make a puzzle (yes, they still exist), or play cards with friends. If you can find 10 minutes, you can meditate or work on a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. Can’t find any time? Well, you can always lock yourself in the bathroom and sing in the shower. No matter what you do, try to take a little time each day to get out of the rat race and smell the roses (although to actually smell the roses, you’ll have to wait a few more months).
To get lots of support and meet others who have had bariatric surgery, please register for one of the free monthly OnTrack Workshops, call us at (203) 735-7421, or sign up for a free support group. We look forward to seeing you there!
Get A Quick Response
Need help registering for support groups, monthly workshops or bariatric seminars? Unsure of the process or how to begin? We take pride in offering concierge style guidance for all current and potential patients.