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Author admin Categories Bariatrics, Diet, Emotional Eating, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery, WLS Posted on

Relationship Issues after Weight Loss Surgery

Relationship Issues after Weight Loss Surgery?

Experiencing Relationship Issues after Weight Loss Surgery are many and varied. They have all the elements of being good, bad and ugly. And it’s all your fault. You decided to change. You being “fat” makes others feel comfortable and safe.

Bariatric weight loss surgery is associated with improved confidence and self-esteem and psychological changes in general. It’s a great “side-effect” of weight loss and one that we all want.

What is hard to fathom is other peoples’ reactions to our weight loss after surgery. Family and friends who you thought were 100% on your team may begin to show signs of jealousy and indifference to your achievements. You may even be met with remarks such as “you took the easy way out” or “you will just put the weight back on anyway”. These comments by people we love and who are supposed to love us cut straight through to the heart.

Weight Loss Surgery is no easy way out. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve the desired weight loss and to maintain it.  The last thing you should have to deal with is other people not coping with you changing.

 

Herein lies the issue. You being the “fat” one in a group or family allows others to feel more confident with their body and life. Seemingly, they have no competition from you. You are no threat until you have lost enough weight. Then someone else in the family or group of friends now becomes the “fat” one. Resentment can set in from the newly crowned “fatty” of the group which will often find them trying to sabotage your success. Jealousy from others is a human emotion that you may find yourself having to deal with after losing significant amounts of weight.

If you remain the “fat” identity in the group or family relationships will generally be stable.

They won’t be what you want necessarily but you accommodate it because as someone who is obese you may feel your friendship options are limited. And unfortunately, this is often the case. Fat shaming happens in all areas of life. Its ramifications are underestimated.

Weight affects the way people see you and treat you. Weight loss affects the way people treat you and respond to you.

Bariatric Divorce figures vary depending on the research module you look at. Suffice to say however, that the divorce rate following bariatric weight loss surgery is high. With physical and psychological improvements, comes increased confidence and self-esteem. Clients find they no longer need unhealthy relationships, and many choose to end those relationships.

 

 

In this article I won’t be dissecting the myriad of relationship issues that can and do occur for the Bariatric patient, but it is something that is addressed in depth when I work with Bariatric Weight Loss Clients pre and post-surgery.

Let’s also not forget those acquaintances who have had surgery the same day/week/month etc. that you have. It could be in a group you belong to. Yes, unfortunately this is another area where we see fellow Bariatric patients becoming jealous because someone else is losing quicker or losing more. Everyone loses at different rate for numerous and obvious reasons. Comparing your weight loss journey with another can make you feel like a failure if the rate of loss is not the same. DON’T do this to yourself. Just don’t do it. Focus on your journey knowing that your body and mind will lose weight at a rate that is perfect for you.

Relationships will change after you have surgery. Some will excel and others you will find dissipate.

It is not a reflection of you or the surgery. These relationships quite often were unhealthy and the power within them one sided long before you decided to have surgery.

 

If you would like more information on our programs or how we can help you through this life changing journey, please visit our website at www.savvybariatrics.com

Stay Savvy

 

Importance Of Supplements
Author admin Categories Bariatrics, Diet, Emotional Eating, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Surgery, WLS Posted on

The Importance of Supplements Post Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery

The Importance of Supplements Post Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery.

It’s easy to forget The Importance of Supplements post Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery.  However, they are essential for your optimal health and wellbeing. You will quickly feel the effects of not taking your supplements or indeed not receiving adequate dosage.  A simple blood test requested by your GP or Dietitian will allow them to recommend which supplements you need, and levels required.

Missing a day here and there is ok, we all do it.  But it really is imperative that you stick to a committed daily routine of taking your supplements.  Keeping a diary on your kitchen bench and ticking it off each day will alleviate any amnesia on your part.

Remember this is a lifelong regime required for ongoing health of your body and mind.

In this Series we will take a quick look at each of the Essential Vitamins & Minerals required after Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery.

 

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a powerhouse. It helps make DNA, nerve and blood cells, and is crucial for a healthy brain and immune system.

A Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common deficiency among people who have undergone bariatric surgery. While about 5% of patients have this deficiency prior to surgery, about 13% have it once surgery is complete. The B12 deficiency tends to occur due to the inadequate digestion of vitamin B12.

B12 plays a vital role in nervous system functioning and the growth and replication of cells. Potential complications from having a deficiency in vitamin B12 include:

 

                      • Heart palpitations
                      • Shortness of breath
                      • Light-headedness
                      • Pale skin
                      • Loss of appetite
                      • Diarrhea
                      • Vision loss
                      • Memory loss
                      • Depression

Bariatric patients are more likely to develop a vitamin B12 deficiency than other people because their digestive tracts have been changed.

This causes an interference with the natural absorption of B12. In adults who have not undergone bariatric surgery, the body uses stomach acid to break down vitamin B12, which lets it get absorbed into the body.

 

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There are several ways to take your supplements.  My personal preference is via Sublingual methods, e.g.: Sprays, Dissolvable/Chewable tablets under the tongue, Liquids, Drops or powders.  B12 injections are also very effective way of administering this vital supplement. Most vitamin and minerals tablets you get from the pharmacies are full of fillers and actually don’t dissolve that well for people who haven’t had Bariatric Surgery.  Those of you who may have had Lap Band surgery will have found that tablets will have become stuck and caused many problems.

Sublingual ingestion, in my opinion. is the only viable way for Bariatric Surgery recipients to get the recommended requirements of Vitamins & Minerals necessary for optimal long-lasting health.

 

It is very important to understand the importance of Supplements post bariatric weight loss surgery due to the malabsorption issues created by the change in the gut microbiome.

Stay Savvy

www.savvybariatrics.com

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Weight Loss Surgery - Weight loss Hypnotherapy Melbourne
Author admin Categories Bariatrics, Diet, Emotional Eating, Health, Weight Loss, WLS Posted on

Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau after Weight Loss Surgery

Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau after Weight Loss Surgery

A Weight Loss Plateau after Weight Loss Surgery can be a huge knock to one’s confidence and self-esteem. It can happen at 3 or 6 months but mostly it appears somewhere around the 18-24 month mark. Tips to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau after Weight Loss Surgery are a very important tool.

The important thing is to not get too frustrated. Plateaus are a normal part of weight loss and weight loss management after surgery. A plateau occurs for a few reasons most of which can be overcome. One reason is that the body’s metabolism adapts as you begin to eat less, so as you reduce your food intake your metabolism slows down and you burn less fat. Your body is adjusting to a lower caloric level and requires less fuel than previously.

Plateaus happen. Even after weight loss surgery. They are temporary and generally easy to overcome.

Here are a few ways in which a plateau can be overcome and weight loss “kick-started” again.

Healthy living program Melbourne

 

Change your eating routine

Your metabolism reacts to the way you eat as well as what you eat. While it is a good thing to eat regular meals (but smaller portions) your metabolism becomes used to the regularity of your eating so change your routine for a day or two. Eat at different times than usual and vary the type of food you eat.

Don’t Avoid Carbs

Don’t avoid carbs completely Eating too few carbohydrates can actually cause weight to stay the same or increase since carbohydrates control leptin, which helps keep your metabolism running at full speed for optimum weight loss results.

Drink more water

Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Every time you feel the urge to snack, drink a glass of water first and see if the urge goes away. Coffee, tea, or any other juices count as liquids, but add an extra glass of pure water for each cup of coffee you drink, as caffeine tends to dehydrate the body.

Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will keep the weight loss going by speeding up metabolism, increasing weight loss from fiber in food, and reducing calorie intake from beverages that have no nutritional value.

reducing calories - savvy bariatrics

Keep Exercising

If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau, don’t skip your workouts. Exercising will help you burn off the excess weight that’s sapping your weight loss progress. Maintain weight loss by remaining active and eating less – not exercising more.

Check here a Weight Loss Program for Everyone.

Track what you Eat

If the weight isn’t coming off like it used to, track what you’re eating. It’s possible that you may be taking in too many calories to continue weight loss. Food Amnesia is a major reason we see plateaus and regain. Keeping a food diary for 3-4 weeks will help you see any patterns with your food intake that may be a contributing factor.

Get Quality Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep can help prevent weight gain that may occur with weight loss plateaus. Sleep deprivation often leads to weight gain due to hormonal changes, increased appetite, cravings for junk food, and weight retention. If you aren’t getting the full seven to eight hours of sleep your body requires, try to get at least five hours of sleep every night.

Stay motivated

Remember why you had Weight Loss Surgery and the outcome you desire. View a plateau as a hiccup on your journey to managing your weight for a healthier life. However, if you are having trouble coping, please talk to your health professional or surgeon.

Break it Down

Keep weight loss goals small. Oftentimes we get overwhelmed by the amount of weight we need or want to lose. Chunk it down into 5kg/10lb goals. Take the overwhelm out of your weight loss journey. Weight loss plateaus are common when people become frustrated from not seeing weight loss results fast enough.

Weight Loss Plateaus after Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery are NORMAL. Don’t get disheartened! Stay motivated and you will get over the hump. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Hang in there! Stay on the program and you will achieve your goal and lose the weight you desire.

For more information please go to our website www.savvybariatrics.com.

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Author admin Categories Bariatrics, Weight Loss Posted on

Mindset Change – Key to Weight Loss Success

Mindset Change – Key to Weight Loss Success.  For too long now we have ignored the power of our brain in the weight loss equation.  Our brain drives our behaviours, habits, feelings and emotions.  

In order for Weight Loss Success to occur you must have a Mindset Change. When we are stressed, bored etc our brain seeks pleasure, comfort and familiarity.  This makes us feel safe, comfortable. It’s the power of the Brain not the power of the Will that is the key to regaining a healthy weight and maintaining it easily. We are all too aware that diets don’t work due to the restrictive nature and the internal battle that therefore ensues.

 

Mindset Change - Key to Weight Loss Success

 

Anyone can do a 12 week program and lose weight.  But what happens when its finished.

Generally, the weight will creep back on and before you know it you are back where you started and maybe even a little heavier.  Not great for your self esteem and confidence is it?   But what if you retrained your brain, your mindset about food whilst you undertook a program to achieve a healthy weight?

There is no good or bad food.  There is just food.  You know what to eat to be healthy and maintain a comfortable weight.  Yet when there is the slightest hint of stress we feel this uncontrollable urge to eat those sugary, sweet comfort foods.  Then we feel comfort and pleasure which is short lived and of course, you have to feed the urge again to get your hit.

 

Mindset Change - Key to Weight Loss Success

 

When we experience pleasure, our body gets a rush of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, the pleasure hormones.

These hormones then attach to receptors in the brain reducing the effect of stress hormones.   Consumption of sugar changes the brain which in turn leads to the cycle of needing/craving more.    In order to get that same experience of pleasure.  So you feel hopeless and helpless, addicted to food and it all gets just so overwhelming.

Awareness of how the Amygdala brain initiates your impulses and behaviours is imperative to being able to control these triggers.  Learn how to manage these impulses and have permanent mindset changes that lead to permanent weight loss that is maintained.  Remember Mindset Change is Key to Weight Loss Success.

 

And you can do it all without dieting while controlling portion sizes and eliminating emotional eating.

For more information please visit https://www.savvybariatrics.com/service/emotional-eating

If you would like help achieving your weight loss goals head over to our website for more details.

www.savvybariatrics.com

www.savvybariatrics.com

Author admin Categories Bariatrics, Health, Weight Loss Posted on

BMI – Don’t let it Define You.

BMI – Don’t let it Define You.

 

Sam walked into my office and before he even sat down, blurted out that he was too fat to get insurance.  What? Like, What??  Sam was by appearances NOT overweight at all.  He was tall sculptured and looked vibrantly healthy.

 

Visibly concerned and upset. Sam was told that his BMI was too high.  He was very overweight bordering on obese and should do something about it if he wanted to get insurance coverage.   Still in absolute disbelief, I really wanted to swear at this stage, and I wanted to swear a LOT.  I knew where he was going.  It’s that damn BMI calculation again.   BMI don’t let it define you.

Without going into the semantics of the BMI calculator it was created some 200 years by Belgian Academic called Quetelet. Being flawed it is outdated and still unfortunately used by medical professions, insurance companies and governments.  I believe there was some form of update in America around 1985 but whichever way you cut it, BMI does not actually measure how fat you are. There is no differentiation between muscle, bone or distribution of fat throughout the body. Muscle as we know is very much denser than fat.

Hence this is the reason athletes, body builders, football players and boxers to name a few, may end up with a BMI reading that allocates them into the overweight and obese category.  This in itself shows the inaccuracy of BMI, yet we continue to be defined by it.

 

BMI – Don’t let it Define You.

 

As I listened to Sam unleash with vitriol that a flawed and outdated chart had in some way sealed his fate, I couldn’t help wonder if the physician actually looked at him at all.  Clearly, he is not overweight, he works out, he has muscles and a lot of them, but not overweight.  He questioned the result, he questioned they physician for his opinion of whether He thought he was overweight or not. – the answer was – This is the range you are in given the factors that determine your BMI from the Chart.  Where do you go from there? Sam asked.

Lucy recited how her walk of shame through the waiting room. The guilt the physician made her feel was a defining moment for her.  But could quite easily have destroyed her.

Lucy, who had lost some 23kg was told in no uncertain terms that she must be doing something wrong because her BMI has not reduced.  When she questioned the result, she was dismissed.  She was right to question the result it’s definitely wrong if it hasn’t changed after a 23kg loss.  I see clients getting a BMI reading and becoming obsessive about it because they are confused and overwhelmed.

 

BMI – Don’t let it Define You.

 

While Shaming people with a high BMI may not necessarily be the intention it certainly is the outcome for a large number of those who find themselves overweight or obese.  With an already fragile body image, shaming intentional or otherwise, actually has the opposite effect and can send some into a deeper state of overwhelm than they were before their BMI result.  Unfortunately, this is not uncommon.

Far more accurate means to measure fat, muscle and bone are available to us now.  It should be used instead of too much emphasis being placed on the BMI result.

Some fat is ok but too much fat in the wrong places is definitely a health risk.  Researchers note that the best measure for excess body fat involves the circumference of your waist.

BMI is also used as a  marker for those wanting or needing Weight Loss Surgery.  A lot of emphasis is placed on BMI in this instance by Surgeons.  Initially one needed a high BMI to qualify for Weight Loss Surgery.  Over the years the parameters have shifted with a lowering of BMI qualifiers allowing more people to participate in these programs.

Excess body fat around the middle has been linked to serious health issues including diabetes, stroke, certain cancers and heart disease.

 

BMI – Don’t let it Define You.

 

If you really want to know your body composition find a gym or health practitioner that has modern equipment giving you a detailed map of your body and body fat.   There are also mobile practitioners who will come to you with their equipment and perform the assessment in the privacy of your home or office.  No Shame, No Guilt, No Judgement.

My personal advice to Clients and others is to ditch the BMI.  Focus on what you can do to reduce your weight and regain health.   Seek out help from someone who gets you.  Someone who will guide and support you.

We clearly know if we are overweight or obese, its generally obvious.  Understanding and solution  would go a long way to encouraging weight loss and dealing with our obesity health crisis. Numbers from outdated charts are no longer relevant.

If you find yourself needing help with specific weight issues or want a free 30 minute strategy call please contact us at www.savvybariatrics.com.

www.savvybariatrics.com

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