With an obesity epidemic raging throughout the UK, it should come as no surprise that around 3.6 million people in England alone were eligible for weight loss surgery as recently as 2017/18.
So, even though the number of Brits that actually had such surgery is much lower, there’s clearly a growing issue in terms of eating to excess and the failure to create a fit and healthy lifestyle.
However, surgery is just one tool in the battle to drive weight loss, and this must be followed up by a number of important and sustained lifestyle changes. We’ll discuss these changes in further detail below.
1. Maintaining a Healthy Diet
Regardless of whether you pursue gastric sleeve surgery or have an intra-gastric balloon inserted into your body, one of the most important considerations post-surgery is your diet.
Not only will you have to focus on maintaining a balanced or healthy diet, but it’s important to note that any type of gastric surgery will fundamentally change the way in which your stomach works.
You’ll most likely be able to consume less in a single sitting, for example, while you’ll need to ensure that you create more colourful dishes packed full of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats.
You may also find yourself naturally gravitating towards home cooking, as this enables you to naturally reduce your fat, salt and sugar content without necessarily compromising on the foods that you eat!
2. Become More Active
Your healthy diet must also be augmented by concerted physical activity, in order to maintain fitness, boost stamina and burn any extra calories that are consumed on a daily basis.
Remember, most gastric surgeries cause you to lose a large amount of body fat, and subsequent exercise can help to convert this into muscle.
With this in mind, the best post-surgery exercises include weight lifting, body weight maneuvers and resistance training, which can each help to build muscle and increase your resting metabolic rate.
3. Creating a New and Health Focused Mindset
Make no mistake; the cultivation of a healthy diet and physical fitness regime requires a particular mindset, and one that remains focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and body weight.
In most cases, this mindset probably won’t have been present prior to surgery, and developing this type of outlook can be challenging when also dealing with the immediate physical impact of weight loss surgery.
This is especially true when you consider the ups-and-downs associated with weight loss, as you’re bound to experience significant setbacks and a positive mindset will help you to maintain your motivation.
There are plenty of motivational tools and apps to help you in this regard, but the most important thing is to be aware of the mental challenges and account for them accordingly.
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