Plan Meals

Organizing your diet will be key in successfully keeping weight off after surgery and remaining healthy. Try coming up with weekly meal plans based on the dietary guidelines given to you by your bariatric surgery team. Planning ahead will ensure that you’re getting the correct amounts of protein and essential nutrients while also saving you the hassle of thinking up what to eat for dinner each night. Make time to cook healthy and appropriate meals for yourself and avoid the temptation to eat unhealthy foods just because you don’t have time to do better.

Make Time to Exercise

Exercise will also be an important part of your daily routine after you recover from bariatric surgery, and again, you should ask your bariatric surgeon what will be appropriate for your individual needs. Doing exercises that are beyond your means or overexerting yourself could do your body harm and cause setbacks to your weight loss progress. However, it is important to make time for exercise each and every day. Take it slow and steady—build a foundation with simple exercises and gradually increase the intensity of your workout by doing a little bit each day.

Making time for things like proper cooking and exercise can be difficult with the hectic schedules of our daily lives, but remember that your most important commitment after weight loss surgery should be to the pursuance of a healthier lifestyle. As time goes on, it can be easy to lapse into unhealthy habits. Do your best to resist these urges, and don’t hesitate to ask your bariatric surgeon about the benefits of behavioral counseling and support groups if you feel you need help.

Set Realistic Goals

Though bariatric surgery will help you lose weight quickly, this isn’t a race, and you won’t reach your desired weight overnight. It’s also important to note that rapid weight loss isn’t always good for your body—losing weight too quickly can actually result in the loss of lean body mass like muscle and bone. Ask your bariatric surgeon what kind of progress to expect and manage your expectations accordingly.

With commitment and diligence, you can live a healthier life after bariatric surgery, but you will need to take control of your life in order to achieve long-term success. If you can manage your life well, you can manage to stay healthy for the rest of it.

Medical Professionals

Research shows that continued interaction with your surgeon throughout the entire weight loss process will improve your chances of success. As your bariatric surgeon knows your individual case better than anyone else, he is the one best equipped to offer you guidance on how to proceed post-surgery, so be sure to ask his opinion on how to build a support network for your individual needs. A dietician may also be helpful in determining proper nutrition, while a psychologist may be able to help if you experience any emotional or mental difficulties pertaining to your weight loss journey.

Support Groups

One of the most positive sources of emotional support after bariatric surgery comes not from professionals, but peers. You should consider joining a weight loss support group, where you can meet, connect and communicate with those who share similar experiences to your own. Support groups will give you a great forum to discuss your journey while also helping you stay motivated to keep up your progress.

Friends and Family

Positive thinking is absolutely key in buoying your emotional state while losing weight. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you in your quest to become healthier. Support groups are a great place to find those kinds of people, but emotional support doesn’t have to come from fellow weight loss patients. Friends, family members, significant others, co-workers—all of them can be important parts of your support network, and emotional support won’t be the only kind you need. Sometimes, support can just mean getting a buddy to keep an eye on the kids while you get a quick workout in.

Ignore the Naysayers

Unfortunately, you may come across those who view your attempts at weight loss in a negative light. Though it’s important not to give up on pre-existing relationships that are valuable to you, those who criticize you for your weight, are in denial of your weight issues, or belittle the difficulties of losing weight may hurt you in your attempts to lose weight by negatively impacting your attitude.

Keep your head up and your spirits light and make sure those around you do as well. The last thing you need right now is some Negative Nancy telling you that you can’t lose the weight. You can and will if you keep your eyes on the prize, so don’t let yourself get discouraged.

When many people think of sugar, they think of bags of the white granulated powder from the grocery store used to make cookies, cakes and ice cream sweet. However, items such as sodas, juices and even unsuspecting items like peanut butter are filled with sugar. It is easy to see how sugar can sneak into your diet so easily, adding unnecessary calories and leaving many people in need of weight loss help.

Sugar Impacts your Health

High sugar intake is associated with a number of chronic health conditions, including heart disease and certain types of cancer. In fact, a recent study revealed that men who drink one 12-ounce sugar filled soda or juice drink every day are more likely to develop heart disease.

The F.D.A estimates that added 200 calories sugar consumption per day can cause the average person to gain 40 pounds in a year. While 200 calories of sugar may sound like a large amount, many soda or juice beverages have more than that in a single serving, which deeply connects sugar with the surge of obesity in the United States.

When it comes to sugar intake, the biggest trick is moderation. Sugar is all around you, and it is best to consume sugar in small quantities. Instead of adding sugar to your coffee, eating a piece of cake or having a soda, leave your sugar consumption to the fruits that you eat. This will help your body to handle the extra calories and help you to lose weight.

Try out these simple tips for cutting sugar out of your diet!

• Purchase “no sugar added” juices and jams. Fruits are filled with natural sugars that are sweet enough on their own. Skipping the extra sugar here can cut 10 grams or more per serving without sacrificing the taste!
• Cook at home more often instead of stopping for take-out. When you cook from home you control the ingredients going into your food, which makes it easier for you to cut down on sugar intake. You may be surprised to learn that many fast-food restaurants add sugar to their breads or French fries.
• Drinking more water can help you to cut down on sugar intake because if you are drinking water, chances are you are not drinking soda, iced tea or sugary juices. If you aren’t up for having a plain glass of water, try sticking a slice of lemon or lime in your beverage for a bit of flavor.

As you are trying to lose weight it is crucial to cut time out for yourself. Weight loss help is available for you to overcome your battle with obesity, but first you have to make time for yourself. The interesting thing is, many people are able to find the time for their health and wellbeing without dropping much from the to-do list. Being busy or not is all about how you perceive your schedule.

Here are a few tips to help you make the mental switch away from business!

• Stop watching the clock. The more that you focus on how much time you are spending on a task, the longer it will take you to get that task done. Instead of thinking about time and what else you have to do when you are finished, put all of your mental energy into getting the task at hand complete. Whether you are running errands, doing laundry or tackling paperwork at the office, do what you are doing now and save the rest for later.
• Take a walk. Breaking away from your schedule to fit in small burst of exercise can help weight loss, and it can also help fuel your mind to power through your day. Constantly moving from one task to another is hard to do. By taking twenty minutes to go for a brief mile-long walk at lunch you can clear your mind and accomplish more later on in the day.
• Change your rhetoric. Stop telling people how busy you are. Constantly repeating the word busy can actually make you feel busier than you actually are. You may be surprised how much you do have time for just by telling people you are not busy after all.
• Take a deep breath. If you are feeling overwhelmed then powering through your day is only going to make the feeling worse. Take a step away from what you are doing and take a deep breath, then remind yourself of what it is you are trying to accomplish. Putting things into perspective when your day becomes stressful can help you to remain calm as you complete the task at hand.

• Papaya. Similar to the apple, this fruit visually resembles the pear but is packed with fiber, which aids in digestion and weight loss. Papaya is a great addition to a tasty salad, especially when paired with cucumber, lime juice and chili powder.
• Kiwi. Kiwis are a popular addition to many juices due to their sweet yet tart flavor. Many people do not realize that kiwis are in fact loaded with potassium and are among the top five most nutrient-dense fruits!
• Plantain. Visually similar to the banana, the plantain is tasty both baked and sautéed as a side dish to accompany spicy dishes.
• Guava. The guava fruit is actually similar to the watermelon and is rich in lycopene, which is a red pigment linked to a reduced risk for heart disease and cancer. Guava is tasty on its own but is also great in a smoothie.
• Star fruit. The fun appearance of the star fruit makes it a great way to get kids to eat more fruit, in addition to adults who are kids at heart. This fruit is slightly acidic but also sweet and is loaded with vitamin C which makes it a great alternative to the traditional orange slices.

You may have heard all sorts of rumors about an “apple a day,” but there is no reason to be so confined in your fruit choices! The South Florida sun provides Naples, Ft. Myers and other areas of the Gulf Coast with a huge variety of tasty fruits that other parts of the country could only dream of. Check out a local farmers market if your grocery store doesn’t have a wide selection of produce. These fun alternatives can pack a lot of flavorful variety to your daily snack!

Sound gross? You bet it does. But the idea of pink slime could give you some weight loss help by encouraging you to avoid foods that might be packed full of the nasty stuff. A great deal of America’s processed beef contains the additive, including fast food restaurants and many school lunches, so now you have one more reason to avoid eating fast food cheeseburgers.

However, protein is an important part of your diet, and red meat is rich in it. Though most experts agree that eating excess red meat can have negative health effects, small portions can still be a beneficial part of your diet. Finding less processed beef options can keep beef in your diet without forcing you to think about what potentially unscrupulous things are being put into it.

Fortunately, despite desperate claims of “Dude, it’s beef!” from red meat proponents, efforts to call it the much less awful, slime-free epithet “lean finely textured beef,” and claims that the additive actually produces a healthier product, many stores have stopped carrying meat processed with pink slime, forcing many beef processing plants that deal with pink slime to close. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take a closer look at the packaging of the beef products you buy. Though the furor over pink slime has caused many to discontinue selling it, buying organic or local beef may be the most certain way to keep beef in your diet while keeping slime out.

List your values – Write down activities you value such as exercising, volunteering and spending time with friends. After one week, take note of how much time you actually spend acting on those activities. If you’re spending the majority of your day thinking about your body issues rather than working on your values, it may be time for a change. Knowing this will help you focus on the most important things you value.

Acknowledge Star Qualities – There is nothing more important than the attributes that make you shine, not even your weight. Take some time to write down all of the things you love about yourself, whether it’s your smile, eyes or kindness and post it somewhere you will see it every day. Reminding yourself of your star qualities can really boost your confidence.

Set new goals – Many people trying to lose weight spend too much time focusing on goals such as the reaching the perfect weight or perfect pant size. Try focusing on new healthy goals instead—make breakfast a priority, try new fruits and vegetables and reduce your sugar intake for each day.

Balance your exercise – Exercise is an essential part of disease prevention as it helps to ward off diabetes, heart disease and other health-related issues. A healthy exercise routine includes a little bit of strength training, cardio and some balancing work for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. However, don’t bore yourself with your routine—have fun with your workouts by trying new things. Try taking a belly dancing class or joining a cycling club, little changes can help keep you inspired and feel better about yourself.

Have a social circle make over – If you are part of a social circle that condones complaining about how overweight you are—stop. Break this bad habit by surrounding yourself with positive friends who share similar goals and passions with you. The more time you spend with people who share your interests, the more satisfied you will become with yourself.

When you’re trying to lose weight it is important to maintain a positive attitude at all times. Making sure you don’t let misperceptions concerning your body get to you will help keep your mind clear and focused on the bigger picture. Learning to love your body and let go of body-image issues can lead to big payoffs for your body. Losing weight can be more difficult for those who are already overweight or obese so it’s important to speak with your weight loss doctor so you have a better idea of how to achieve your weight loss goals.

Dried Fruit – Traditional dried fruits with no-added sugars such as raisins can be a healthy snack, but watch out for other options that contain added sugars. Certain types of dried fruits contain at least 40 percent added sugar, and one-third cup has the same amount of added sugar as an 8-ounce serving of regular soda. This could amount to an added 66 empty calories per day. Instead of reaching for sugary treats like dried cranberries, reach for an old fashion box of raisins. Raisins are an all-natural dried fruit with fiber, potassium and antioxidants and no added sugar.

Salad Dressing – Some people think olive oil and vinegar is a healthy replacement for salad dressings, but certain types of Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil have 17 grams of added sugar. Be wary of any food item that has the word “sweet” in the title!

Yogurt – Yogurt is always a great option for a healthy snack but be aware of the hidden sugar in some brands. Certain flavors of yogurt are hiding up to 29 grams of total sugar per 6-ounce container!

It is important when making trips to the grocery store to always check the nutrition labels on the products you buy—even if they are labeled as healthy foods. The added sugar from some healthy foods could lead to weight gain along with many other health issues. Knowing exactly what you’re getting when you purchase healthy products can help you maintain long-term weight loss. On your next trip to the store, keep these examples in mind to help you remember to always read the nutrition labels.

According to the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the answer is yes. Though the idea of food addiction is controversial and rejected by some addiction experts, thinking about overeating in terms of drug addiction could be a useful mental tool for weight loss. Help for overeating in the future may come in the form of medications targeting the areas of the brain that control temptation, and the similarities between food and drug addiction could help develop treatments for sufferers of both.

For most of us, there’s a very clear line between eating too much and taking mind-altering substances. Alcohol and most drugs are viewed as addictive and dangerous while even junk food, though obviously unhealthy, is rarely vilified in such a way.

Yet experts make the case that drug addiction and food addiction are very similar animals. They compare the number of overweight Americans—a full two-thirds of the population, with 34% of adults over 20 being classified as obese—to the number of crack and heroin users who become addicted, a mere 20 percent. Given these startling figures and the numerous dangers of living with obesity, it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine food as habit-forming, dangerously inviting stuff.

Of course, given that food is something every human needs to survive, it could be said that all of us are food addicts. But think of that pie in your fridge that calls to you even when you’re full, the leftover Easter candy that begs you to eat just one more piece. Though it may seem a bit silly to compare these mundane enticements to those of a junkie in withdrawal, food, especially the food that is worst for us, frequently tempts us to ignore our better judgment.

The glycemic index ranks foods on the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating—so foods with a high index are otherwise rapidly digested and result in high variations in blood sugar levels. It is important to eat breakfast foods with a low index because they also increase feelings of fullness and help you to not overeat throughout the day. These types of foods are considered healthier because they produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin—this is especially true for people with diabetes.

Eating breakfast in general is very important for your health; breakfast is after all the most important meal of the day. About 30 percent of people skip breakfast one to three times per week. Unfortunately, it’s challenging for food manufactures to produce foods with a low glycemic index that are also savory, filling and affordable. This challenge is well worth the hard work considering an estimated 16 percent of the global population will have a blood sugar problem by 2030. Instead of food being the reason for the United States prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes—let’s make it the solution. Take note of the following low and non-glycemic foods that promote longer feelings of hunger:

• Oats
• Whole Grains
• Nuts and Seeds
• Sweet potatoes
• Flax seed
• Yam flour
• Vegetable flours

On your next trip to the grocery store keep these low and non-glycemic foods in mind. Whether incorporating them into breakfast or any other meal of the day, these foods will help control blood sugar levels and keep you full for longer periods of time. If you are trying to lose weight, switching out typical breakfast cereals and other options for these healthier choices can help promote the long term weight loss you’re looking to achieve.