Boosting Happiness with your Gastric Band

Posted: Jan 21 in Weight Loss Blog by Staff

Becoming happy is a huge aspect of improving your overall quality of life. For many people, getting weight loss surgery and finally pursuing the weight loss help they’ve needed is a first step to improving happiness by focusing on their health, but to really boost your happiness your efforts will have to go beyond weight loss.

It’s true that happiness and healthiness are highly related, but they are not entirely dependent on one another. Too many people think that losing weight will improve their happiness and remove stressors from their lives, and this isn’t always the case. As you lose weight you need to take strides to boost your mental health as well as your physical health.

Improving Happiness with Weight Loss

Chances are you are familiar with your BMI, or your body mass index. Well, now it is time to talk about your BHI. This is your “Be Happy Index” as developed by Dr. Robert Holden.

There are all sorts of aspects of life that impact your BHI, including your self-confidence, relationships, career aspirations, sense of humor, spirituality and yes, your physical health. Unfortunately, improving just one of these areas can’t often improve your overall sense of happiness. To truly begin feeling happier you need to take strides to improve all of the above aspects of your life, as well as any others that are particularly meaningful to you.

Here are a few ways to start improving your happiness as you lose weight after bariatric surgery:

• Reinforce the positive. If you like your job, remind yourself how much you like your job. If you love your home, then say it out loud. If you are happily married, comment to your spouse how happy you are in your relationship. Focus on the aspects of your life that are filled with happiness. Those feelings of happiness will help boost your attitude towards parts of your life that need work.
• Make time for you. This includes carving out time for the things you love to do, like spending time with friends and family, as well as finding time that is yours and yours alone. However hectic your schedule may feel, giving yourself ten, twenty or thirty minutes of “you” time can make a huge difference.
• Go have fun. When was the last time you took off and just had fun? Try exploring some active hobbies you may have liked as a kid, as these can boost your weight loss efforts while putting a smile on your face.

What other steps have you taken to increase your happiness? Share your thoughts and experiences in a comment below.