Weight loss surgery is a life-changing surgery, in more ways than one. It helps you to reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and a host of other complications of obesity. On the other side, these changes occur because of new lifestyle choices you need to make. Before heading off to the doctor, make sure you are completely ready for surgery by looking for the following signs.
You Are Ready to Make the Commitment
This is by far the number of way to tell if you are ready for weight loss surgery. Just about every facet of your life is affected in a number of ways by weight loss surgery. It changes your social life, all of your eating habits, your fitness habits, what foods you can and can’t eat, and maybe even some of your relationships or friendships. Most changes are for the better, though they can be a hard transition at first. Be sure you are fully prepared for the commitment to your surgery and long-term weight loss; otherwise you are not quite ready to go through with the surgery.
Becoming a Healthier Person
Another way to tell if you are ready for weight loss surgery is having signs that you are already showing signs of being a healthier person. Before surgery, you are advised to follow a healthy lifestyle, such as dieting and exercise, because this will be expected of you after surgery. It provides a smoother transition into the limited sources of nutrition you will be facing after the procedure is complete. If you have stuck with these healthy changes, then it’s a great sign.
Dealing with Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes overall are also going to be different, so you also need to be prepared for these. Some are small things, such as no longer eating the breakfast you have enjoyed for the last 10 years. Other things might be a bigger deal, such as entering the dating life and discovering your limitations as far as dates and socializing where food and drinks are available.
Taking Good Care of Yourself
If you are already taking good care of yourself by eating right, taking vitamins and focusing on your physical and emotional health, it is a sign of being ready for weight loss surgery. After surgery, there is a recovery time of several weeks. During this time, it is up to you to take care of yourself, with some help. Before surgery begins, you can usually figure out if you are in a good place to take care of your own health and recovery.
Having Healthy Expectations
This is likely not the first time you have gotten advice to have normal expectations of what your results will be. It is important to have healthy expectations from surgery, where you are focusing more on health and not a number on the scale. The object is to get healthy through weight loss, so remember it could happen rapidly or more gradually, depending on the procedure you get and your own body.
If you are showing all of these signs, it is a good indication that you are ready physically and mentally for weight loss surgery. Discuss the challenges and goals with your doctor before having the procedure.