If you’re considering bariatric surgery, or are about to start your journey towards a healthier lifestyle, gathering as much information as possible along with seeking on-going support are very important. Thankfully in 2020, we have access to the latest medical techniques to tackle obesity, such as medications to aid weight loss or bariatric surgery. We are also fortunate to have access to a vast amount of online resources, making support with implementing significant changes to lifestyle and diet readily available, whatever time of the day or night.
Most people have a social media account, such as Facebook or Twitter. There are a number of blogs, written or video blogs, of those who are on the same journey. There are also plenty of medical resources to be found online that can provide sound advice to help you make good decisions. Today’s blog is going to give you an idea of some of those resources you may want to look into if you’ve had or are considering bariatric surgery.
Upper GI Surgery Bariatric Surgery Resources
We’ll start with our own resources; over the past few years we have ensured that our website is a source of information for patients and medical professionals alike.
Website – on our website you will find Information Booklets about each bariatric surgery option, which provides detailed information that was written by our lead surgeon A/Prof Michael Talbot. You can also watch videos of our bariatric specialists explaining different surgery options.
Blog – we regularly update our blog with useful articles containing advice on diet and exercise, interesting topics such as changes to medical insurance or the National Obesity Strategy, and a variation of informative videos. If you want to watch all of our videos, you can find them on the Upper GI Surgery Youtube Channel.
So you don’t have to regularly check on our blog, we make sure that when we post a new blog article or have some exciting news to share, we post to our Facebook page. To keep up to date just follow us on Facebook.
For existing patients – Upper GI Surgery have a private Facebook Support Group that you can request to join.
Colleen Cook – an enduring inspiration
There are other great sources of information available from the internet, outside of the UGIS resource pool. If you are looking to find out more about a person who has lived and experienced life before during and after bariatric surgery, then check out Colleen Cook. The author of The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients, her website has her blog, programs/presentations and more. You can subscribe to her newsletter, to get the information direct to your inbox. Colleen Cook also founded the BSCI (Bariatric Support Centers International) if you want to check out that website too.
BN Multi & Fit For Me
Another great source of information is the BNMulti website. Not only do they provide a wide variety of different multivitamins that you may be required to take after you have had bariatric surgery, but they also offer a range of other services such as recipe ideas, education on areas such as learning to read nutritional information, an informative blog and podcast. You can also sign up to their newsletter to get the information directly to your inbox, completely for free. Fit For Me are another great resource for multivitamins required following bariatric surgery, as well as offering an online subscription program to support you on your journey.
Facebook Bariatric Support Groups
If you have a Facebook account, a simple search for bariatric surgery support groups should render you plenty of groups to choose from. Most groups are for people before and after bariatric surgery. Click here for a quick Google search.
We would like to take this opportunity to warn you when joining groups like this, however well moderated. They are not arenas to seek medical advice or take medical advice, you should always discuss medical issues with your bariatric specialist. They can be a fantastic place to find advice BUT watch out for those sharing cheats or behaviour that won’t support your journey.
Bariatric Surgery Blogs
Colleen Cook offers much more than a blog, and she is just one example of the types of support available online. There are a variety of blogs that cover different topics from different perspectives, giving you the opportunity to try and test which one is best for you. Here’s a list of bariatric surgery blogs to check out and see if you can find one that you may relate to.
Apps for After Bariatric Surgery
While we are thinking of online resources, let’s not forget the portable device that most of us carry with us every day everywhere we go. There are lots of useful apps available that can help you after your surgery to help you keep on track. For example:
- Calorie trackers – following your post-bariatric surgery diet (as advised by your dietitian) is very important, and these apps can help educate on the calories in some types of foods.
- Water trackers – great for ensuring you’re sufficiently hydrated.
- Exercise apps – most smart phones have a feature that allows you to track the number of steps you make each day.
- Positive thinking apps – download something that’s main focus is positivity, with inspirational quotes and stories to motivate you on difficult days.
We hope that we have provided some additional guidance today on the availability of free resources online. If you are considering bariatric surgery and would like to find out if you are a suitable candidate then please call our office on (02) 9553 1120 to book an appointment or contact us online.
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