Welcome to 2023. With every new year comes a new opportunity to make real meaningful changes in our lives. Whether you’re making a new year’s resolution or are just making small changes to your daily routine, January is usually the month that we are optimistic about the future.Â
But as new year’s resolutions are quickly forgotten, and those big dreams of change slowly fade away, many find themselves exactly where they have always been by the time we enter February. Each year many vow that this is the year they are going to lose their excess weight and live a healthier lifestyle, for good.Â
But for those living with obesity, making a new year new you promise to yourself may not be as easy as it is for others. For somebody living with obesity to lose the significant amount of weight they need to make a real difference to their health, sadly diet and exercise alone typically aren’t going to be enough to make lifelong, sustainable changes.Â
Weight loss is for life, not just the holidays
What many fail to realise when they make grand decisions and promises at the start of a year, is that these changes aren’t just for the here and now, but should be sustainable decisions they can feel the benefits of for years to come. If you are living with obesity and are considering bariatric surgery as a tool to help you lose weight, it’s important to understand that it’s certainly not a ‘quick fix’.Â
Bariatric surgery provides an opportunity to be able to reduce the amount of food that you are able to consume each day, which aids weight loss. But in order to maintain this weight loss and reach your goals, significant changes must be made to your diet and lifestyle that you will need to adhere to for the rest of your life.Â
Resolutions you need to commit to
Depending on the bariatric surgery procedure that you and your doctor/surgeon decide is best for you, you may be required to make other lifelong changes. For example, if you have gastric bypass surgery, then you will need to take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of your life to prevent deficiencies due to the way your digestive system now processes food.Â
Furthermore, bariatric surgery is major surgery and like all major surgery, it carries short and long-term risks. So if this new year you are seriously considering making a change, it is important that you commit to properly researching all of the information and consult with a bariatric specialist to explain the finer details that you may not be aware of.
If you are considering bariatric surgery as a way to improve your overall health in the long-term and would like to know more, we run a free Bariatric Surgery Information Webinar each month. One of our bariatric surgeons will present the information you need to know, and is available to answer any questions you may have at the end. We find that this is a great place to start for those who are wishing to make a change.Â
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