Balancing Mental Health & Weight Loss | Managing Anxiety Post-Op

Your mental health plays an important role in successful weight loss. As you begin evaluating your goals and developing a treatment plan, you’ll need to consider implementing behavioral and lifestyle changes. One change is considering your mental health and how it impacts your weight-loss journey. After you’ve learned about the mental side of weight loss, you can move forward on your journey and pursue a healthier mind and body. 

Focusing on Behavioral & Lifestyle Changes

There is an increased focus today on products or services that promote weight loss. Some of these treatments are effective, but long-term results don’t come without lifestyle changes. For those who pursue bariatric surgery, much of the short-term progress will come from your procedure; however, it will be difficult to keep the weight off unless you implement healthy behaviors. 

Long-term behaviors are the key to long-term weight loss. It may sound simple, but it takes dedication and discipline, not a quick solution. Fad diets and popular exercise programs may help you shed pounds initially, but it’s easy to regain the weight after they end. Successful weight loss hinges on permanent behavior changes like healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and improved mental health.  

The Mental Side of Weight Loss

Mental health is often overlooked, but with the modern emphasis on prioritizing emotional wellness, everything is changing. New research reveals an important truth for weight loss: mental health is everything. Your mental health dictates whether you will make healthy food selections, stick to your exercise routine, and keep the weight off after you’ve lost it.  

Even though mentality plays heavily into weight loss, it’s important to know which aspects of mental health you should prioritize. People looking to lose weight and maintain their mental health need to create healthy habits, prioritize sleep, and exercise positivity. 

Creating Healthy Habits

Healthy habits are an important contributor to your mental health and weight loss. Creating these habits relies first on observing your current habits. Which ones are detrimental to your health? Many behaviors are likely impacting your weight, like binge eating, drinking in excess, and smoking. You need to eliminate these unhealthy habits and establish new ones like proper nutrition and exercise. 

Prioritizing Quality Sleep

Sleep may not sound like a priority until you realize the effect that it has on your mental health. Adequate sleep lets your brain reset. A full night of sleep will decrease irritation, alleviate stress, and restore your drive. You’ll notice that sleep cures conditions like tiredness and irritability, which can make you stray from your goals. 

Focus on Positivity

There is no one-size-fits-all method for promoting positivity. For some, promoting positivity may look like developing a gratitude journal, spending time with uplifting friends and family, or practicing meditation. Think about what keeps you positive and work to make it staple in your life.

Choosing Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric weight-loss programs don’t stop after your procedure; instead, they help your craft a healthy lifestyle. One vital piece of this lifestyle is making choices to improve your mental health. While working with your bariatric team from Wellstar, you’ll receive the support you need to manage your emotions and use them to sustain your weight loss. Do you want to start your weight-loss journey? Learn why you should choose us.