Beyond the Scale: Celebrating Healthy Victories in Your Bariatric Surgery Journey

Tracking your post-bariatric surgery progress is key to maintaining motivation and ensuring your hard work is paying off. Stepping on the scale, however, is not the only way to measure the success of your weight-loss journey. Non-scale victories are a useful alternative that can help you stay on the right path.

What are Non-Scale Victories?

Non-scale victories or NSVs are beneficial changes that result from the implementation of healthy lifestyle strategies, like a regular fitness routine or a balanced diet. These are improvements or changes that are not tracked with a scale. NSVs give a more comprehensive picture of how your efforts to improve your health are benefitting your life as a whole. 

Clothes Fit Differently

One simple way to track the success of your weight-loss journey is to keep an eye on whether your clothes fit you differently. Pay attention to whether your pants feel looser or if your shirts are baggier. You can also check whether you can fit into old clothes you had packed into storage or see if smaller sizes provide a better fit when you’re shopping for new clothing items.

Increased Energy Levels

Another way to tell if your lifestyle adjustments are making an impact is to see if you feel a difference in your energy levels. Healthy habits like exercising regularly and eating a nutritious diet can make you feel more energetic. They can also improve sleep quality, which helps you feel rested so you can start the day with more energy.

Reduced Cravings

Cravings for sugar and unhealthy, processed foods are one obstacle that can make it difficult to maintain progress in your weight-loss journey. Fortunately, these cravings can decrease as you continue to exercise consistently over time. Reduced cravings are a sign your fitness efforts are paying off. 

Improved Lab Values

Bloodwork is another tracking method your medical team may implement to help monitor your post-surgery progress. Common metrics used include blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol markers. Improvements in these lab values indicate that your lifestyle changes are positively impacting your health. 

A Great Support System

Putting together a great support system is another non-scale victory that shows you’re committed to staying on the right track. Finding friends to exercise with or joining a support group can help you stay accountable and ensure that you don’t feel alone on your journey. It’s also important to have professionals—like nutritionists, therapists, and medical providers—to turn to when you run into issues.

Additionally, it’s essential to stay in touch with your bariatric team as you recover and continue to make progress. The team at Wellstar Bariatrics is here for you during every step to provide comprehensive care. Our providers include surgeons, nurses, nutritionists, and other healthcare experts—all a vital part of your post-surgery support system.

Reach out today to find out more about Wellstar Bariatrics and learn if bariatric surgery is right for you.