5 Keys to Get Back on the Right Track
TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management / / Blog, Lifestyle / December 15, 2017
Try these tips if you find yourself falling off the wagon, so to speak. Keep in mind that your journey has more to do with your mindset after bariatric surgery than with your weight. Lifestyle change requires changing your habits and relationship with food for the long haul, rather than going on and off of a diet.
1) Start keeping a food journal. As daunting as it may seem to most, it really is eye-opening to see where your calories are coming from and how those portions add up at the end of the day/week/month. Check out this new app if you have not yet downloaded it- Baritastic, a bariatric friendly app for food and water tracking, forums, and more.
2) Ask for support: This may be from a close friend or family member, or from your program, or both. Remember Aftercare, including psychologist-led support groups and visits with a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist, are all available to you at no cost and encouraged throughout your journey. We want to help you achieve the best results possible and maintain those goals for a lifetime! If it has been awhile since you last came in for follow-up, call and make an appointment, no matter how much time has passed.
3) Set realistic goals! Write down your short term and long term goals. Set milestones along the way and reward yourself for achieving them! Remind yourself of the prize at the end when you find yourself going down a slippery slope. Making sacrifices is worth it when you focus on the end in sight.
4) Exercise! Find something you are able to do and enjoy doing that you will stick with for a period of time. If you get tired of one activity, move on to another. Staying active is a great way to avoid boredom and mindless eating between meals. Remember- consistency is key! The more you make it a habit, the better you will feel, and the more likely you are to keep off the weight you have worked so hard to lose. Having an accountability partner or buddy to workout with is especially helpful in staying committed to your plan- they can help push you to give it your all. Taking a walk and listening to music may be all it takes to turn around a bad mood and get re-focused.
5) Fluids… always strive for more than 64 ounces of calorie-free, caffeine-free liquids between meals and separating eating and drinking by 30 minutes. Liquid calories and drinking with meals are a couple of ways to derail your weight goals and tend to be old habits that are easy to go back to doing before you even realize it.
Self-honesty can be challenging , but once you are completely honest with yourself and accept responsibility, you will feel much more empowered to stay positive and on track with your goals. So, step up to the challenge and love yourself by being honest and moving forward!
For a more direct focus to getting Back on Track, join us for a support group specifically designed to help you get Back on Track – meetings are the first Tuesday night of the month from 6-7 pm in the classroom.
Pam Helmlinger, RD, LDN, CDE
BARIATRIC DIETITIAN
TriStar Centennial Center for Weight Management