Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery - Don't Forget the Emotional Side

By Brandon R. Cornett

What should I do in the days before weight loss surgery to prepare for surgery?

This is a common question among those who have chosen to have bariatric surgery as their path to weight loss: What do I need to do before the surgery? What does preparing for weight loss surgery involve? Are there any dietary restrictions I should be aware of? Et cetera.

At this juncture, the important thing to remember is that preparing for weight loss surgery is a mental act as well as a physical one. After all, you are making life-changing alterations to your body's chemistry, so you need to have the right mindset about what's to come. Preparing for weight loss surgery is equal parts physical and emotional.

The physical side of preparing for surgery should be fairly straightforward, because your weight loss surgeon should provide you with a pre-surgery checklist to follow. On the contrary, the mental / emotional side of preparing for weight loss surgery is something a surgeon may not be able to help you with. Surgeons perform surgery -- not emotional assessments.

Here are some tips to help you emotionally prepare for weight loss surgery:

• Make an effort to learn everything you possibly can about weight loss surgery in general, and your chosen procedure in particular. By becoming a "quasi-expert" on the subject of weight loss surgery, you will have an easier time preparing for it, and your mind will be more at ease.


• If possible, establish a relationship (or at least a dialogue) with someone who has undergone weight loss surgery in the past. Such a person could offer emotional support as well as advice on preparing for a weight loss surgery procedure.


• Journals are popular among weight loss surgery patients. Many people use them to chronicle their journey, record their reasons for having the surgery, etc. Consider starting one of your own.

I hope this brief guide helps you in preparing for weight loss surgery and all that it entails.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's note with active hyperlinks below.

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Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Bariatric Learning Center, an informative website with news, articles and resources related to weight loss surgery. To learn more about surgery for weight loss and related topics, visit http://www.bariatriclearningcenter.com

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