How to Say No – and Mean It

Posted: Jun 20 in Lifestyle and Activity by Staff

Embarking on a new lifestyle following weight loss surgery offers many opportunities to create a whole new you. One of the new aspects of yourself you can explore is your assertiveness. This is especially helpful when it comes to saying no – and meaning it.

Rather than looking at yourself as a victim of circumstance, your weight loss surgery can help you to see yourself as the adult in charge of your weight and help. When you become more assertive in “parenting” yourself and staying in charge, you will find that you say “no” to yourself and others more often.

Ultimately, you have to really want to lose weight and stay on track with lifestyle changes in order for your “no” to really mean NO. Whether you are using self talk to stay away from situations or calories that could work against your weight loss, or dealing with people that may unwittingly sabotage your efforts, maintaining assertiveness and control by saying no when you need to is critical.

In the beginning, you may just say no because you know that it is the right thing to do, rather than because you actually want to. As you begin to see results that you want to keep from your self-control, saying no and meaning it will become easier.