Tips to Handle Anxiety as you Lose Weight

Posted: Feb 20 in Lifestyle and Activity by Staff

Life after bariatric surgery in Albany, Atlanta or Macon is going to be stressful. For many people, weight loss surgery is one of the most anxiety-producing experiences they will ever go through. The uncertainties, the adjustment period, the vast amount of changes to your personal life, mental well-being and physical health—the list of anxiety triggers following bariatric surgery goes on and on.

This is something that your bariatric surgeon will discuss with you in detail before scheduling your weight loss surgery date. However, talking about stress and being stressed out by the many things on your plate are two entirely different situations.

Stress can interfere with your ability to lose weight. It can cause you to lose track of your ultimate health and wellness goals, lead you to rationalize why it is okay to partake in bad habits and even cause your health to decline. Stress wears down your immune system, makes you more prone to headaches and can cause your stomach to bloat. What is more, many people cope with stress through poor strategies like emotional eating which can cause you to overeat, even after bariatric surgery.

Learning healthy ways to cope with anxiety will be a great help to you following bariatric surgery. Here are a few tips to consider:

• Combat negative thoughts: Anxiety finds a way of piling up one stressor at a time until it becomes a huge downward spiral of emotional hardship. When the negative thoughts start coming in one by one, don’t give into them. Have positive thoughts stowed away for such times and do your best to smile and stay positive in the face of negativity.
• Journal: Sometimes writing down what is on your mind can free up space to move forward. A stressor may seem monumental when it is in your mind, but when put on paper it can easily be brought back down to size.
• Take a deep breath: Whatever the issue, however imperative the problem, you still have time to breathe. Take a step away from the situation and take a long, deep breath. This will help you think more clearly and address the issue from outside of the panic zone.

Managing your anxiety after bariatric surgery will be a huge help in maintaining your health as you lose weight. Talk with your bariatric surgeon to develop more healthy strategies for coping with weight loss related stress.