October’s Springfield Support Group had a great showing of over 20 people from various stages of their weight loss journey – ranging from those who had surgery years ago to those who were pre-op and every stage in between! It seems like everyone benefited from attending, regardless of where they are in their journey.

This month's topic was “Weight Loss Conversations... With Yourself. If you could go back in time and talk to yourself before surgery, what would you say? Was there something you know now that you wish you’d known then?” Let's take a look at some thoughts and ideas discussed.

Some patients said they would have told themselves to:

• Keep a journal of little victories achieved during the post-operative phase (i.e. shopping at certain stores, going to the gym consistently, being able to easily tie your shoes, not needing a seat belt extender on the airplane).
• Take before full-body pictures so that you can compare after surgery. Many patients agreed and said that they had no full body shots to look back on for a visual reminder of how much weight they lost.
• Keep in mind just how important protein and fluid intake are after surgery. The doctors and dietitians stress this for a good reason.

And some patients gave pre-op patients some advice about life post-op:

• Start therapy sessions, if possible, prior to surgery to prepare for necessary lifestyle/behavioral changes after surgery.
• Get up and walk as soon as you are able to in the hospital.  Continue to walk when you are home.
• The first couple months post-op is time to experiment with trying different foods and portion sizes to see what works for you.
• It may be difficult directly after surgery to adjust to new eating habits, but once you find your routine, it gets easier.
• If you see that your weight is increasing, take control when you first notice it.  Don’t let it go from 10 pounds to 20 pounds and then 30 before you do something about it.  Call the office to make an appointment with the dietitian or start attending support groups.

As the moderator of this support group, I really enjoyed listening to everyone’s opinions and advice. I look forward to sharing these with my patients at their appointments. I want to thank all of you for attending!

Remember to join us at November's Support Group on Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30 p.m., when the topic will be "The December Dilemma: So Many Celebrations, So Little Time"  Look forward to seeing you all next month.