Understanding Surgical Weight Loss and What to Expect

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There are numerous ways to lose a little bit of weight. Count some calories, do some exercise, take some supplements, and so on. However, once someone is morbidly obese, these solutions are no longer appropriate. Rather, people will need the help of services such as Stop Obesity for Life to get help. However, even for the morbidly obese, making the decision to have surgery is not an easy one to take. Below is some information to help you come to the right solution.

Preparing Yourself

You should start by speaking to your family doctor about your feelings and your weight. They can determine whether or not you could be a candidate for surgery, as well as seeing whether you are healthy enough to go under the knife. If everything is confirmed, they will refer you to a clinic for surgery. This then means you have to go for various tests and conversations. While this process may seem lengthy, it is necessary to make sure you have the best outcomes.

One of the things that will determine whether or not you can have surgery is how severely overweight you are. If you just need to lose 10 or 20 pounds, surgery will not be offered to you because the risks will outweigh the benefits. But if you are 80 pounds overweight, you may be offered the surgery.

You will also have to demonstrate that you have tried, unsuccessfully, to lose weight through other methods first. You must show that you currently eat a healthy diet, exercise as much as you can, and make efforts to keep yourself healthy. This is needed to demonstrate motivation, but also to make sure that you will be able to survive the surgery yourself. Mainly, however, it gives the surgeon the reassurance that you are truly dedicated to completely transforming every element of your life.

Besides talking with your medical professionals, you should also talk to your loved ones. They should be aware of the fact that you will need some support after your surgery, so that you are better able to heal. They may also have to help you with meal preparation for a short period of time, which means they have to be aware of your dietary recommendations. Because bariatric surgery is major surgery, it is likely that you will also need some support in terms of your personal care and your house work. You will have stitches that require regular cleaning and that should be able to hold under the weight of your body. Depending on how seriously obese you were, this may mean that you have to remain in bed for several weeks. This means that you have to be able to count on your loved ones to be there for you.

It is absolutely vital that you understand the impact this surgery will have on your life. The benefits, particularly long term, are tremendous. At the same time, you have to be realistic about the short term impact as well.