5 Bariatric Success Hacks that Cultivate Healthy Routines

Bariatric success is all about routine. A healthy routine that provides balance in your life. Not extreme routines that are temporary.

The unfortunate reality is, sometimes life has a different idea about maintaining healthy behaviors. Restaurants on every street corner, over-committed schedules, burnout, isolation. All lead to an environment where it’s hard to be a bariatric success.

But what is bariatric success?

In my opinion, bariatric success is different for each person. And surprisingly, it’s rarely about a number or size. For example, after bariatric surgery you could lose all your excess weight and be in a “healthy” BMI range. Yet, barely eat more than a few bites of food and feel miserable all of the time.

That hardly seems like a bariatric success. Sure you had bariatric surgery to get the weight off and get “healthy”, but if you have twelve new symptoms and feel worse.

How is that success?

In the world of weight loss, it seems to promote a motto of weight loss at any cost. Cost of your health, sanity and perspective. There is no quick fix or magic pill. To me, bariatric success is when your health issues are resolved, and you’ve cultivated healthy routines that provide balance in your life.

So how do you cultivate a healthy routine?

Most understand the basics of what to do, but knowing and doing are two different things. Here are a few examples.

To lose weight most realize eating chips instead of fruit and vegetables won’t provide the desired result. Yet your weekly shopping cart contains more junk than produce.
To prioritize self-care most know to schedule downtime. Yet you accept one more commitment.
To have time to exercise it has to be early morning workouts, yet you stay up late bingeing on your favorite show.

Chinese proverb…

“Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way and expecting a different result.”

Sounds crazy when you read or hear it, but if you relate…listen up!

How can you “do” the healthy habits you “know” you’re supposed to do?

In reality, it’s all about consistency with small changes.

So let’s dig into the five hacks that cultivate healthy routines for bariatric success.

First off, ask yourself this…

Do you want to change?

This may be a tough conversation, but a necessary one. For some, the pain has to be bad enough before change will occur. I can guess, having bariatric surgery may have been your breaking point. You’ve done the hard part.

Sometimes it’s easier to reframe it. Instead of saying “I’ve given up so much”, maybe phrase it as…I’m challenging myself to level-up my health. Bariatric surgery got me so far, what can I do to help myself move to the next level.

Second, realize this…

What behavior do you need to work on?

It’s best to focus on one routine at a time. It needs to be important to YOU! Something you feel is impacting your health.

Third, consider this…

What is the trigger?

Every habit has a trigger whether you or someone else established it. When you think about triggers consider this:

What time will it occur?
Where will you be?
What emotion do you think you will be feeling?

Fourth, explore this…

What would be the reward?

Routines become powerful when you crave “how it makes you feel”, as opposed to “what you give yourself as the treat”.

I recommend rewards to not be food based…think deeper. What gives you life and fills you up emotionally? Here are a few ideas to consider…

Quiet time
Journaling
Hobby
Time with people you care about

Lastly, put it all together

Write out your plan. Jot down your ideas to focus your effort. I love Charles Duhigg’s “How to create a habit” book to guide you.

Now, let’s apply it! Remember the examples?

Example:

To lose weight most realize eating chips instead of fruit and vegetables won’t provide the desired result. Yet your weekly shopping cart contains more junk than produce. Let’s assume grocery shopping is never planned. In fact, you usually make your meal plan while walking through the grocery isles grabbing what looks tasty.

Your shopping cart will require a plan in order to have more produce than junk.

The habit: To replace chips with fruits and vegetables.

What’s the trigger? When I…

Grocery shop

What’s the routine? I will…

Meal plan, finding new recipes with fruit and vegetables to try.

What’s the reward?

It provides me with…

Empowerment that I’m fueling my body.
Memories using my grandmother’s recipe.
Therapy from chopping and mixing delicious food.
Proactive not reactive in controlling what goes into my body.

Hopefully you get the idea and can start trying different triggers and rewards. Make it fun and keep a sense of humor. You may be surprised what works.

In conclusion, establishing bariatric success is all about your routines. When your healthy routines are rusty, just apply these 5 hacks to get back to a balanced, fulfilled life.

Additionally, I would encourage you to check out our Gastric Health Membership. We are building a community that can be there for you. Encourage you. Grow your self-belief. Build your self-trust. Bariatric surgery is hard enough, don’t do it alone.