5 Ways Psychological Preparation Improves Your Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
Bariatric surgery is a transformative medical solution for obesity. It not only helps with weight loss but also improves quality of life in several ways: better movement, improved energy levels, reduced cravings, and overall positive physical health.
But the changes are not merely due to the surgery. Psychological preparation before the surgery is a key driver of these changes. In this blog post, we discuss five ways psychological preparation helps with better outcomes for bariatric surgery.
Psychological Preparation Before Surgery
Bariatric surgery is a major health decision. When you qualify for bariatric surgery, it’s natural to feel a range of emotions, from stress about the process and recovery to anxiety about life after surgery. From your first appointment with a bariatric surgeon to the surgery day, your mind undergoes significant stress and needs the right preparation to navigate the path of change smoothly.
Clinical guidelines suggest that patients undergoing bariatric surgery receive a psychological assessment before the surgery. A certified bariatric counsellor helps you prepare mentally for the procedure and supports you throughout your weight loss journey. The evaluation and preparation often includes:
- Thorough examination of your mental health
- Assess your understanding of the surgery
- Identify your strengths and areas that need improvement
5 Ways Psychological Preparation Improves Your Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
- Set realistic expectations
Understanding the bariatric surgery procedure and the changes that follow is essential. A bariatric surgeon provides details on the procedure, expected weight loss, and recovery timeline. However, patients’ understanding of the surgery, expectations, and motivation are evaluated by a psychologist to understand if they have set realistic expectations of the procedure.
For example, sometimes people think that surgery will help them stop overeating. But bariatric surgery is a tool that improves your metabolism through weight loss. It does not automatically change an eating behavior.
The long-term success depends on healthy habits and compliance with nutritional guidance. So, poor understanding of the procedure may increase the risk of mood issues and non-compliance after surgery. These scenarios eventually lead to weight regain that would in turn have an impact on both physical and psychological health. A bariatric counsellor helps identify any gaps in your understanding and expectations, and provides you with the right resources and support. - Understand your diet and weight history
If you have a history of diet and weight loss attempts, you have probably experienced enormous psyhcological challenges. The pattern of these attempts provides better insights into your relationship with food, the challenges you faced, and why those attempts failed or succeeded.
On the other hand, if you have experienced any feelings of guilt or shame during those journeys, your bariatric counsellor assesses how they might affect your eating behaviour in future. Then, you will be provided with options to address such scenarios.
Further, evaluation of your current eating behvaviors is crucial. If you have already met a nutritionist and made changes to your diet, the psychologist reviews these changes and your motivation behind them. If you have any questions or are facing challenges in following the nutritional guidance, a session with the counsellor often provides an opportunity to understand your struggles and how to solve them. - Identify and correct eating habits and behaviour
The relationship between food and your brain is not just physiological. The human brain perceives food as comfort, a source of energy, and pleasure. And these perceptions are often shaped by food habits that are in turn influenced by childhood experiences, social and cultural aspects, and lifestyle changes.
Some eating behaviours, especially unhealthy ones, can develop into eating disorders. Many times, they go unnoticed or even appear normal part of who you are. You may have night eating disorders, grazing behavior, or binge eating episodes. Before surgery, identifying these things helps address bottlenecks in your progress and develop skills that improve your long-term adherence to weight loss plans.
The psychological preparation also helps identify complex mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. Prior understanding of these conditions lets your bariatric team design and plan the right path for you. - Prepare you for life after surgery
Bariatric surgery is a significant milestone in resetting your metabolism and weight health. However, to maintain the results, long-term compliance is essential. Whether it is following nutritional recommendations, developing healthy lifestyle habits, or managing stress, they have an impact on sustaining your results.
The psychological preparation considers assessing your skills and support system to improve the likelihood of adherence to good lifestyle habits. Your counsellor may collect more information on the following:
Your social support system, like your family and friends, and their reaction to the surgery decision
Who will help you after the surgery
When would you like to access the support
Then, the counsellor helps address challenges such as managing your emotions with your changing body image or
handling negative opinions in your social circle (E.g. instances of sabotage and jealousy) - Improve coping skills
Post surgery, many patients are likely to face challenging situations during which they may revert to their old eating habits. So, under stress or distractive scenarios, your coping skills matter the most.
For example, how would you react to negative stressors like frustration or a deadline? Or how do you react to positive stressors like a job promotion?
If you are likely to turn to binge eating or unhealthy eating habits under such scenarios, you may need training on developing coping skills. A baraitric counsellor identifies your emotional triggers and works with you to develop coping strategies.
Based on your understanding of various aspects of the procedure and life after surgery, the counsellor prepares a detailed report and shares it with surgeon and nutritionist. Together, they help improve your outcomes through education and timely support needed at various stages of your weight loss journey.
Summary
Psychological assessment is an essential component of multidisciplinary support for bariatric patients. A session with a bariatric counsellor offers a better understanding of the procedure and helps you improve skills that are essential for long-term success. At Nords, we have a dedicated Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program (HELP) integrated into every weight loss solution. We focus on building lasting healthy habits and addressing the emotional triggers that impact weight loss. Feel free to connect with us today for a comprehensive support system in your weight loss journey.
