At Goal
Giving Yourself The Plastic Surgery Option
by Terry Simpson, MD, FACS
In this issue of OH Magazine you will read a lot about plastic surgery, when you need it and what it means to you to get there. Plastic surgery is not inevitable for those who have had weight loss surgery, nor is it inevitable for those who have made it to their weight loss goal. Plastic surgery is something that a group of people choose to do for themselves.Our goal is to get you to the place where you have the option. You don’t have the option when you are still losing weight.
When we looked at patients who went to get plastic surgery—and had a BMI less than 24—here were some of their characteristics:
- Over 80 percent of them weighed themselves on a weekly basis. This meant that they were using their weight as a marker for what they were doing. It was the warning signal about the things they ate.
- Over 75 percent of them engaged in some form of exercise at least three times per week. This involved at least 30 minutes of doing something beyond “work.” For the majority of these folks it was walking, and for some who had joint issues it was water aerobics or even an elliptical trainer.
- All of them thought about food and were always making choices. Some described their association with food as different, while others described it as a meal-by-meal decision, which was not a burden.
- Over 85 percent of them portioned their food carefully and could tell you how much they ate at any given meal. They would eat a portion, not go beyond that portion, and walk away from the table. The remaining patients said that they portioned their food, and described it as much less than they ate before, but they could not say for certain how much they ate.
- None of them ever ate until they felt full. Feeling full was not a marker for any of these folks to stop eating. They all, however, described feeling “satisfied” after a meal. I think this is one of the more interesting markers. Feeling “full” is subjective, but knowing portion size and then walking away is more objective. It is no surprise that those who practiced portion control and used their weight loss tool achieved success.
So, take a lesson from those who have made it to plastic surgery, and work on incorporating those changes into your life. Then make the decision as to what further steps are right for you.
Terry Simpson, MD, FACS is a weight loss surgeon in Phoenix and has authored several books. For more information visit www.drsimpson.net.
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
Click here for the PDF version of this article from its appearance in OH Magazine
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