At Goal
Maintaining Your Goals With Therapy And Support
There are those patients who combine weight loss surgery with some form of therapy, and a number of these patients do quite well with getting to and maintaining their goal weight. Overall weight loss, based on studies from The University of Chicago, leads to less depression and improves all mental illness that has been discovered. These are patients who were carefully followed, treated, and there is no doubt that beyond weight loss surgery, therapy was helpful.
No behavioral program, no therapy program, no psychological program has, by itself, shown the same result as weight loss surgery, in whatever form, for weight loss. Obesity is not a mental illness, but patients with excess weight can have the same range of issues as those who are not obese.
Having a qualified therapist help one through the post-operative period with weight loss surgery can be helpful. Using some of their techniques are the basis of support groups, guidebooks and various tapes and guides. Psychology is a part of the multi-disciplinary approach to excess weight.
While there are those patients who can, after surgery, avoid support groups, avoid therapy – it is clear those who take advantage of the psychological support do better than those who do not seek some form of support.
Here are a few techniques that do work: journal your food – this makes you accountable for what you eat, mindful of things you put into your mouth. If you don’t want to journal, then take a photograph of all the food you consume; with modern digital cameras, and even phone cameras, it is easy and inexpensive to take photographs and place them onto an online journal. There are a number of online free accounts you can use to journal these, including on your OH Member profile page You can then make comments (such as something that doesn’t sit well with you). Should you find yourself sick several days later, you can look back and see what you consumed at the restaurant. This has the additional feature of being able to see portion size.
If you are at a standstill – try the photo-journal, try going to support group, or consider therapy.
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
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