In the beginning, it’s fairly easy to be faithful to your new VSG lifestyle. After a while, though, everything from boredom to a busy schedule can wreck your motivation. How do those who maintain big weight drops do it? For starters, they understand that motivation isn’t something they can afford to lose; here are some ways they stay inspired on a daily basis.
They embrace their inner control freak
Remember before gastric sleeve in Mexico, when life felt out of control? Did you have motivation to eat well and exercise? Probably not. Most of us can’t scrounge up the motivation—let alone maintain it—when we don’t feel in control. Sleevers who take responsibility for both the good and the bad have much better odds at staying on top of their weight. If you dive into a bag of potato chips, you have two choices: acknowledge the decision as a slip or throw your hands up and declare that chips have an inexplicable hold over you. Guess which one will lead to a downward spiral over the next days or months? It’s hard to admit that you made a bad decision, but it’s essential in your journey. You can correct and control bad decisions; abdicating responsibility torpedoes both your motivation and your health.
They find workarounds
Who’s going to stay motivated if they feel like they’re missing out on life? The key is to identify what’s important to you and find ways to make those things do-able within the vertical sleeve gastrectomy lifestyle. If eating out is how you love to socialize, for example, know which restaurants offer your preferred food. Then suggest meeting up at those places. Before going out, look at online menus and even phone ahead to a restaurant to ask whether they can accommodate your needs (ie: baked chicken, roasted veggies, etc.). Similarly, travel enthusiasts should keep a list of chain restaurants whose menus align with the gastric sleeve diet and stock up on healthy snacks for the car or plane.
They don’t tempt themselves
It’s far easier to stay motivated if you aren’t surrounded by ongoing temptation. The first step is to identify both food and situational triggers. For some, one cookie turns into a whole bag. If that’s the case, cookies don’t enter your house. If your spouse or kids likes them, they’re free to enjoy them—outside the house. Others struggle with situations that lead to bad decisions. If girls’ night out at the bar leads to excessive alcohol calories (and a plate of nachos) every time, you need to decline. Instead, get the group together for craft nights, movie nights at home, healthy cooking classes…anything that avoids a specific trigger situation.
They develop solid habits
Good habits are one of the most important elements in long-term weight loss. With good habits in place, you don’t have to waste motivation on gearing yourself up to drink your water, eat your protein and low-carb veggies, and get to the gym. Mental exhaustion is a real thing, and if you’re running on motivational fumes by the time you’re offered a piece of cake at a party, you’re far more likely to give in. With habits in place, however, you’ll have plenty of mental reserve to say, “No, thank you!” to that cake.
They seek support
Sure, looking at your own pictures to see how far you’ve come is great, but there’s nothing like fresh motivation in the form of another’s fierce transformation to keep you on solid ground. Your sleeve brothers and sisters offer support, advice, and motivational before-and-after stories daily on Endobariatric’s Facebook page. It’s truly a treasure trove and an ideal way to maintain the kind of eyes-on-the-prize motivation it takes to be a VSG success story.
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“Changing lives…one sleeve at a time”.
