Counseling and Support
Professional Weight Loss Counseling and Support
Seeking treatment for morbid obesity is an extraordinary first step; the next few steps involve maximizing your readiness for the significant lifestyle changes that come with surgical weight loss treatment. Barnes Bariatric provides nutritional, exercise, and psychological counseling to patients who are considering surgery to lose significant amounts of weight. These can help you maximize the benefits of surgery and keep the weight off.
Support
It is important to note that, although surgical weight loss treatments such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding, and gastric sleeve surgery are designed to help you lose significant amounts of weight, there are several dietary and behavioral changes you will need to make in order to maximize success. Before your surgery, you will attend nutrition and behavior modification sessions that will examine your present diet and behavioral habits and give you information about how to make appropriate changes. With procedures like those mentioned above, the stomach is physically altered and unable to accommodate certain types and amounts of foods that you may be accustomed to eating. Therefore, our Nutritionist will explain to you in detail the new dietary requirements that you will need to undertake. These will include the avoidance of some foods and the daily intake of vitamins and minerals that will be necessary to lose weight in a healthy way.
In terms of behavioral changes, a Psychologist specializing in bariatrics will give you behavior modification tips and support to implement changes. The surgery itself is designed to cause your body to lose weight; however, your assistance in the process by eating right and exercising regularly will be essential to the safety and efficacy of your weight loss. The Barnes Bariatric team will supervise your progress after the procedure to ensure your new diet and fitness regime are working to keep you healthy and lose the amount of weight desired.
Psychological and Behavioral Counseling
Support groups are an outlet for people to give and receive emotional and practical support, as well as exchange information. Patients and their families and friends find support groups to be a valuable resource – a place where people can share information and experiences, get confirmation that their feelings are “normal,” educate others, or just let off steam. Support groups are made up of people with common interests and experiences. People who have been through, or are going through, a similar circumstance can do more than sympathize with you, they can relate to what you are going through and keep you from feeling like you are alone.
As part of your candidacy evaluation for surgical weight loss treatment, you will undergo a psychological evaluation. This step of the process will entail discussions about your psychiatric and personal history, as well as an evaluation of your preparedness to undergo the necessary lifestyle changes that are crucial for the success of weight loss surgery. Psychological counseling is also available after the procedure to evaluate your emotional state post-surgery and help you progress with your new way of healthy living.
Support Programs
Your weight loss treatment at Barnes Bariatric does not stop at the surgery. It is an ongoing process that requires continued adherence to nutritional and fitness guidelines. Our bariatric surgery practice offers consults programs and seminars to help you through the weight loss process and ensure you have a solid support base while you undergo the life changes necessary to safely and successfully lose large amounts of weight and maintain that success. These programs aid you in both the physical and emotional changes you will be going through after surgery and are important to providing you with education and comfort during this exciting new period of your life.