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Attending bariatric support groups was a requirement of my bariatric surgery program. I think this component was one of the most important requirements. Having support for your bariatric surgery is vital to your success. As you make changes, there will be times you want to give up. You need people in your corner to motivate you or kick you in the pants when you need it. Meetings are typically centered around a certain topic and allow you to connect with other patients. Online support groups can be just as helpful, as well as other types of support groups. It’s important to reach out to your support groups when you’re struggling and when you’re succeeding. Attending bariatric support groups can provide support, motivation and information to improve your weight loss journey.
Support is Vital
It’s so much easier to stick to something if you can talk to someone else going through it too. Attending bariatric support groups is a great way to stay motivated since the people attending are either going through the bariatric process or have already completed it. It’s nice to meet people going through the same program, so you can compare notes and get information from each other. It’s also nice to see people further along in the process. Believe me, some days it feels as if getting to surgery and the post-op care seem impossible. By attending these support groups, you get to see that other people have gone through it and survived. You can too.
Major Life Changes
Beyond just seeing that the process is possible, support is vital to your success as a bariatric patient. You’re going to go through a lot of mental and physical changes. Especially for the first six months after surgery, you are going to need people in your corner to cheer you on and motivate you. Your hormones wreak havoc on your emotions. You need someone to cheer you on as you make these changes and adjust to your new life.
It also doesn’t hurt to seek therapy. At your psych eval, they may have recommended additional therapy before or after surgery. Even if they haven’t recommended it, it’s a good idea to talk to someone about all the changes in your life, especially someone who will be non-judgmental.
Support Group Meetings
When you attend bariatric support groups, they typically follow a set structure. At mine, it started with introductions. Everyone introduced themselves, talked about where they are at in the bariatric journey and any additional information they wanted to add. Each meeting had a specific topic or guest speaker, and that person would give their presentation. The floor was then opened up for discussion, and we all had a chance to ask our questions.
At the end, we were able to mix, mingle and talk to specific people if we had some other questions we wanted to ask. There was a nice mix of people who were pre-op and post-op, so a lot of the pre-oppers asked some of the post-oppers some nagging questions. It’s a free and open discussion, and no topic was off-limits. We talked about everything from sex and dumping syndrome to food restrictions and successes. This group was a place where I could talk freely about my surgery to a room full of people who get it. I always left feeling encouraged and motivated.
Online Support Groups
If you need additional support between your bariatric support groups, then I recommend finding some online support groups. First of all, you should go like the Stop Weighting, Start Doing Facebook page. It’s the best way to reach me outside of the blog, and I post inspiration, motivation and recipes on there quite frequently. You can find all sorts of people on there to answer your questions, cheer you on and provide additional support that you need.
Another Facebook group that I love is the Weight Loss Surgery Guide. This group has been there for me throughout my bariatric surgery process, and they have helped me through some of my darkest moments. It’s nice to be able to discuss my feelings with people from different backgrounds who have gone through a shared experience. If you join, tell them Nicky sent you!
You can also find support on other online bariatric support groups. I know Reddit has several forums you can post in and ask questions, as well as Bariatric Pal. There are so many people out there willing and able to help you, as long as you ask! Just a word of caution – don’t take everything you read in these groups to be gospel. There is no standardization as far as care for bariatric patients in the industry, so every doctor and hospital is different. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations first and foremost.
Local and Personal Supporters
You can also search your local newspaper or the internet to find other support groups you can attend. If attending bariatric support groups is a requirement of your program, you might have to get a special paper signed saying you attended to get credit for it. Remember to take this paper with you to be filled out.
You could try groups like Overeaters Anonymous or emotional eating groups. You may also want to consider paying for meetings through a weight loss program like Weight Watchers. I did have some success on Weight Watchers before my bariatric surgery, but I wasn’t able to commit to the program fully. You could also check out other local hospitals to see if they have bariatric support groups, as well as look on the app Meet-Up for groups in your area.
Personal Supporters
It’s also important to have a team of personal supporters in your corner. Hopefully, the people closest to you, like your spouse, family, friends and co-workers will support you. If you don’t want to tell everyone about your weight loss or your weight loss surgery, that’s OK. However, I do believe you need to tell the people who spend the most time with you.
Your spouse needs to be involved and supportive. It’s going to take a lot of changes for you to get where you need to be, and your spouse is going to have to support you through the physical and mental changes. He is going to have to realize that your eating habits are changing, and he has to support you in that. It may also put a strain on your marriage as you lose weight and gain more confidence. Discuss any issues beforehand and seek counseling to address them if necessary.
When I told people about my surgery, everyone was very supportive. Most were so happy for me and ready to support me in any way that they can. My friends even volunteered to change what we eat when we get together so that it is more inclusive of me. My co-workers are extremely supportive and helped me make better food decisions at work.
When to Reach Out to Your Bariatric Support Groups
There are several times to reach out to your bariatric support group. Whenever you are struggling or have a big success, share it with your group. It’s particularly helpful when you have online support groups and can share your news immediately. You should also reach out to them when you need advice, encouragement or a laugh.
It’s important to surround yourself with people who support you. You are going to want someone in your corner to celebrate your successes with you, someone to push you when you are struggling, someone to lean on when you want to give up and someone to take care of you after surgery. You can’t do this journey alone, and reaching out to your support group is a key to success on this bariatric journey.
Bariatric Support Groups and You
Support groups can seem like a nag, but I promise you they’re worth it. When you’re changing your life so dramatically, you need people to help support you. Meetings provide a wealth of information and allow you to get questions answered. Online support groups can be just as supportive, so find one you like. You can also try other in-person support groups like Overeaters Anonymous and Meet-Up groups. The important thing is that you have support throughout your journey. Attending bariatric support groups can provide support, motivation and new information to improve your bariatric journey.
If this article gave you some great ideas to incorporate into your life, just imagine what other amazing strategies I have for you! Share this post on social media by clicking one of the sharing buttons, and don’t forget to join my email list! You’ll be the first to get updates, access to my new products and lots of tips, inspiration and motivation to help in your bariatric surgery journey. Just for joining, I’ll send you a free eBook with the 10 Habits to Change Before Bariatric Surgery, as well as some other pretty awesome goodies to keep you motivated. Join today!
In Summary
Each group will be different, but generally, they’re going to focus around a central topic or speaker. You’ll get a chance to talk about yourself and where you are in your bariatric journey, as well as ask questions. You’ll learn lots of information and be able to discuss with other patients also going through the process. They support groups are really helpful and recommended for all bariatric patients.
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