How Will My Life Change After Weight Loss Surgery?
People often worry about whether weight loss surgery will be worth it and what their life will be like afterwards. Each type of weight loss surgery will have variations within the recovery process and different short and long term effects. However, the end goal remains the same for all, to help you lose weight.
Short-term Changes
The recovery time prescribed will depend on the procedure that you have. For instance, if you have a gastric balloon, there will be little or no recovery time due to the simplicity of the procedure. If you were to have gastric sleeve surgery, the recovery period could be up to three weeks (sometimes longer).
However, during this recovery time, you will also be referred to a dietician who will work with you on a diet plan that will aid the recovery of the surgery and the weight loss you will see as a result. With gastric bypass surgery, your diet will be affected by reducing the size of your portions dramatically as the stomach heals and you get used to the new size of your stomach.
Long-term Changes
With weight loss surgery, the long-term effects on your life are the desired results with the ultimate goal being a loss in weight.
Gastric Band Surgery on average will cause a woman, who is 5’5” in height and 18 stone in weight, to lose about 5 stone. For a man of 5’10” in height and 22 stone in weight, the surgery will cause him to lose 6 to 7 stone.
The weight loss achieved with surgery has many effects that greatly improve your day to day life and health. Patients often find that they begin to feel like they have greater energy levels, meaning that they are finding that they are now able to do things such as going to the park with their children, something that they couldn’t do before due to their weight.
Self-esteem is hugely improved by the weight loss achieved. One of our gastric bypass surgery patients, Melanie, said that before surgery…“I felt so aware of my weight and people looking at me…my self-esteem was at an all-time low.” Now she says “I enjoy my life so much more, and I’m never worried about people looking at me or judging me…I can live my life to the full…The surgery has made my life so much better and I’m a much happier person. Being overweight can be so depressing, the surgery has made me the confident happy person I’ve always wanted to be.”
The long-term health of patients will benefit from weight loss by experiencing a decline cholesterol levels, an increase in activity due to the feeling of having more energy, the body becomes more efficient with the intake of vitamins and minerals needed to function, and it can greatly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Mental health can also be improved by increasing self-esteem, and 55% of obesity-induced depression has been found to have been improved or resolved by weight loss surgery.
Whilst there can be many changes to your life after weight loss, it is important to keep active and stay healthy with the diets prescribed by the dieticians. This will ensure that you achieve the best results you can and maintain them.
If you’re interested in weight loss surgery and would like more information, please give Streamline Surgical a call on 0333 016 3030 or make an enquiry online.