If your New Year’s resolutions include discovering a slimmer, healthier self and making a commitment to wellness, congratulations! Deciding to get fit and shed those pounds is the first, most important step on your journey to healthy living and healthy weight loss. However, as the days go by, it can become harder to stay motivated and maintain focus on your nutrition and fitness goals. Here are a few helpful tips to keep your eyes on the prize so you can achieve your dream of living your best life!
Slow and Steady Wins the Race– When it comes to losing weight and feeling great, keep in mind that dramatic weight loss and adapting to a healthy new lifestyle can both take time. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Try not to focus on your end goals and instead create smaller milestone markers to achieve along the way. For instance, rather than zeroing in on reaching your goal weight, celebrate the loss of the first 5, 10, and 20 pounds! Each pound you lose gets you closer to your ultimate goal and patting yourself on the back for reaching these benchmarks can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel!
At The Weight Loss Surgery Center Of Los Angeles, we recommend that you start by counting the calories that you consume and calories that you spend. This is a useful exercise for those who are struggling with excess weight regardless of the weight loss solution that you end up choosing. Modern technology like the FitBit or even your smartphone, allow you to keep track of your meals which you can even photograph and calculate the caloric content of your meals. They also allow you to count your steps, allowing you to make small changes but gradually push you towards walking 10,000 steps a day or even more. Keeping track of calories in and calories out, empowers you to gradually dial down the number of calories you are consuming and dial up the number of calories you are expending either by walking more steps or adding light exercise to your daily routine.
Nutritious, Meet Delicious– When you choose to eat healthily and cut out high-fat, sugary foods as part of your weight loss regimen, it’s normal to feel as though you’re being deprived of foods you love. This can lead to you feeling like you have low energy and possibly unmotivated. Finding incredible, easy, and healthy substitutes for your less-nutritious favorites can help keep you on track without feeling like you’re being punished. Once you discover how tasty fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains can be when creatively prepared, you will have a bunch of new favorites that have you missing your old standbys less each day. Always try to substitute the foods you like with similar foods that contain less calories. For instance, if you are a fan of a certain flavor of ice cream, switch to the same flavor of frozen yogurt. Then you can eventually switch to sorbet, which is even healthier.
Buddy Up!– Studies show that following a weight loss and fitness plan is easier when you aren’t going it alone. By recruiting a friend, relative or co-worker as your Fitness Buddy, you can stay focused and have the support you need to reach your goals. You can exchange healthy meal ideas, meet at the gym for workout sessions and boost each other’s self-confidence throughout your journey, or simply just have someone to vent to when the going gets tough. Strength in numbers makes all the difference when you’re trying to achieve healthy weight loss and fitness goals to give you the healthy, happy life you deserve!
There are numerous online groups of successful post-bariatric surgery patients who are more than willing to support and help you such as WLS Success Matters, which was started by one of Dr. David Davtyan’s patients. Or you could follow bandedwendy on YouTube.
Ask for Help– Choosing to shed a considerable amount of weight and get your life back on track is no easy feat. If you find yourself at an impasse despite your best efforts, don’t be afraid to ask for help. A number of weight-loss surgery options, including gastric sleeve, the lap band, or gastric plication, can be a safe, effective way to supplement your nutrition and fitness regimen to give you the results you desire.
At The Weight Loss Surgery Center Of Los Angeles, we have recently introduced less invasive options, such as Obalon gas filled gastric balloons and Orbera saline filled gastric balloon in addition to the traditional choices of bariatric surgery for those who desire non-surgical options. Orbera gastric balloon is placed endoscopically during a 30-minute conscious sedation procedure, while the Obalon gastric balloon is enclosed in a dissolvable capsule, which is swallowed by the patient in a radiology department and then the balloon is inflated during a brief 15-minute procedure after which, patients can return back to work. These are perfect options for people who would like safe, quick and easy weight loss before an upcoming wedding or after the weight gain of a recent pregnancy.
Dr. Davtyan is a leading expert who himself has had weight loss surgery with very good results and can offer a very personal insight, with a great level of empathy, understanding and experience.
Our bariatric surgeon, Dr. David G. Davtyan and his staff of caring health professionals at The Weight Loss Surgery Center of Los Angeles can provide you with a variety of effective bariatric surgery options to help you safely reach your goals and successfully keep the weight off for the long-term.
Ready to welcome the new year with a new you? Call 877-9-BE-SLIM today to schedule your consultation with Dr. David G. Davtyan and get ready to reveal the slimmer, healthier you!
Posted on behalf of Dr. David G. Davtyan MD, FACS, FICS
