Its not a fix, its a tool. You still have to work at it!

     So the other day I was talking to someone about how much weight I had lost and I was asked "Did you do it through your own work or did you have surgery?".  I took a few moments to discuss my background, decision, and work towards my progress and used that time to politely correct his thoughts regarding the weight loss surgery process and those that choose to go through it.  It inspired me to write a serious post.

    Regardless of if you are considering weight loss surgery as an option for you or not here are a few things for you to consider and/or understand.

WLS is not a fix, its a tool.  I still have to work at it to maintaining my progress:
     There are many things I have to maintain since I have had weight loss surgery (WLS) and I will admit some times they are a challenge for me.  After reading the following I hope you understand that this truly is not a fix for fighting obesity but a tool.  If I don't stay onto of the following I can damage and reverse my progress.

• Protein - I need to make sure I eat between 80-120 grams of protein a day to maintain my body's needs.  My body needs a higher protein level to burn fat and maintain my body.  Its crucial for the maintenance in hair and nail growth as well.  
• Hydration - We've all heard that it is a good idea to drink eight to ten glasses of water a day.  Its a little more important as a bariatric patient to follow this rule of thumb.  Proper hydration helps with maintaining your metabolism rate.  Dehydration can learn to serious health problems as well as needing to be admitted to the hospital for medical attention.  
• Vitamins - Since my body absorbs things differently now there are special multivitamins for bariatric patients that I need to take daily to ensure I get the nutrients I need.
• Fat/Carbs/Sugar - Its important to watch my intake of fat, carbs, and sugar.  If at any point I have too much of these it can lead to me having a very uncomfortable bathroom experience.  It can also lead to what is sometimes referred to as dumping syndrome.  For some it is exactly as it sounds.  For me its more like my body instantly goes through a flush of all energy and I feel ill for up to a half hour.  Ill actually get to the point where I need to go lay down.
• Exercise - I have got to work hard at being more active now so that I can maintain the weight loss as well as help create the new more fit me.