My Top 5 Regrets after Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery changed my life and I am so happy that I went through with it. There have been so many positive changes that came after my extreme weight loss and I am forever thankful for my lifelong tool. However, it was not always an easy journey. I have a few regrets after my procedure that I want to highlight today in hopes to better prepare you for your surgery. It is so important to remember how much your lifestyle changes after the procedure and there are steps you can take to make that transition easier on you. Here are my top 5 regrets that I have after I had weight loss surgery.

1. I never took pre-op pictures. This is probably my biggest regret of all because I do not have much to look back on. When you spend your life being morbidly obese, you get used to not liking your picture being taken. I had been so focused on never being in photos that I would literally tell my friends to delete pictures that I was in. It was a horrible insecurity and because of it, I really do not have many photos when I was my heaviest. I so badly wish I would have taken more photos during my heaviest time because it would have helped me so much on my journey. There were days that I felt like I was not losing enough weight and all I had to do was pull out an old photo and compare it to a recent one to see the difference. It truly helped me accept where I was on my journey and see the progress I made. Unfortunately, since I did not take many photos, I only have about 3 pictures to use for comparison. So, if you are currently just getting started, I really encourage you to take pictures. You might be insecure and feel awful looking at yourself now, but I promise you that you will be so thankful you did it.
2. I did not take measurements. I only spent the first few months taking measurements and I regret so much that I did not keep it up. There will be days that you will not see the scale move and you will need another way to recognize your progress. Measurements are great because they take the focus off the scale and allow you to see how your body is changing after the procedure. It can be challenging sometimes to get the measurements every month, but I encourage you to take the time to do it on your journey.
3. I put trigger foods back into my diet. This was a huge no-no. I had always been told to not put my trigger foods back into my diet, but I let my food addiction get the best of me. Once I started putting some things back into my diet, I just kept doing it more. It took time, but I eventually gained a significant amount of my weight back. It is so important that you remember this surgery is only a tool and it will not do all the work for you. You cannot eat the same way you did prior to surgery or you will not be successful long-term on this journey.
4. I did not go to therapy. You have probably heard it from fellow bariatric patients before just how important the mental side of this journey is. People are so focused on the physical aspect of this journey that sometimes you can forget about the emotional and mental side as well. There are so many changes after weight loss surgery and it takes your brain time to catch up. I started going to therapy later on in my journey and it helped me so much. A lot of people struggle with depression after weight loss surgery and sometimes even other addiction issues such as alcoholism. You must be comfortable talking about your emotions on this journey to help you stay on track. A lot of people hate therapy, but I highly encourage you to at least give it a shot on your journey to make sure you have all the support you need.
5. I didn’t love myself at every stage. This is probably the hardest thing for me to admit, but it really affected my journey. I was always so anxious to get to the next stage that I did not take a minute to enjoy where I was currently at. I regret that I did not fully embrace each step and appreciate the progress I had made. This is not a marathon and it can be hard to remember that. You do not always need to be thinking about where you are going to be next. Focus on the moment and remember to appreciate your hard work. Even the smallest of steps forward are still important to recognize.

Bariatric surgery is a crazy adventure and you will learn so much on the way. You will make mistakes and that is completely acceptable, but it is important to hold yourself accountable and stay focused. You might have some regrets and you will learn as you go any adjustments you need to make on your journey. Take this list as a place to start on areas to look out for to make sure you do not have a long list of regrets after your procedure. You will be getting stronger and stronger on your journey and will continue to evolve so never forget to give yourself grace. You got this!