Retraining Your Brain to Support Your Weight Loss Goals

By Ayotunde Adeyeri, MD, FASMBS, Medical Director

The warmer weather makes you feel more alert, more open and as if anything is possible. The past two years have taught us some tough lessons about staying the course, keeping hope alive and believing that you will be successful. How did we accomplish this? By keeping a positive and hopeful mindset.

There is a proven healthcare emphasis on the value of mindfulness when it comes to health. Countless clinical studies have proven that people who live with a positive mindset experience better overall health, less acute illness and lower levels of obesity and depression.

Mindfulness mantras for health and wellness

I’ve jotted down some mindfulness mantras that may be helpful to recite and commit to memory:

• I will lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle
• I have the power to overcome any obstacle
• My mind will help me defeat food cravings
• I have the tools to end eating for emotional reasons
• My positive mindset will help me overcome any health challenge
• I am worth the effort I am making
• If you believe it will happen, it will happen

Mindfulness to support bariatric weight loss

Historically, the bariatric community focused on the technical aspect of the gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, bariatric revision or duodenal switch.

But the physical operation doesn’t change your mindset or pre-surgical relationship with food.

When new clients come to Sterling Surgicare, one of the first things we discuss is how unimportant the actual weight loss surgery operation will be. Once they recover from the shock of that statement (!), we explain that their mindset was a powerful contributing factor to their weight gain—and it will be an equally strong factor supporting their successful weight loss.

Today, there are many useful mind/body resources to help quell the stress or other emotional ties to food–guided meditation, yoga and simple mindfulness exercises to keep your mind in this exact moment–not later tonight, next week or next year.

Whether you turn to the Calm app for personal meditation, attend a group yoga session or use sound bath therapy for stress relief, I encourage you to seek out a practice that will give you time to strengthen your mindset and find positivity and hope in your effort to lose weight and improve your health.  You’re going to be impressed by how big a role your mind plays in nearly every aspect of your health and wellness.

Our collective goal at Sterling Surgicare is to provide you with a toolbox of weight management resources to help you master control of your health for the rest of your life. I encourage you to explore how exercising your mind can be a powerful asset to achieving all of your life goals.

If you are at the beginning of your weight loss surgery exploration, attend one of our Sterling Surgicare Online or In-Person Seminars, hosted by Dr. Adeyeri, to learn more and have your questions answered. If you prefer to have a private consultation, call 732-217-3897 and we’ll be happy to confirm your appointment within the next 10 days.