How to turn your home into the perfect place to lose weight after weight loss surgery
After weight loss surgery, the Dallas area will have just as many unhealthy temptations as it did before. Though you now have the tools to make your weight loss dreams a reality, your environment can have a big influence on your habits, and this can both help and hurt your progress.
Invitations to indulge in junk food and skip exercise sessions for an evening on the couch will be ever-present, but you can defend yourself from them simply by making your environment more conducive to weight loss. Surrounding yourself with an environment ideal for your life after weight loss surgery can make it much easier to choose healthy options every time, giving you a source of support that goes beyond your family, friends and weight loss surgeon.
Because most of us spend a big chunk of time at home and have a great deal of control over our home environments, this is where your attempts to create a positive environment should start. With a little time, you can make your home the ultimate weight loss sanctuary, a place perfect for bolstering your progress after weight loss surgery.
Ready to get started? Begin creating a weight loss sanctuary by:
Getting rid of temptation.
Before weight loss surgery, your kitchen may have been filled with junk foods and tempting treats. Though these items are out of the question now, they may still be lingering in the corners of your cabinets and fridge. You can do your best to ignore them, but may be unsuccessful in a moment of weakness—it’s best to get rid of them before they have the chance to break your diet.
Sort through every nook and cranny of your kitchen, ditching the unhealthy stuff as you go. Anything that won’t fit into your bariatric diet has no place in your pantry. If you feel bad about throwing these foods away, you can donate them to a neighbor, friend or homeless shelter, but one thing is for sure: in your house, these will do far more harm than good.
If you live with others who don’t share your aspirations for healthy living, they may not be too keen on you discarding their favorite treats. That’s OK—just ask that they be kept out of sight and out of mind. You should respect the choices of those you live with, but they should respect your desire to keep these temptations far away.
Helping yourself make healthy choices.
Once the bad stuff is gone, it’s time to set about making the good stuff more accessible. Fill your home with foods that meet your nutritional needs after weight loss surgery and put them within easy reach. Try keeping fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter, or storing your favorite healthy foods front and center in the fridge—this way, you’ll be most likely to choose something healthy when you head to the kitchen for a snack or meal.
You can also use your home to reinforce your exercise program. Keeping simple exercise equipment around the house—free weights, yoga mats, fitness DVDs, resistance bands—can make it easy to squeeze a workout in when you don’t have the time or energy to hit the gym. You can also improve your chances of using this gear in your downtime by storing it near the TV or computer.
Your home can help you boost your progress after weight loss surgery in many ways—these two are just the tip of the iceberg. How have you made your home in the Dallas area perfect for weight loss surgery? Share your strategies in the comments below!
