Posted - August 8, 2012

Why You Need a Break

After Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery, Take a Break

After Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery, Take a BreakAmericans don’t like taking breaks. Sure, we all say that we need a break or look forward to the weekend, but the United States is statistically one of the least vacation-prone countries in the western world. After sleeve gastrectomy surgery you need to slow down and pay more attention to your health and wellbeing. In order to lose weight and improve your health it is time to put your work ethic in perspective and take a breath.

We don’t like to admit it, but it is impossible to put in your best work without taking a break. We aren’t wired for that kind of performance. To get the most out of every task you do it is essential that you remove yourself from the job at hand and take a break. But for some reason a lot of us have something against the notion of taking a break. Working lunches, abandoned vacation times and weekends playing catch-up in the office are unheard of in certain cultures, but here in the U.S that is the way of life.

Think of the last time you had a pressing deadline at work, or a big project that you were responsible for overseeing. You stayed up late, came in early, worked through lunch and forewent a long-planned vacation to get it done, yet the project was still only finished right under the wire. You worked yourself silly over it. With so much time spent on and so little time spent decompressing your mind was unable to give 100 percent, and so you ended up putting in more man-hours than you would have had you simply taken a step back.

Think of a second scenario. The same project is looming with the same deadline, but you just spent your weekend outside with family and you took the time before work to go for a long walk to keep up with your weight loss goals. You work solidly for three hours before getting up and taking another brisk walk at lunch, after which you are able to focus and put in another four or five hours of work before going home for the evening where you don’t think about the project once. After a week of that schedule the project is done, with all the loose ends tied up and nothing out of place.

Removing yourself from the situation works at the office, and it also works in your weight loss plans. When you are constantly focused on all of the stressors around you it is impossible to incorporate time to take care of yourself. To make progress with your weight loss plans after bariatric surgery you need to take time from other aspects of your life. This might mean cutting a few days from your carpool duties or taking longer breaks at work so you can eat and take a walk to keep up with your fitness goals.

You deserve a break, and your waistline will benefit from the extra time you spend tending to your health. Even just taking five or ten minute breathers and stretching your legs while you are at work can improve your productivity and help you feel a whole lot healthier.