April is National Stress Awareness Month, and at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, we dedicate this month to recognizing the impact that weight loss can have on mental well-being, especially stress management.
The mental challenges of stress affect physical health, including weight management. If you’re struggling to manage stress, incorporating effective stress management techniques into your daily routine will make all the difference for your health and your weight loss goals.
How Does Stress Affect Weight Loss?
First, let’s take a look at how stress affects your body and your weight. When we experience stress, our body releases the hormone cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. When levels of cortisol increase in our bodies, this triggers several responses that interfere with how we manage weight, including:
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- Increased Appetite: Increased cortisol “stimulates” our appetites, especially for food that is not very good for the body. In other words, stress makes us want to eat junk food that is high in calories, fat, and sugar, which can make it more difficult to stick with a healthy eating plan.
- Fat Storage: High cortisol levels caused by stress also promote fat storage around the belly, especially in women.
- Sleep Patterns: Stress will often disrupt healthy sleep patterns, which can negatively affect weight loss efforts. Without good quality rest, it is easier to gain weight, and it is more difficult to lose those extra pounds.
- Increased Fatigue: If stress is persistent, it can leave you feeling physically and mentally drained, which makes it difficult to find motivation for a regular exercise routine or maintain healthy habits.
Bariatric Surgery and Stress Management
Studies show that obesity is often associated with a negative life outlook and psychiatric symptoms like depression, anxiety, and stress. For individuals struggling with weight loss, bariatric surgery, like gastric sleeve surgery, can be a transformative tool that greatly improves quality of life.
Bariatric surgeries are not a quick fix and require ongoing commitments to lifestyle changes. However, with a good support network in place, like the one provided by Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, achieving weight loss goals and managing stress is an attainable goal.
How Does Bariatric Surgery Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Wellness?
With the right plan, bariatric surgery helps individuals lose a substantial amount of weight, reduces stress on the body, and improves overall health. After weight loss surgery, patients often experience improved energy levels and reduced cortisol production if they also maintain healthy eating habits and use recommended tools for managing stress.
Weight loss surgery is known to improve self-esteem and body image and resolve conditions often associated with obesity, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. However, many people who have had bariatric surgery find that it can be difficult to avoid feeling stressed at times.
What About Mental Health After Weight Loss Surgery?
While many people experience an improved quality of life after bariatric surgery, the significant changes to your body’s shape and size can also cause some to have complex emotions. Body image issues don’t necessarily just disappear after the surgery. Some people even experience an increase in stress that negatively affects their body image and relationships with others.
It is essential to practice healthy stress management exercises to help decrease the levels of stress. Additionally, a strong support network is vitally important for ensuring weight loss success and improved mental health after surgery.
How to Manage Stress and Maintain a Healthy Weight After Weight Loss Surgery
Stress management is essential for managing cortisol levels and preventing weight gain. The American Psychological Association suggests using the following tools to reduce stress, which will help you regain control of your weight loss journey:
Calm
To calm yourself, try breathing in for a count of four, holding it in for four, and then breathing out for six. Your body should recalibrate after you repeat this ten times.
Focus
If you are experiencing racing thoughts, you can try counting backward by three starting from 100, for example, 100, 97, 94, 91, and so on. This structured focus engages your brain and distracts you from those unhelpful thought patterns.
Relaxation
Focus on each muscle group in your body and clench or tense those groups one at a time for ten seconds and then release. Think about how it feels as your muscles relax and the tension leaves your body. This activity can help increase energy and calm your mind.
Grounding
To ground yourself, place your feet flat on the floor as you sit down. Do a quick scan of your body, taking notice of the air around you and the surface texture of your seat or anything else you are touching. Close your eyes and focus on the sensations, textures, and temperatures. This will help you become more aware of the details around you and better assess your environment.
Celebrate Yourself
If you are dealing with the many challenges that come with weight loss and weight loss surgery or any other challenges in life, take time to think about three things that went well in your day. Give recognition and thank people who help make your life easier or brighten your world. It’s important to slow down and take notice of even small successes so that we can feel a sense of control over our environment.
Meditation
Many people find that meditation and yoga help reduce their stress and emotional well-being. These activities help calm the body and mind.
Exercise
We can’t emphasize enough how much regular exercise can benefit your overall well-being, including reducing stress. Exercise is the most effective way to manage stress and lose weight because physical activities release endorphins that boost your mood and alleviate anxiety.
Sleep Well
Good quality sleep is vital for weight loss and stress management. As an adult, you should aim for at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can increase stress levels and disrupt hunger-regulating hormones, which can lead to an urge to overeat.
To ensure you get good sleep, avoid too much screen time before going to bed, don’t eat too close to bedtime, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Building a Strong Network of Support With Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery
After weight loss surgery, we strongly recommend our patients find support from friends, family, support groups, and healthcare professionals. Reach out to people who you can trust and will empathize with your experiences.
There are many support groups for weight loss surgery patients where you can connect with others who have had bariatric surgery, share your challenges, and celebrate your triumphs together. Although it may seem intimidating to look for support post-surgery, it will play a crucial role in reducing stress and improving your overall outlook.
Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is here to help! Contact us if you need assistance finding the support you need. We believe mental and physical health are of equal importance and work hard to ensure our patients learn essential self-care practices to nurture their emotional well-being and stay healthy. That’s why we are there for our patients from pre-op through their recovery and as long as they need our support.
Managing Stress and Bariatric Surgery at BMI
After gastric sleeve surgery, you must remain dedicated, patient, and committed to your well-being. Each individual’s recovery journey is unique, so any diet and exercise plan will be unique to your needs. If you have specific concerns or questions about what’s right for you, don’t hesitate to contact BMI for personalized support. You can call us anytime at (205) 858-1211.
