Weight Loss Success: Why And How You Should Celebrate Your Milestones
August 26, 2024Post-surgery, I often have patients in my office who have had weight loss success with the surgery, but instead of focusing on how well they are doing, they linger on the “what ifs?” What if I fail? What if I gain the weight back again? I am doing well now, but what if I can’t maintain this? This defeatist mindset can be very dangerous. How we talk to ourselves is what keeps us going.
Look How Far You Have Come!
Instead, I encourage patients to “look at how far you have come.” When you are looking at the top of a mountain that you need to climb, the top can seem very far away and overwhelming. Instead, look down and see how far you have come. I remind patients, “Remember when you were not even sure about having the surgery?” Look how far you have come! “Remember when you thought the initial liquid diet would kill you?” Look how far you have come. “Remember when you struggled to get to that first 25-pound weight loss?” Look at how far you have come.
Celebrating milestones, big and small, are like map markers on the way up to the top of the mountain. Without those markers, the hike to the top of our ultimate goal can seem like one long, endless hike. That can be discouraging. When hikers trek to the top of Mount Everest, they stop at certain points to acclimate before they move ahead. They reflect on how far from Basecamp they have made it.
The milestones do not necessarily have to be big ones. They can be small ones. For example, when going to an event with temptations everywhere, you stick with healthy choices for the duration of the event. It seems like a small feat, but it is not. In the past, you may have given in to your own internal pressure or the pressure of those around you, saying, “Aren’t you going to eat like the rest of us?” But you didn’t. When you got back in your car without giving in to temptation, that is a victory. Celebrate it. Say it out loud, “I did it.”
Celebrate Weight Loss Success!
Many of us have been raised to put ourselves down when we fail, make a mistake, or simply are not the best. Rarely, have we been taught to give ourselves a pat on the back when we do succeed. We have been told it is not polite to gloat or be a good sport. The reality is that we need to celebrate our successes. The reality is that if we do not do it for ourselves, the world is probably not going to do it for us.
The key is to shift your thinking to a winning mentality. Instead of “what if I fail?” “what if I succeed?” Focus on the mini successes. Yesterday, I was able to get all my protein in. Today, I was able to drink my liquids. I exercised today. Last night, I had a protein bar instead of ice cream. These are all successes.
Celebrating the bigger successes, like actually having the surgery, reaching the 50-pound weight loss mark, or getting down two sizes, are all part of the base camp that you can look back on when you are feeling defeated. Look at how far you have come. These bigger successes are triumphs that you can review when you are having a frustrating day. “Look where I was from and where I am now. I can do this.” Look back at that picture of yourself the day before the surgery. Remind yourself that you are succeeding.
Having a visual reminder, like a past picture or marking on a calendar, can also help reinforce your mental picture of success.
The journey to a healthy weight is not a straight line to the top. You are going to have good days and bad. That is okay. Sometimes the problem is that you have had a string of bad days prior to the surgery. Even on your worst day after the surgery, you are not at the bottom. You are somewhere along the mountain, and you are still hiking. When you celebrate your milestones, you can look back on them as a way to encourage you to continue your trek to the top. Keep hiking!
Melissa Bailey, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and is currently head of Bailey Psychology Group.
Join me at the Bariatric Connect National Conference on September 20th & 21st for more tips on celebrating your success!
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melissa Bailey, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with active practices in several states. She has been in the field for over 20 years and received her doctorate from Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Chicago with an emphasis in Health Psychology and is currently head of Bailey Psychology Group. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Bailey has a special interest in the field of Autism. Read more articles from Dr. Bailey! |
