Day 7 - Fresh Start WLS Master Challenge

It's our last day of the SPRING Fresh Start WLS Master Challenge! But I'll have one more Fresh Start message for you tomorrow.

Fundamental Focus: MENTAL HEALTH

"...You will not have a healthy body if you don't also take care of your mind...Good mental health helps you enjoy life and cope with problems. It offers a feeling of well-being and inner strength...You don't automatically have good mental health just because you don't have mental health illness. You have to work to keep your mind healthy." -Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

"Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community." -World Health Organization

“...when a person goes through major lifestyle and body changes after surgery, major adjustments occur in how we think about ourselves and how others think of us. Some patients gain much more confidence…Others struggle…Marriages and relationships can be strained...access to an experienced mental health professional can be an important part of postoperative recovery. Above all, each patient should be prepared for “bumps in the road” along the journey, whether it’s interpersonal conflict, marriage stress, a surgical complication, or a plateau in weight-loss.” -ASMBS

Today, there's no Mental Health “challenge” per se, but rather a plea.

Here's the short and sweet of it.

I believe Mental Heath is the most important of all the bariatric surgery guidelines, and also the most ignored.

I don't believe you can have long-term success with...

Nutrition

Fitness

Vitamins

Medical Follow-Up

Sleep

Hydration

...without taking care of your Mental Health.

This week we've talked about the importance of...

Play

Cultivating Gratitude & Joy

Making Yourself a Priority & Setting Boundaries

Cultivating Calm & Stillness

Self-Compassion

Creativity

...approaches that can lead to less stress and more peace in your life.

WHY do you want more peace in your life?

So you can focus clearly and wholeheartedly on...

Creating effective meal plans.

Carrying your water bottle with you.

Sorting your vitamins & supplements on Sunday evenings.

Developing a strong, trusting relationship with your bariatric surgery team.

Creating a practical pre-sleep plan.

Developing a well-balanced fitness routine that you enjoy.

I have a Fresh Start Master Challenge wrap-up message for you tomorrow with a special announcement on what you can look forward to in the Fresh Approach Facebook group over the next couple weeks. CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

For more information about Dr. Brené Brown's grounded theory qualitative research, click here.

To check out her book, "The Gifts of Imperfection," where the concept of wholehearted living comes from, click here. (affiliate link)

IMPORTANT: My goal is to help you live your healthiest and happiest life with weight loss surgery by cultivating a peaceful, fresh approach to following the fundamental bariatric surgery guidelines. I’m a Life Coach and Weight Loss Surgery advocate. I’m not a medical or mental health care professional. Your participation in this “challenge” means you agree and understand that what I’m teaching is intended to complement your current medical and mental health care, not replace it in any way, and that you will continue to follow-up with and adhere to your doctor's instructions, and seek medical and/or mental health care as prescribed and whenever necessary. Copyright © Mary E. Clark, LLC * 2018 * All rights reserved.